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).

Welcome to Thies (pronounced like chess)

Saturday, April 22, 2017

We drove 70 kilometers to Thies which would be our host city for the next week. We checked into our hotel and then headed out to explore what the city is known for--TRAINS!

The most celebrated strike during colonization happened in Thiès in the rail track company. 

Thiès is an industrial city and is referred to as the rail track capital.  

In Dakar

Saturday, April 22, 2017

After visiting the fishing boats, we headed to the Pink House--their version of the White House. We were about to take pictures when we were stopped by the armed guards and told that it was not allowed for security reasons. Instead, we took a picture of the sculpture that was across the street. It was created by the same sculptor who made the African Renaissance Monument.

Emergence--the birth of the nation in 1960

We then walked to a popular park in the city and saw a fountain with lions. Lions are one of the national symbols of Senegal. Unfortunately, the fountain wasn't working.

And then we watched a group of elementary school students walking on a field trip. It looked familiar!

Fishing Boats

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Our trip to our host communities was delayed by a few hours which allowed for an impromptu trip to see a few more sights in Dakar.

First stop was a place we had passed on several occasions that had a lot of the fishing boats. The owner of the place was happy to share with us a bit about the boat making. His family had been making boats there for many years. Some of them are large enough to hold up to 40 people. There is storage for fish and other supplies below the floorboards. Smaller boats go out for the day, some for a few days and others have gone for weeks at a time. They were impressive!

Last day in Senegal, but more to say...

Monday, May 1, 2018

To those of you who have been checking in on my blog posts, THANK YOU! I really appreciate you taking the time to share with me the incredible experiences I have had. I would like to encourage all of you to keep checking back. In my posts, I only wrote about 3-4 days of my time here but there is so much more to share. I plan to continue writing and posting daily, so please come back and visit this blog. I leave tonight and travel for over 24 hours. I may not write for a few days, but I will be back. Thanks again for your interest and support in this journey.

Team Senegal Before

Team Senegal After

West African Resource Center

Friday, April 21, 2017

We visited the West African Resource Center (WARC). Anyone who is researching this part of the world is welcome to use their resources. They have a library with 3 computers and the internet available for them to use. They also host conferences, speakers, and other related events. Their goal is to promote research on West Africa and facilitate exchanges among West African scholars and their counterparts in the U.S. It is the only place in Senegal that provides online access to international scholarly journals.

I learned on this visit that Senegal does not have public libraries. Think about that and how it would impact your life. They do not have the easy access to books and other information that we so often take for granted and may not even consider. WARC provides an opportunity for learning, community, and growth.

Beach Fitness

Friday, April 21, 2017

We decided to take a walk down the busy street along the beach after the visit to the U.S. Embassy. We came across a fitness area. It was established in 2016 to acknowledge the friendship between China and Senegal.

There was so much equipment available to the public. When we went by later in the day, it was PACKED with people using it! I loved seeing everyone out walking and exercising. 

A little monkey bar action for me!

The U.S. State Department Visit

Friday, April 21, 2017

We started our day with a visit to the U.S. Embassy in Dakar. The security there was very intense. We had to check in with our passports and our names had to be submitted in advance so there was a crosscheck. They took our phones away so no pictures could be taken inside or outside of the embassy. We had badges, security check and escorts to the one room we could enter. It was all very serious and very formal. The room was a typical conference room with flags of both countries, podium, projector, chairs, tables and pictures on the wall. The pictures date back to 1960 when Senegal first became an independent nation. There were 8 pictures of the Senegalese presidents with our presidents from Kennedy to Obama (Carter was missing).

The U.S. has a healthy relationship with Senegal. We have between 220-260 peace corps volunteers in agriculture, agroforestry, and health. It's one of the biggest peace corps programs in the world. In addition to that, there are over 200 employees in 19 agencies and each agency is working toward common goals: to advance democratic values, promote peace and security, promote economic growth and health, and improve trade and development.

While at the embassy, we met with the Senegalese Minister of Education, Aminata Ndiaye.She shared that there is a plan to develop reading using local languages to learn basic skills before learning other languages (most people are fluent in 3!). English is a mandatory language to learn and they study it from 6th-12th grade. There are challenges in teacher training with a lack of opportunities. Also, most classes are at a minimum, 45 students up to 100 in a class. There are limited resources to equip schools. However, there are increased opportunities for in-service training with teacher advisors. ATES (Association of English Teachers in Senegal) is the equivalent of our NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English). They are very involved in promoting English through professional development, exchange visits, affiliation with other countries, and the biggest thing I have seen--English Clubs. These English Clubs made up of students are very active throughout the country with meetings, festivals, competitions, and what they refer to as Opening Day (although it's not at the beginning of the school year--several are coming up next week). Our host teacher, Mouhamadou Sadibou Diouf (who goes by Pape Diouf.), is the president of ATES and has done much to promote English language learning.

Pape Diouf is in the brown and another club sponsor for the middle school is in blue. High school students visiting the middle school were encouraging the younger students to continue their English studies.

The first African Women's Museum

Thursday, April 20, 2017

The Henriette-Bathily Women's Museum is a museum which was located on Gorée, an island on the coast of Senegal, across from the House of Slaves. In May 2015, it relocated to Dakar, at the Place du Souvenir Africain et de la Diaspora. A project conceived in 1987 by the filmmaker Ousame William Mbaye, it was opened in 1994 under the direction of Annette Mbaye d'Erneville.

On September 13, 2007, Mr. Jay Smith, Chargé d’Affaires, and Ms. Annette Mbaye d'Erneville, Director of Henriette Bathily Women’s Museum, signed a grant agreement for $28,500 for the preservation women’s culture in Senegal. The funds for the agreement were provided by the U.S. Department of State through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation. The signing ceremony took place at the women’s museum.

 The above picture shows various ways to tie their headscarves.

There are many artifacts and works of art representing religious and ethnic groups, domestic tools (irons, pots, etc.), sports awards, journalism awards, and much more. 

A Presentation on Senegalese Culture by our In-Country Consultant

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Nanga def? How are you?
Magifique. I am well.
No tudu? What's your name?
Man gee tu du. My name is...
Dieureudief (sounds like jerejef) Thank you

I am fairly certain that I misspelled everything above! But this it how it sounds to my ear. The Senegalese have a rich culture but what stands out the most is "teranga" which means hospitality. The people greet each other in several ways and instead of simply saying hello, there is an exchange in Wolof, the main African language spoken, followed by their French greetings (which is the national language) followed by, for many, English greetings! It can go on for several minutes.

Senegal is the most western country on the African continent. People here can be traced back to the Paleolithic period. Before European settlers, there was a history of Saharan empires. In the 15th century, the Portuguese merchants came to set up trading for gold and slaves. By the 17th century, the French came and colonized it. The first colony was Saint Louis in 1659.

Senegal became an independent nation on April 4, 1960. The lion and the baobab tree are the national symbols. There was no violence for their independence. There have been 4 presidents since then. Leopold Senghor was the first. He was a writer and a veteran of WWII. He held office from 1960-1981 and left office by choice. Mackey Sall is the current president since 2012. Now there is a 2 term limit with each term being 5 years.

There are 36 ethnic groups in the country but the main ones are Wolof, Pulaar, Serere and Mandingo. The country is 94% Muslim, 5% Christian and 1% other and they respect all of the holidays and often celebrate together. They are out of school for all of them too!

The national sport is wrestling and the main winner has the title of king. The traditional clothes are dyed fabric and they are beautiful and colorful. There are many instruments but I have only heard the drums so far.

There is so much to this beautiful culture--this is just a brief glimpse.

FAWE--Forum for African Women Educationalists

Thursday, April 20, 2017

FAWE was formed for the education of girls by women ministers to address the lack of educational opportunities for girls.There are 36 chapters of FAWE throughout Africa and 14 of them are for the French speaking countries such as Senegal. Their main objective is gender equity by providing and promoting access to education, training, and keeping girls in school. They push for parental and community involvement. Because most teachers in Senegal are men, they have provided teacher training to integrate the classroom and since 2005 more than 20,000 teachers have been trained on gender issues which include some basic concepts around restroom usage and more complex issues such as violence against girls.

Ms. Anta Basse Konte, President of FAWE in the center in blue with our TGC cohort and consultants

There are many programs and opportunities within FAWE. Right now there is a push for girls to take STEM classes. They offer scholarships for girls who may not be able to afford continuing education. They also have a national competition  for the most significant change story. They hold career days where women who have been successful in their continuing education return to be role models and provide motivation for the girls. There is also an excellence program where each year there is an exam given for each department. They look for the 10 best students and put them in a special program and track their success. There is now even a National Day of Girls' Education on November 11th which was decreed by the president.

Ms. Anta Basse Konte, President of FAWE 

From what I have seen and information I have gathered, there are as many girls as there are boys in classes and the teachers claim that the girls are now performing better than the boys. They are embracing their opportunities and working hard. However, for higher education, there are still far fewer young women than young men because they often have to care for the home or they marry at a young age. This is one of the areas that FAWE will continue to work on in the future. Another area is cooking classes for boys! The men do not cook at all so there is a push for them to learn and share the responsibilities in the home so boys and girls can have equal access to the opportunities for higher education.