By Philip Robinson
A week ago, there was a chance that I would not even make it to Senegal. There were obstacles in my way that made the trip more imaginative than realistic and it even came to a point where I almost gave up on the trip entirely. However, with the help of my sister Jada and my mentor Nancy, I was able to turn the trip into reality. Before I knew it, I was sitting on my very first plane heading to the long-awaited destination (where I’ve wanted to go since I was a freshman), Senegal.
Being a kid born and raised in the city with little travel experience, the trip so far has been more than I have ever seen in my life. I have learned so much on this trip already. But out of all the things, what stood out to me the most was how appreciative people are in any given situation. Back in America, it is too easy to forget about or take for granted the things that we have. At points in time, I fall victim to this trend. Here in Senegal and in the village of Niognani, they don’t seem to do this. They take the time to appreciate the little things:
- Sitting in a circle eating and talking
- Playing games outside with each other
- Tea time, together
- Walking together
- Hanging out in groups
- Discussing what’s going on in the world
- Sharing a smile
When they pause to appreciate, it helps them to display more hospitality towards one another and the connection between the people is stronger than any bond I have ever seen. I have been able to join this same pausing during our time here. One such moment was when Coach Shaf took Olivier, Connor, one of the village kids (Connor’s main man, Mamoudou), and me to a small hill across the road from the village. The hill was incredible – beautiful views, volcanic rocks, and baboons (which luckily we didn’t have to see up close). Along the walk, we came across a ledge and looked over the entire village and then some. The view was so much more than an array of trees and a pretty blue sky – it was a moment to pause and appreciate the little things that make this village so unique, to pause just like the people of Niognani:
- The sounds of villagers talking and laughing
- The two lane highway that shapes their existence
- The smell of food coming from fireplaces
- The sounds of drums in the distance
- The structure of family compounds
- The rhythm of drums and the Mandinka language
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