The Kaffrine region vibrated, on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 October, to the rhythm of the activity "Wadial Xaléyi", a joint initiative of the Ministry of the Armed Forces and that of National Education, aimed at strengthening the links between the army and youth through educational, civic and environmental actions.

This first edition was led by the 2nd Artillery Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Lamine Sylvain Diatta, in close collaboration with the academic and administrative authorities of Kaffrine.

A rich and symbolic program

"The program took place over 48 hours, starting on Thursday, with a very symbolic activity: the raising of the colors. This ceremony was followed by a series of activities that continued until this morning, Friday," explained Lieutenant Colonel Diatta.

Participants first held a rally at Babacar Cobar Ndao High School before heading to Beuleup, a place steeped in history and symbolism in the ancient kingdom of Saloum. They then returned for a reforestation activity and an awareness session on military competitions.

"Everything went very well. I sincerely thank the administrative authorities of the Kaffrine region as well as the school administration, particularly the Academy Inspector, for their invaluable support in organizing this activity. We are already planning for future editions," he added.

Know your environment to better serve the nation

According to Lieutenant Colonel Diatta, the choice of activities is not insignificant: "The activity carried out today was not chosen at random. It is a choice of the command, which considers that before opening up to the outside world, one must first know one's own environment."

The visit to Beuleup allowed the students to revisit local history, the old blockades, the role of the railway, and that of the region's first school. "Through this tour, we wanted to allow young people to discover local history. This approach is part of a strong commitment to education, because to build a youth capable of ensuring a promising future for our country, we first need well-educated youth," he emphasized.

For the officer, student participation in military competitions is an essential part of this activity. "The stand dedicated to military competitions aimed to inform students about the different opportunities available: army, gendarmerie, firefighters, etc." And that "many young people discover these competitions late, often at university, sometimes by chance, due to a lack of information."

Hence the interest in such a meeting: "Today, we wanted to open a window of opportunity from high school onwards, so that students know that these competitions exist and are accessible to all Senegalese citizens, girls and boys alike."

A win-win partnership, according to the academy inspector

Present at the ceremony, Mamadou Niang, Kaffrine's school inspector, praised this exemplary collaboration between the two ministerial departments. "I would like to congratulate the national army and the Ministry of the Armed Forces, which, through a partnership that the colonel mentioned earlier, initiated these activities. It should be noted that these actions did not begin yesterday: the military camp's officers arrived from the start to help clean up and prepare for the students' return to school," he said.

Mr. Niang also highlighted the educational and civic nature of the initiative: "The essential message to remember is that the army positions itself as a national army, a nation-army close to the people, which teaches military virtues and values. We have also noticed that, over the last two days, from 7:45 a.m., the schoolyard was already full: the students were made aware of punctuality and discipline, cardinal values of the defense and security forces."

Education, environment and patriotism at the heart of the approach

Beyond education, the activity also addressed environmental protection. "The army helped us with environmental protection, an essential role that falls to everyone who lives in this area," the school inspector recalled.

He finally praised "the principal, his entire team, the teachers and the administrative staff, for their welcome and support", while emphasizing the crucial role of the administrative and government authorities in the success of the event.

"In short, this is a win-win partnership that allows us not only to raise awareness of essential values, but also to better understand the army," he concluded.

An army close to youth

Through "Wadial Xaléyi," the national army and the Ministry of National Education reaffirm their shared desire to build a conscious, disciplined, and patriotic youth. This initiative, which is set to continue, perfectly illustrates the motto "An army at the service of the nation and a youth at the service of development."