In the Matam region of northeastern Senegal, the prospects for a young girl like Ramatoulaye Diallo are limited. Married at the age of fifteen, she was forced to abandon her studies. Between new household chores and having her first child, school was no longer a priority. 

Matam is among the regions in the country with the highest rate of early marriage, affecting nearly one in two young girls. 

To address this issue, TSF has taken on the challenge, over the past three years of improving access to education for girls like Ramatoulaye. By establishing a dialogue between different sectors of society, the barriers to returning to school are gradually falling.  

The development promoted by the TSF team in West Africa for several years is based on a process that identifies the specific problems of local communities, mobilizes them, and fully integrates them into the search for appropriate solutions. Success is achieved based on mutual respect and effective collaboration. The program implemented in Senegal, whose structure was based on our experiences in Mali, was carried out by and for the Matam community, in conjunction with the TSF team. 

In this region of the country, when a young girl is married, she moves in with her new family, and the decision to continue her studies rests with her husband or mother-in-law. For this reason, TSF established an action plan to reach these women, who play a decisive role in family dynamics. Community exchanges and educational talks helped to promote and integrate this essential group into the discussions.  

“It was thanks to the talks and awareness-raising sessions that spoke about the importance of education that I helped her resume her studies,” explains Fatou Seydou Diallo, Ramatoulaye Diallo’s stepmother. 

One discussion at a time, the young girls of the village of Loumbal Baladji began to see a future that offered new possibilities.  

“Girls’ education is not only a right, it is a driver of sustainable development. By promoting their access to school, we are building a fairer, more prosperous future,” explains Houleye Abou Ba, professor and moderator during a plea last February in favor of girls’ access to education. Through these actions, the women of Loumbal Baladji have begun to create prosperity for their children, their daughters-in-law, and themselves. “The future awaits us,” confirms Maimouna Wéllé, aged 15, president of the Young Girls’ Club. 

Today, Ramatoulaye is back in school and wants to become an agent of change in her own right.  

“Later, I want to become a teacher to help children in their quest for knowledge. I want to raise awareness to help young girls in my community continue their studies and become leaders in Senegal,” explains the young Senegalese woman.