Friends of Guéoul

05/31/2026

🇸🇳✨ To the Village That Raises Us: Happy Mother’s Day! ✨🇸🇳
In Senegal, motherhood isn't defined just by biology—it is defined by love, sacrifice, and community. From the yaay who gives life, to the aunties, grandmothers, neighbors, and market vendors who step in with a watchful eye, a warm meal, or a word of wisdom—every woman in our community is a mother.
There is a reason we say it takes a village to raise a child. Our children are carried not just on one back, but on the shoulders of an entire community of brave, big-hearted women.
Today, we honor every single one of you. The homemakers, the fighters, the workers, the protectors.
Jërejëf, Yaay. Merci d'exister. ❤️🌹

05/31/2026

🌸 Bonne Fête des Mères 🌸
À toutes ces braves femmes du Sénégal et du monde entier, À ces "Yaay" au cœur immense et à l'âme généreuse…
Vous qui vous vous levez avant l'aube, quand le monde dort encore, Vous qui portez la maison sur vos épaules sans jamais fléchir, Vous qui donnez sans compter, aimer sans condition, et prier sans relâche pour vos enfants.
Vous êtes la vendeuse courageuse qui brave la chaleur du marché, La travailleuse silencieuse qui rentre t**d mais reste présente, La maman de quartier dont les bras sont toujours ouverts, La battante qui transforme peu en beaucoup, et rien en tout.
Vous ne demandez rien, pourtant vous offrez tout. Vos sacrifices sont invisibles aux yeux du monde, mais gravés à jamais dans le cœur de vos enfants.
Merci pour votre amour sans frontières. Merci pour votre force silencieuse. Merci d'être ce pilier que rien ne brise.
Que Dieu vous protège, illumine votre chemin, bénisse vos familles et récompense chaque larme versée, Chaque nuit blanche, chaque sacrifice consenti.
🌺 Jërejëf, Yaay. Merci, Maman. Merci d'exister. 🌺
Photo credit: Maty Thiam

05/28/2026

✨ Eid Moubarak à tous ✨
En ce jour béni de l’Aïd, que la paix, la santé et la bénédiction remplissent vos maisons.
Que cette fête soit un moment de partage, d’amour et de solidarité avec vos proches et toute la communauté. 🤍
Qu’Allah accepte nos prières, nos sacrifices et nos bonnes actions, et qu’Il nous accorde bonheur, réussite et prospérité. 🌙
Bonne fête de l’Eid à vous et à vos familles.
Eid Moubarak ! 🕌
♥️

05/14/2026

Celebrating Bity N'Dir today! 🎊

Bity, thank you for being a champion for education. We wish you ndéwéneul (blessings) and a year full of joy and success. Your passion for Guéoul inspires us all every day! 🇸🇳❤️

Help us celebrate Bity by leaving a birthday wish in the comments! 👇

05/11/2026

🌍 Flashback: January in Saint Louis, Senegal.
We’re still thinking about our visit to the American Corner! 📸 Meeting with Program Director Mme. Awa and Fulbright scholar Ramata Haidara was a true highlight of our trip.
Their dedication to creating opportunities through language is life-changing. We’re so excited to partner with them on upcoming projects, from girls' English competitions to specialized teacher training. 📚🤝
Stay tuned as we turn these discussions into action! 🚀

05/10/2026

Honor a Mother. Empower a Daughter. 🌸

This Mother’s Day, we’re thinking about mothers everywhere—yours, mine, and those in Guéoul who want nothing more than a bright future for their children.

Education is the greatest gift a mother can give, but right now, that gift is under threat. With public school strikes and major funding cuts, FoG’s tutoring services are the last line of defense for our students’ education.

Please support this extraordinary program with a donation this month in the name of a mother who inspired you. Whether it’s $10 or $100, your contribution makes a massive difference in a year where every dollar counts.

Give here: Mother's Day 2026 Campaign

05/01/2026

A Month of Mothers 🌸

Help us reach our $5,000 goal by contributing today: Donate link in comments.

In the US and Europe, we celebrate Mother’s Day on May 10th. In Senegal, the celebration happens on May 31st. At Friends of Guéoul, we realized this gives us the perfect opportunity to celebrate the "power of the mother" all month long!

Our focus is simple: keeping girls in school. 📚

We know that educated women help themselves and prioritize education for their children, giving the next generation more choices in life.

Please support this extraordinary program with a donation this month in honor of a mother—yours, mine, or those in Guéoul. This program works, and your contributions make a huge difference.

THANK YOU! ✨

04/25/2026

04/25/2026

Dans le cadre de notre séjour à Guéoul, nous avons eu l'opportunité de réaliser une visite enrichissante auprès de l'Inspection de l'Éducation et de la Formation (IEF) de Kébémer. Cette démarche visait à présenter nos activités de manière détaillée, afin d'en renforcer la visibilité et l'impact, tout en facilitant leur remontée et leur valorisation jusqu'au niveau national. Nous avons pu partager nos réalisations, nos objectifs et nos stratégies avec l'équipe de l'IEF, qui ont montré un intérêt sincère pour notre travail. Elle a également permis de solliciter leur implication ainsi que leur accompagnement dans la mise en œuvre de nos actions, en établissant des partenariats solides et durables. Nous sommes convaincus que cette rencontre aura un impact positif sur notre travail et nous sommes impatients de voir les résultats de cette collaboration. Nous sommes reconnaissants envers l'IEF pour l'accueil chaleureux et la disponibilité dont ils ont fait preuve pendant notre visite.

As part of our stay in Guéoul, we had the opportunity to carry out an enriching visit to the Education and Training Inspectorate (IEF) of Kébémer. This approach aimed to present our activities in detail, in order to enhance their visibility and impact, while facilitating their reporting and promotion at the national level. We were able to share our achievements, objectives, and strategies with the IEF team, who showed genuine interest in our work. It also allowed us to request their involvement as well as their support in implementing our actions, by establishing strong and lasting partnerships. We are convinced that this meeting will have a positive impact on our work, and we look forward to seeing the results of this collaboration. We are grateful to the IEF for the warm welcome and availability they showed during our visit.

04/25/2026

Twenty years of building bridges in Guéoul. 🇸🇳
When our team visited this past January, we knew we had an important milestone to hit. Support for "Friends of Guéoul" isn’t just given; it’s earned through two decades of consistent, community-driven work.
To keep moving forward, we needed to show our progress and align with our local partners. Our Board President, Bity N’Dir and Magatte Ndiaye arranged a vital meeting with the Education Inspector Ndiaga Ba and the secretary Coumba Thiam in Kebemer and we went to visit with our board president Bity N’Dir and VP Magatte Ndiaye
We didn’t just discuss the future of our scholarship holders; we listened. Hearing firsthand how the Office of Education can help us move forward is exactly the kind of local support that keeps our mission alive. We are so grateful for the government officials and community members who stand with us.
Stay tuned—there are more stories to share about the local partners who make this possible.