In November 2023, Lea Fall once again visited the Perspektive Senegal residential and training center. The center is located in Deni Biram, a small village near the capital Dakar. The former street children grow up here in a family community and can train as shoemakers, carpenters or metalworkers in the workshops.

Heinz Ulrich, the new managing director of Perspektive Senegal, was also on site and was able to give a good insight into the current situation.

Lea Fall and Heinz Ulrich

A visit to the carpentry workshop

New equipment in the metal workshop

In the cobbler’s workshop

The vegetable garden

Due to the sharp rise in prices for food and salaries, the financial requirements in 2023 were particularly high. Thanks to the financial support of the Help Children Foundation, together with other partners and donors, the increased financial requirements for food and salaries in 2023 could be covered. This made it possible to provide ongoing care for the 26 former street children.

Last year, the focus was on maintaining and renovating the facilities. The boys’ home, built in 2009, was partly in a pitiful state as it had never been renovated. With the financial support of the Help Children Foundation, all rooms and corridors in the boys’ dormitory were renovated so that they now shine in vibrant colors. The boys were involved in the color selection process by being allowed to choose their preferred colors.

The rooms and corridors in the boys’ dormitory shine in new colors

Exterior façade of the boys’ home

Further donations will be used to renovate the entire exterior façade and replace the faulty electrics in the coming year. The restoration of the building also symbolizes the possible inner restoration of the mentally and physically injured former street children.