A few things I know for sure...

Hospitality and kindness are deep-rooted customs in Senegal. As my host sister, Awa, would say during our evening talks, "c'est l'habitude des Senegalaises!." Kaolack is not considered a paradise for most visitors but it shelters the most welcoming families and friends. Though it may seem forceful at first, every Senegalese's command to eat (i.e. "cae lekk" or "viens, mange") represents an honest encouragement to share a meal and share a part of their day. Random people that we met on the street would usually reply to the Asalaamaalekum greeting and ask "na nga def? naka wa ker ge?." We would usually hear a chuckle here and there as they called us Toubabs (wolof term for foreigners) and commented on our limited knowledge of Wolof. It may be through fortune, good vibes or that ever-present aura of hospitality that has allowed us to travel and meet the most genuine people.

Our travels have been blessed by this hospitality. Seydou, one of our co-workers, lived in Mbour before moving to Kaolack and he decided to accompany us to his native town to introduce us to his family and friends.



His generosity led us to our next encounter with Jakob, a small business owner in Saly who helped us find lodging in this expensive beach town and introduced us to the best rice, onion sauce and fish that I've tasted (aka yassa yuen). In good company, we had an incredible soccer match on the beach and learned how to make attaya (senegalese tea). More than just tea, attaya is an art form that promotes the sharing nature of the Senegalese and the respect for life, love, and death.



This welcoming attitude was ever-present in the streets of Dakar as well. During our visit to the capital, we stayed at Chez Dou Dou's, a small renovated lodging in Village N'Gor. As we packed our bags for the first day's adventures, Dou Dou packed his backpack as well, took us to meet his family, and introduced us to Omar, a restaurant owner in N'Gor Island. These two gentlemen had responsibilities and other commitments during the time that we were in town but they made sure that we felt welcomed.



Hospitality usually begins with a big smile. As Mama, the clinic's midwife, would also say, "c'est l'habitude des Senegalaises". Kindness is the door to good fortune, good company, and richer experiences. This last photo may not be the best snapshot but it has been taken after one of the richest conversations about Senegalese hospitality and generosity.

A few things I know for sure...

These two months in Senegal were a rollercoaster of emotions, new experiences, and highs and lows. Throughout my fellowship I have become increasingly appreciative of what can be considered amenities in the US, the power of religion and religious institutions,

My experience in Senegal would not have been as rich without the kindness and hospitality that the Senegalese have shown us. My host family embraced me on the first day and I knew that I could nurture the feeling of home in Kaolack. We spent many evenings talking about the day's work, the rainy season, food, and the differences between the US, Peru and Senegal. In particular, I will always remember a conversation that my host sisters and I had during one evening. After we ate dinner at 21hr, we hung around the shared space of the home. Awa and I took out some mats and laid down to look at the stars and moon. We were chuckling about another bout of gastrointestinal problems when Awa swiftly sat up and asked me, "sheyla, what are your dreams, your hopes?" As I began to reflect on her question my younger sisters gathered around us and began explaining their ambitions and their current interests. This intimate conversation transformed into an interactive exchange among us and neighboring youth. Our discussion was not about the 'potential' of these children and teens. That was a given. Our exchange informed all of us about transnational pressures, structural forces and personal strengths that we have.

Glimpse

"Entre el Ying y el Yang ¿Cuántos eones? Del sí al no ¿Cuántos quizá? Todo es escritura, es decir fábula. ¿Pero de qué nos sirve la verdad que tranquiliza al propietario honesto? Nuestra verdad posible tiene que ser invención es decir escritura, literatura, pintura, escultura, agricultura, piscicultura, todas las turas de este mundo. Los valores, turas, la santidad, una tura, la sociedad, una tura, el amor, pura tura, la belleza, tura de turas." (Rayuela - Cortazar)

Esta vida es una aventura. An adventure that transforms simple moments into complex discussions with staff members at the clinic or family members at the Thiam home.

This is a glimpse into our work at the clinic. Wednesdays are the busy days in which the nurses register mothers and babies for vaccinations, pregnant women await prenatal checkups, and nurses clean patients' wounds (usually burns, absess, and cuts).

School's Out

Most children and youth in the neighborhood have finished their studies for the academic year. It has been about a month since my host sisters and brother have been prancing around our block, doing house chores and resting at home. The midday meal is an event in itself. At the Thiam home, one of my sisters is assigned to prepare the meal and this task can take up to four hours. My family uses a gas stove and a coal stove to make food for 10 people and a couple of visitors that come in and out of the house. These meals are quite elaborate and I had the opportunity to help prepare mafeyep (meat and peanut sauce) yesterday. It was a delicacy at our home because meat is very expensive. After we eat the meal, everyone usually takes a nap or sits neat the TV to watch a dubbed telenovela.

Although I enjoy these peaceful hours after our meal, the volunteers and I get together and reflect on our experiences. We had the opportunity to visit a school in Kaolack and help with their fundraiser. This event involved outdoor games, choreographed dancing, and L'Guana, the summer's popular tune. The children were so proud to show off their dancing skills and the team was happy to cheer them on!



Coming soon...a video and instructions on how to dance L'guana!

Necessities

Have you ever thought about water and soap before you step into a hospital? Every morning, I think about this combination, the foamy lather that cleanses our hands. Depending on the day, our clinic may have a power outage, a water shortage, and/or absence of the #1 disease prevention weapon: soap. I cherish a hand-washing experience and this appreciation has grown throughout the weeks.

Last week was an adventure of sorts in Kaolack and its neighboring city, Medina-Baye. The rain and storms turned the sandy roads into slush and large puddles of still water. Our trek to the clinic took longer because we avoided certain flooded roads. We experienced a water shortage in the neighborhood of Samm (Kaolack) and in Medina-Baye. This problem persisted for three days. Although this meant a tight distribution of water at the Thiam house, I did not expect a complete lack of water at the clinic. The clinic did not have a water reserve on site and its medical personnel had to purchase water from other vendors. Like usual, soap was nowhere to be found. These conditions brought up some questions: where is the infrastructure for a functional clinic? To what extent is the lack of water and soap exacerbating the spread of infections? These pressures are often experienced by NGO-sponsored clinics or public hospitals.

A day's work

Living with a Senegalese family has been the most rewarding experience. Everyday I wake up alongside my older sister, Fatiam, who usually whispers a quick greeting (Asaalaa maleekum) to me before I rush to take a bath. I am usually snuggled up like a ball in my section of the bed, shrouded by the blue mosquito bednet. I begin to hear the voices of my host grandmother Mam Astou, my host brothers, and sisters as they prance around the adjacent room and hallway. By the time I am done with my bath, I am greeted by my older sister once more and handed some pieces of fruit or cafe au lait for breakfast.

Tuesday began in a similar way with the exception of the delicious breakfast I received: pain au chocolat and cafe au lait. After breakfast, I met up with my fellow One World volunteer, Kelauni, and other co-workers who were participating in the polio vaccination campaign. This door-to-door campaign was sponsored by the Red Cross Senegal and local health posts in the region. We went to the Medina-Baye Health Post to meet our co-workers and pick up the liquid polio vaccines. Our aim was to vaccinate children ages zero to five who live in Medina-Baye. It had rained the previous day and some of the sandy streets were slushy, with sizable green puddles of water, animal feces, and garbage. (This is a typical sight in Kaolack and neighboring Medina-Baye. The towns are covered with heaps of garbage here and there). My colleague, Seydou, and I walked door to door in search of homes that did not have a "V5" sign in front of their metal door or wall. During yesterday's campaign, Seydou and I vaccinated 20 children in homes, on the streets, and in small corner stores called 'boutiques.' After administering two drops of polio vaccine to a child, Meme, a Red Cross worker, colored the child's right pinkie fingernail with a permanent marker. As we walked through the streets, we greeted families and children before asking about their vaccination status in Wolof. Seydou mentioned to me that some families refuse to vaccinate their children because they believe that vaccinations can reduce their children's fertility. Although this may seem farfetched, it is important to keep their perceptions in mind because they become important aspects that health campaigns must account for. I value this experience because it allowed me to walk around the town of Medina-Baye and contribute to the polio eradication campaign.

La vida cotidiana

It has been too long since my last update!

Internet access is sparse but I hope that this message can give you an insight into my daily activities, including my work at the Shifa Al-Asqam Socio Medical Center. Within the first week of working at the clinic, I saw my first natural birth, cleaned wounds, and shadowed medical practitioners in general medicine and women’s health divisions. Although our “scope of work” highlighted the creation of systems and vaccination support, the field work experience is different! I was not prepared for such a clinical experience but I welcome it wholeheartedly. It will teach me a thing or two about the different functions in a medical setting. But…let’s go back to the natural birth. It was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had. I am amazed by the human body!! In just a couple of hours, the patient had dilated and was ready for labor. Although family members can come into the room to accompany the expectant mother, the patient’s mother refused (which is not uncommon). She began to pray and the nurses held her hand from time to time. As she was pushing out her baby, the nurses also pushed her stomach to facilitate the labor process. This procedure looked very dangerous but the midwife (sache femme), Mama, commented that she performs this during most of the labors. This is just a glimpse into this experience but I hope to tell you more about these clinical experiences.

My experience in Senegal would not be as fruitful and challenging if I did not live with a family. My home is a small compound with a couple of small one bedroom houses and a large bare square in the middle. I am one of the lucky ones because I have a toilet and a small bucket of water for my daily showers. My bedroom is the hotspot of the house because it has the TV and the most comfortable bed. At any given time, I can find five to ten children glued to the TV. They stare intently as they watch a dubbed Mexican telenovela, chuckle as they watch some Senegalese comedy show, and cheer loudly when they watch the world cup matches. It’s wonderful to have so many younger sisters and brother because their cheerfulness is infectious. Sometimes it’s challenging to come back home because I have very little privacy. Sometimes I get lost in a good book but I don’t want to ignore these precious moments with my Senegalese family. I take it all in stride and enjoy the hot days as much as I can. I usually come back home to eat lunch (usually rice and fish) and to rest alongside my family during the evening hours. Everyone takes out mats or sheets to the bare square in the middle and lays down for a quick nap or chat.