News from Maison de la Gare
My Unforgettable Experience at Maison de la Gare
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Maison de la Gare and its work through the eyes of a volunteer
Lucas Lindimer volunteered recently with Maison de la Gare and the talibé children. His account
testifies to the power of a short stay to bring about significant change, both for the children and
for the volunteers themselves.
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I arrived in Maison de la Gare’s center in Saint Louis from Aix-en-Provence, France, on a Tuesday
morning in July. Maison de la Gare is a non-governmental organization that helps talibé children
with their care and education. The organization also helps them to build a self-sufficient future
by offering them apprenticeship training and, for some, microfinance loans to help them start
up their own businesses.
I was in regular contact with the center's coordinators before my departure, and they did everything
possible to ensure the smooth organization of my stay. I thank them for this support.
I landed in Dakar on a Monday evening. A driver picked me up at the airport took me to a hotel
in the town of Thiès, some 30 km from the airport. The night at the hotel went very well, with
breakfast included. 
I met two other volunteers in the hotel, Emma and Soraya from Andorra. The
same driver picked the three of us up in the morning to take us to our host families in Saint Louis,
a 3½ hour drive through fascinating Senegalese towns, villages and countryside.
Arriving at Maison de la Gare’s center later that day, Adama (the volunteer coordinator) showed me
around and introduced me to all the staff. I soon felt right at home.
I was lucky enough to stay with a local host family, a great way to become familiar with Senegalese
culture. Every day, Mme Bawo prepared her best dishes and local specialties for me.
It was a 10 to 15 minute walk from her home to the center. I found the people enroute very
welcoming and was never bothered on my way. There is a police presence in the town, and
I always felt safe.
I supported the talibé children for two weeks, working with the teachers and other staff members.
We were asked to be at the center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., from
Monday to Friday.
We had many different tasks … teaching children about hygiene and cleanliness, supporting them in
the classrooms, helping with medical care, playing with them, preparing snacks, tending the
vegetable garden, and much more. Every skill that a volunteer can bring is valuable in helping
to improve the living 
conditions of the talibé children, both at the center and in the
daaras where they live.
Ranging in age from 5 to 20, the talibé children have very different needs and expectations.
During these few days, we taught the youngest children the alphabet, numbers and colors through
games, coloring and fun activities, always striving to keep their full attention. The older
talibés are more interested in mastering languages, particularly French and English.
We were free on the weekends to explore Saint Louis. Staff at the center helped us to organize
a pirogue trip on the river that runs through the city, and a carriage ride to explore the
island of Saint Louis and its extraordinary fishermen’s village.
These two weeks were an extremely enriching experience, and I enjoyed every moment of it so much.
If you care about the situation of the talibé children (how could you not?), I urge you to
join Maison de la Gare as a volunteer. They will do everything possible to ensure the
success of your stay.
