This Tuesday afternoon, in the emblematic environment of the Barcelona Equestrian Circle, the “Por una sonrisa en África” (For a smile for Africa) Foundation presented the current status of the humanitarian projects it is developing in Senegal. The event was attended Mario Llonch, President, soul and forerunner of this foundation, his wife Asunción Fiochi, Vice President and also with an essential role in the development of the humanitarian projects, and Javier Inclán, Director of the Social and Institutional Area of Fundación Repsol, which supports this programme.
Mario Llonch concisely described to the 160 guests how the humanitarian projects of the small foundation he presides are being developed in a rural area of Senegal.
Its activity is being developed in three main places. In Mbackombel, a village with 60 inhabitants and 12 huts, located 14 kilometres from the nearest city -Mbour-, the foundation manages a school attended by 375 children. In 2002, when the Llonch couple arrived there, only two of the inhabitants spoke French. The village makes its living from millet and peanut farming.
Of all the children that have attended the Mbackombel school since the foundation reached the village, 80 have completed their primary school studies there and are currently attending secondary school in Mbour. The “Por una sonrisa en África” Foundation has given these children the support they need to be able to take this significant step forward, as the organisation recently set up a residence in this city. The children sleep there, have breakfast, lunch and dinner and receive support classes during the week.
Finally, in the rural area of Louly Benteigné, in 2005, it built a community clinic, which already has three nurses and an assistant nurse, as well as several volunteer doctors from Spain who take turns. This community clinic receives 6,500 visits a year and assists an average of 21 births a month. The building of the community clinic was financed 90% by Fundación Ordesa and the recent electricity connection was possible thanks to the contribution from Fundación Repsol.
Javier Inclán, Director of the Social and Institutional Area of Fundación Repsol, explained in the event why the foundation has been so supportive of the project led by the Llonch couple and what the basic approaches are: it is not a question of charity or changing the habits of those who live in Africa but of collaborating with improvements, of giving them valid tools for their development and offering them the education and knowledge they need.
Javier Inclán highlighted the development project that the foundation managed by Mario Llonch in Senegal as a model to follow and emphasised the importance of transferring to society knowledge of the actions that “Por una sonrisa en África” develops in Senegal.
Mario Llonch, President of the “Por una sonrisa en África” Foundation >> Audio
“Thanks to the collaboration of this Equestrian Circle and Fundación Repsol, today, we’ve come here to explain all the work we are doing and what we think must be done for Africa. We’ve also talked about what we think must not be done for Africa. For this reason, we’ve come to present ourselves so that you can see that we are clear and transparent in our projects and so that they continue having the credibility that they have had with us up until now.”
Javier Inclán, Director of the Social and Institutional Area of Fundación Repsol >> Audio
“What Fundación Repsol is trying to do is support projects to help development in those countries that most need it, both in South America and Africa, – as is the case of “Por una sonrisa en África”, in Senegal -. What we most value about this foundation is that it has projects focused on health, nutrition and education, certifying a viable future in the years to come. I think that it’s important to transmit to society everything that “Por una sonrisa en África” does. Through its development model, within several generations, this region of Senegal will be a developed area, which will be at the economic and social level demanded at that time.”
