Painting Lessons on a Primary School Wall

When Michael moved into his village located in the region of Kaffrine, he knew that he wanted to pursue work that improved the lives of the local children. He noted the social pressure from the community for the males to stop learning and work in the fields full time. Likewise, young women often drop out to work in both the home and the fields, and marry early. The only way for a child to interrupt this cycle is to perform well in school and continue climbing the Senegalese education ladder. 

Unfortunately, this is very rare in Michael’s community and only a few children each year go on to collège, the Senegalese equivalent of middle school. As more and more children continue in their schooling, the community’s education level will increase. With an increase in education, one could expect incomes and standards of living to follow suit. The school in this volunteer’s village is very fortunate because they have motivated faculty, but greatly lack resources and infrastructure. 

A year into his service, Michael was approached by the headmaster of the primary school, the village chief, and the president of the parent-teacher organization about plans for the development of the school. They proposed a four-point plan consisting of (1) school wall, (2) school garden, (3) solar power for the school, and (4) implementation of technology into the classroom. 

After much conversation, they decided that the most realistic of the steps to undertake would be the school wall. With the help of local counterparts, Michael organized, applied for, and secured funding from World Connect to build a 170-meter-long, 2-meter-high wall to surround the school. This wall would greatly decrease the amount of distractions the students face in a day, improve the safety and cleanliness of the school grounds, and make it a more pleasurable place to learn. With the help of dedicated teachers, these outcomes would aid in the promotion of education within the community. Along with the construction of the wall, Michael painted educational murals focusing on health and the school’s curriculum on the wall to act as visual aids for lessons. 

Construction began after rainy season last September and was completed in December. Additionally, Michael, other Peace Corps Volunteers, and community members painted 30 murals. In early March, a metal handwashing station and educational mural on hygiene were added. This served as a guide for teacher-led health talks. Various shade and fruit trees will be planted at the onset of the next rainy season. They will enhance the learning experience and provide a leisurely escape for students on break.  

Interest in the project continues to expand within and beyond Michael’s community. Education inspectors, government officials, and leaders in the surrounding villages have made the trip out to Michael’s site to observe the great work done. The effect generated by this project will be felt for many years to come and contribute to the education of this rural community.