about

Introduction

What AYDA Is

AYDA Foundation is a no-frills, volunteer-administered NGO operating in Saint-Louis, Senegal. There are no expensive overheads, no fundraising galas, and no layer of foreign management between donors and the communities being served. Administrative work is handled by volunteers internationally, while staff on the ground in Senegal are paid stipends commensurate with their responsibilities. Increasing those stipends toward proper salaries as the organisation grows is an explicit goal, not an afterthought.

Funds raised through AYDA's partner charity ASOA (African Strategic Outreach Alliance), a UK-registered charity, are channelled directly to AYDA Senegal to cover agreed programme costs. Every franc is accounted for. That is the model, and it is intentional.

What We Do

AYDA runs a community education centre near Saint-Louis, provides first-aid medical support to vulnerable children, organises youth sports, and supports construction and renovation projects in underserved neighbourhoods. These activities are aligned with the three pillars agreed between AYDA and ASOA in their Memorandum of Understanding: Educate, Alleviate, and Elevate.

The AYDA Centre

The AYDA Centre offers free primary-level education to children in Saint-Louis who either have no access to schooling or attend overcrowded public schools where class sizes of 60 to 70 pupils make meaningful learning difficult. The Centre currently has 118 registered students, with a physical capacity of 85 at any one time. To manage this, classes run in two shifts: 16h00 to 18h00 for the younger groups, and 18h00 to 20h00 for the older groups. These hours are chosen to accommodate students and teachers who have public school or work commitments earlier in the day, given that lunch in Senegal typically runs from 14h30 to 15h30.

El Hadj has flagged child safety as a priority concern around the later session: sundown in Saint-Louis falls around 19h00, meaning the oldest students leave in darkness. Bringing the start time forward to 15h30 where possible is an ongoing operational goal.

The curriculum follows the Senegalese national public school programme across six year groups:

CI — approximately 6 years old (Teacher: Awa)

CP — approximately 7 to 8 years old (Teacher: Penda)

CE1 — approximately 8 to 9 years old (Teacher: Moctar)

CE2 — approximately 9 to 10 years old (Teacher: Yandé)

CM1 — approximately 10 to 11 years old (Teacher: Amithé)

CM2 — approximately 11 to 12 years old (Teacher: Vieux)

CM2 is the final year of primary education. Students who complete it sit the CFEE (*Certificat de Fin d'Études Élémentaires*), Senegal's end-of-primary certificate. From there, the path splits between continued formal schooling through *le moyen* (lower secondary) and *le secondaire* (upper secondary, ending with the *Baccalauréat*), or vocational apprenticeships in trades such as carpentry, electrical work, or masonry. AYDA is developing a scholarship model to support students pursuing either route beyond the age of 12.

A preschool programme for children under 6 is also under consideration. Unlike the primary classes, this would not require a qualified teacher but a *moniteur* (a supervised carer), making it more straightforward to staff. Getting children into structured learning before age 6 would better prepare them for entry into the national school system.

Preferred classroom size at the Centre is 30 students, with 40 to 50 as a working maximum. This is a deliberate contrast with the public school norm.

Youth Sports

AYDA runs two registered football teams: an under-11 boys' team and an under-16 girls' team. The girls' team is a deliberate programme choice in a context where women's football remains uncommon. Both teams train twice per week and compete against local teams in Saint-Louis.

Weekly open training sessions are also held, accessible to any child in the community including *Talibé* children, who attend on Thursdays and Fridays when their schedule permits. A key operational detail: *Talibé* children often lack official identity documents, which can bar them from registered match participation. AYDA covers the cost of ID certificates where needed.

Registered team members are required to be enrolled in education, either at the AYDA Centre or a public school. This is by design: sport is the incentive, education is the condition.

The football programme is managed by Vieux Mbaye (youth sports manager) and Nafi Fall (assistant coach), with Cheikh Fall providing additional coaching support.

The Team

Magueye Fall (Elhadj), President and Manager

El Hadj has spent his life building things in Saint-Louis. He began as a mason in his teenage years, progressing through painting and structural renovation work before launching his own construction business in his twenties. He built a reputation for quality work that eventually led to contracts with Projects Abroad, an international volunteer organisation, for whom he managed construction projects until the organisation wound down in the early 2020s following the Covid-19 pandemic. He transitioned fully to AYDA Foundation at that point, taking on the presidency alongside Andrew Stephenson, and later becoming Co-President with Hugh Anderson after Andrew stepped back in 2023. El Hadj now leads a team of dozens of staff and volunteers, overseeing education, construction, youth programmes, and day-to-day operations at the Centre.

Andrew Stephenson, Administrator

Andrew manages the AYDA website, blog, and financial coordination of monthly income and expect with the team.

Cheikh Fall, Lead Educator and Weekly Medical Support

Cheikh teaches at the Centre and currently administers the weekly first-aid session. He also provides coaching support to the football programme.

Vieux Mbaye, Teacher (CM2) and Youth Sports Manager

Vieux teaches the oldest primary group at the Centre and manages the football teams and open training sessions.

Khady, Assistant Manager

El Hadj has spent his life building things in Saint-Louis. He began as a mason in his teenage years, progressing through painting and structural renovation work before launching his own construction business in his twenties. He built a reputation for quality work that eventually led to contracts with Projects Abroad, an international volunteer organisation, for whom he managed construction projects until the organisation wound down in the early 2020s following the Covid-19 pandemic. He transitioned fully to AYDA Foundation at that point, taking on the presidency alongside Andrew Stephenson, and later becoming Co-President with Hugh Anderson after Andrew stepped back in 2023. El Hadj now leads a team of dozens of staff and volunteers, overseeing education, construction, youth programmes, and day-to-day operations at the Centre.

Teachers

Additional teaching staff: Awa (CI), Penda (CP), Moctar (CE1), Yandé (CE2), Amithé (CM1).

Our Partner: ASOA

African Strategic Outreach Alliance (ASOA), Key Funder

African Strategic Outreach Alliance (ASOA) is a UK-registered charity (charity number 1218009), formerly known as Art and Soul of Africa, and AYDA's sole funding partner. ASOA was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Cambridge, England. Hugh Anderson serves as Chair of ASOA's Board of Trustees and Co-President of AYDA Foundation.

Donations made to ASOA are managed under UK charity law and disbursed to AYDA Senegal through formal grant agreements. This structure ensures compliance with the legal requirements of both the UK and Senegal, and provides donors with confidence that funds are being managed to an accountable standard.

More information about ASOA and how to donate: [artandsoulofafrica.com](http://www.artandsoulofafrica.com)

© 2026 AYDA Foundation