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About Mor Thiam Learning Center
2026 Expansion Project
2026 Expansion Project
2026 Expansion Project
In September 2025, we partnered with Africa Relief & Community Development (ARCD) to expand the Darou Khafour / MTLC campus.
Together, we are building three classrooms, a community kitchen and sanitation facilities, thereby strengthening access to learning, daily nourishment, and safe, dignified facilities for children and families across Lac Rose, Bambilor and surrounding villages.
The project will be completed by March 2026.
This milestone advances Mor's vision of a community-rooted centre where faith, learning and service sit side by side, supporting education with dignity, care and long-term sustainability.
Thank you to ARCD and every supporter helping us build the future, one classroom at a time.
Our History
2026 Expansion Project
2026 Expansion Project
Founded in 2005, Mor Thiam Learning Center (MTLC) is a non-profit organisation that is, to date, self-financed by El Hadji Mor Thiam. It is dedicated to life in Lac Rose / Bambilor and the 14 surrounding villages. Located 35km from Dakar, Mor Thiam Learning Centre is a place of learning, prayer, education, wellness, and improving the quality of life and peace of mind.
At Mor Thiam Learning Center, collaboration is key. We work hand in hand with local Imams, village leaders, and authorities to provide an impactful service to the community at a grassroots level. All our programs are designed to be inclusive and free, ensuring that no one is left behind in our journey towards a better future.
The founder, El Hadji Mor Thiam, is very clear on the Quran's impact on his life. His ongoing altruistic commitment is to develop the Mor Thiam Learning Center, creating a safe, modern environment to encourage young scholars to learn and attain professional skills that will accompany them throughout life.
Our Mission
2026 Expansion Project
Our Programs
We aim to create a safe, sustainable, and universal application of Quranic principles.
We aim to deliver an impactful, inclusive, and free service by investing in, empowering, and
supporting local people, and by creating a more equal, just, and healthy future for local communities.
Our Programs
Meet Our Founder El HaDji Mor Thiam
Our Programs
Our programs are inclusive and accessible to everyone in the community.
Education
Currently, 80 children aged 5 – 18 attend the school, where they learn Islam, Arabic, French, and English. The children are provided with uniforms, books, stationery, and meals.
We provide local cultural trips. Highlights include meeting the national football team, attending the SEED Academy basketball summit, and visiting Gorée, a tiny island off the coast of Dakar in Senegal, known for its role in the Atlantic slave trade.
Adult Education
We provide adult education classes in Islam studies alongside French and Arabic.
Health and Wellness
We provide health and well-being checks along with non-perishable food and toiletries.
Community Gatherings & Outreach
We organise and host religious celebrations, including
- Lamb donations for the celebration of Eid
- Full-course meals served for (Iftar) during
the holy month of Ramadan
- Cattle donations during the feast of
Tamkharite (Anchoura)
Community Outreach
We provide solar power, water sanitation, well covers, graveyard maintenance, and street cleaning to the local surrounding villages.
Mor Thiam Learning Center Mosque
Meet Our Founder El HaDji Mor Thiam
Meet Our Founder El HaDji Mor Thiam
El Hadji Mor Thiam has always envisioned building a modern Mosque in the Mor Thiam Learning Center complex.
We are delighted and grateful to announce that our Community Mosque Islamic Center Darou Khafour is complete.
Our opening celebrations were held on 5th January 2024. We are grateful to the local and global community that joined us.
This was a celebration and a decisive moment of unity and shared purpose. We came together as an extended family, forging bonds and creating a robust, rewarding experience as we build together for the betterment of Senegal and Africa.
Meet Our Founder El HaDji Mor Thiam
Meet Our Founder El HaDji Mor Thiam
Meet Our Founder El HaDji Mor Thiam
In 1968, Mor arrived in the United States, settling in East St Louis and teaching African Cultural Studies at Southe rights leaderst prominent civil, including Jesse Jackson, Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, the Black Panthers, and rights leaders, including Marti and the Black Liberation Group. Mor would play the djembe drum before their meetings to (re)connect African Americans with their spiritual ancestors in Africa.
Mor began his career as a mechanic on the Dioran boat in Lindian, outside of Kaolack. The Lindian boat travelled across West Africa and Europe for nine months. Mor’s three-month vacation, he would drum at a time. Duri with Senegal’s ”Théatre National Daniel Sorano” in Dakar, wDuring l moment in his life.
Mor began his career as a mechanic on the Dioran boat in Lindian, outside of Kaolack. The Lindian boat travelled across West Africa and Europe for nine months. During Mor’s three-month vacation, he would drum with Senegal’s ”Théatre National Daniel Sorano” in Dakar, which was a pivotal moment in his life.
At this event, Mor was spotted by the legendary choreographer Katherine Dunham, who insisted that he join her in the United States to expand African culture among African Americans during the civil rights movement.
In 1968, Mor arrived in the United States, settling in East St Louis and teaching African Cultural Studies at Southern Illinois University. During this time, he met with many of America’s most prominent civil, Jessie Jackson, Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, the Black Panthers, and rights leaders, including Marti and the Black Liberation Group. Mor would play the djembe drum before their meetings to (re)connect African Americans with their spiritual ancestors in Africa.
Were invited by President Nixon to perform at the White House in Washington, DC. In 1999, he recorded his second album titled “Back To Africa” Both recordings have gained cult status and are highly sought after amongst music enthusiasts around the world.
Not only was Mor the link to Africa with the civil rights leaders, but he also dedicated his musical career to creating awareness and expanding the African connection by making timeless music working with many Jazz and Blues greats, including Freddie Hubbard, Nancy Wilson, B.B. King and Lester Bowie, the World Saxophone Quartet and Don Poland.
Mor recorded his first album in 1974, titled “Ndende Safarra,” with B.B. King and Nancy Wilson, to benefit the victims of an African drought that year—this group of musicians world.
Mor became the gateway for many Africans' journeys to the United States, promoting live theatrical African drum and dance performances and concerts for his fellow Senegalese artists, including Youssou Ndour, Salif Keita, and Baaba Maal, to share and teach African culture.
In 1982, Mor’s group Sone was chosen to perform at the opening of Walt Disney’s EPCOT Center. Mor became a consultant for Walt Disney Entertainment Operations, travelling with executives to seek out international talent to perform at EPCOT’s World Showcases and the first Lion King Broadway show in 1997. Mor is a beloved part of the Disney Family. His Musicians, The Royal Drums of Africa, still perform Daily at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Mor received many awards for his service to African Culture, including recognition by the US State Department in Washington DC, the United Nations, The State Department of Indonesia, the Trinidad & Tobago Minister of Culture and a Lifetime Ambassador award from the Disney Corporation. Mor taught across the United States universities, including UCLA, Southern Illinois University, and Morris Brown College, and internationally across Europe, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Caribbean.
Over the past five decades, Mor has dedicated his life to various humanitarian causes. In 2005, he launched Mor Thiam Learning Centre, a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life in Lac Rose/Bambilor and its surrounding villages in Senegal.
In 2009, El Hadji Mor made the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. He is unequivocal on the Quran's effect on his life. He has committed his life to the development of Mor Thiam Learning Center.
Help Our Cause - Get Involved
Your support and contributions will help us meet our goals and improve conditions.
Your generous donation will help fund our mission.By donating to our cause, you are directly contributing towards improving the lives of those in our community.
Your support is invaluable to us, and without it, we would not have achieved our goals. We urge you to generously donate to our mission, and together, we can make a positive impact and bring about lasting change.
