A joyous hello from Dakar, Senegal! This is my first blog post in the country I will call home for the next year, and I am happy to report that I am here safe and ready to learn. Stepping off the plane onto a new continent has been an interesting experience, with change and excitement every step of the way. So long English, and welcome French and Wolof! Goodbye mild California temperature, and hello to sunny and humid days!
Currently our YAGM cohort is staying at the SLDS (Senegalese Lutheran Development Services) in two small apartments, a short walk to our coordinator’s (Pastor Kristin’s) home. Everyday has been filled with absorbing new and useful information. From getting my country handbook to even just walking down the street, everything has been a lesson in Senegalese culture and adjusting to a new life here. Sometimes it can feel like sensory overload. There are too many new and wonderful things to report back on. However, I have tried to boil down my experience into three main categories to help illustrate my life in Senegal thus far:
Greetings
If one thing is for certain, greetings are seriously important here in Senegal. Walking down the street is not the same in the United States, where most people keep their heads down and swiftly walk to their next checkpoint. Here, however, a simple smile is often offered or the call of “bonjour, ça va?” to each passerby. Each morning the YAGMs greet the SLDS caretakers Yacinthe and Oussmann, and each night we offer each other a goodnight. Although it sounds simple, it seems to me my sense of community is already growing here. Another place where the importance of greetings is most apparent so far has been at church. At the end of service, our coordinator made sure our cohort greeted every person in the courtyard (almost the whole congregation!). Back home, I usually like to be in the background of what is happening, but here I need to be more extroverted. I am sure this will be a continuing trend over the year, but in doing so I was able to partake in the warmth of the Senegalese spirit.
Humor
Laughter is key here in Senegal. From what I am told, a good sense of humor is very important to our survival. Having a good attitude about learning to live in a new culture helps everyone adjust. But, the Senegalese go beyond this sense of grace, it is ingrained into who they are. The people here love to joke! Most conversations I have experienced here start with a friendly banter, back and forth, quick and witty. For example, the YAGM group met one of the church youth Albert, who loved to tease us about how we don’t know the local language yet. Sounds silly, but he was more than happy to welcome us to his country and encouraged us to start practicing with him. Using humor and sarcasm is part of who I am, so I appreciate this communication style. I just can’t wait until my language skill gets better and I can respond!
Hospitality
Teranga, teranga, teranga! This word, meaning hospitality in Wolof, is one of the most highly prized traditional values in Senegal. Considered a duty, people go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Ever since stepping off the plane, I have felt this sense of care surround me. I am a guest here right now, but I hope teranga is something I can carry with me back in the states and practice while I am in Senegal.
As a final thought, I encourage you to ponder how you welcome the stranger into your community, as I have been welcomed here so far. Do you make the effort to greet the passerby? Does humor act as a sense of inclusion or as an act of harm? How do you practice hospitality with visitors in your home and community?
That's all for now! Be kind to yourself and be kind to others, peace!