Hello everyone,
My name is Seynabou Seck, and I am from Sénégal (West Africa) living in the US with my family. This GoFundMe page is to help a close family friend, Fatou, and her family rebuild their 2 huts in their village before the raining season starts in July. The rainy season is one of the most difficult periods for many families in rural Africa. This time period is referred to as the “lean” period because it is a time when food supply runs low or out (i.e. rice, millet and other staple food) until the next harvest. In addition to that, torrential rains also pose a threat to their health and safety, especially for families whose homes are not strong enough to withstand the downpour. This is why securing the funds to build a strong roof for her house will help Fatou and her family stay safe during these arduous times.
A bit of information about Fatou and her family situation. Fatou told my mother that she started working as a maid when she was only 10 year-old to support her poor family living in the village of “Ngalagne Jaraf” in the ‘Fatick’ region in Sénégal. She is now in her 30’s and her life and her family’s one have still not improved. She couldn’t find a stable maid position in the capital of Dakar for the past 4 years after she had a baby. My dear mother pays now for Fatou’s daughter’s private preschool so she is able to work during the day. With her modest monthly income of $70 working as a maid, Fatou sends $35 each month to financially support her parents in the village.
Souleyman, Fatou’s younger brother was the first one in his entire family who ever graduated from high school about 2 years ago. My mother and I helped him get into a nursing school in Dakar and also bought him a laptop and cellphone so he is better equipped for his school. Their family in the village can’t wait for Souleyman to finish his education in a year or so and find a job to support them financially.
In the meantime, Fatou and Souleyman’s parents live in 2 huts that are in a poor condition as you can see in the pictures. They would like to rebuild them ASAP before the raining season starts in July or August this year but don’t have the means to do so. With your generous donations, I will send all the money to my mother in sénégal who will assist Fatou and Souleyman in finding a honest and reliable contractor to build 2 brand new rooms for their parents in their village hopefully in ciment this time. Thank you in advance!