The Shoe-shiner: Senegal
Assane's Story

Assane is 10 years old and lives in Senegal. He works as a shoe-shine boy in the capital city of the southern region, but his home is in the north. He had to leave because his people, the Toucouleur, are becoming poorer and poorer.

Traditionally the Toucouleur people are nomads who keep cattle, but the French government has tried to make them grow rice instead. Unfortunately, rice needs a lot of rain to grow and the region of Futa Toro, where the Toucouleur live, is too dry.

This is Assane's story:

I had to leave home

I come from a village in the Futa Toro region. I used to work for my uncle, growing rice but we did not produce enough so he sent me away.

Sometimes there wasn't enough food to eat in the village. We worked very hard, but there was not enough rain. And rice needs a lot of rain. But we Toucouleur always find a way to survive. If we can't make money as farmers, then we go out and become traders. That's what my family wants me to do.

My uncle told me that it would be hard for me in the city, but he also said that it would be good for me, even if I didn't bring back any money. "With travel you gain experience," he said.

It is good for me to know suffering when I am a child so that I will appreciate life when I am older. That is the way of the Toucouleur people.

SHOE-SHINE BOY: someone who cleans people's shoes for money.

NOMADS: people who travel from place to place to find food for their animals.

SUFFERING: pains and troubles.

APPRECIATE: to understand how important something is.

I had already worked away from home

Of course I was scared to leave home, but I also wanted to go. Before I came to this city, I already had some experience of leaving home and earning money.

Last year, I went to the town of Bakel for three months, between the rice planting season and the harvesting time. I sold juice on the street for a market woman. I came back to my village with new clothes and gave my uncle money. He was very happy with me. That's why he wants me to go away again this year.

I am proud that my uncle has sent me. I hope I can make lots of money. I hope I can go back to my village and give all my relatives presents. And I will wear jeans and sneakers. Already I have bought this nice T-shirt I'm wearing. When I was in the village, I just wore rags.

SNEAKERS: Sports shoes

RAGS: clothes that are so old that they are falling to pieces.

I want to be a big trader

My aim in life is to be a big trader. My father died when I was a baby, so my uncle inherited his land. When my uncle dies, the land will go to his sons, not to me. That is why I must be a trader. I want to go to Bangkok and bring back textiles and jewellery to sell here. Then, with the profits, I will open my own store. That is what my people do. If you go to any town in Senegal, you will find us with our little stores. My friend's uncle has a big store in New York.

INHERIT: to receive property from someone after their death.

TEXTILES: material made of cloth.

Shining shoes is a step towards my future

I am now on the third step to my life's goal. The first step was working for my uncle, growing rice. The second step was selling drinks on the street. Now, the third step is being a shoe-shine boy.

It's not easy. You have to find people who look as if they have a little extra money. Then you have to persuade them that they want their shoes to be shined. Sometimes they won't pay you. They say, "Oh, I don't have any change. I'll pay you next time." And you never see them again. Also, people won't pay if you get any shoe polish on their socks. That's why I want to stop doing this job soon.

CHANGE (n): a small amount of money in coins.

How I plan to become rich

I want to learn how to repair shoes. Then I can work for the older boys who are shoe traders. The older boys go to Dakar [Senegal's capital city] and bring back broken shoes. The younger boys repair them. I have already started to help repair shoes. My friends think I am learning very quickly.

So my fourth step will be to repair shoes and my fifth step will be to become a shoe trader, like the older boys. But when I go to Dakar, I won't just bring back broken shoes. I will bring back many kinds of things. That is how I will get rich.

I don't need school!

I don't need to go to school. What can I learn there? I know children who went to school. Their families paid for the fees and the uniforms, and now they are educated. But you see them sitting around. Now they are useless to their families. They don't know anything about farming, or trading, or making money. Even though I have never been to school, I can count and quickly give the correct change. I also know how to bargain with customers and always make a profit.

The only thing I need to learn is how to read and write. But I have started. People from ENDA [an organization based in Dakar] teach me and my friends every Tuesday evening. That's good because it fits with our work schedule.

My friends told me that a white woman came to talk to them once. She told them it is bad that children have to work. She wanted all children to be in school. But she went away and never came back. I'm glad. If anyone tries to put me in school, I will run away. I couldn't make any money if I was at school. Then I would be ashamed ever to go back to my village.