During the height of Covid-19 spread in Senegal, our street children project in Dakar reduced the potential transmission within three Koranic schools (talibés) through the distribution of vital hygiene kits, combined with the sensitization and promotion of good hygiene practices, including—handwashing!
The Koranic schools that house and educate street children are microcosms of the general situation in Senegal: crowded living conditions and limited water and sanitation facilities, putting them at high risk of contracting and spreading the virus.
With support from Penny Appeal, funds originally intended for circus classes for the young boys have been diverted for the purchase and distribution of food and hygienic items, including mobile handwashing stations, soap, cleaning products (bleach and detergents), and masks, so the boys had, and continue to have, a safe and sanitized environment while they isolate during lockdown.
In conjunction with hygiene kit distributions, we worked with Koranic masters and imams to promote positive behaviour change in the community by sharing preventive measure and good hygiene practices. These practices have continued and has had lasting impacts on handwashing and hygiene in the talibés and the immediate surrounding communities.