Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year
A group of boys takes part in the cleaning of Medina Gounass Elementary School in a suburb of Dakar, Senegal. [Jerome Favre/EPA]
Published On 4 Oct 2026

Students, teachers and volunteers in a working-class Dakar neighbourhood have joined forces to clean up the dilapidated Medina Gounass Elementary School in advance of the new academic year, highlighting wider concerns over public education and sanitation in Senegal’s capital.

On Saturday, pupils, members of environmental organisations and residents swept classrooms, cleared drains and collected piles of plastic and household waste from the school in Medina Gounass, a densely populated suburb of Dakar.

The initiative comes as the 2026-27 school year is set to begin on Monday for staff and Tuesday for students.

Footage from the scene shows young students wielding brooms and shovels alongside older volunteers.

Medina Gounass, like many outlying districts of Dakar, struggles with inadequate waste management, blocked drainage and overcrowded classrooms, problems that often worsen during the rainy season.

Organisers say the cleanup is meant not only to ready the school for reopening but also to raise awareness among students and residents about the importance of environmental protection and shared responsibility for public spaces.

Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year
Students, members of environmental associations and volunteers clean a primary school in the Medina Gounass area in advance of the new academic year in Dakar, Senegal. [Jerome Favre/EPA]
Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year
The school year 2026-27 starts on October 5 for staff and October 6 for students. [Jerome Favre/EPA]
Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year
Public schools in Senegal often serve large numbers of children from low-income families, with classrooms that are regularly overcrowded and short on resources. [Jerome Favre/EPA]
Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year
Community initiatives and parent associations frequently step in to improve facilities, organise cleanups and support teachers in public schools across Senegal. [Jerome Favre/EPA]
Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year
French and math lessons from the summer school sessions are written on a blackboard. [Jerome Favre/EPA]
Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year
Many schools in Senegal struggle with ageing infrastructure, inadequate sanitation and limited access to clean water, especially in poorer urban neighbourhoods and rural areas. [Jerome Favre/EPA]
Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year
Despite these challenges, families place a high value on education, and children often travel long distances or study in difficult conditions to attend school. [Jerome Favre/EPA]
Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year
The government and local partners have launched programmes to expand access to primary education, but persistent gaps remain in quality, infrastructure and teacher numbers, particularly outside big cities like Dakar. [Jerome Favre/EPA]
Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year
Children and adult volunteers collect rubbish and clear drains as part of a community-led effort to clean. [Jerome Favre/EPA]