A recent trip to Africa, where I had the opportunity to visit many schools and meet students who are aspiring to a better education, to serve their countries, to help their families and even to become tomorrow’s leaders, was a thought-provoking and dispiriting experience.
Education is a basic right of every human being, but it is a right that is being well and truly violated in Senegal.

Senegal is one of the 53 African nations that celebrates this year 5 decades of independence from its colonizers. Sadly however, it would be a mistake to think that this independence has made a difference to the educational system.
The Senegalese government is failing kids at all levels. The system is too complex and hopelessly out of date.
Kids go to school with low expectations and have to work in dreadful conditions, including classrooms that are hot, sandy and dirty.
Teachers’ lack of proper training is spreading mediocrity to thousands every day but nobody is monitoring the situation. Thousands of students in Senegal struggle to find books, (maths, history, geography, science), computers and other basics. Libraries and place of learning are rare in Senegal. Books are too expensive and lessons are still copied from the board.
The Senegalese curriculum is too heavy, often changed without consultation and not adapted to international or local standards. Outdated and in-adapted philosophy textbooks are studied that serve no use to anyone and science lessons are pitched too high. The work of Leopold Sedar Senghor – Senegal’s first president, one of Africa’s leading 20th century intellectuals and the first black man to become a member of the French Academy – will not be found in the more rural and isolated parts of Senegal, simply because there are no books at all or the French language is not understood and/or spoken badly.
When you are poor and have few resources, basic survival comes first.

The government is spending on real estate, by building hotels and other luxury developments, but little is being invested in education. Recent government claims that it is to spend 40% of the annual budget on educating its people are misleading.
Conditions of study throughout Senegal are tough. Kids that have poor parents will continue to be penalized by the system, while those from wealthier families will not fulfill their potential either because the program is not adapted to their needs. Most kids from privileged backgrounds finish their studies abroad. The prospects for building a stronger, better-equipped Senegalese workforce in the next 10 years look grim. Unless the conditions of study and investment in education are looked into with urgency, I don’t see any future for the current generation. This is the sad reality in Kaolack today in 2010.

Millions of young girls in Africa are not educated. If you are familiar with African villages or have been to Africa you will know what I am talking about.
My Foundation is supporting the 10000 girls project in Senegal- Kaolack. We aim to put 10000 girls in school by 2013. We have more than 2000 girls in scholarship today and 7 centres where more than 50 teachers are teaching to our girls.

Let me tell you that a young girl life in Africa is extremely uncertain, she has a little choice if not educated she will be forced to marry an older man; she will die with HIV aids or cervical cancer. If not educated, she will be raped or force to prostitution, if not educated she will leave her country hoping for a better life outside her country, If not educated she will end up in the hands of bad people that will take full advantage of her, if not educated she will be lost and her life will be over. Her life will become increasingly difficult and she basically has no Future.

As an Franco-African woman, I know how education is important and have a firm believe that if girls in Africa are given an opportunity to get basic education, not only they will become self reliant, independent, but they will become self sufficient. Education will improve their lives big time.

A sustainable education program will keep them in Africa and with out a doubt you will increase their confidence.

Teaching a young African girl the basic of Education is rewarding.

Baird’s CMC an international communication management consulting firm, operating in 11 countries with 28th partners employing over 400 people, represented in Washington, DC, New York, Johannesburg, Gaborone, Harare, Mumbai, London etc… has recently conducted a qualitative survey phase 1 in partnership with the US Chamber of Commerce called” The Conversation behind Closed Doors”. An excellent insight on how Corporate America really views Africa. Reading the survey opened my eyes tremendously as it was detailed and interesting to read.

If Africa has always been seen as the eternal assisted continent that needs Aid to come out of Poverty, why a solid emphasis on Education was not on all the programs at the first place and if the wish list of the corporate according to the survey was to educate our people so they can be employable, why more was not done? Why focus on aid?

I am totally convinced that Africa needs to educate its people more in order to sustain the development of the continent. With out education, Africa cannot be free or independent. The Africa human capital will have to contribute positively to the growth of the continent. The percentage of the African human capital outside the continent is greater than any thing I have never seen therefore urging wherever that percentage is to start transferring their skills.

By transferring the skills to Africa, we will be able to share knowledge, train the young generation of men and that are clearing struggling to find jobs.

To be continued…