Utah Sunset

Escalante, Utah

Kaolack and Sobo Badé / L'Engouement

On the way from Sedhiou north to Kaolack we stopped in a village for the driver of our "Taxi Brousse" (vintage 7-passenger Peugeot station wagon) to pick up a large bag of charcoal to take to his family. Charcoal is used to cook. We just wish that solar cooking would take hold at least to reduce somewhat the toll on the forests which are fast disappearing. Where there were dense forests fifty years ago, now there are fields and many fewer
trees in most places, even in the Casamance region of Senegal.

(below: what we want to see, right: trees cut down for cooking)

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Baptism celebration in Kaolack

At Sobo Badé we enjoy the sea-side restaurant as well as the sculpture garden and beautiful architecture of this dance recital space and artists' retreat.

Intercultural Dimensions participant Prof. Jay Lutz discusses African literature with Gérard Chenet at the L'Engouement artists' space (see dance stage below)

Intercultural Dimensions at Home in Sedhiou

Our home in Sedhiou is Diedhioucounda. John lived and worked with Alioune Diedhiou fifty years ago and we have kept close ties with the Diedhiou family since then. Senegalese tea (attaya) is a wonderful institution, at least it seems so. See, https://simmeringsenegal.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/ahhhhhhh-attaya/

Gabbing and drinking Attaya under the Mango tree.

Preparing Attaya in the afternoon

A mid-day meal of scrumptious Maafe was prepared by Néné Diedhiou

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(Above) A security person is in charge of seeing that people wash and disinfect their hands before entering the City Hall of Sedhiou. There is no Ebola in Senegal but hygiene is getting a boost all over the country. For example, here is a wall poster about the importance of washing our hands regularly.

Samba Diedhiou surfs the web with a clé d'internet with Ibou Diedhiou's suggestions

Tabokoto's new house to raise chickens

It is not easy for a young man to find a job in Senegal, even a bright, get up-and-go fellow with a college degree. After a year of frustration, Bouly Diedhiou, the youngest of Alioune Diedhiou's children decided to start a business. So, with help from several comrades he founded and directs an association named Tabokoto to raise and sell chickens. The name is taken from a tree where people gather. Tabokoto succeeded in getting grant money to begin their project with a building and a hundred chicks purchased from a source in the Netherlands and necessary supplies.

So far the chicks are thriving.

a meeting of Tabokoto's members

(above and below) Bouly organized a neighborhood clean-up with the Tabokota members.

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(Above) Imam 

Janet Diedhiou, named after our Janet

On the Road to Sedhiou, Senegal

Where is Sedhiou?

Map of Senegal

Sedhiou is a town of about 20,000 people located just a little north of the border with Guinea-Bissau; It is on the west side of the Casamance Estuary, a bit north of where it turns northward. You can see it on this map.

Leaving Dakar, our breakfast stop was at Chez Anwar in Kaolack. They generally do not offer breakfast but they kindly made an exception for us. We pushed on to Tamabcounda for a lunch of grilled chicken and fries at Chez Francis, going around The Gambia rather than through it due to the numerous problems presented by crossing that slim country. Tambacounda is known for its extreme heat during much of the year. It is said that it is so hot that a goat and a lion will sleep under the same tree. Tamba is the name of a tree found in the area and "counda" means "home of" in Mandinka. When we passed through, it was not hot but this is the coolest period of the year.

It was actually a bit chilly at Kaolack in the early morning.

Janet does some marketing in Velingara.

We turned south at Tambacounda and passed through the town of Velingara and on to a small village between Velingara and Kolda, in the south of Senegal, (known as the Haute Casamance). There, we had a delightful visit with two Peace Corps volunteers who live and work in the area. The family of one of the volunteers prepared a delicious dinner for us. Velingara gives its name to a meteor that struck the earth millions of years ago and created a crater thirty miles in diameter, known as the Velingara Circular Structure. The remnants of the crater are not visible today except from space.

At her village's health facility, Peace Corps Volunteer Barbara Michel discussed efforts to improve post-natal child nutrition.

Janet Ghattas, an early '60s Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, and current PCV Barbara Michel exchanged stories and ideas about Peace Corps then and now -- the changes are great and fascinating.

This is "funio," a food found in southern Senegal that is very nutritious and tastes a bit like quinoa. It is expensive in Senegal because of the difficulty in preparing the grain for cooking. We first learned of this food when we visited Kedougou in the extreme southeast of Senegal, but it can be purchased in other areas of southern Senegal. We brought some home. Below is a link that explains more and offers a recipe:

https://glutenfreesoyfreevegan.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/funio/

Janet gets a hug from the owner of Chez Bintou in Kolda -- we can always count on Bintou to provide a hearty lunch, perhaps a Maafe. What is Maafe? It's a delicious Mandinka dish involving peanuts that Janet makes at home from time to time. Here's a link to a recipe:

http://www.food.com/recipe/mafe-senegalese-beef-stew-139167 

It can be made with just vegetables or with chicken as well as with beef.

Intercultural Dimensions 2015 in Senegal -- Dakar area

A half dozen or so years ago, our late friend Bill Griff gave the financial support needed to begin a school garden at the Lycée Thiaroye outside of Dakar. The then principal Abdou Salam Deme was enthusiastic about the possibilities of a garden especially as there was a significant amount of land available for this use and the students and faculty were equally enthusiastic. As the garden grew, support was forthcoming from a European organization and the municipality, so a pump and a water basin were installed as well as drip irrigation. The garden has flourished with technical assistance provided by the Peace Corps.

At the Lycée Thiaroye school garden the Principal, Mr. Kao Diaby explains the importance of the co-curricular educational benefits of the garden as well the economic and health aspects of the project

The Lycée Thiaroye Garden Club with Peace Corps members and ID
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Ben Diogaye Beye noted journalist, cineast met with the ID team to discuss his work and that of Ousmane Sembene with whom he collaborated.