As The Crescent Moon Sets (In Senegal)

Dear family and friends,
as salamu alaikum,
greetings of peace from Senegal,

I pray that this message finds you well. Today marks the beginning of my second month here. I sat on the roof tonight as I finished dinner - greens and millet, with freshly made yogurt for desert, and watched the crescent moon setting, bright orange in the hazy sky. The passage of time is quite a wonder to ponder. fluid. I recalled my arrival in Dakar, before dawn, being greeted by the sweet, smoky, salty warm air that promised the ocean was near, somewhere. And while the sky here in Ourossogui is filled with a melange of sounds from goats and donkeys to tvs to prayers broadcast in praise in repetition, I also remember the night passed in the village of Thielaw. On the bank of the river, where there is no electricity, where the stars in the flat desert terrain consume your vision at night.

It was only a day, a night, and a day that I spent there, but I admit I had dreams of returning one day and settling in as home. Thielaw is maybe seven miles from the small town of Ndioum, a transportation hub on a main national road, but the travel took an hour or so each way. On the way in, we walked, crossed the river on a ferry (twice), rode "public transportation" (an old station wagon with seven passengers) and then crossed the river a final time in the belly of a long boat carved from a tree. I couldn't help but smile at our traveling companions in the car. We happened to be squished together with a group of musicians en route to a wedding ceremony. so they drummed the whole trip (except that they'd politely stop when someone had to answer a cell call), and whenever we passed people's homes, women and kids would clap and cheer us on. The next day's journey was an entirely different story. We were led by horse, and rode atop an open trailer through the late afternoon sun.

Community development work is such a balance. I have so much to learn. Part of my mission on this trip was to visit a few of the villages that have enacted the Community Empowerment Program and talk with people about their accomplishments and aspirations so that I can report back to a funder. I stumbled through the planning and the translation, but I learned more from the experience than I ever could have from reading text. The Community Empowerment Program is spread out over two or three years and is based on a foundation of human rights education in national languages that covers democracy, problem solving, health and hygiene, as well as literacy, math, and management skills. In each village with the program, a number of participants form a group with committees that address community concerns related to health, education, the environment, etc.

It's very encouraging to see the influence that the program has had in communities, to see the social cohesion, and to hear women talk about the improved communication skills and self confidence they have gained. Literacy is such a valuable gift that I don't think I fully appreciated. We read numbers about illiteracy rates, but to look it in the face and then to really contemplate what doors are opened up when we can read, is staggering.

It's hard for me to walk anonymously here. Even tonight, under the dark sky, wearing a black abaya and a head scarf, it is only a few steps from home before I hear the familiar greetings, toubab! toubab! So I take it in stride, stop and enjoy the chance to greet people, and then keep on.

I've put some more photos on the picasa site, if you would like to take a look, click here!

I pray that you and your loved ones are feeling healthy and at peace.
I look forward to hearing from you.

In gratitude- for you, for water, for second chances, for smiles

Salaam,
Maimunah Michelle Lee