Sabaar Dance / Democracy & Environment Camp

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There was a SABAAR dance recently I was able to attend. Pictures included. Tried to do video but I need more training from videographer son to do better on that. It was energizing and exciting. People sit in a circle and drummers get going. There is some challenging between dancers and drummers to see who can outdo and keep up with the other; drummers seem to have an edge on that. At first many kids were dancing but gradually only one or a few at a time got up. It was organized by 10000 Girls and the staff there came DRESSED for the occasion. It was Friday, when many people are in Sunday best (it is a work day, but the Muslim holy day). Those expecting to dance also wore leggins.

The biggie now for me is Democracy and the Environment Camp. It is also with the organization 10000 Girls where I have been hanging out. There will be about 100 girls, aged 14 to 18 for 15 days at a village doing activities 8AM to 10PM. Another teacher and I who happened to be around on vacation there are designing it and preparing college and graduate volunteer students from US with some local women to facilitate it. Since it will be run in French and some do not speak it, others somewhat fluent, a couple good, then some non-English speakers this will be quite an experience. I am loving the preparation (if a lilltle more hectic than I would like), working with others on it, and anticipating the girls. It is likely some have never left their villages, seen a movie (we have DVDs each day from Avatar to Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth), or been with so many strangers. Great way to cap off my experience in Africa.

Camp is in Toubacouta, about an hour and a half away from Kaolack (map enclosed). From there I head home, to be back in Florida July 11th.

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