One More Note

So...I'm home. I'm done. I've succeeded in developing a small, poor, African village in the small, poor African country of Senegal. Ok, so that's not entirely true, but I've had a lifetime of experiences along the way. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I laughed, I cried. I saw birth, I saw death. I loved it, I hated it. Needless to say, it was a whirlwind. 

Considering the fact that I seem to have forgotten about blogging for the past 6 months, there is much to discuss.

The months of February and March were planked by the national election. The (now former) president, Abdoulaye Wade had been in power for a very long time (as he is approximately 86 years old). As in the Arab Spring, masses of young Senegalese wanted him out. He, however, chose a different route and ran for re-election. There was much talk of political and civil eruption. Things were definitely on edge, as the candidates travelled from town to town to buy votes. Truthfully, though, many women in my village claimed they would vote for whichever candidate promised them the most money, and several political cronies came by bearing sugar and empty promises for every family. There was some burnings/protests/riots, etc, but fortunately (or unfortunately), I missed all the action, due to fact that Saare Boylians aren't that politically active. I did, however, get a picture with a militia-man and he let me play with his gun. Senegal, luckily, proved itself to be the "beacon of democracy" in West Africa, when at the end of the run-off election, Mr. Wade conceded his defeat.

Shortly after the subdued-chaos of democracy, we had our Race for Education Half Marathon.  It went really well! Over 200 people came, and we raised about $3000US for girls' education.  A big "thank you" to everyone who donated!  Your charity really will make a difference in the lives of hundreds of young girls in Senegal.  It's going to turn into annual event, an it will be exciting to see how much it grows next year.  Here's a short promo video from the day.

Also, here is a short video of my friend, Richard, "joggling." He joggled the whole way, and he won his division! Richard, hope you're cool with me posting this (ask forgiveness, not permission, right?).

My Newest Recruits

Then, I went home to village for the last time.  Those last few weeks were the slowest, and yet fastest yet.  Per cultural norm, I had to say goodbye to everyone I knew. Now, that doesn't just include my village. That includes all villages within a 10K radius from me. It was exhausting work, leaving my hut a little after dawn, not returning until 9 or so at night; each family trying to get me to stay all afternoon, not to mention, I still had projects at the school to wrap up.  In the end, I did what needed to be done, with a little time to create a UT fan club (note photo on the left). The final day came, my brother walked me to the next town to get a car, waited with me until it filled up, and I left.  By that point, I was too exhausted to really feel anything, so (unsurprisingly for people who know me), I did not cry.


Leaving village did not mean instant vaca.  The end of March, I helped put on a girls' camp in Tamba for high-achieving, financially-struggling, middle-school girls and their dads. These are my favorite projects, as I feel like real change is happening. I've said so many times before how lucky we are to live where we live.  Girls in Senegal are more often than not taken out of school extremely early in order to marry.  This camp was aimed to educate girls and their dads on the importance and usefulness of girls education.  It was awe-inspiring to see these girls have conversations with their dads  about their true desires and career goals.


Now, I'm here (America), and it's somewhat of a bittersweet feeling. I came home to awesome family and friends, and yet I constantly think about all the ones I left behind.  Culture-shock and readjustment were expected to be difficult, and they hit me in full force shortly after I arrived.  I started thinking about what time it was in Senegal, and then what I would be doing.  I realized that I would be laying outside with my family under more stars than I will probably ever experience again. That's when it hit me... that all the realities and all the interactions from my last 2 years are now no more than mere memories and experiences.  Like most of life's major chapters, these are exceptionally powerful.  They have shaped me, and they have molded me.  They will become the river that "reaches places its source will never know." I know that I am a lucky woman in that I've been able to grow up in the United States. And, I know that I am a lucky woman to have been able to grow from within in a small, rural village in West Africa.  For these experiences, I will never be able to repay.  I just hope that one day in the future, I can help by paying it forward.