Child Sponsorship background from Louga, Senegal

SOS Children's Village Louga

SOS Children's Village Louga is about 200 km north-east of Dakar. The climate in that area of the country is particularly hot and dry. Very few plants grow and prosper there. Moreover, the whole region suffers from the relentless spread of the Sahara. SOS Children's Village Louga was built in the east of the city. It has ten family houses, a village director's house, a house for employees and an administration building. It opened in May 1990 and offers a home to 100 children.

Other SOS Projects in Louga

One of Senegal's largest problems is its high rate of illiteracy. Since there is inadequate schooling, it soon became apparent that work needed to be done so as to raise the general level of education and provide people with work opportunities. This is why the activities of SOS Children started with the construction of a primary school.

The SOS Primary School was built beside the SOS Children's Village and is also attended by children from the neighbourhood. The school opened three years prior to the SOS Children's Village and has a capacity for 600 school children (both girls and boys). The school building has twelve classrooms, an administrative area, the village director's house and other additional rooms.

The SOS Nursery, which opened at the same time as the SOS Children's Village, has four large classrooms and additional rooms, and can provide care to around 140 children from the SOS Children's village and from the neighbourhood.

Lastly, an SOS Vocational Training Centre was also built within the programme to integrate young people into society and working life. It opened in January 2001 and gives young people the opportunity to learn a trade whilst they gradually become independent. The centre has several workshops, six large rooms, a kitchen and a storeroom. A total of 18 young people can receive training there.

Background to Louga

Louga is a cattle market centre and has road and rail links with the port city of Saint-Louis to the northwest and Dakar to the southwest. The area surrounding Louga is at the northern limits of Senegal's peanut (groundnut) growing area and is inhabited by the Fulani, who are generally pastoral nomads, and the Wolof, who are sedentary farmers.