Category: Senegal 2018-19
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“Mbe Eboulala-bi”
By Danielle Abban It seemed like we would never leave the village, and we had been there for years. Because of the teeming energy, vibrancy and action present, it was easy to get in tune with the village life. It was easy to get used to gathering around a big bowl, chasing kids to grab…
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Finding Senegal
By Olivier Shumbusho It’s funny how different a country is depending on where you go. I had already been to Senegal on one previous occasion, visiting only two cities and experiencing the urban side, which was frankly not the most interesting to me. Throughout this trip, I witnessed a shift, not only in the infrastructure…
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Sobo Bade – La Petite Cote
Senegal is an incredibly diverse country. We have been lucky enough to spend time in the southeastern corner, where Niognani was our home; in the Sine Saloum, where Hakuna was our soft landing pad; and in Dakar, where the frenetic energy and congested streets reminded us of Senegal’s churning economy and powerful future. Now, on…
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Coastal Senegal
We left the village early yesterday morning. The light of the full moon lit our way – allowing us quick passage before the children, our friends and the ambassadors of Teranga, were awake enough to process our departure. We are now eating dinner at the westernmost point of Africa after a long day in Dakar…
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Little Things
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…
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Village Impressions
I want the world to understand…. Joy- Usually Africa is thought of as one thing, a poor place, but in this village it makes that stereotype sort of true, but it isn’t. It really is a nice place to be. The people live with what they have and enjoy life. I feel like watching…
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My Main Man, Mamoudou
By Connor Gordon Cock-a-doodle-doo! My eyes opened to see Mr. Schaefer, bucket hat on, stick in hand, attempting to chase the rooster out of the compound. The morning quickly passed, and we did our first daylight tour of the village. After lunch, “Connor’s barber shop” opened up. It started with hair combing and then moved…
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Relationships & Empathy
By Charlene Tran Dale Carnegie once said that if we are too selfish and ignoble that we cannot express a little appreciation and a few sincere compliments to converse without focusing on what we can benefit from others – if our souls are no greater than wild sour apples, we will receive corresponding consequences. There…
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A Day in Niognani
Today was a big one! We arrived after dark last night, so today was our first time to really experience and explore the village. Here’s a list of some of the things we did: Ate our first omelet-sandwiches Drank our first proper ataya by Tamba Played soccer on the Niognani pitch Visited with the imam…
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Welcoming People
By Colette Haynie We spent most of the day today on the road. We had to get up in a timely fashion and leave the lodge by boat before 9am. On the mainland, two vehicles waited to transport us across Senegal. Mr. Alter drove the majority of the group in a van and I road…
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Hands as Bridges
By Hannah Duke The minute we turned into the village, we were greeted by 100 people jumping and dancing and running towards the car. As we drove to Kecouta’s compound, the kids all joyfully ran after the cars. When we finally came to a stop and opened the doors, we were overwhelmed with what seemed…
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Niognani
We made the journey across Senegal yesterday – traveling from the coast through the agricultural heartland to the Mandinka world. It was a fascinating drive. Now, as Kekouta put it, we left home and finally made it home. Lots to share! More to come soon.
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Deepening Understanding
By Latane Montague We arrived on the Sine Saloum Delta about an hour before sunset. We were shown to our rooms and then we were offered a welcoming drink called bissap (hibiscus juice). This was an excellent example of the hospitality and welcoming nature that people have here. After the amazing drink and dinner, we…
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Our sketches
Everyone received a sketchbook from Ms McCormick and instructions from Latane. Here are some of the results – our attempts at capturing what we saw during our first day.
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The island lifestyle
The water of the Sine Saloum delta is salty and refreshing. It’s the right temperature for today – hot but not too hot, cool but not too cool. The local pirogues are majestic – fishermen from far and near trying to catch some fish. The clear water of the delta seems much fresher than what…