Marie-Odile’s Smile: A Glimmer of Hope in Pain

Senegal

A country in western Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. It became independent of France on the 4th of April 1960. It is one of the most politically stable countries in Africa. Nevertheless, it remains among the countries with the lowest level of social development. Almost a half of the country’s area is occupied by farming land, but farming is becoming increasingly difficult due to frequent climate shocks. The highest temperature of 48.8 °C has been recorded in Matam.

Overview:
  • 38% of the society lives below the threshold of poverty, that is, for less than 1.90 USD per day
  • the employment rate in Senegal is 50.6%
  • 44% of the working population is engaged in farming
  • only 13.9% of the population aged 25 or more has any post-elementary education
  • the literacy index among the youth aged 15 to 24 is 69.8%
We pay for education of

56 girls

at the vocational school in Dakar

100%

of our graduates work in their profession

10.03.2024

Marie-Odile has a charming smile. It’s delicate, subtle, and very feminine. She usually sits on a bench in the park in front of the Franciscan Sisters’ school in Dakar. Marie-Odile’s shyness and her smile show her gentleness. Among her friends, she feels at ease. She treats new people with a slight hint of mistrust.

With embarrassment and hesitation, she tells us her story. Her barely audible, subdued words tell a tale of helplessness. Little Marie-Odile had a problem with her leg. She doesn’t remember when it started. She was a child, she thought it was temporary. She had more important things on her mind. Her parents dealt with the problem. She thought herbal compresses and various ointments would help. They didn’t. A weeping wound regularly opened on her leg. The muscles atrophied. The pain radiates up to her thigh. Her foot hurts a lot. The authors of previous diagnoses vanished into thin air.

She just finished a course of antibiotics. It should be better, but it isn’t. The wound near her ankle has opened again, it hurts again, she can’t walk again. Marie-Odile dreams of someone who can tell her what’s wrong. The healers she met in her life have already tried all their traditional remedies on her. It becomes clear to us that the girl’s shyness is primarily a distrust of further diagnoses, disappointment, and helplessness.

Marie-Odile dreams of a future not overshadowed by the pain in her foot and disability. She dreams of a doctor who will tell her what’s really going on and know how to treat her. Sister Ewa really wants to help. She has already sent the girl to the best doctors in Senegal. We need to support her. We can’t let her down.

On International Women’s Day, instead of a bouquet of flowers, we want to give Marie-Odile something much more beautiful – faith that she will stand on her own two feet without pain and make the most of her life. By donating a symbolic Bouquet of Good, you will help us finance the girl’s examinations and treatment. We are sure she will repay us with the most beautiful, charming smile.

We need to dry out the buildings as quickly as possible

Urgent help for flood victims

The most vulnerable are the elderly and disabled, living in remote rural areas and small towns, where reaching them is difficult. You’ll be informed about every penny spent to help them. 100% of the funds raised will go directly towards targeted, precise aid tailored to the needs of those affected.

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We already have :
137,977 EUR
We need:
111,111 EUR