Senegal

Local personnel is in charge of all the projects and forms of operation within the Lutheran Church of Senegal. FELM employees have been working in the country since 1974. Nowadays they are engaged in positions of various types of expertise.

FELM employees are involved in:

• in parish and evangelisation ministry
• in translating the Pulaar language rendition of the Bible
• in child and youth work
• in child sponsorship work
• as advisers in the project 'The right to learn in the language of one's own', in the development project of rural living conditions, and in economic administration

The Lutheran Church of Senegal is reaching new groups of people both through evangelization as well as through the development work in village communities. Sunday schools and confirmation schools support the children and youth as they grow their roots in Christianity.

The Church uses three national languages in its work: Pulaar, Sereer and Wolof. The Bible in Sereer was published in 2007. The Old Testament is currently being translated in Pulaar. Christian literature has been published in local languages.

Over half of the Senegalese are illiterate. Education and teaching is an important part of the work of the Church and they are also an effective tool against poverty.

The poorest students, as well as their families, receive aid from the Church. 260 children in poor families are assisted by their sponsors. Furthermore, 12 students are given support for their university or professional education.

Another sponsorship programme is the children's clubs in the parishes of Mboukhoutour and Gandiaye. Dormitories meant for students from the countryside moving to Fatick and Saint Louis receive aid for their upkeep.

Currently, the Lutheran Church of Senegal has three development co-operation projects in partnership with FELM. FELM receives state support for these development co-operation projects from the Finnish government.

The right to learn in the language of one's own

The goal is to improve the level of teaching and to promote the rights of children to learn in the languages of their own, to respect the rights of the child. While the church pre-schools and literacy classes use three national languages: Sereer, Pulaar, and Wolof, the state-run schools continue to educate in French.

Developing rural living conditions

The goal is to strengthen the activity of residents of the countryside and to develop the ways they can improve their livelihoods. The project is improving social and health conditions, and clean drinking water is nowadays more widely available than previously. All this is a way to fight against flight from the countryside.

Strengthening the capacity of the partner

The goal is to develop and strengthen the professional expertise of the personnel in charge in the Lutheran Church of Senegal. The administration of church projects and its economic administration are developing. The church is also focusing on personnel management and strategic planning and work.