In Senegal

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Hello Ev-er-body.
I hope you are all doing well. I've been in Senegal for about 3 1/2 weeks now and it feels like I've been here for 8 months. For starters, its colder than I thought it would be. I was trying to be slick and escape the cold in NYC only to come here and find it to be in the 60's. No worries though. I got a chance to go into the back-country and it is burning there. More on that later.

So work is going very very well. I've been working on a new database and putting in all the info for the groups that get loans and such. Its pretty cool. AAAANNNNDDD after I got a hang of the system I gave a 2 hour presentation and training to the staff on how to use it. All in French mind you, so you can imagine all the errors, English words-sneaking-in along with Wolof and some other language I apparently invented. Hee hee. But it was great. Well. . .at least I think it was. Shoot.

After that I was asked to tag along on a site visit to Dindifelou which is on the border between Senegal and Guinea. Talk about rough travels. We went down there for a potential partnership with the community to create an ecotourism program. There are amazing sites there including the cascades and mountains. We climbed the mountain (which was painful) and ended up in another village that is practically cut off from everything. Everyone one spoke Peul and I've been picking up a few words here and there. Ironically, everyone in the two villages looked like I could be related to them. I'm gonna need to talk to my parents about that. Hmmmm.

I ate tons of mango, madd (pronounced maa-d) siddum, and developed some type of itch due to the water. Lets just say water is pretty scarce and not properly. . .eh. . .filtered. Luckily I didn't get sick, but may have lost about 15 lbs from walking everywhere and eating nothing but bread. They fed us mostly black eyed peas (which I absolutely despise) and thiereh(millet; again something I can't eat due to an unfortunate and disgusting circumstance from childhood). I'm going to put up some pictures of the cascades, mountains, and such. The road between Kaolack and Tambacounda is soooo bad. Then the road from Kedougou and Dindifelou is even worse (see map). We then traveled to Mbam which was absolutely amazing. This community is so put together and on point with everything. They have already begun mapping out some of the ecotourism projects and everyone from the adults to young kids are involved. It was a huge contrast from the other village that is just waiting for the state to help them. I'll try to put in as much info as possible, but not now only cause I need to make sure I'm not violating any protocol and such.

I've also been working on my thesis and am surprised that I have actually been doing some reading. My adviser had me do my intro and literature review before I left and it has helped tremendously. I'll keep you all posted on that as well. Till then, be well and stay positive

Ata
aka Mamy
aka Ah