My name is Luisa Fernanda Madrid and I decided to brave the journey and study abroad in
Dakar, Senegal. I never dreamed of going to study abroad in West Africa, actually my plan
was to take French and study in Paris. I felt that I would be comfortable and still improve my
French if I studied abroad in France, but things never go on as planned. I had taken many
classes pertaining to development and the environment here at Soka, and I decided that while
I would be comfortable in France, I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone to really
learn first-hand about development. But, it was not just the classes that made my experiences
in Senegal memorable, more than anything it was the human interactions, the culture, and
my host-family that really made my study abroad experience amazing.
Daily life for me was a routine. I would go
to classes, most which I loved, especially
classes like Development Practicum, where
I was able to learn what development
means in Africa, specifically for Senegal,
and how this affects policy, government,
and everyday life in Senegal. This class was
a unique experience because we were also
able to conduct surveys in Dakar and we
were also able to see what exactly people
thought development meant, which often
clashed with the current government
policies.
I also had the most amazing internship
experience for an international organization
My host mother and little sisters
called CARITAS. I interned specifically for
the branch of P.A.R.I (point d'accueil pour réfugiés et immigrés), which helps refugees and
immigrants. This internship was very meaningful to me, because both my parents are
immigrants from Guatemala and now live in the USA, so I thought this would be a great
organization to help others. They help refugees and immigrants’ coming to Senegal from
many different countries in Africa, whether they leave because of war or economic crises,
CARITAS does their best to help those in need.
I welcomed the refugees and immigrants that
came into the office. My coworkers and I
would hear their story and write it down. I
worked on Excel files to organize their data
and on Fridays we would have a committee
meeting to decide whether or not that person
would receive aid. It was stressful at times,
because I felt that I was only an intern and I
had too much responsibility, especially in
something that could dramatically affect a
person’s life. I was afraid that my French was
not advanced enough to get my opinions out,
but my fellow interns were patient and valued
my opinion. I loved my internship and I think
I was able to make a positive impact on some
people’s lives.
My coworkers at P.A.R.I.
During the weekend or on special trips, my friends and I
would explore Senegal and try to see as much of the
country as possible. We were able to take a pirogue and
go to a little island just 30 minutes away from Dakar. We
climbed low lying baobab trees and hiked all over the
island. The water was warm and clear. It was great to get
out of the city every once in a while. During one of the
programs special weekend trips, we were able to go to the
Sahel desert. I was able to ride as camel and star gaze
surrounded by nothing but sand dunes. It was a fantastic
experience, one that I will surely treasure forever.
One of my most memorable experiences in Senegal was
being able to stay in a rural village for two weeks. Rural
life in Senegal is so different than living in a city like
Dakar. I stayed in a fishing village called PopenguineSerrer. I tried to involve myself in their daily activities,
but I was so tired at the end of the day that I don’t know
Climbing on a baobab
how they do it every day. I rode a pirogue and tried to
catch fish with them and this went wrong so fast it was
almost funny. The fishermen thought it was weird that a woman was trying to fish because
that is a “man’s job”. I tried explaining that women are strong and that we can do it, and then
my plan failed. I am extremely sensitive to motion sickness. We were on the ocean for about
two hours and we were so far out that I couldn’t see the coast anymore. I felt like death was
warming over to me because I was so nauseous. At the end, I had to cut our fishing trip short
because I couldn’t do it anymore.
However, I did not stop trying to show them that women
are strong. I went out to the fields and harvested peanuts
which in 90 degree super humid weather was extremely
tough. I hung out with the family a lot. I played with the
babies all day, every day. There was a child who was
terrified of me because of my skin. I tried to bribe her love
by giving her cookies but when she saw that she had to
come to me to get the cookies she started crying, so I asked
someone else to give her the cookies. There was one baby,
though, that loved me. She thought I was funny looking
but I was so happy that a baby liked me. One of the feats I
accomplished during my rural visit stay was facing my fear
of bugs. I was hit in the face by beetles, praying mantises,
and all sorts of other creatures. I was scared to brush my
teeth at night because there was no electricity so I would
use my cellphone as a flashlight and the light attracted all
the bugs. I was doing fine though until I was sleeping under
my mosquito net and a beetle crawled onto my face. I am
stronger or more accurately, indifferent to bugs now.
My best friend, baby Faatu,
from the fishing village
I will always have a special place for Senegal and especially for my friends, professors, and
family over there. As cliché as it may sound, study abroad changed my life forever. I was
never in my comfort zone. I was always pushed and I am a stronger person because of it. My
French is less than perfect, but I managed. Most people in Dakar speak Wolof, and I came
into the country not knowing a single word of it, and now I can bargain for clothes in Wolof.
I was, at times, frustrated because I couldn’t
speak either Wolof or French perfectly. But my
family and friends always helped me and were
there when I needed them most. I was in a
predominantly Muslim society, and I felt like a
complete stranger at first. I didn’t understand
many of their cultural beliefs and I didn’t want to
do something completely unacceptable for their
culture. However, I quickly realized that we
(humans in general) have a lot more similarities
than differences. I learned that the love of soccer
is a universal language and even though I
support Real Madrid, and my host-brothers
support F.C Barcelona, we quickly bonded over
soccer. I was also worried that I would stick out
Riding a camel in the Sahel Desert
as a white person in the middle of Senegal.
Walking down the street, taking public transportation, buying fruit, more often than not, I
was the only white person or "toubab" as we are called in the area. Sometimes I would be
frustrated when I shopped because some people tried to charge me 10 times the normal price
of an item and speak to me in a mix of French and Wolof. By the time I was halfway in my
program, I could haggle back in both French and Wolof which gained me great prices at stores.
Also I was able to meet so many more people as a result of always sticking out, studying two
languages, but also just by keeping a positive outlook on life and rolling with the punches.
My host brothers and I at home in Sacre-Coeur 3
Photos contributed by Luisa Madrid