During this summer of coronavirus lockdown there has been a very active partnership between volunteers in the UK and our teenage Young Leaders in Senegal. They have all been working to address the lack of reading books for children in Senegal. The Centre’s library works hard to provide African and Senegalese storybooks but the majority of books available in Senegal are about life in the West and don’t relate to the children’s own experiences.
Initially the Young Leaders in Senegal translated online books published on the African Storybooks website. Encouraged by a few sample storybooks from the UK the Young Leaders gained confidence. It wasn’t long before the project took shape and they were writing stories of Senegalese life while volunteeers in the UK have been busy illustrating them. The back and forth between the UK and Senegal of stories and photos is producing some lovely books and soon they will be online and in the Centre’s library when the Centre opens after the rainy season. Click here to read a book.
A huge thank you to everyone who dedicated their coronavirus lockdown to this project, And especially to those UK illustrators trying to finish their illustrations around their day jobs. We appreciate all this work so much and so will the lucky children who will read and enjoy the books.
Dear
I would like to congratulate you for this amazing work. I’m currently looking for story books for young children from most disadvantaged regions in Senegal. I believe that the books you developed are good resources. I will be happy to have a discussion with your team. I’m based in Dakar.
Thank you again for this great work