St. Louis - Senegal

A district helps itself

In a poor district on the Island of Saint Louis, the UNESCO World Heritage site in the north of Senegal, we support training courses and business start-ups for women and young people, infrastructure measures, coaching for deprived and handicapped children. There are also plans to set up a centre for children and young people.

Far removed from the fading charms of the former capital of Senegal, on the wrong side of the tracks, as it were, lies the slum district of Leona. While the Island of Saint Louis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a picturesque tourist destination, few visitors ever stray into Leona.

About 14,000 people live in Leona in households that often do not have any electricity or water supply. During the annual rainy season, the unmade roads are soon transformed into gushing tributaries of the Senegal River. Unemployment stands at about 32 per cent - to name just one or two of the existing problems.

All the organisations aiming to spur the social and economic development of their district have formed the "Council of Leona". Despite these efforts to promote self-help, external support is still needed and is warmly welcomed.

In places like Leona, it is generally the women, children and young people as well as the handicapped who suffer most. At present, relief aid focuses on the following areas:

• training measures for women and young people - and in particular for people with disabilities


• providing micro-loans to finance start-ups


• after-school care and help with homework for handicapped and socially deprived children


• a computer room, which serves as an Internet cafe for local residents and is used for computer courses.


• measures to improve the health and sanitary conditions in the district - in particular support for local refuse collections


• a centre for street children and young, single mothers.

Long-term cooperation between HelpAlliance and the Council of Leona is planned in the above-mentioned areas and elsewhere - and needs strong financial assistance.

More pictures to be found here