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!