In France, every day of the calendar year has a saint's name assigned to it. In the past, a child would be given the name of the saint on who shared their same birth day, either as a first or middle name.But what happens in Senegal, asks Emmanuelle Landais in Dakar?

There, she discovered, African names are slowly being phased out and Muslim or Christian names have taken over.But to preserve Senegal’s heritage, Babacar Mbaye Diop, a university professor, has spent 12 years collecting these old names and made his own calendar to remind people of their origins.