How classrooms in Senegal are opening doors through bilingual education

Imagine trying to learn to read in a language you rarely speak at home.

For years, many children in Senegal were taught only in French, even though they spoke national languages like Wolof with their families. That disconnect made learning harder than it needed to be.

Today, a new bilingual education program—developed in partnership with Associates in Research and Education for Development (ARED)—is changing that. By teaching children in both their home language and French, classrooms have seen learning gains of 30–40%. The results were almost immediate. Now, the program is expanding nationwide, giving students the skills, confidence, and opportunity to shape their own futures.

Watch how bilingual education is opening doors across Senegal.