Omar

Senegal is a West African country bordering onto the Atlantic where the sea laps at the feet of the capital, Dakar. There is a lot to tell you about the country but what better way to spill the beans than to let the CIA tell you the facts. OK, if you want a source closer to our UK home, how about the BBC? The country is growing in status with their football team doing well in the 2002 World Cup and musicians like Youssou N'Dour becoming world stars. Described by The Lonely Plant as 'the most happening hang in West Africa', we could easily miss the point that Senegal still needs help. It has a rural population where less than half have access to adequate sanitation as well as one quarter of the children under five suffering from stunted growth due to malnutrition. Indeed, one in every ten children dies before the age of five. If you want to know the latest news from the country, check out the Senegal Post and cook your friends a Senegalese dinner but keep in mind that many Senagalese struggle to read and eat. Something to consider while you read on.

Omar was born in 1993 and has grown up to enjoy football and Woaley, a traditional game. Like most boys of his age, he longs to become a footballer. Unfortunately, due to a shortage of primary schools, he is not able to write to us yet but an eager cousin, Modou, has shown willing in this department. You might think that missing out on school leaves him plenty of time to practice football but he has to pull his weight with the family chores. Chores like collecting wood to cook the daily meal are shared with the other five family members that live in his small straw home.

Plan International are working in Omar's area to provide help with sanitation and to improve health as many of the locals have no latrine in their home. Help is also required with education in terms of both its provision and explaining its importance and relevance to the local families. Indeed, help can be required in the basic provision of both housing and a small income for food. Our money helps to support these activities which, in turn, helps Omar, his family and friends.

Plan International has developed a large, global network of support for children. From this, they were able to introduce us to Omar. The organisation was started in 1937 by a couple of journalists shocked by the orphaned children in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Today, the organisation operates at a number of levels in 45 developing countries. They get involved by working with governments, development partners and communities to help to improve specific facilities in deprived areas. They key point is that everyone can buy into the local projects to safeguard the future of the community and, in particular, the children. When a local family is involved in these projects, people like us get the opportunity to sponsor their children for the duration of the community project. These projects are based around five key elements that support the development of the children and, hence, the future of the community. These are health, education, livelihood, habitat and building relationships. Nobody can argue with that and Plan International does a wonderful job across many parts of the world. Pretty obviously, Mr Kite thinks that it would be great if you got involved, too. Read about sponsoring a child here.

The Extended Family

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Nidia Lourdes in Ecuador

Nzilani-nduku in Kenya

Sawai in Thailand

Hui in China