Christmas Greetings from Tattaguine

Pierre Faye - Posted on December 22, 2008

There is nothing more exciting for the sponsored children of Tattaguine than preparing holiday cards. This is an occasion to send warm greetings to their “friends from afar”—their sponsors.

This is the story of Raymond, who was asked by his sponsorship supervisor, Monique, to fill-out the card to be sent to his sponsor. He is so glad to do it.

Monique walks to the compound where Raymond lives with his parents. When she arrives she greets everybody before sitting under the shade of the “Neem” tree with Raymond. She picked from her folder a Christmas card and tells Raymond’s parents the purpose of her visit. Christmas is an awaited moment for Raymond. Time has come now for Raymond to send warm greetings to his sponsor afar through a colourful card.

“What do you want to draw for your sponsor?” Monique says to Raymond. The child stays few minutes without saying anything. Suddenly, he smiles and without any hesitation he answers Monique with these words, “I want to draw a hut.”

Huts appear a lot in the children’s drawings. It is the way of life as it is the commonly used type of housing in Tattaguine community and something children like to share with their sponsors. The huts are made from local materials, they form a kaleidoscopic picture (a picture with many huts in a circle) when you enter in a compound, which is a gathering of huts.

Being able to send a message and a drawing to his sponsor makes Raymond happy about the occasion. He picked a set of colored pencils and put the Christmas card on a cement table. He did not worry about a desk. He just used what was available to him.

He draws geometrical lines, a rectangular and a triangle. Monique sat next to him quietly leaving Raymond to express from his heart his feelings and the message his drawing conveys.

Every year, the holiday cards activity is carried out during the months of November and December. During this time, this activity polarizes the attention of Monique Dione, a Tattaguine child supervisor.

Monique, 25, has 246 sponsored children she visits on a regular basis, as well as helping them to write letters and make holiday cards. Monique is very supportive. She is always present whenever a child needs care and assistance.

“I know that working in the sponsorship is very challenging, but I thank every day God to be able to provide support to the children, it’s so exciting to be with them,” Monique, 25, mother of two young children herself, says.

A few minutes later, Raymond finishes drawing a hut with bright colors to send to his sponsor. Then, Monique asks him if he knows the meaning of the Christmas celebration. “Christmas is the birthday of Jesus,” Raymond answers.

Christmas in rural areas, like Tattaguine, is different than it is in big cities, like the capital Dakar. Here, there are no visible signs of preparation. There are no garlands in the stores or presents in the markets.

Even though most of the children won’t be able to have presents, they are so excited and waiting impatiently the celebration, when they will put on their nicest clothes and eat delicious meals.

The church’s choir is working hard to be ready for Christmas by practicing new songs. Raymond sits sometimes in the afternoons in the place next to the church to listen to the choir singing nice melodies accompanied with drums.

Merry Christmas from Tattaguine.

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