........a village in Senegal......

Agnam Goly is located in the North of Senegal in the Fouta Region, approximately 8 km from Senegal River, which builds the border to Mauritania. The distance between Dakar and Agnam Goly is 630 km and the journey by bush taxi takes 12 hours.

During the raining season from July to September/October Senegal River expands and floods the land around the village so that it is agriculturally usable during this period.

The village and the surrounding settlements count 2900 inhabitants who live mainly on cattle-breeding and growing couscous.

There is a school of 8 classes in Agnam Goly for children between 6 and 14 . Only a few of the pupils have the chance to attend a collage in Matam, the capital of the region.

AJAG – Association de Jeunes d’Agnam Goly

AJAG was founded by Amadou Lamine Thiam in 2003 for the purpose of improving the living conditions in Agnam Goly, at the first place for supporting the children and the youth, not least to counter the emigration.

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 Art Workshop in Agnam Goly 

At the end of April 2004 Edith Lettner set out for Agnam Goly, taking crayons, wax crayons and water colours and paper to the village. She stayed a week and worked with the pupils of all classes.

The teachers in Agnam Goly, who are very engaged and open minded, welcomed the project with great interest. Because the children never have had the opportunity to work with painting colours on paper of a large format they suggested that every child should get the chance to paint.

At a school conference the drawings of the children were presented to their parents.
Children, teachers and parents appreciated the project very much and expressed their desire that the workshop should be continued. One of the teachers proposed the idea of establishing an art-class.

Part of the children’s works along with a series, which Edith Lettner had painted in the village and the works of the art therapy group of Dr. Alassane Seck were exhibited at Hôpital Fann in Dakar. The Austrian based artist Ragnhild Roed had worked with this group, while Edith Lettner had been in the village .

On the 11th of May this exhibition was officially inaugurated by the Austrian Ambassador Mr. Gerhard Weinberger and the management personnel of Hôpital Fann. The Austrian Consul Mrs. Manuela Frommwald and representatives of Senegal’s Ministry of Culture and Communication and the media were participating in the event.

The project and its presentation were well featured by the television , radio and the press. This increased the optimism towards the future of the village, which had sized the villagers since Edith Lettner had started the project.

Soucabee Agnam Goly naa thialmina on Khalleyou Agnam Goly gnougillene dii nouyon Les enfants d´Agnam Goly vous saluient The children of Agnam Goly send their greetings Children's Gallery

Ragnhild Roed and Edith Lettner plan similar exhibitions in Austria.

After the opening of the exhibition Edith Lettner returned to the village. She worked with the children who wanted to paint in the house of the family where she was staying and was the special guest of the school festival.

Possible projects in the future

Edith Lettner wanted to get an impression of what the representatives of AJAG, the teachers and the key figures of the village thought about the development of living conditions in the village and discussed therefore with them on the projects, which could be enhanced and supported. As a result of the discussion

following projects were proposed by the participants:
• continuing the art project
• facilitating of painting equipment
• distribution of schoolbooks
• building a community garden
• education in professional gardening
• establishing a "women’s bank"
• and more...

There is only one physician for medical treatment of 5000 people in the region. The hygienic conditions in the maternity ward, which at the same time is the ward for general treatment are very bad.

There is a severe lack of medical equipment and well educated staff. Besides, the number of available drugs is small. Women often suffer from complications during pregnancy, which cannot be treated properly.
Many women and babies die during the process of birth or right after.

This project has been supported by "Unruhe Foundation", the Austrian Embassy in Dakar and Austrian "Bundeskanzleramt" – Department for Arts. With the financial support of "Unruhe Foundation" electricity will be supplied into the school area.

A DVD that introduces the village and the art project was produced by Edith Lettner for fundraising purposes.