School Desks | Balouo Salo

School Furniture for the Future

Location: Simbandi Brassou Arrondissement, Senegal
Theme: Education and Local Craftsmanship
Beneficiaries: 2,800 students per year
Status: Active
Goal: Improve learning and posture
Beneficiary Schools:
Talicourtou, Tanaff, Simbandi Brassou, Sanoufily, Walicounda

In the rural schools of southern Senegal, many students are forced to study on broken, uncomfortable chairs or even on the floor. This situation negatively affects the physical and mental health of the students, hindering concentration and academic performance.

For this reason, Balouo Salo has started the artisanal production of school desks, benches, and chairs through a local workshop, aiming to improve the psycho-physical conditions of students and support the right to education.

Donate a Desk

Students on donated school desks - Senegal - Balouo Salo

“Now we can finally write comfortably and concentrate better. Before, we were cramped and sitting on broken chairs.”

— Awa, student at Tanaff school

Handcrafted school desks produced in Senegal - Balouo Salo

Objectives: Comfort, Education, and Development

Student Well-being

Creating ergonomic and comfortable seating that promotes concentration, correct posture, and school attendance.

Access to Education

Providing functional school furniture to ensure dignified, regular, and inclusive lessons in all schools across the area.

Local Development

Involving local workers and materials to stimulate the economy and create shared value.

Target: 40,000 Students

Equip at least 70% of primary and secondary schools in the area with adequate desks, reaching over 40,000 students.

The Project

Artisanal production of school desks in Senegal - Balouo Salo

Assembling school desks in Senegal - Balouo Salo

The project was born from direct observation of the critical conditions in schools in southern Senegal, where thousands of students are forced to attend lessons sitting on the floor, unstable structures, or in unsuitable spaces. This situation not only jeopardizes their health but also compromises the quality of learning.

We thus established a local artisanal workshop, in collaboration with local master craftsman Moussa Kouyaté, to produce custom-made school desks that are sturdy, ergonomic, and painted in the colors of the Senegalese flag to foster a sense of belonging and motivation.

The desks are adapted based on students’ age (primary or secondary schools) and designed to accommodate two students per station. Through this intervention, we aim to transform classrooms into more dignified, safe, and functional spaces, thereby supporting the right to education.

We did not purchase materials from big companies or capitals, but valued local labor, materials, and resources, organizing and training a workshop in a nearby village for artisanal production.

The desks are constructed with a welded iron frame and wooden panels. The painting is done with the vibrant colors of the Senegalese flag to encourage ownership, participation, and a sense of belonging, as well as to create lively and cheerful environments that improve the psycho-physical conditions of students.

This artisanal approach not only reduces environmental impact and logistics costs but also generates local employment and stimulates the local economy, following a vision of shared development.

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