FOUNDATION PUSE | Senegal 2019

Por Una Sonrisa en África

The Charity Foundation For a Smile in Africa (Por una sonrisa en África) concentrates its efforts on different settlements in Senegal with the aim of collaborating in the sustainable and non-traumatic development of the area.

From the beginning of their activity in 2002, projects of schooling, public health and development have been the main focus of their efforts. With your collaboration you will help them improve the living conditions of the inhabitants of various settlements on the savannah of Senegal

The PUSE Foundation's representant in this project is Josep Maria Catot.

About them:

It is a story that began when Mario Llonch and his wife Asun Fiochi heard about the social-work carried out by the missionaries of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception in this African country. Since that moment they decided to collaborate with them but also start with the design and establishment of their own sustainable projects.

One of their wishes is to be close to the Senegalese people and make them partakers of their activities since the closer they are to the habitants of the country, their problems are understood better and, particularly, how to solve them. Therefore, the Foundation is responsible for supervising, managing and financing its own projects in Senegal. Other projects are carried out and subsequently sent for its management, to the corresponding entities.

For the founders and the team it is important that this beautiful story continues to have the same personal involvement with which it was born and the same emotional content.

They are a small, close, transparent and responsable Foundation.

Fulfilled projects:

Mbackombel school (kindergarden and primary school)

Since its creation in 2002, the need to build an elementary school in Mbackombel was raised since children in the area did not have the possibility to study. Little by little, the classrooms were built and nowadays the school works at its full capacity.

The school has 8 kindergarten classrooms, 9 primary school classes, 1 library and computer room, an office for the principal and teachers, 1 shed-dining room, toilettes and an enclosed courtyard. Currently, 609 boys and girls from different nearby towns regularly attend to class. In addition, the Foundation finances the salaries of 20 people as well as the school supplies.

At this time, the school of Mbackombel is considered thanks to the sudents results as a reference according to the Education Inspection of the province.

Mbour Residence

The students of the Mbackombel school, in order to continue their studies are forced to go to the city of Mbour to be able to study secondary school. Some children of the town have family members in the city that host them but others had to rent rooms in the neighborhoods where they lived in bad conditions. After studying this problem, in 2008 the Foundation began the construction of a residence where more than 55 children could stay and have a decent study room where they could study decently after their lessons.

The Foundation finances the breakfast, lunch, dinner of all the children living in the residence, the maintenance of the center and the salaries of the director and staff.

The families of the students collaborate with 10% of the budget.

Running water in Mbackombel

Seeing the projects they were doing in Mbackombel and the continuous and rigorous monitoring of them, Mme. Martine Moy, president of the Association Vivre in Brousse, proposed the funding of a water project. After selecting the most suitable place they drilled up to 106 meters to find potable water with an extraction capacity up to 24,000 liters/h.

Center for the empowerment of women

In 2005, at the request of the missionaries of the Immaculate Conception, the Foundation built in a peripheral neighborhood of Mbour, a center for women in which the Sisters can teach literacy, cooking, sewing, etc.

Financing:

Since the beginning, apart to the people who help them through fees, sponsorships, donations and/or volunteering, there aremany companies and entities that constantly support them, demonstrating the faith in their projects