Going to Senegal over January term was a life affirming experience. I have
always wanted to work in Africa but I have never visited
the continent. My personal belief is that the world has
turned their back on Africa and I want to do everything
in my power to turn them around again. In Senegal I learned
what is important to me in terms of career goals and what
I would like to focus on during my years at Mount Holyoke.
At first I wanted to experience what life is like in Africa
and the effects of colonization. Even though it was not
really talked about, the effects of the French rule is
seen in almost every place we visited. Senegal is truly
a beautiful country that is rich in culture and life.
Senegalese people are kind and hospitable. The food is
delicious. I know that I will never forget what I learned
this J-Term.
It is difficult to pinpoint one aspect of the trip and
discuss it at length because of the sheer enthusiasm I
have for all that I saw. I will highlight parts of the
trip that I believe are important and add to my desire
to return to Senegal. Most of these aspects are cultural
differences between the United States and Senegal while
others are just details I noticed.
One of the best ways to summarize life in Senegal is juxtaposition.
A big, solid, beautiful house will be next to a dilapidated
shack. A group of children will be begging for money outside
of a school. There is very developed land next to miles
and miles of fields and trees. There are villages where
people live in huts five minutes away from cement concrete
houses. The land is captivating – we drove on bumpy
dirt roads then traveled down highways. Miles of flatlands
with baobab trees and bush lead into rolling hills covered
in sand. The land itself leaves one speechless, but so
does the hubbub of the markets. Visiting a market is an
experience on its own, and a phenomenon of sensory overload.
Groups of female toubabs (white people) are easy targets
for deception while shopping. In any market in Dakar vendors
hawk their wares and try to lure customers into purchasing
their goods. Once you step foot in the market the whirlwind
of excitement begins. Between the poking and prodding,
calling out, offers, and pleas, when you finally decide
to look at something, another item gets shoved into your
hand. This item is never the one you wanted. The vendor
quotes a price for the wrong item then offers a gift if
you purchase the item you did not need or want. When the
item that is desired is finally displayed, the vendor
will give an outrageous price that is deemed a good one
because “we are friends.” The hour-long bargaining
process begins. It is long, exhausting, and frustrating.
Personally, I am bad at bargaining because of my lack
of patience. I would rather walk away and find what I
want somewhere else than stand around and bargain. If
it were not for the “market attitude,” I would
move to Senegal in a heartbeat.
The main reason I would pack up and move to Senegal is
the people. Every person I met was friendly and nice.
My roommate Luisa and I got lost in our SICAP frequently
and would rely on the street vendors or pharmacists for
directions. We took one trip to find the West African
Research Center from our house. We had taken the trip
the day before with our host brother and tried to commit
the route to memory. We got about half way when we hit
a huge intersection. We had three directions to choose
from. We walked up and down the streets for about two
hours. We asked for directions and were surprised to the
extent in which people helped. They would actually walk
us to where we needed to go instead of using their hands
to show us. If they did not know they took us to someone
who did. One of the people we met was kick boxer. We ran
into him the next day after our adventure and we talked
to him like he was an old friend. The man who finally
gave us the correct directions to the West African Research
Center invited us to lunch when we ran into him again
later that week. Senegalese care about other people regardless
of color or religion. The kindness we encountered daily
was astonishing. Another unbelievable event was the soccer
games we watched and later, that Luisa played in. Soccer
is a huge neighborhood sport in Senegal that many of the
boys partake in as a daily after school ritual. The attire
is informal, so informal that many of the boys play in
jelly sandals. They do not wear shin guards or uniforms
but play according to the color of their shirts. The field
is all sand and the end part is in the street. Kids dash
in the street dodging between trees and the car bumpers
to chase the ball. It is truly a sight to see.
The only aspect of the program that I would change, would
be to incorporate the SWAA (Society for Women Against
AIDS in Africa) clinic where I did my internship, into
the program. I learned so much from just two hours of
asking questions than I would have in a lecture on the
subject. The women who run the program are knowledgeable
and engaging. I took away a greater understanding of not
just AIDS in Senegal but AIDS in Africa. One of the most
important things I learned was that the religious leaders
play a huge part in educating the citizens about the disease
and its transmission. In Senegal, SWAA trains and teaches
religious leaders how to talk to their congregations about
the disease. Senegal has one of the lowest HIV+/AIDS percentages
in Africa and it is because of the discussions that the
religious leaders start. These discussions start a chain
reaction that commences with parents. Parents talk to
their children about the transmission of AIDS and how
to prevent it. This has resulted in their children having
safer sex thus the AIDS rate diminishes. After a few hours
of talking to the women who run the program I realized
that my focus with AIDS has narrowed to working with children
who have the disease. I am concerned with their education,
living arrangements, and general wellbeing.
Since the day at SWAA I have been able to secure an internship
for this summer at UNICEF. I will be working with children
who have the disease. I realized that I would like to
go back to Senegal. I plan to spend a semester there my
junior year and the other semester in another country
in Africa. Spending my January term in Senegal helped
me understand why living in other countries is important.
It leads me to decide that I would like to live and work
in Africa. Going to Senegal not only taught me about life
in Western Africa but it taught me about myself.
