My Friend, MOMAR KHARY DIAGNE

Momar and I were staff members in the Peace Corps training program for teachers for West Africa at Dartmouth College during the summer of 1965. Momar was a student at Northwestern University. We enjoyed each other’s company. Late that year or early in 1966 when I was passing through Chicago we met at a dinner party held in the home of Robert (Bob) Wieczorowski, a business man that I had met in March, 1965, at the first national conference of returned Peace Corps volunteers in Washington, D.C. Momar and I became good friends with Bob Wieczorowski. During the summer of 1966 Momar and I continued working with the same Peace Corps training program for West Africa. The summer 1966 portion of the program was held at the Collège de Ste. Anne de la Pocatière in Quebec. Following these two summer Peace Corps training programs, Momar and I continued our friendship through letters, phone calls and occasional visits with each other in Senegal and in the United States. In April, 1988, I returned to Senegal for the first time to visit Momar and his family and the family in Sedhiou with whom I lived as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1963-1964. I stayed with Momar and Marième for more than a week and got to know their children. It was a memorable visit for me. 

Momar had an uncanny ability to communicate deeply with people, even with people that one would say he hardly knew. I have often said that Momar is a person who could be placed in a group of complete strangers in a distant unknown land, and in five minutes, he would understand their mentality and what is important to say. 

Though distance separated our visits together by months and sometimes by years, we were very close in spirit. I will greatly miss my good friend, Momar Khary Diagne.

I believe this is from 1988 but not positive.

I took this photo as Momar was reminiscing with the noted journalist, cineast, Ben Diogaye Beye in January, 2015.

2007

Momar was a practical person; he wrote, “pragmatic approaches must prevail.” His words echo my favorite professor who frequently implored the class, “you must be pragmatic.” Indeed, a little more pragmatism would surely help us all to find and stay on the right path.

Janet's 25th Crossing Cultures Senegal program in January, 2019

What a wonderful year 2019 was! Our 25th Crossing Cultures Senegal Program (Intercultural Dimensions) and our 25th Wedding Anniversary. The Crossing Cultures Senegal program was a tremendous success. Special interests of the participants we programmed included the care and raising of bees, production of honey products, special educational needs of children, the Muslim religion, hospital radiology equipment, and experimental gardens. Participants helped in the making of cakes in the solar oven and preparing rice. We enjoyed the Mandinka language lessons, meeting current Peace Corps volunteers and visiting the village where solar lanterns had been distributed by Solar Empowerment Initiative, Inc. (an NGO with which John is involved). We are planning the 26th program for January, 2021. see www.interculturaldimensions.org.

Janet at the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar.