The children of GUMAL (GOUMEL, in French), or SARE OMAR-LY, the official name of the village, make up the majority of the local community. With a population of just over 1,000 people, each family can have an average of 4 children, which is why in Gumal it is inevitable to constantly see children, adolescents and some of the few young people who have not yet emigrated.
Gumal is located in SENEGAL, on its eastern side, near the border with Guinea Cronaky, between Tambacounda and Kédougou, near the Gambia River, one of the last villages before the entrance to the Jungle through the NIOKOLO-KOBA national park. The town depends administratively on the MISSIRA town hall, a city located about 40km away.
GUMAL does not have a health clinic, public building or community facilities. The first school in the history of the village, made of wood, began its operation in January 2017 at the request of its neighbors and with the collaboration of Rotllana.
The first structure of the school was provisional, since it had to withstand the torrential storms of the rainy season, and the sun and heat of 45º in the dry season. In these conditions, together with the precariousness of material, the children make an extra effort to be able to study. Despite this, the boys and girls of Gumal have known what a school is and are very happy to be able to attend. They begin to imagine and think that if they become doctors maybe they will be able to save their little brothers, that if they are teachers they will be able to teach their mothers to count and not be fooled by the change in purchases, or that they will be able to help their parents have more and better crops to eat all year round and not go hungry.
Nowadays, the village of Gumal already has a solid construction with two classrooms, bathrooms and an office for the teacher.
Perhaps the school will allow the family to stay together in the land where their grandparents and ancestors are buried and not have to lose any cousins or older brothers crossing the Mediterranean Sea in a boat.