My name is Àlex Tobella and I'm 28 years old. I am currently studying Social Work at the University of Barcelona and later I would like to do a Master's degree related to International Cooperation.

For about ten years I have been interested in knowing what are the reasons that cause the differences between some countries and others. I no longer speak only about the economic aspect, also social, educational, health or infrastructure aspects. In this way I intend to be able to understand why the global sphere is going towards a more separatist and unstructured world society between one and another, when we all should have the same rights.

I have seen these social differences personally and after traveling for years in different Asian and African countries, I have understood what are the reasons that cause these huge differences. Unfortunately, my credible conclusion is: There is not a single reason; there are many reasons that explain this inequality situation. And the solution to these problems is not easy if we do not all collaborate.

Therefore, it is important that the first persons taking this step forward and collaborating for a fairer world are the ones who have personally seen these social differences between the rich and poor countries. As the NGO " POR UNA SONRISA EN ÁFRICA (For a Smile In Africa) does. Thanks to them and other global entities, millions of people without resources to survive have the guarantee and the possibility of exercising their rights as people. So, it is necessary to collaborate all together in order to help the entities and the people who are part of them to achieve the goal of a fairer and equitable world.

In my case, and with the help of family and friends, we have raised a sum of money that has been used to buy different school materials to help to improve the education rates of students tutored by the FOUNDATION "POR UNA SONRISA EN ÁFRICA", located in Senegal. With this small grain of sand we invite you to do the same, this message is to let us not forget that our assistance efforts are based on one principle: help those most in need.

So, with the help of all we can get a better world.

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Sponsor a child

This year we have initiated several constructions that complement and extend the already constructed schools we have built. In our Mbackombel's school one more classroom for the smallest. In Soussane Mbadane, other one for preschoolers, 2,5 kilometers of our school, and in Soussane a classroom - laboratory for the public college of secondary.

We have to realize these extensions to be able to admit more children, due to the increase of demand by the families, of this rural zone, since they are realizing the importance that their children go to the school.

We expect to have all finished and equipped for October 9th, the start date of the school timetable in Senegal.

The foundations that have collaborated in the financing are; the Foundation Repsol and the Foundation Maria Francisca de Roviralta

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In February of 2002, Asun Fiochi and Mario Llonch, happened to go for the fist time to the village of Mbackombel. This village is located in the middle of the Senegalese Savannah and at that point, people from that village didn't have any infrastructure, not even proper houses.

The only thing they had, were two small nursery classrooms, run by the sisters of l'Immaculé Conception.

Asun and Mario, made the decision to create a Foundation to help the children in this area.

Fifteen years later, Mbackombel looks a completely different town. Now they have houses made of cement blocks and a Nursery and Primary School, with 17 classrooms and 510 children attending classes - all managed by the Foundation.

In addition to this, other projects have been completed: a boarding school for the secondary children was built in the city of Mbour, a woman’s centre where they are supported and helped and a maternity clinic where more than 5,000 patients have attended and there are over 200 deliveries a year. In addition to this in order to meet the needs of the Senegalese State, a furthers 30 classrooms and two administrative offices have been built, where more than 1,800 children attend classes.

To be able to personally control and track the progress of all these projects, Mario and Asun live in Mbackombel an average of six months a year.

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Sponsor a child

We are very pleased to announce that this month we have been fortunate to receive two very important contributions that will benefit two important groups: Older people with cataract problem who need surgery and also our sponsored children that need glasses.

These two contributions that have come at the same time are:

1- The Fundación Barraquer has sent us two ophthalmologists, who selected 149 among more than 1000 consulted, to whom Dra. Elena Barraquer will operate during her visit in January.

2- The Fundación Cione (La ruta de la Luz), co-funded by the Fundación Repsol, than has sent us two optometrists, who have been in charge of checking the vision of more than 500 children from our school and who will later provide us 150 glasses that would be needed.

Our sponsors and their elders are very grateful for these "visits".

It is very important for our Charity that these organizations have trusted us.

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Since last year, we have a collaborative relationship between our Charity and "Foment", who have provided us with Toshiba’s computer equipment.

This year "Foment del Treball" has strengthened its collaborative relationship for the projects that our Charity is carrying out in Senegal.

Both institutions have decided to extend the agreement over the next two years, and the alliance has been agreed and signed by the President of Por una Sonrisa en África, Mario Llonch; and the president of "Foment del Treball", Joaquim Gay Montellà.

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Sponsor a child

We have a new classroom in our school in  Mbackombel !!!

Thank you to the Association “Pescadores por Senegal”, led by Herminia Arellano, we have been able to build a new classroom. Therefore, the children that were temporarily studding in the library will now be relocated in this new classroom.

This classroom will be the third one sponsored by this Association.

 The amount of children enrolling is constantly increasing due to the work that we have been doing during the past years, educating the families, showing them how important the education is for their children's future.

For the next academic year, we will need a new classroom and .... more children to be sponsored!!!

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                                 Sponsor a child

As a reward for our students of elementary school Mbackombel , we have established a prize for the top 5 of the secondary entrance exam, consisting of enrolling them in the best school in the city of Mbour and hosting them in our residence .

In the final assessment, our student, Fatou Ndour , has obtained the best score of the whole school of St. Esprit with an average of 9.8.

The other four “winner students have exceeded the average of 7.5.

Our school is considered by the Mbour Department of Education, as the one with best results in evaluating access to secondary.

Sponsor a child: http://puse.org/en/sponsor-a-child.html

Our sponsored boys and girls, that have studied in our school of Mbackombel, are already fending for themselves and with a promising future.

Michel Ndiaye, twenty years old, has obtained a State Scholarship, and has started Medical School in Ziguinchor.
Angele Diouf, twenty three years old, has graduated as a teacher and she currently teaches third grade of primary school in Mbackombel.
Diattou Ndour, twenty four years old, and our mason's daughter, teacher of a second grade pre-school class in our school.
Yacine Kadam, twenty four years and the niece of our old teacher, teaches the first grade preschool class.
Celine Diouf, twenty years old, is studying a secretarial course, speaks Spanish and fulfills the secretary role for our foundation.

These are some of the many and great results obtained by our foundation. Currently we have more than 700 students studying in different schools.

We continue building and providing the means for their educational development.

Sponsor a child: http://puse.org/en/sponsor-a-child.html

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In 2002 we started building Mbackombel school and since then, the number of children enrolled has increased each year.

In the past year, we had 360 students and currently there are nearly 400 registered and a waiting list.

We had to enable the library as a classroom and most of the classes are overcrowded. To this we must add the fact that more parents is constantly coming to the school to try to enroll their children.

We need your solidarity to help to build more classrooms.

¡¡¡YOUR CONTRIBUTION (from 5 €) WILL BECOME A GREAT CHRSTMAS GIFT!!!

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Little by little we are building, step by step, the secondary school in the community of Sandiara, Senegal.

They are currently operating six classrooms where 250 children are pursuing their studies.

Thanks to the Repsol Foundation, we have also been able to build what they call "administrative building”. Everything has been built according to standards established by the Ministry of Education.

With this realization, we encourage students in the area, largely avoiding school drop since the proximity favors them in their desire to continue their studies.

This is a project carried out in stages, depending on the means we have.