Tambacounda, which is called “Tamba” by the locals for short, is the capital of the region of Tambacounda in the département Sénégal Oriental in the eastern part of the country. Tambacounda was founded and named by the Mandingas at the turn of the century in the railway era. Due to its geographical location, Tambacounda has been an important trading center since its founding and is the most important transportation hub in the east of the country.

The town itself lies on the southern border of the Sahel zone. The region is characterized by heat, dryness, and drought, but also by heavy rains during the rainy season.

Tambacounda is made up of varying cultures; different peoples such as the Malinke, Bambara, Bassari, among others settled in each neighborhood. Tambacounda has the only high school in the area and is also the seat of the diocese. Yet, Tambacounda is a traditional urban settlement, not a modern dynamic city.

Between 1988 and 2007 the population grew from 41,885 to 78,800 people. This rapid growth is mainly due to the lack of family planning and birth control. Because of the region’s poor infrastructure, poverty, and high unemployment, many young people migrate to the metropolis Dakar, 500km away.

However, there are many initiatives in Tambacounda that are working towards bettering the town’s living circumstances. Since 1992, the Freundeskreis Tambacounda has supported these initiatives and started our own.