Rokhiya Kanoute
About
How we began this initiative.
My name is Rokhiya Kanoute, one of the founders of Diapalèla. I am from Senegal, a francophone country in West Africa. I am currently a resident in the U.S. and a senior attending Dulaney High School.
Diapalèla is an initiative that I took towards the end of my junior year in 2022. My hometown village back in Senegal (Sinthiou Maleme, Tambacounda) has a high poverty rate which impacts their education. I knew that helping parents support their children's education with school kits would help make a difference.
With my passion to help others, I started working in my community over 4,000 miles away!
My name is Caroline Lee (pictured bottom right). I met Rokhiya through Dulaney High School's French Club (pictured to the right) in 2022. When she proposed her idea to the club, I was immediately inspired!
We began organizing fundraising ideas and online platforms to make Diapalèla possible. With the help of French Club, we successfully held our first fundraiser in the Spring of 2022!
I am very passionate about service and through this opportunity, I was able to see how we could impact communities all the way in Senegal, West Africa! All it takes is the first step. I seek to continue to support Diapalèla after graduating and I'm excited to see how we will grow our impact!
Shoutout to French Club & Mr. Peak! Thank you for continuing to support this initiative <3
We believe every effort can have a huge difference on others.
Our Mission
Our name translates to "Let me help you" in Wolof - the most widely spoken regional language in Senegal, West Africa. Holding testament to our name, we seek to raise school opportunities for children in Senegal, where the literacy rate exceeds 50%, by providing school kits annually. Learn ways you can get involved and help make an impact!
Our Vision
Currently we have set a goal of $300 on our GoFundMe for Summer 2023. With this we can provide over 200 children in Tambacounda, Senegal with brand new school supplies! Overtime we seek to extend our impact to families in Senegal.