Leye

While with our student partners, we met up with Omar's cousin who worked in a police station. He mentioned that there were problems within marriages because of the lack of traditions. He believed personally that there would be better communication within marriages if people were less materialistic and more traditional. It is more common for domestic violence to occur in newer marriages because they do not have as much experience as older adults do. Young marriage do not know how to sit around the table and discuss their issues. Many divorces occur now, but they did not occur as much in the past. When a situation like this occurs it is first best to try to solve the issue within the family and with neighbors. The last result would be to include police officials. That is only if it cannot be solved any other way.

Kaolack (Cultural Center)

Yesterday, we traveled to Kaolack, which is known as the cultural center of Senegal. We met someone named Amad who is a coordinator of a NGO by the name of IFA. IFA is an internship project of financial development for the fight against poverty, only in rural areas. This project even allow training and give finance support, especially to businesses in the rural area. IFA was donated 1 billion cfes by Banks in Africa to proceed with there project. By doing this, they help to transform agriculture and to help people in the community, mainly women and young children to give them a "push" to help fight poverty. The biggest challenge is FAILURE among this project. Then we visited another NGO, International Federation of Family Planning (IPPF) which started in 1994 and helps women and their children as well in rural areas. After we left those two NGOs, we visit the head master of Tjonia which is a group of brotherhood.Their main role is to teach, work, and basically bring people together. It's like a school. While talking to the head of the brotherhood group, Tjonia, I realized that these brotherhood groups throughout Africa are just like fraternities and sororities which are in the United States. They're groups which come together as one and help each other who is affiliated with that particular organization as a sense of motivation and support for themselves, others, and even their communities. This was a very interesting socialization as a group, that took part on this Wednesday in Kaolack.
   -Levi Williams

Senegal Part II.... reflections from the day's activities by. Z. Bakheit

May 9, 2011: 5 hours to DAKAH! (Dakar)~ Ocean ATLANTIQUE

These people are gorgeous! First observation at the terminal was that less than 4% of the populations entering the plane were African Senegalese. Several folks looked great, on straight business types.  Images of luscious sun skinned people surrounding the market place and every aspect of business and life in this country cloud my mind even though I know this is not the deal. A former French colony ad to an extent still is, will surly house plenty of ethnicities and perspectives.

Friday, May 13^th, 2011:

Tour De Dakar

Today wasn’t completely so crazy. I woke up unpoco perazosa and happy to be present again…. The Little sisters prepared breakfast which was quite ready might I add. We were pumped and ready to go at 9:00 am! The first stop came at the sight of the American embassy, still in construction and progressing. Its funny how people toile with your emotions with beautiful things. Imagine that you are going down three steps… The arts complex was in the northern beach of Senegal, the first step. Beneath the arts factory is a restaurant, the second step, which serves as a pathway between the arts factory and the beach.  The beach was hidden behind the restaurant where I picked up several shells for décor. 

The living conditions were among the best in Senegal in this area. An average home purchased is $450,000 USD and the price increases from there. We drove by President Quadafi’s Senegalese estate. It was vibrant in white but can see that he only visits when is elegance is at its best. I can see respect in the people and they respect their urning for the unnecessary. Imagine a society where you can live once or twice a day. By this I mean people practice their religion and are wholly devoted to their families.  That is a beautiful commitment.

Other sites of visit include: University of Dakar, Senegal, the mountains, and the oceanfront.

Saturday May 14^th, 2011

Tour of Touba

6:00 AM: why am I getting up at 5 am!!! IM IN SENEGAL DUH!

We have to remind ourselves every now and then of what is going on. The bus arrive d and we are on our way out of Dakar. Even this early, the streets are moving with people getting to their respective places of employment. Within 30 minutes or so, we stop to have breakfast (cresaunts and juice) and continued on our way to Touba. The straw huts bright back vivid memories of North Sudan and the years my family spent in the village. The huts reminded me of little brother, Abdul Raheem’s birth in Al Zareeba.

We reached the mosque and met with the Khalifa. The Khalifa is a direct descendent of Cheikh Amadou Bamba, and is the keeper of the entire town. We had a great conversation through the interpreter.

History of Touba.

Touba in Arabic means "Felicity" or “bliss” and is a city in central Senegal. It is the holy city of Mouridism and the burial place of its founder,Shaikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke. Next to his tomb lies the largest mosque in West Africa and the largest to Muslim Africa which was completed in 1963.

Shaikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke, commonly known as "Cheikh Amadou Bamba" (1853-1927), is said to have founded Touba under a large tree when, in a moment of transcendence, he experienced a cosmic vision of light.

Every Thursday some 200 + women volunteers come to clean the mosque and 300+ men come to spread the mats for fajir prayer (5:15 am). The Mosque sees over 15 thousand visitors every Friday.

A M A Z I N G. MA’ SHALLAH

On the way back…

Our van pulls over to the right side of the street. The police/guard is on the left side, a little bit behind the van.

So the “city boarder control” officer stopped us! Shouldn’t be a big deal, they checked our driver’s paperwork as we came into the city, so this should be speedy.

BOY WERE WE WRONG!

Alla (driver’s name) is furiously arguing with the guard, index fingers leading the discussion and a cacophonous mix of French and Wolof in the air! This can’t be good. They are arguing in front of the van. Dear God, please let this man get out of the situation! We are too young to die in the desert!

I hope they don’t check the van because I definitely don’t have my passport on me. OMG!!!! None of us want to find out what Senegalese jail looks like!

So the guard is playing tough, walking back to his car and took his cuffs out! Oh S***, MY HEART IS OFFICIALLY IN MY PANTS…  Dr. E and Dr. N are asked to step out and speak to the officer…..

Apparently, public transportation cannot be rented to chuffer Americans around. Gee, why didn’t you stop us the first time we went through the checkpoint? Smart…

Oh the stipulation of foreign travel! Makes the whole trip so much more valuable.

So the officer said there is a “PRESIDENTIAL DECREE” that tourists can only use tourist transportation and cannot hire privately.

My reflection:

There was of course a lot of posturing and gesticulating on both parts. As a group, we really felt that we were somewhere else and it was the best time to use our wits. Dr. Sy (Senegalese counterpart) kept things together even though you could tell he was a but discombobulated. The true signs of trouble were if the patrol officer had asked us to turn off the van, asked us to exit the car or asked us to empty our pockets. 

What Worked:

Americans showed more respect to the officer than his Senegalese people, i.e. the driver. Most foreign police feel that they don’t have much clout to do anything to westerners so often they want money or respect. Thankfully respect helped us out in this situation…

Until next time!

Zubida Bakheit

Tuesday…already, smh!

As much as I do miss the states, I have to say that I cannot believe our time here is almost over already. It literally feels like we just got here, but we are already leaving in 5 days. So much has come out of this trip, I learn so many new things every single day; Sunday is really going to be a sad day. Yesterday, we visited the historic city of Thies (pronounced chez) and to me, this area was soooo different than Dakar. It was very urban and a lot poorer but it was interesting to see the differences in the two cities that were so close to each other.  Our computer at our beautiful villa doesn’t work very well so we come to WARC, the west African research center, to update blogs, check facebook, and anything else we need a computer for. That’s all for today guys!

-Tyeisha

Goree Island Weds. May 11

Goree Island was once a place where the Portugeese held slaves captive. We took a Fary across the Atlantic to get their and a man by the name of Mozambique was our tour guide. I will never forget when he said, ¨I was born and raised on Goree Island (Africa) and I will never die here.¨ That statement was beautiful. Throughout the Island he took us to the Museum where he showed us where the males, women and children stayed; there were markings and wittings on the walls since 1444. As I walked in the jail-like rooms, I felt nothing. There was not a soul or spirit there; no heavy weight was present. Throughout the captive area, it was peaceful despite the emotional moments that was shared by a few of my peers. We also saw preserved shackles and chains in the museum as well as full skeletons of of slaves that were dug up on the Island. It was a day full of  beautiful, yet a sad historical moment. 

--Asia Mapp

No Work No Food

The African prison system is fairly different from the American prison system. Both men and women live in one facility, but in different "apartments". While in prison they sleep on the floors aka the sand. However, there are NGO's that give televisions and radios to the prisoners. I may stand alone in this, but I personally believe that the issue lies there. Why are they given luxury items when a bed seems as if it would be more suitable. One hundred prisoners live in a cell that is equipped for twenty prisoners. The overpopulation of prisons is a problem in both Africa and America. The prisoners are only given one meal per day to eat which is rice cooked with no oil. Their families are given permission to bring food to them. What happens if their families cannot bring food or even visit? The prisoners do not wear uniforms and are not handcuffed unless they are going to the courthouse. That rule only applies to some of the rebellious prisoners at that. At night, women and men are allowed to visit each other...prisoners that is. If a woman becomes pregnant while incarcerated, she is taken to the health clinic to have her baby and then she is to go right back to prison. The baby is to be taken care of by one of her family members, which we hope she has. During the nine months of pregnancy, she is not treated any different. She is still only given one meal and is expected to work just like everyone else. No work No Food. Don't prisoners have rights to?? Are they not still human beings that made poor decisions?? Prison... A Life I don't want to live. Do you?

May 16m 2011- P.R.

Our trip yesterday consisted of stopping at many places. One of the places we stopped was Green. It was a non governmental organization (NGO). It focused on the agriculture and immigration. They had German students who were also study abroad students. However, they stayed a longer period of time than we are staying. They spoke German, French, English and some Wolof. We then traveled to a health center where we spoke to a midwife. The midwife talked mostly about delivering babies and what the center catered to. They handled mostly skin diseases, malaria and issues linked to the blood. Some professionals were not truly trained to do their line of work, but the midwife we met was. There are usually ten to fifteen births per month. It rises during raining season. The health center charged twenty united states currency to deliver a child. Though it wasn't a lot of money to Americans, it was a lot of money to Africans.