Poverty and Development

Tear gas and unrest as hundreds of thousands protest for reforms in France

More than 500,000 gather in Paris and other cities for protests uniting students, teachers, unions and ‘yellow vests’.

IMF urges support for poorer nations facing high inflation, war spillovers

Low-income countries spend up to 14 percent of their revenue on debt repayments, IMF chief says.

Dakar community unites to clean school ahead of academic year

A group of boys takes part in the cleaning of Medina Gounass Elementary School in a suburb of Dakar, Senegal. [Jerome Favre/EPA]

Students, members of environmental associations and volunteers clean a primary school in the Medina Gounass area in advance of the new academic year in Dakar, Senegal. [Jerome Favre/EPA]

The school year 2026-27 starts on October 5 for staff and October 6 for students. [Jerome Favre/EPA]

Public schools in Senegal often serve large numbers of children from low-income families, with classrooms that are regularly overcrowded and short on resources. [Jerome Favre/EPA]

Community initiatives and parent associations frequently step in to improve facilities, organise cleanups and support teachers in public schools across Senegal. [Jerome Favre/EPA]

French and math lessons from the summer school sessions are written on a blackboard. [Jerome Favre/EPA]

Many schools in Senegal struggle with ageing infrastructure, inadequate sanitation and limited access to clean water, especially in poorer urban neighbourhoods and rural areas. [Jerome Favre/EPA]

Despite these challenges, families place a high value on education, and children often travel long distances or study in difficult conditions to attend school. [Jerome Favre/EPA]

The government and local partners have launched programmes to expand access to primary education, but persistent gaps remain in quality, infrastructure and teacher numbers, particularly outside big cities like Dakar. [Jerome Favre/EPA]