Background
The history of the association Maison Des Talibés started with Mamadou Ba, the acting president of the foundation. Growing up as a talibé, Mamadou knew better than anyone else how this lifestyle can have good sides as well as many limitations. Being able to overcome many of these obstacles and learn life skills and languages, Mamadou chose a path different from the ones most talibés are destined to follow. In 2018, he started teaching English to talibés, working independently and with local and international organizations. He also began to provide medical care, maintain regular communication with local marabous, and mentor talibés. After a few years, Mamadou decided to further professionalize his work and start a humanitarian association to help as many talibés as possible. In 2023, the Maison des Talibés was founded and registered in Saint-Louis, Senegal.
Vision
The Maison Des Talibés was founded with a clear vision: to provide talibés with job prospects other than becoming marabous—owners of local Quranic schools. The founder of Maison des Talibés, Mamadou Ba, dreams of a world in which all talibés are supported throughout their development and given all the necessary skills to foster their personal and professional growth and become integral and influential members of society.
While this is the main goal of the association, the Maison Des Talibés also focuses on other goals aiming at improving the lives of the many talibès in Saint Louis in any possible way. For instance, by providing medical care and prevent simple injuries to turn into medical emergencies, raise awareness on the lives of the many begging kids crowding the streets of Saint Louis, and organizing social activities, from dinners to sports events.
Mission
Our mission is to empower talibés by showing them they can achieve everything they set their minds on, helping them pursue their goals and passions without limitation. We also do our best to improve the sanitary conditions of the daaras (quranic schools where talibés study and live) by organizing workshops and seminars focusing on sanitation and teaching talibés basic hygiene tips while providing medical care. On top of this, we also fight exploitation and abuse by collaborating with marabous to ensure that everyone acts for the talibés’ best interest. Last but not least, we raise global awareness by highlighting the challenging conditions faced by talibés, working with volunteers and organizations worldwide to spread the word and bring about positive change.