Preparedness(Thanks Mom!)/L'Ecole de la Rue

(Children at L'Ecole de la Rue)

Hi All!

Just hanging out before class and I figure I'd give you an update on how I've been doing lately.

For the past two days I have had a massive cold that turned into a fever of 101.4˚F this morning. Cue: 12 hour pseudoephed, dayquil, nyquil, and theraflu ( conveniently apple cinnamon flavored- it's about as close as I'll get to apple cider for now.) My mom helped me pack my suitcase full of every medicine I'd ever need, and that certainly came in handy- Thanks Mom. The fever has come down and I'm back to normal! Too bad I haven't been able to enjoy life to the fullest these past two days since I felt like the walking dead.

Life has been laid back as usual. Yesterday, Joleen, Andrew, and I headed to Ngor beach (where Akon lives.) It was beautiful and we passed the massive statue on the way. [ See: Statue ] It certainly is astounding, but: " Wade announced that he, as "intellectual creator," would be taking 35 percent of all tourist revenue the state monument earns.

Supporters say the giant statue will draw tourists but critics charge the colossus — estimated to cost $27 million and built by North Koreans — highlights how disconnected Wade, 83, has become from the daily struggles of Senegalese citizens."

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I also took a tour of a street school last week in one of the poor districts in Dakar. We had a lesson on the Senegalese school system before we went but it didn't really prepare us for what we were going to see. We took taxis from the Baobab Center over to one of the poor, working districts near downtown. We had to walk the rest of the way because there were no roads where we were going.

Wooden shacks lined with newspapers- so crowded next to each other. Tin roofs and dirt walkways winding through a maze of dark allies between houses. A river of dark, sewage filled water wove its way in and out of front yards and garbage pilled up in amazing quantities, haphazardly strewn and left to rot. It was really a lot to take in.

We wove our way through the many shacks falling on top of one another, and came to an opening where we were met by 30 screaming children and their teacher. It was the first day of school so everyone was rowdy, and on top of that we probably one of the few tubaabs (white people) they had ever seen. This school was run by one man who donated his time to help teach children who couldn't go to school because they had no way of getting there. The parents of these children were part of the poor, working class. The teacher would lead one class during the mornings for children, and one at night (power-outages permitting) for adults who wanted to learn to speak and write French.

Public schools in Senegal leave a lot to be desired. Classrooms that are built for 50 usually hold 300 or more with just one teacher. All classes are taught in French, which is a challenge for those who come from poorer regions and only know Wolof or Pulaar. No real teaching or learning is accomplished due to the sheer inadequacy of the system. If a family is wealthy enough, they will send their children to private catholic schools where enrollment is limited and the teachers are more effective. Even muslim families send their children to catholic schools if they have the means. My host family is fortunate enough to have that opportunity, so all of my brothers, sister, and cousins attend catholic school.

It was an intense experience to say the least. It really made me appreciate my schooling that I had back in the US and take a moment to realize just how fortunate I really am.