Kora lessons

Another thing I've been meaning to post about for a long time - new music lessons! I'd been interested in getting involved in music somehow, but I wasn't particularly interested in taking drumming lessons, which seems to be the most popular option in the city.

However, I lucked out and stumbled across the National Music School down the street from me (I can literally walk there from my apartment) that gives kora lessons. The kora is a large, stringed instrument played throughout West Africa. In Sénégal, the instrument was traditionally played by the Mandinké and other ethnic groups in the south, and is typically associated with the griot families - the oral historians of the culture.

I love the kora's sound. It reminds me of a harp and is gentle and pleasant sounding even when you're not very good at it (unlike the oboe).

Here's a video clip of my kora teacher playing last class. Once I get good enough to play something other than a six-note riff, I'll put a clip up of me. :)

I do, however, have a picture of myself with my new baby. My teacher had a friend who made koras and he finished making mine about a month ago.

I STARTED SCHOOL!!

That's about all I have to say for this post, but given the fact that I have waited for this day since early October, it is pretty historic.

As of last week, professors started to begin returning to classes. Not all are officially back to work, but the general consensus is that within the next week or so, school should be back in full swing. There are plans to try and finish the first semester by late June or early July, but most people are thinking that is a pretty optimistic goal.

For now though, I am glad to finally be starting and happy that students will still have a chance to get something out of the year. My first classes have been interesting, not only because of the subject matter, but also in terms of being introduced to a different style of teaching. Students have clearly been taught from an early age to take notes when professors dictate, so many professors stand in front of you and dictate over and over while students take down every word. So different from what I am used to!

So far I have had two theory and methodology classes and one class related to family and gender from a sociological perspective. The latter was probably the most interesting in terms of ideas and concepts, but I really liked the other two classes because it gave me a perspective on how pedagogy and methodology of sociology is taught and used in Senegal and in a Francophone system.

There's rumors that there might be another group of students looking to protest about not having heard whether they've been admitted into the school. But as for now, we're in school and plan to stay there, INCHALLAH.

So many new projects

The month of April is going to be a super busy month for MAJ members. In addition, my projects seem to be really taking off, and I am just hoping that we will be able to get everything done by the time July comes around and I have to leave.

First off, with the funds that remain for my project, MAJ members and I have been working to expand the initiatives in communications to the other regional ASBEF offices, starting with ASBEF and MAJ Guédiawaye. As a quick reminder of how the organization is set up, there are 8+ regional offices for ASBEF throughout Senegal, most equipped with laboratories and the possibility of offerring full reproductive and family planning clinical services. Each office is then expected to set up their own local MAJ group, where they train interested youth to become peer educators. The picture at the right is the ASBEF clinic in Guédiawaye.

In the case of Guédiawaye (a suburb of Dakar), a MAJ group has been set-up since early 2011, and this year the group is really hoping to expand its activities and increase its visibility in the neighborhoods surrounding the ASBEF clinic.

To help in this effort, MAJ members and I thought to put more of a focus on MAJ Guédiawaye with the remaining collected funds. We purchased them a new desktop, and last week held our first (of hopefully many) training sessions on social media and how to use these tools to advance the work and message of MAJ. I think the session went off really well, and I think we as presentors also improved a lot since we first gave this training session in October with MAJ Dakar. This feels particularly good because it menas not only are my language skills improving, but I'm starting to figure out how to work within the professional systems in Senegal. Woo-hoo!

Here are some pictures from the event. 

Setting up some the new machines with MAJ Guédiawaye members 

And a few pictures from the training session itself. 

Also related to Guédiawaye, we are in the process of purchasing a sound system, so that they can organize large "Mobilisation Sociales" with music and activities to bring people in and tell them a bit about MAJ, their efforts, and the ASBEF clinic at Guédiawaye in general. The deal should be finalized by the end of the week and I'll be sure to post photos. This equipment will also save them a substantial amount of money in the long-run because prior to purchasing this equipment, they had to rent the same materials everytime. This way, they will be able to use the system when they need it, and when they don't, they plan on renting it out to other organizations as a way to earn some cash back.

The project aimed at young domestic servants also began yesterday. MAJ members are working with a community organization that provides resources and a counseling center for these young women - many who have never gone to school or quit early - to help them work towards reading and writing as well as learning how to better take care of their own health.

Yesterday, 2 MAJ members and I went out for an initial meeting with the young women who are taking part in the 2 month pilot program. Every Sunday (the day most of these women don't work or at least get off early) these 2 MAJ members will meet at the counseling center for a couple-hour session with the women, beginning with learning to read and write, followed by an hour of debate and discussion on a theme related to their specific issues on dating, relationships, and sexuality. For the purposes of confidentiality, I'm not going to post any pictures of the project, but promise regular updates as the program continues. 

To give you also a quick update on our progress with the Thiaroye Youth Center project, the MAJ member who lives near the potential site along with the MAJ National President and I all met with my Rotary parent here in Dakar to discuss the possibility of the Dakar Doyen Club financing a part of the project. We are waiting for members to return from a regional conference in Benin before we make a formal presentation to the club.

I think that's it in terms of updates. Promise more with more photos as the week continues!

Wade concedes to Macky!

A surprising update! Wade has officially conceded to Macky Sall. This is a wonderful thing for Senegalese democracy - transparent, fair elections and an unpopular president who stepped down gracefully. 

Election Day, Round 2

Thought I'd write a quick update on the current political happenings in Senegal, given that it is Election Day. As many of you may have read about, this year has been relatively unstable for Sénégal, a country which has a longstanding history of peaceful democratic governance since its independence from France in 1960. However, this is an election year, and the current President, Mr. Abdoulaye Wade, made a series of unpopular political decisions beginning in June that have led to mass protests throughout the country, particularly within the past couple months as Election Day has gotten closer. Much of the unrest stems from Wade's decision to run for a third term, despite a law that he, himself, set in place to limit the Presidency to two terms. He claims that because this law was passed during his first term in office, he's entitled to run for yet another term. Given continuing allegations of corruption and mismanagement of his presidential power, many people are against Wade being allowed to run at all.

So it is in this climate that Senegal goes to the polls today. The country has a two-round election system, where a candidate needs to win a majority of votes (50% or more) in the first round; otherwise the two candidates with the top number of votes continue on for a second-round run-off. The first round took place February 26th, with incumbent Wade receiving 35% of the votes and challenger Macky Sall, a former member of Wade's party Parti Democratique Sénégalais, receiving 26% of the votes.

Its about 7:40 here and the polls are reported to close around 8:00pm. Early estimates seem to show Macky in the lead, however, these reports are not verified and official results will not be available until later on this week. So far, the day has been peaceful, with no real reports of protests or violence. Its sure, though, given Wade's unpopularity, that a victory for him tonight will continue to bring unrest and mass demonstrations.

I will try to post updates on the results as the week goes on. 

Reflections on my time at ASBEF past the half-way mark

These past couple months have served as a wonderful opportunity for me to confirm my interests in public health and community-based programs. The elections have meant that I haven’t been able to study that much in the classroom (my sociology classes have still yet to start, and my French classes were temporarily suspended until the elections were over), but my time with ASBEF has totally made up for it. This confirmation also couldn’t have come at a better time, as I am in the process of deciding where I should spend a ton of money to go and get my Masters in Public Health. Its nice to know that even though I shall be in debt up to my eyeballs for the next 20 years or so, I am pursuing something that motivates and excites me.

On a personal level, these past couple months have been a way for me to delve into trying to understand professionalism in a different culture and language, and how to find the happy medium between other people’s way of getting work done and how I’m used to doing it. While this sounds like a minor thing, I can’t begin to tell how much it has helped to focus on this. I feel so much more like a working member of the team, instead of a foreigner with a separate code and separate set of rules and expectations.

On an organization-wide level, projects are developing and developing fast.  To the left are a couple pictures of a soon-to-be “Coin Jeune” or “Youth Corner” being developed by the MAJ group in the Dakar’s suburb of Guédiawaye. The suburbs typically have less access to healthcare and are quite disconnected from the city of Dakar itself. One of the MAJ Guédiawaye members lives in Thiaroye, a neighboring suburb, and recently acquired a vacant space on the first floor of his apartment building. We thought some of the money raised could go towards turning this into a mini youth center, where weekly education sessions would be held related to reproductive health topics and where youth could come with health problems and be referred to nearby clinics free-of-charge. Here is a MAJ member leading a preliminary community meeting in the vacant lot with neighborhood youth to brainstorm ways in which the space could be used.     

Other projects on the horizon: a pilot project with a local community organization working with young maids in the city. These women often work long hours and quit school early as a result – meaning that they typically receive little to no reproductive health education. We’re hoping to start a 2-month pilot program with these women within the counseling center created by the community organization. Every Sunday, MAJ members plan on leading discussions on reproductive health at the center, and the funds I have raised will go towards the preparation of these sessions.

And finally, MAJ members and I have started another communication project this time with MAJ members in Guédiawaye. With the funds raised, we purchased another PC for the MAJ Guédiawaye branch, and next weekend, a MAJ member and I are leading another training session on social media. Super excited!

I will try to be better about posting updates as programs develop. There is so much left I’d still love to be a part of before I leave, and there are only 4 months left before I have to go home. Time is flying! 

Just got back from a week in the Casamance, the region of Senegal south of the Gambia. The region has been officially in rebellion for nearly 30 years, and there continues to be occasional violence between rebels and armed forces in the area. However, because of the Casamance’s natural beauty and incredible beaches, there is clear potential for a thriving tourist industry. As a result, the government has done a lot to make sure that much of the Basse Casamance, the area south of the Casamance River, is safe to prevent any further damage to tourism.

My friends and I headed to Basse Cassamance by boat, an option that takes about 16 hours overnight and brings you to Ziguinchor, the capital and largest city of the region. We then took a sept-place (a common form of public transport with seven seats for people stuffed into a really, really old hatchback) directly to Cap Skirring, a resort town almost on the Guinea-Bissau border so that I could attend the annual Rotary Club Gala in the Casamance hosted by the Rotary Club of Ziguinchor. 

I was invited to the Gala by my Rotary Parent in Dakar (pictured with me below), who also was incredibly sweet to find me a LOVELY room on the beach at the same hotel where other Rotary members were staying for the Gala. The Gala happens once a year and gives Rotarians from all over Senegal to come to the Casamance, discuss common projects together, and spend time together as a group. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to meet Rotarians from around Senegal, listen to great local music, and enjoy really good and really fresh seafood. 

The Gala happens once a year and gives Rotarians from all over Senegal to come to the Casamance, discuss common projects together, and spend time together as a group. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to meet Rotarians from around Senegal, listen to great local music, and enjoy really good and really fresh seafood. Here's another picture of the entertainment that night. 

And a couple pictures of the "cabin" (as it was called) of mine at the hotel Cap Skirring and the view of the beach.

After the Gala, my friends and I stayed another night in Cap Skirring, walking the beaches and doing a lot of swimming. These are the best beaches I have ever been to.

Then we went by car to a town called Elinkine where we hopped a boat to the Island of Kirabane, an island in the Casamance River. We stayed a night there in an auberge on the water. This is the kind of boat we hopped on - this shot was taken as we went to the island itself.

We then took another boat to a very remote part of the river coast called Point St. George. And we saw dolphins. Lots and lots of dolphins. They were jumping and playing right next to the boat practically. I was so happy, and I may have done a lot of squealing. However, I could not get any photos of them.

 

At Point St. George we stayed the night at the only lodging option on the island for tourists - a restaurant that offers to rent tents for 2,000CFA (about $4) a tent. We had a delicious meal of Caldou, a speciality of the Casamance with fresh fish and onion/lemon sauce, and then slept in tents on the beach. Just beautiful. In the morning, we headed towards the manatee sanctuary and even got to see a couple tails and heads come up above the water. Then I was really, really happy.

The tents at Pt. St. George.

Then began the less exciting part of the trip, to say the least. It was an expensive boat ride to Point St. George and people had reassured us that even though there was no public transport to the nearest down, there was a dirt road people took to the closest town from the Point. A hefty walk they said (about 9km), but people made it all the time. So we had a guide that took us halfway there to a giant, giant, giant tree called a fromageur in French – known as a kapok tree in English. The others proceeded to climb the tree with the gear to look out from the platform built around its base at the top. I however, made it up four rungs and panicked. This happened the last time I was in Senegal too and tried to climb a boabab. And yet again, it was terribly embarrassing at the time, and is now super funny. But at least I got a picture with the giant on the ground level. 

Me and the tree. 

Giulia, one of the braver members of the group. 

With the tree behind us, we had 5 km left ahead to walk. It seemed easy at first, but it got hotter and hotter, and then we got lost a bit, but finally we found the only other person stupid enough to try to walk that distance during the middle of the day; a wonderful, wonderful man named Jean who let us follow him to M'lomp, the nearest village to the Point. By the time we made it there we were thoroughly stinky and bright red, but we made it. 

Here's us on the fateful march.

And a final picture of the group, looking hot, sweaty, and cramped (But happy!) in a sept place.

All in all, a great trip that allowed me to do a bit of exploring outside of Dakar and meet up with the whole Senegalese Rotary community. But needless to say, I am very happy to be home again, with all the creature comforts of Dakar – including functional public transport!