‘Barça o Barzak’: A New Documentary Highlighting FC Barcelona Foundation’s Work in Senegal

Today, the Barça Foundation has released a documentary featuring first men’s basketball team player, Youssoupha Fall, which raises awareness about the projects it operates in Senegal. Available on the Barça One and YouTube platforms, the video, entitled ‘Barça o Barzak’, uses striking imagery and a humanistic approach to depict the reality of a country where children face extreme hardship and many young people are forced to migrate to Europe due to a lack of job opportunities. The documentary includes statements of support from Fall, who was born in Dakar, Senegal, and moved to Europe to play in the French basketball league in 2012.

The title of the documentary, ‘Barça o Barzak’ translates as ‘Barça or death’, an expression used in Senegal and other West African countries to describe the plight of those forced to leave their homeland and make the perilous journey in search of a better future.

The Barça Foundation is currently involved with two projects running in Senegal: Jangkom (Access to Economic Opportunities) and Association LVES (Social Inclusion through Access to Health and Education).

In partnership with the social entity, Association Hahatay Sourires de Gandiol, the Jangkom Project aims to improve access to economic opportunities for 120 women and young people in the Saint-Louis region of Senegal by offering vocational training and entrepreneurship workshops, as well as advice and microcredit support for launching their own businesses.

Working with local organisation, Association de Lutte contre la Vulnérabilité et l'Exclusion Sociale (Association LVES), this project supports around 400 children and young people in Richard Toll by improving access to health services (both mental and physical) and education. It provides daily nutritious meals, medical check-ups, development-focused conflict resolution management and educational opportunities (spanning preschool to vocational training).

The Barça Foundation has been working in Senegal since 2006, when it launched a project in collaboration with the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation. Its commitment to the area continues today through the operation of initiatives focused on improving health, education and opportunities for vulnerable groups of children and adolescents in Senegal.

The documentary was produced by the Barça Foundation’s communication team and the KEWEKE audiovisual production company, with support from Barça Studios and photographer Àlex Iglesias.