In the 15 villages surrounding Diouroup in Senegal, women’s illiteracy is an aggravating factor in their marginalization and poverty.

“If they know how to read and write, they have a good chance of finding sources of income and thus leading a more dignified life for themselves and their children”, says Sister Maria Jesus Lopez.

The “Window on lessons” project sponsored by the Daughters of Charity from October 2023 to June 2024 aimed to promote literacy among 360 women, encouraging them to seize job opportunities and become more self-sufficient.

Sister Maria Jesus Lopez testifies:

We began by visiting the various communities of Diouroup to suggest that the women enroll in literacy courses, learn arithmetic and participated in workshops that encouraged them to create a small income-generating activity (cooking and hygiene products).

Then we selected and guided the various trainers who would accompany these women for 2 hours, 3 days a week.

The women and instructors are all either Christians or Muslims. We are delighted that they have understood that training is not a question of religion, that everyone has the right to be trained and to train themselves. It is an effective way of building the Kingdom of God.

The women who took part in the project were delighted to have this opportunity. They expressed great joy at sharing this new experience with their neighbors.

We wanted them to learn French and “sérère”, but some of them preferred “sérère”, their local language, which unfortunately confined them to their living quarters. But we accepted their wishes.

Some of them also just gave up. Coming from farming families, they had to stay in the village to work in the fields and continue looking after the children. Unfortunately, they were frequently absent and unable to achieve the academic results they had hoped for.

The impact was positive, however, as 50% of the 250 women who took part in the final exam passed.

Thank you for helping these rural women find the energy, courage and time to engage in job training.

Soeur Maria Jesus Lopez
Source: projets-rosalie.com