Medina Baye / “daara-workshop” project: The State offers vocational training to thousands of talibés with the blessing of the Khalif

In the lead-up to the Gamouwat, the Minister of Vocational and Technical Training (MFPT), Idrissa Samb, paid a courtesy visit on Monday to the General Khalif of the Fayda Tidjaniyya, Sheikh Mouhamadou Mahi Ibrahima Niass. This audience provided an opportunity to discuss with the religious leader the prospects for implementing the "daaras-workshops" project, a state initiative aimed at facilitating the socio-professional integration of talibés (students of Islamic schools).

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Speaking about the purpose of his visit, the minister elaborated on the concept: “We came to present the ‘daara-workshop’ concept to the Khalif, a project that the State is making available to several religious centers to introduce talibés (students) to trades and make them immediately employable upon completion of their training. In Medina Baye, this initiative focuses on four key sectors: refrigeration and air conditioning, metalwork, poultry farming, and food processing. These are promising trades chosen by the revered Khalif, who generously provided us with a 1.5-hectare plot of land for the construction of the facility.”

According to the minister, the future center will accommodate between 500 and 600 students trained each year. Nationally, the Senegalese government aims to train at least 15,000 talibés (students of Islamic schools) by 2029. The project is currently in a pilot phase in the religious centers of Touba, Tivaouane, and Coki. "Depending on the program's progress, we started with religious centers, but we intend to extend the initiative to the entire country," the minister promised.

In response, the Caliph General, Sheikh Mouhamadou Mahi Ibrahima Niass, welcomed the initiative and offered prayers for peace, stability and prosperity in Senegal.