Caught between a deliberate choice, extreme precarity, and a feeling of abandonment, the homeless live in inhumane conditions. This situation raises the disturbing question of a society that seems to have turned its back on a segment of its population. In Thiès, the homeless are part of the urban landscape, surviving through begging, odd jobs, and insecurity. They sleep under the open sky, in markets, under bus shelters, or in garages.

Cold, insecurity, and exile: the testimony of adults

Cold, insecurity, and precarious living conditions define their daily lives. Mamadou Diallo, a Guinean who arrived in Senegal in late 2024, retreated to the railway capital after a difficult time in Dakar. "For months, I've been sleeping in this garage. I have no family here, nor the means to rent a room," he confides, emphasizing the difficulty of making a living washing cars, especially in this cool season. He stresses the constant fear: "We are often attacked. I only sleep half-heartedly, always on edge. It's not safe here."

At the central market in Thiès, the empty stalls give way, after nightfall, to makeshift dormitories made of worn mattresses and cardboard boxes, particularly in the "mbarou oudé" (the shoemakers' workshop). Ousmane, originally from Casamance, fully embraces his marginal status. After a month in prison for theft, he made the market his refuge, surviving by reselling salvaged waste to buy alcohol and cigarettes.

Runaway children and victims of family rejection

The street is also a refuge for the youngest and for victims of deep social divisions.

Djily, a young boy with a closed expression, is a runaway talibé. Dressed in an oversized sweater, he huddles against the cold, confiding that he fled the daara (Koranic school) because of the beatings. He begs to survive, fearing that returning to his parents might send him back.

At the "Promenade des Thiessois", Pape, a young man from Thiessois, fled his home for family reasons: "My parents beat me. They want me to lead a life they have chosen. I just want to be free." He sleeps outside and begs to provide for his needs and his alcoholism.

Bocar, sitting alone in front of the Town Hall, was kicked out by his family, who live in Thiès, because he smokes marijuana. "Today, I've lost everything. My family, my friends... everyone has turned their back on me," he says, his gaze vacant, hesitant to return home for fear of further rejection.

What Bocar, Pape, Djily, Mamadou, and so many others experience on the streets of Thiès is the result of a chain of social fractures: extreme poverty, domestic violence, addiction, unregulated migration, and a lack of psychosocial support. These homeless people, invisible by day and vulnerable by night, survive amidst insecurity, fragile health, and constant stigmatization.