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! 

MAJ Update 12/8

It has been awhile since I last wrote an update on my ongoing project with MAJ and ASBEF.

Following the International Conference on Family Planning, things have definitely calmed down a bit, but there is still much to be done before leaving in July. The conference turned out to be not only a great way for MAJ members to participate and learn from the international community of reproductive and sexual health professionals, but it was also an excellent means for MAJ members to promote their own activities.

Post-conference, the MAJ Twitter account has been really advancing. We are up to almost 100 followers, which I realize is not a huge number, but considering a couple months ago when we had no Twitter account and little interaction with the greater reproductive health community, I would say that we are off to a pretty good start. Through Twitter, we are regularly interacting, sharing information with, and asking questions of IPPF, the international parent organization funding ASBEF, as well as engaging both Senegalese youth and young people from around the world in dialogue. I’m also finding that Twitter is a great way to share professional resources from other reproductive health organizations on the social media site, and we have been using Twitter to track down a number of helpful resources in French for MAJ activities.

Our YouTube channel also has some new features. The channel is a bit more put together now, with additional videos, playlists, and other featured channels. We’ve also made contact through YouTube with a group called Scenarios from Africa, a project originally created by two Emory University professors to create short skits about HIV/AIDS in Africa for young people. 2 particularly cool things about this program: 1) the ideas from the skits are submitted to the organization by African youth between the ages of 10-25, 2) The films are then translated into over 25 languages found in Africa, from the colonial languages like French, English, and Portuguese, to local languages like Wolof and Pulaar (those two I was particularly excited about). I’ve embedded a particularly funny video below dubbed into English, though you can check them all out at Scenarios from Africa's YouTube channel. One of Scenarios from Africa’s local partners is ACI Baobab, the NGO through which I took classes during my first study abroad experience in Senegal. I am hoping soon to meet with someone at ACI to look into the possibilities of MAJ members submitting story ideas for the next round of selections for films.

  

In other news, just under half of the funds raised remain and I am trying, along with MAJ members and ASBEF staff, to decide how best to use what is left. I recently visited ASBEF Guédiawaye to begin the process of figuring out what the MAJ group there needs in terms of additional programmatic and technical support. Hopefully, some of the remaining funds will go towards helping this smaller MAJ group out in the suburbs of Dakar – an area that is historically poorer with less access to health information and clinical care.

Along with the help of another MAJ member living in the suburbs, I am also looking into helping finance and support a youth center that could be run by MAJ members in another suburb called Thiaroye. While Thiaroye and Guédiawaye aren’t too far away from each other geographically, transportation difficulties and unbelievable traffic jams as people try to get in and out of the city make it much harder for youth in Thiaroye to access services or be involved with MAJ Guédiwaye. This MAJ member happens to have an empty room attached to his apartment complex and was interested in turning the space into a resource center for youth, where they could come and get information about reproductive health, free condoms, and perhaps be referred to near-by health centers as needed. It would also be a place to hold activities and education events. I thought this was a wonderful idea, especially because the space is not being used, and it is in a low-income neighborhood with a lot of young people living in and around the area. We are in the planning stages now, but are hoping to schedule a sort-of town hall meeting in Thiaroye with youth to discuss how they feel the space could best be used.

This sort of project is particularly exciting to me because there is just so much that could be done with a space like this for relatively little money, and we get to begin from square one – meaning that community members (i.e. youth) will have input from the beginning into what this youth center could look like.

Music in Dakar

Going out in Dakar and listening to great music with friends. This has become one of my favorite things to do while I’m here. Its usually a very relaxed environment, and I have never been disappointed by a group. Plus, there are generally so many options to choose from, not only on weekends, but also on weekdays, and coming from Haslett, Michigan, having that variety feels like such a luxury.

I thought I would highlight 3 music acts that I’ve seen so far in Senegal. Most recently, a group of us went to see Souleymane Faye,  a Senegalese musician who has been playing in Dakar and throughout Senegal for the past 20 years. His music was kind of a mix of folk, R&B, and the blues, with Senegalese djembe (drums) providing the driving rhythm and jumping in for numerous drum breaks. We saw him at Just 4 You, one of my favorite clubs in the city. Also, we went with my roommate and landlady, who has been in and out of Dakar for 20 years and knows Souleymane Faye very well. Which meant I not only got to meet him, but I also shook his hand and had a chance to babble pathetically in French to him about how great he was. I was kind-of star struck. 

The next most recent group I’ve seen is a group called Four for Africa. They are an Italian-Senegalese funk and reggae group with a English lead singer that plays AMAZING covers of Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder. Yes that’s right. And the place we went to was literally 5 minutes from our house walking and the owner was a musician himself and got up to play with the band a couple times. We were pretty convinced we were the only people there who were not somehow connected to the band, and because it was mostly Senegalese and Italian people there, the common language seemed to be English that everyone was using – even though we were the only ones for whom English was actually our maternal tongue. It was a crazy experience – I almost at times felt like the concert was not even for us. But it was absolutely wonderful.

Check them out at this link: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP1tIG9Rtjs

And finally, a group called Takeifa. A great blend of Senegalese mbalax and folk and a bit of rock. And the lead singer was super cute, my friend knew him, and we got a picture of us together. 

Adventures in Morocco

It has been awhile since I last posted. With the holidays, and a tour of family members that came through one by one through Dakar and met me in Morocco, the past month has been pretty busy. But having both parents come to Senegal and getting to take a vacation with Dad and Genevieve to Morocco was absolutely wonderful, and a great way to bridge for me my life in Senegal with my life and family in the United States.

I think the best way to describe Morocco and our experiences in the country is to post pictures. The country is absolutely beautiful, at least the parts of it that we saw, the food was delicious and had so much variety, and there were considerably more things to see in terms of history and architecture - a pleasant change from Dakar, where tourism is just not as developed and the countryside is less varied. 

Dad and Gen met me in Casablanca, where we spent one night and then took the train to Meknes. We stayed there for a couple days, went to the Roman ruins of Volubulis, and then headed east towards Fez. A couple days in one of the oldest cities of the Muslim world, and then we left for Marrakech, driving through the Middle Atlas mountains to get there. And after a week of traveling, I feel like I had barely seen any of the country, which seems to be a common feeling I get now when going to knew places. I would love to be able to spend at least a month in the country next time, it is so big and vast and clearly so diverse in terms of topography, ethnic groups, languages, climate, and FOOD. Here are some pics. 

Dad and Gen on the train to Meknes.

Dad and I at our Ryad (refurbished large homes used as hotels) in Meknes. The skyline was absolutely breathtaking, but it was bit difficult to photograph with people in the picture.

These two shots are from Volubilis; an ancient Roman city just north of Meknes that during Roman times was one of the southern-most posts for the Roman empire. The ruins and mosaics were cool, but what was cooler was the location - nestled in the mountains and with olive groves all around. The ruins were also right next to Moulay Idriss, one of the holy sites for the Tidjaani sect of Muslims (many of whom are in Sénégal).

Moroccan tea. Amazing. Very sweet, very minty with a lot of fresh mint, and incredibly hot. Similar to Senegalese attaaya (mint tea), but less strong and much more enjoyable when it isn't sweltering outside and you actually need something hot to warm you up.

Babouches!! Those who know me know my dangerous addiction to shoes (it nearly rivals my love for food) and babouches (these pointy-toed shoes in the background made from leather) were everywhere. I may or may not have purchased 12 pairs, but I can proudly say that only one pair were for me and the rest for friends in Sénégal. I'm such a good friend. 

Monkeys! To be more precise: barbary apes. These guys are found in the cedar forests in the Atlas Mountains. They are pretty well domesticated now because tourists can buy and feed them peanuts, but I still had a lot of fun pretending to be a monkey. 

After a week in Morocco, the three of us came back to Dakar for a few days. My Dad and Gen met my host Rotary club at one of their meetings, as well as just about every other person I know in Dakar. And everyone fed us too. Needless to say, they left very full.

My Dad was in Senegal last time over 20 years ago. When there, on the island of Gorée he met a lovely woman who showed him around the island and talked to him about the history of the place. This woman owned a restaurant, one that is still there on Gorée, though she no longer is living. But here children were there and were incredibly touched by Dad's story, as we were. This is a picture with this woman's children and us outside her restaurant. 

Dad and I outside Hotel Miramar, the hotel Dad stayed in over 20 years ago. 

Now the rest of the photos will be unashamedly about food. 

Moroccan soup! Called harira, I had every chance I could get. Super cheap, hot and delicious, I am determined to figure out how to make it. 

This was the first food I bought in Morocco. A pomegranate, whole-grain baguette, 1kilo of olives, and 3 persimmons, all for about 25 duram, so about $3.50. I was happy. 

Our first breakfast in Casa. A beautiful, French spread with canned eggplant of all things that was a passed-down recipe from the woman who owned the B&B. They were sweet, spicy, and super flavorful and I was mildly annoyed she wouldn't give me the recipe.

This was one of my favorite experiences in Morocco. We were in Moulay Idriss and wanted olive oil, so we stopped at one of the olive presses and got a tour. The giant heaps of olives on the left are curing in salt, and the blue tubs are filled with olive oil. Someone ran out and found us a 2L bottle, and I got to smuggle fresh olive oil (which tastes so go) into Senegal for about $8. I was very, very happy. 

Moroccan crepes for breakfast.

Moroccan salads. That what was always on the menu, but that was just not enough words to describe the colors and spices.

Tajine world! These conical pots are used to make the dish also called tajine, which can be any variety of meats, vegetables, or fruits even slow cooked in these guys for at least 3 hours. We went to an outdoor market place where they are made and I picked one out to try using in Senegal.

Kefta! Grilled ground meat kebabs we got at a "truck stop" with our wonderful driver Abdel on our way to Marakech. This totally beats gas station food in the U.S. Plus, food in Morocco is served with salt and cumin instead of salt and pepper. What an amazing idea.

Moroccan persimmons. I may or may not have purchased 1/2 kilo and ate them all in one day (about 10).

Another Moroccan breakfast in one of our other Ryads. With olives.

This is the tajine, much less pretty once we had already dived into it, but still delicious. Couscous with layered vegetables, chicken and saffron. Yum! 

Le Président National du MAJ Sénégal après la Marche 2011

Above is the link for MAJ Senegal's first uploaded video to our Youtube channel at MAJSenegal. Im still trying to figure out the features and posting videos takes awhile here, so keep checking back in for more updates and new videos.

This is a video of Pape Momar Mbaye, the National MAJ President in Senegal, right after the youth walk preceding the International Conference on Family Planning. He demands that youth play a bigger role in reproductive health policy and education, and why this is so important especially in Senegal.

Stay tuned for more updates and be sure to subscribe to our channel!

Thanks Adam for the suggestion; here's the link for the blog. Also, I will look into having subtitles added, though translating is quite a bit of work and you would be surprised how long it takes to translate 3 minutes of video word for word. I'll do my best.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MAJSenegal?blend=1&ob=video-mustangbase

Sama yaay ci Sénégal

Immediately following the conference, well actually before the conference was even over, my mom arrived for a week. Being the incredibly flexible and adaptable woman that she is, she agreed to hop off the plane, rest a few hours, and then join her daughter for the closing ceremony of the Family Planning conference and meet my colleagues at ASBEF and fellow MAJ members.

While this day seemed rather chaotic, I think it was comparatively the calmest and least eventful of the days we had together in Sénégal. She was far more prepared than I was for the unbelievable show of kindness and hospitality that my friends, colleagues, and host family presented her with. However, I don’t think any amount of planning could have prepared our stomachs for the sheer amount of food we were fed. Most of Mom’s visit with me involved going to different friends homes and being fed delicious food to the point of bursting, then being handed fruit and beverage when we literally could not fit in anymore rice or couscous. But the trip was absolutely wonderful. We had the time to do some sightseeing at Gorée Island (for more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorée), we did a lot of visiting, and we even had the chance to make a Christmas meal for ourselves and some of my friends here – which included pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce because mom brought canned pumpkin and cranberries from the States. She’s amazing.

It also just happened that Tamxarit – the Muslim New Year in Sénégal – took place during Mom’s trip as well. This meant that my host family had yet another opportunity to stuff us with delicious food, this time Senegalese couscous made from millet, with a red tomato sauce, chicken, sheep, and beef. It was quite extravagant and, needless to say, filling.

MAJ and ASBEF gave my mom one of the most touching welcomes. The Executive Director invited all personnel and youth volunteers to the clinic for refreshments, a formal presentation on MAJ for my mom, and then a period where they showered us both with compliments, which then I had to translate to Mom. Its very embarrassing, actually, to have to translate compliments about yourself.

All in all, a completely overwhelming and absolutely incredible week that I don’t think either of us will ever forget.

Mom at the market with Khady, the vendor I always go to who gives me the best deals and usually throws in a pepper or zucchini for free.

Mom and I at Gorée.

Lunch. Or what was lunch.

A series of absolutely adorable photos with my host family the night of Tamxarit.  

Mom with my husband, the chicken vendor, as we pick out the two chickens destined for our Christmas feast. 

Me with my mom and one of my surrogate mothers in Sénégal, my Wolof and Fulani teacher.

Preparing Christmas Dinner. In order starting with the dish closest to Mom: candied yams, gravy, squash, stuffing, potatoes for mashing.

PUMPKIN PIE! I was very excited.

Us with the chickens.

The chefs of the evening! Lia on the left and Giulia on the right, both my housemates.

Candied yams. They received mixed reviews for the evening, just as they do every year in the States. Oh well, more for me.

The Christmas feast.

Mom on the street enjoying one of my favorites, beignet (deep-fried mini doughnuts), and a 10 cent cup of Nescafé.

Mom and I with MAJ volunteers. Thank you to everyone who made my mom's stay so incredible. Jéréjef waay!