At the Diapalante Community Education Centre, people gain the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to shape their own futures.
The impact of this work is practical, immediate and long term.
Impact at a glance
Each year:
500+
Over 500 people make regular use of the Centre. Most attending two or three evenings a week.
250
250 teenagers develop language, study and computer skills.
150
150 adults improve language, literacy and workplace skills.
100
100 primary school children improve their French and so their understanding of school lessons.
100
100 adults and youngsters, with little or no formal education, attend our literacy programme .
6/7 days
The Centre is open 6 days a week. To facilitate attendance it opens over lunchtime and late into the evening.
15+ yrs
serving the Kaolack community.
Primary school results
A structured evaluation of our primary school French programme found that participating children achieved end-of-year examination results 14% higher than a matched control group.
Importantly, the evaluation included all registered participants, regardless of attendance levels, ensuring a realistic measure of impact rather than focusing only on the most committed learners.
Secondary school success
Although the Centre does not formally track public examination results, many students return to share their achievements. In 2026, all Centre members known to have sat the Baccalaureate reported their results, with 85% achieving a pass compared with a national pass rate of 54%. Similar outcomes have been reported by Centre members in previous years.
Supporting success in schools
Education is at the heart of what we do.
Beyond exam results
Exams matter, but they are only a small part of the story.
Many of the most important outcomes are not easily measured:
For many people, simply learning to read and write is life-changing.
Creating opportunities for adults
There are many adults and teenage learners come to the Centre because they didn’t have the opportunity to attend school.
Others need literacy, language or digital skills to support their work.
These skills help learners:
The benefits often extend beyond the individual learner, supporting families and strengthening the wider community.
Developing future leaders
The Centre is more than a place of learning.
For those who have never attended school, learning to read and write can be transformative – opening up opportunities that were previously out of reach.
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Stories of Change
From struggling student to university
Abdou first came to the Centre lacking confidence and struggling with French, the language used in school.
With sustained support, he improved his language skills, passed his examinations, and progressed to university, where he is studying English
Now I can write my name!
Marie is a tailoring apprentice who had never attended school.
When she first arrived at the Centre, she could not read a tape measure or write her name.
After several months of literacy classes, she began recording measurements, learning basic mathematics and managing tasks independently.
Today she can proudly write her own name.
Bridging digital skills gaps
Nurse Alioune travelled 100km to join Diapalante’s free, flexible computer training and gain computer skills he needed for his work.
Alioune then trained his fellow staff and brought previously idle medical station equipment into use improving local healthcare delivery.
Reaching the limits of our current Centre
The Centre is already used in the day and evening, six days a week.
Demand for literacy classes, children’s activities and language classes often exceeds the space available.
The success described on this page has been achieved within facilities that were never designed to serve so many learners. Expanding into a purpose-built Centre would allow many more children, young people and adults to benefit from these opportunities.
Looking to the future
Individual progress is often easy to see: a child improves their reading, a teenager passes an examination, an adult writes their name for the first time.
These personal successes create greater opportunities, stronger families and a more resilient community.
That is the impact of Diapalante
Be part of the impact
Every improvement described here is made possible by the support of individuals, trusts and organisations who believe in long-term, community-led work.
Your support helps to: