Senegal Week 13
Rural visits in Diofior were truly interesting.
I left Monday morning with a group who were all going to three villages in the same region. Julie, Sarah, Cara, and myself were all headed for Diofior. I hadn't been nervous at all until after we started dropping people off. What would my family in the village be like? Would they be nice? Would it be really awkward?
Luckily for me, Sarah and I were to stay with the same family. The mom, Ayesa, was very nice but didn't speak any French or Wolof, only Sereer which was challenging. She has three daughters and four sons, one daughter is in Spain working and one son is a student in Dakar, and the rest still live at home. After we got settled in a bit we had some dinner and spent time with the family talking to them and trying to get to know them a bit.
Tuesday we got up and they gave us breakfast and then we went into the village to see where Julie and Cara were staying. The village is actually really big and there is electricity and people have televisions. We left their house on a little after noon and headed back to our compound. The compound is made up of a large three roomed building in the center, with about 5 or 6 smaller, one-room outbuildings one of which Sarah and I stayed in and the rest of which were for the sons and other random relations. Let me be honest, I have never experienced such heat in my life. It is so hot in the village that from a little after noon until about four or five in the evening no one does anything or at least they try very hard not to. It was so hot that I couldn't even take a nap.
Eventually once it cooled off the maid Adama and our sister Senabou took us to the village garden. It was really impressive! There are about three wells in the garden and families in the village have plots of land where they can grow lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc either for their own use or to sell at vegetable stands. When we went there, there were about forty people working in the garden watering their parcels of land. It was really beautiful. And all around the edge of the garden are mango and cashew trees.
Wednesday it was much of the same, the sons made ataya during the hottest part of the day. In the evening we took the sister Adama to a neighboring village by horse and cart. On the way, we were chased by three dogs and I was pretty sure that we were going to lose limbs. Luckily everything came out ok. After about an hour we made it to our stop but Adama still had to walk some of the way, and believe it or not, sometimes she walks the ENTIRE way.
Thursday, again, much of the same, but in the afternoon Sarah and I cooked ceebu jen with the help of maid Adama and Senabou! It was delicious! Then that night we spent some time at Julie and Cara's house hanging out and drinking soda.
Friday we got up, had breakfast, and headed back to Dakar. I do not miss the insane heat. At least here there is usually a cool breeze from the ocean. Tomorrow I am going to have dinner with Doudou, the brother who is studying in dakar, and I believe Cheikh who is coming to Dakar on a school trip? Should be fun at any rate!