Goree Island Today

Goree Island today retains the same colorful buildings and cobblestone streets from long ago. They have made efforts to preserve the historical island. Now it is home to a boarding school for girls named after Mariama Ba, a famous Senegalese author and feminist.The girls with the highest scores in each of the 14 regions of the country get chosen to attend this elite school where their expenses are paid. It is also a place for artists to share their talents and creativity. There is a beach area and a few restaurants too and many people visit to enjoy the small island.

Goree Island

The day before we left, we took a twenty-minute ferry ride from a port in Dakar to Goree Island. This island was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast from the 15th-19th centuries. The House of Slaves was the last stop before they exited the Door of No Return and entered the slave ships that would transport them to unimaginable experiences. There was a heavy feeling being in that space where so much fear and pain resided.

This would be the view as they left the House of Slaves through the Door of No Return.

Our tour guide shared with us the sad history of this space.

 This was a window in a cell. It was 12 inches long and 2 inches wide.

 A hallway leading to the cells

 The people were separated into cells by gender and age. There was a cell for women, men, boys and girls and another for teenage girls where they would be visited by the men in charge.

 Chains and shackles for the slaves

 More shackles

 Neck shackle

  

The House of Slaves with the Door of No Return

Languages

In Senegal, children learn to speak Wolof, an African language, and French from the time they are born. French is the national language. Senegal used to be a French colony until 1960 when it gained its independence. In 6th grade, all students begin learning English. Below is the ABC song Senegal version.

In high school, students decide if they will go down the languages and literature path or the math/science path. Those who choose languages and literature will study up to 3 additional languages. Some students with whom I spoke shared with me that they were studying Portuguese, Spanish, and German. I was truly amazed by their language skills! English, however, is still the favorite of most students.:)

School for the Visually Impaired

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

On this day we visited the only school for the visually impaired in the entire country. It happened to be in Thies where we were staying for the week. We were not allowed to take any pictures inside the premises, but the picture below is on the outside of the entrance to the school.

The school serves primary grades through high school. There are 150 students who are enrolled. These students must apply to get into the school but once they get in, they can stay until they graduate. Class sizes were very small. Students live on campus. There is a mosque and a computer lab and even a soccer field. I was curious how they play soccer. Apparently, the students who have impairments wear blindfolds and they use a ball with a bell inside. But I am not sure how they don't collide with each other! The students were warm and welcoming and eager to practice their English with us. The most challenging issue is that 80% of students with visual impairments are not getting educated. There is simply no funding for another school like this one.

English Clubs

April 24-28, 2017

During our time in Thies, we visited many schools. There were private schools, public schools, middle schools, high schools, a school for the visually impaired (the only one in the country), and the first online university. One thing that really stands out for me is the English Club which each school has. These clubs are the most popular extracurricular activities. Students take these clubs seriously and the heads of the clubs have names like President or King or Secretary General. I could not determine how these names were created and how many students in a club were given titles, but these were elected positions in which students took great pride. Each meeting starts with a welcome song. Take a listen.

Also at these meetings, they perform skits, give speeches, have debates, compete in spelling bees and just relish any opportunities to practice their language skills. They LOVE English and speak so well. Listening to my accent was challenging for them at times, but they enjoyed it. My partner teacher and I moderated a debate and a spelling bee. We gathered at 5 pm and stayed until nearly 9 pm on a school night practicing English. It was so fun to see their enthusiasm. 

Transportation

Sunday, April 23, 2017

I was overwhelmed with all the transportation possibilities on a single street!

The Car Rapide (fast car) looks like a painted minivan--public transportation. These are old Renaults that are being phased out by 2018 because they are increasingly dangerous.

Buses are pricier than the Car Rapide but also much safer. They are moving to these and developing a better public transportation system.

Yellow and black taxis where prices are negotiated

Sept-mort (translated to seven dead)--look like old station wagons and the name indicates that if you drive in one, you will likely die in it. It seats 7 people.

Mopeds holding up to 3 people (possibly more) often with no helmets


Cars, SUV's and trucks--this is the car I spent a week in and lived to tell about!

Horse or mule carts for people and/or cargo--it was a fun way to go for a short while.

There were paved roads in Dakar and in Thies, but when we exited the main roads, they were usually sand roads. There were few traffic signs and lights and I did not see any street signs with the names of the streets. Our host teacher just said people know where to go! The roads were shared by all of the above but there were also goats and cows and pedestrians on them. And there was a LOT of beeping and honking along the way! Surprisingly, there wasn't the road rage and anger one might expect. The horns were just used as a way to let others know to be careful. People were very patient!

St. Anne's Cathedral

Sunday, April 23, 2017

On Sunday morning, our first cultural visit was St. Anne's Cathedral. Its construction was finished on January 14, 1945. We entered the gates and saw a beautiful cathedral, an outdoor area for mass, office buildings and housing and the private school was also on this property although we did not see it. This private school has the highest test results in the city. We saw one of the priests who stopped what he was about to do and invited us into his private living space to talk with us and then proceeded to take us around the inside of the cathedral. It was yet another example of their "teranga" (hospitality).