Paulina Netinan Nodjibougada knows Senegal is making history hosting the Youth Olympic Games, but with her family struggling to cover daily living expenses, the event feels distant from her concerns.

The 26-year-old accounting student said she is struggling to find work and cope with the rising living costs in the capital, Dakar .

“I’m not very enthusiastic because there are too many problems,” she said of the Youth Olympic Games that kicked off Saturday. “We have too many worries in the family.”

The Youth Olympics are a smaller version of the Olympic Games for athletes aged 14 to 17. The Dakar Games are the first Olympic event ever held in Africa .

The Games, which will run through Nov.…