Education & daily life

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Education
Since I am STILL waiting to begin the teacher training that I came to do, I am getting to know the education system. I visited some classes at a large secondary school. (See pictures a new friend gave me of it). Students were in desks that sit 2, squeeze 3, with 50 - 60 in a class (almost no way to learn names with several classes a day), no lights, large blackboard; the front of the room where teacher was most of the time had a 6 inch platform. Kids were bright, engaged, polite, yet pretty typical teenagers. Eagerness to answer questions is shown by raising hands and snapping fingers. That part was strange, pretty annoying to me. One class I saw outside in the shade (to be cooler?) were all sitting on the ground in neat rows, touching each other.

A woman in her mid 20s who worked at a restaurant I frequented quit to go back to school. Her intention is to finish and go to the university. Her current level is about junior high. I want to get involved in some adult literacy. There may be a language issue since many do not speak French or English, but I will be looking.

Setting
There is a major meeting coming up for industrialized and developing countries to discuss global warming and other environmental concerns. In this country some minor, but very obvious, problems in the environment are about trash. People tend to throw trash wherever they are. There are no trash cans. The number of plastic bags, water bottles, and other debris is awful.

There are many brooms resembling the ones that are common in US here. Usually when I see someone sweeping it is with a small bunch of straws tied together, a little bigger than a whisk broom. This certainly seems uncomfortable, and there is lots of dust so it is a frequent chore; people sweep the dirt in front of their homes (no grass or sidewalk). When doing work near the floor people most often bend deeply from the waist, legs fairly straight. From this practice women are very flexible, folding so low elbows are close to the ground.

The temperature is not so hot now, it is moving toward the cool season (until February). Yet there is so much sand on sidewalks that in midday it can burn my feet as it gets in my sandals.

Customs
Friends walk down the street holding hands or with a hand on a shoulder. They could be 2 boys, 2 girls—not one of each. Women and girls do a little curtsy or knee dip when shaking hands, perhaps with someone considered higher up. No such deference is noticeable in men. One little one about 4 arrived at school, shook hands with the school officials out front, then went on in.

Muslim prayer beads (similar to Catholic rosary) are in the hands of people, especially in the morning. There seem to be generally men and boys fingering them as they walk along.

Teeth cleaning is done all over the place. There is a fibrous, bristly stick that people chew on, or rub on their teeth. It is supposed to have good properties. The water is brackish and that seems to have caused many to have brown stains. After meals toothpicks are passed and most people use them.

3rd world living
The place where I live is a kind of apartment building / bed and breakfast (for me it's lunch). There is a first floor where 3 people live. I am on the 2nd, with 3 other teachers, each in his own room, they share bath (I have mine!!). The top floor is only about half as big, one large area being a terrace. When it is hot people may sleep there. Animals are also there, chickens, sheep, or goats. There is a holiday when families will have feasts with sheep soon, so they are being prepared.

Places are rented unfurnished, so the foundation provided me with basic furniture, including a small refrigerator. I wanted to put it in the hall for others to use, thinking that was nice. Others thought first of the additional electricity. Different priorities. That is now resolved. The fridge is now making ice for sale. Proceeds to the light bill. Third world thinking.

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Photos

Lycee Val Diodio Ndiaye
Large secondary school-- over 5000 students

Students at lycee
Note styles of clothing

Comments

[Sue Welch]

Tooth cleaning stick
Hi Yanick! It's so wonderful to read your adventures in Senegal. Thanks for sharing them! I so look forward to reading them. As regards the fibrous, bristly stick that people clean their teeth with, I wonder if it is neem, from the neem tree? This is traditionally used in India for the same thing. And yes, it has medicinal and antibacterial properties. The neem tree has long, thin green leaves and white berries/flowers when in bloom. The twig is chewed at the ends to fan them out, then used to brush teeth. Neem is also excellent for killing parasites and for all types of skin problems. While working on Anguilla as a massage therapist, I picked up something from a client that began on my arms and spread all over my body, with intense itching. I boiled neem into a tea, doused myself and also drank it. Within 48 hours I was healed! Neem is my favorite plant for sure! Do you know if this plant is what locals are using? Blessings my traveling sister! Sue

[Lewis Williams]

What an adventure
Keep em comming kid. We certainly enjoy reading about your adventures. We love you and we bless you and I hope that you soon get your assignment

[mlteeter]

Yarnick' Experiences
Absolutely fantastic, Yarnick. I await them from week to week. Mona Lou

[Bonnie W. Salahuddin]

How Interesting!!
I am learning so much about Senegal that I could not have learned during the time that I was there. There is much that is familiar though, like the garbage, and the goats, etc around the houses; I saw the same thing in Ghana and the surrounding areas. I do not know if I can live like that; I have become soooo Euro-centric that I must have cleanliness if nothing else. I do not mind the simplicity, but where I am must be clean. I had that experience in Honduras too because I chose to live with the indigenous people, but I worked very hard on cleanliness even in the face of so much garbage and cultural indifference. While I am in South Africa, I am going to both Soweto and Botswana to check on employment/volunteering, beginning 2012; most important will be finding a clean place to stay. I will hold to the belief that I will find the right place for me. I am so intrigued by your mail; for me, I am there with you since much of what you have written I have experienced...the eating with the fingers, the sharing of the food items from a common bowl, the sitting on the floor, etc....I am truly learning so much more too; keep wiriting and sharing. Namaste!

[Yanick]

It would make sense that people find natural means to take care of common needs. I will see if I can find out about this plant. Often names are different so it may not be exactly the same as India, but probably similar.