News from Maison de la Gare
A Day to Repeat!
Tweeter
Talibé children discover a new world, right next door
The talibé children of Maison de la
Gare recently had the opportunity to discover a corner of Gandiol,
an area close to
Saint Louis where they had never been despite its nearness. This excursion was
organized by Maison de la Gare’s volunteers and staff working with volunteers and
staff from the association “Hahatay - Smiles from Gandiol”.
Almost a hundred children gathered at Maison de la Gare’s center that day to participate
in the excursion, which was to include minibus transportation, food and a guided tour
of the area.
This day will be etched in the memories of the young talibés, thanks the opportunity
to discover an 
extraordinary place. The mere fact of leaving behind their daily
routine and the bustle of the city to spend a day of leisure in the Gandiolesque calm
was a release for these children, a breath of fresh air and a source of energy for
returning to face their challenging day-to-day lives.
In Gandiol they visited the House of the Little Ones, a classroom built by Hahatay
volunteers and staff from plastic bottles filled with sand. They were able to play
and sing with the young students and the teachers of the school, and with the Hahatay
volunteer team. The
school’s director donated a bag of soap to Maison de la Gare, a
commodity that is used in large quantities at Maison de la Gare’s center both for
personal hygiene and for the laundry that talibé children do every day.
Afterwards, the children went for a walk to visit the salt flats, where they learned
how salt from the sea is concentrated by the sun’s energy so that it can be collected
by community women. And they visited the emblematic lighthouse that gives its name to
the district of Pilote, whose history they learned thanks to
the friendly lighthouse
keeper who explained the critical role that this lighthouse has played guiding ships
far out to sea.
There was also time on the beach for free play and rest.
Lunch was prepared by Maison de la Gare’s team with help from the teachers from the
House of the Little Ones; there were sandwiches, juices and sweets for everyone,
shared by children and adults … a perfect ending after so much activity.
In addition to the benefits of this day for the talibé children, it was also a day
of networking and sharing for staff and volunteers from the two organizations,
sharing their commitment to working for the common good of vulnerable children.
It was a different day, a special day for the almost 100 talibés.
The joyful faces,
the smiles and the words of thanks make all our efforts worthwhile, and give us
strength to continue fighting so that the daily lives of these children can be a
little less difficult.
A ten for all the team members who participated in this event, from the organization of the event
to the day itself, both the Maison de la Gare team, workers and volunteers and the
Hahatay volunteers and staff including the teachers of the House of the Little Ones.
In conclusion, a day to repeat!
____________
Our sincere thanks to the European Union for their grant that supports such excursions, yet
another opportunity to bring a smile to the faces of the talibé children.
