Christine's Report:
During the month of January 2005, I worked as an intern
at the West African Research Center (WARC) in Dakar, Senegal.
WARC works to cultivate collaboration between American
and West African researchers and students. WARC especially
piqued my interest because I am majoring in psychology
as well as French with a concentration in Francophone
studies at Mount Holyoke College. I firmly believed that
participating in a program of this kind would help broaden
my awareness of West African culture and aid me in bridging
a connection between my two majors. Receiving the Hubbell
Grant allowed me the opportunity to return to Senegal
for this internship experience.
During my internship, I worked mainly with the web designer,
Mr. Abdoulaye Niang, to update the center’s website,
www.warc-croa.org. I added links where I felt necessary
and titled each page in order to make the center’s
website more navigable. I edited English text and grammar
throughout the pages and changed background colors for
a more attractive and consistent look.
My internship also involved shadowing and assisting the
coordinator of study abroad activities, Mrs. Honorine
Diadhiou in the orientation of the Mount Holyoke J-term
and Junior Year Abroad (JYA) programs in Dakar, Senegal.
I assisted in a day of cultural orientation for the J-term
students where we explained to them certain aspects of
the Senegalese culture. For example, we showed the students
how to eat with their hands around a common bowl (which
is done in most Senegalese homes). We discussed the Do’s
and Don’ts when interacting with Senegalese families
and for Senegalese culture in general. We also gave them
a list of useful phrases in Wolof for communication purposes.
At the end of the day, I assisted in helping these students
move into the houses of their host families. For both
the J-term and Mount Holyoke JYA groups, I made myself
available to these students to answer any questions about
being in Senegal. I also shared my experience as a JYA
student on the Mount Holyoke Program during the previous
year.
From my January internship, I learned the many details
that go into web design and event/program planning. I
am grateful to have had the experience of returning to
Senegal in a different context in which I was able to
get “hands on” exposure to a professional field
in a different country. Before my internship, I was unfamiliar
with the software, Dreamweaver and web maintenance. Now,
I am more confident and comfortable with making changes
to the web. I am also happy that I was able to share my
experience and give advice to students who were in the
study abroad programs. It was one of the greatest experiences
of my life! I hope to have the opportunity of returning
to Senegal again.
