Peace Corps Senegal

Alright, so I’ve been thinking about how I would write about Senegalese food for a while. I’m just going to go right out and say that the food here has been one of my biggest challenges. This is not at all the case for most volunteers (many Americans love it and talk about ways they can make some of the dishes when they go back home), and being a vegetarian has certainly added another level of difficulty to integrating into Senegalese food culture…. But I simply do not like most Senegalese foods, vegetarian or not. A friend pointed out that perhaps this is because of the little spice packets (unfortunately containing MSG, but also many nice spices that most people like) that they put in every dish. It’s possible that I simply don’t like that mix of spices. There’s also these little dried fish that they’ll often mash up and put into sauces that they claim are vegetarian. They have a strong smoky/fishy taste that doesn’t agree with me.         ...

Time: The Senegalese concept of time was one of the first cultural differences that was hammered into our heads during training. Similar to many places around the world, punctuality is not a value here. You can set times for events, but don’t expect people to show up on the dot. Most volunteers eventually stop showing up at the exact time of the events they plan because otherwise they could be waiting an hour or two. Most events are also planned around the 5 prayer times each day. They’ll say after Tisbaar (around 2:00ish) or after Tokosan (5:00ish). I’ve really come to enjoy the way time slows down here. It’s of no importance how long things take. One of the most beloved traditions – making tea (attaya) – takes a crazy amount of time to make compared to typical tea in America. They’ll boil the tea until it’s very hot, add sugar, etc. and then toss it back and forth between the little shot glasses over and over again to cool it down. It’s all a part of the ritual. It they cared abo...

I’ve been thinking a lot about development practices – what works, what doesn’t, and how the Peace Corps fits in. At one point in particular, I remember feeling incredibly cynical. I was heading to our technical training after 3 months at site, not having done any real work. I’d been doing surveys/research and studying Pulaar, and I’d recently been told that you don’t learn all that much at technical training. Why was I here then? My language wasn’t coming along very quickly and it didn’t seem feasible that I’d be able to start any significant sustainable projects.  I kept wondering why they were paying a fresh college grad from the US, with no real knowledge, to teach the Senegalese how to sell things in their own villages. It seemed like a lot of wasted energy, when, to do the same thing, the Peace Corps could simply train Senegalese who already speak the language and know the culture. They’d be creating jobs, and they wouldn’t have to spend all that money on plane tickets, lan...

There are 3 types of ceremonies  I’ve been to in Senegal: Naming Ceremonies, Marriages and Funerals. Naming Ceremonies: The Senegalese wait one week after a baby is born to give them a name. When they do, it’s a big event, similar to a baby shower. All of the friends and family (usually that means a lot of people) arrive at the house in the morning around 9:00. The name is announced, and everyone eats niiri kosaam (a special type of grain with milk). The mother and her newborn stay in her room, but everyone comes in at some point to greet her and offer her gifts or money. Naming ceremonies in Fanaye are usually pretty low key, but often in Senegal there’s also a big lunch for all of the guests and lots of music and dancing into the evening hours. Funerals: Unfortunately I’ve been to a couple funerals so far. After the men of the family bring the body to the mosque, they’ll bury it in the cemetery. Close family can come for the burial I believe. Then for the next few days af...

Other than becoming semi-proficient in Pulaar, I think my taste in fashion is one of the biggest ways I’ve become integrated into Senegalese culture thus far. I remember when I first arrived in Senegal, the traditional “complets” (full outfits) with their ruffles, wild colorful patterns, shimmers and sparkles looked silly. Since then, that opinion has seen a 180 degree turn around. It’s American fashion that’s silly! We’re boring in comparison to the Senegalese. In a culture that emphasizes covering up your body, they’ve figured out how to still show it off better than most. The ruffles, I’ve learned, are not only pretty, but are great at showing off curves and collar bones. The patterns make every outfit unique, and I’ve started to take on (what I think is) a better attitude toward bright colors, glitter, sparkles, and shiny fabric; if you have the option to use it or not…. just use it. Why not? It’ll spice up your life a little. Fashion was also one way in which I was naïve com...

Access English: Right after our technical training in August, my dear friend Kimler (sadly he’s since decided to go home to the US) and I signed up to be camp counselors at an English camp in Dakar for 5 days. We were joined by a third volunteer Nicky (wonderful human being), and got to stay at the regional house in Dakar the whole time (usually restricted to volunteers without a good reason to be there).  It was a crazy busy week. We planned the entire camp for 64 students – the 3 English teachers were just assisting. It included water balloon fights, relay races, ice breaker games, team cheers/competitions, a debate, and lots of English language games. My favorite activity though was our eco-bench. The kids collected bottles all week, and we filled them with trash from around the school. They were then used as bricks to make a pretty bench for the school. If we had any free time that week (not much), we spent it spending way too much money on good food, or drinking wine (the...