News
Author Alan Riding returns to the Foyer
Mar 16, 2023
Former New York Times journalist Alan Riding returned to the Foyer des Jeunes Filles last month to offer another series of creative writing workshops for students there. Riding, who has written extensively on Central American politics and published books about Mexico and the cultural life of Paris during the Occupation, discussed the differences between journalistic writing and creative writing, and the ways in which an author might approach the two genres.
“We live through words,” Riding told the students, explaining how a poet might concentrate ideas in the most concise means possible, while a politician might need to focus, above all, on persuasion. He then asked the students to write for 5 minutes to complete the phrase, “The first thing I will do when I become president of Senegal is …”
“The first thing I will do when I become president of Senegal is eradicate political corruption, establish a fund for public resources, and ensure equality for women,” one student wrote.
It was exactly the kind of bold thinking that director Maimouna Ka Sow cultivates in the girls at the Foyer, and why Le Korsa strives to support the 144 students living there by bringing in special guests, such as Alan Riding, who can help them develop a range of skills. Year after year, students at the Foyer pass the college entrance exams at a rate that is higher than the national average.
If you would like to support the Foyer, or programs such as Alan Riding’s creative writing workshops, please consider making a donation.
Fass turns 4
Jan 30, 2023
Ever since the Fass School opened, officially, in 2019, it has been helping over 200 girls and boys receive an elementary education alongside traditional Quranic instruction.
Before this school was built, students in the village either did not attend primary school or had to go elsewhere for their studies, which was not possible for most. We are so proud to see the school thriving, and so thankful to the donors—Laurel Hixon and Michael Keane—who made its construction possible.
Wherever it is, they know the way
Dec 13, 2022
In this season of giving thanks, we want to highlight our transportation team, led by Saliou Seck.
Saliou has been working with Le Korsa for over 10 years, and as transportation director he helps us do everything from visiting our projects to delivering academic supplies to ensuring that artists get to and from Thread. He often divides these tasks with colleague Ma Diop Top, who has been with Le Korsa since 2015.
Together, they always get us where we need to go. Thank you Saliou and Ma Diop—we couldn’t do it without you.
Thank You
Nov 30, 2022
THANK YOU for your generosity yesterday. Your donations exceeded our $10,000 goal!
Because of your support, our agricultural team can begin clearing space at the Foyer des Garçons for an urban garden. It is the first step towards restoring this site that will help more young men go to college, and we’re thrilled to have you alongside us. We will keep you updated as the project unfolds.
Thank you for being part of the Le Korsa family.
Help Us Restore Another Foyer — For Boys
Nov 29, 2022
Each year the Foyer des Jeunes Filles is helping more and more young women from rural Tambacounda transform their lives. With the Foyer giving them a safe, supportive place to live while they complete their high school studies in the city, these girls go to college instead of to early marriage. They become nurses, journalists, accountants, agricultural engineers and pursue careers of their choosing. We want to help young men from rural villages do the same, and we’re asking for your help.
Our goal is to rehabilitate the Foyer des Garçons, a campus of classrooms and dormitories designed for young men, which was built in 2007 by French NGO Le Kinkeliba as the partner site to the Foyer des Jeunes Filles. The boys’ Foyer never became operational because of a lack of funding. Then in 2016, a fire jumped its wall and destroyed the campus.
It’s time to restore it.
On this Giving Tuesday, we’re asking you to join us in taking the first step towards rebuilding the Foyer des Garçons by planting an urban garden on the site. The garden will provide additional food for the Foyer des Jeunes Filles, which is 100 yards down the road, as well as jobs for young men who will oversee the gardening. We are seeking $10,000 dollars to clear the weeds, test the soil, dig a bore well, and begin planting the seeds of a new Foyer des Garçons.
We hope you will join us in creating two Foyers, just steps apart, working in harmony to send hundreds of young men and women to college.
It starts with you!