local artisans handcraft furniture for underprivileged schools in rural senegal

local senegalese artisans handcraft + donate school furniture

Humanitarian organization Balouo Salo’s workshops in southern Senegal, Africa, bring together local workers to handcraft and donate furniture to rural, underprivileged schools in the region. The team produces desks, chairs and benches from welded iron and wood, finished with the bold colors of the Senegal flag to foster positivity and active learning. Tailored to replace the ruined, unsafe, and uncomfortable equipment prevalent in these rural schools, the new furniture pieces aim to enhance the overall learning conditions and quality of education for these students. Moreover, the project follows a conscious and sustainable framework of social and economic development with an aim to primarily benefit the local community and minimise environmental impact.

balouo salo fosters psycho-social learning in rural senegal

Balouo Salo’s humanitarian initiative centers on fostering psycho-physical learning conditions and enhancing support for education, while employing local manufacturing and craftsmanship. By providing students from deprived backgrounds with access to fundamental educational supplies such as desks and chairs, they are ensured access to their right to a quality education. ‘These greatly affect the mental and physical comfort of students who if comfortable both psychologically and physically (posture and comfort) will be more likely to learn,’ explains the team. Further, the furniture has been developed and calibrated ad hoc alongside local craftsmen, to promote correct posture to suit children of all ages and sizes.

employing local production to enable a circular economy

Generating a circular economy, the organization employs local artisanal production, from gathering resources for labour, to material purchasing and transportation, to benefit the entire local community. To construct the desks, chairs and benches, Balouo Salo have formed a local furniture manufacturing workshop led by local master craftsman Moussa Koutate who specializes in welding. Following a process of research and ideation, together they developed models of a design that was simple, safe, meticulously tailored, and visually engaging. The tables are made with a welded iron frame and a locally sourced, controlled wood that serves as the writing surface. Painted with the vibrant colors of the Senegal flag, they exude positivity to the host environment and create a sense of belonging to the educational institution. 

Since launching the initiative, Balouo Salo has helped approximately 1,000 students per year, with an ongoing aim of eventually reaching tens of thousands of students in the territory.

1/2

project info:

name: Tables and desks for schools in Africa, Senegal
designer: Balouo Salo Humanitarian Organization

location: southern Senegal, Africa

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions’ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.