Monday, December 23, 2013

Education, am na solo

I have a Girls' club at the local middle/high school.  The girls are the recipients of the Michelle Sylvester Scholarship, a program organized by Peace Corps to provide inscription fees and some school supplies for high-achieving, motivated girls whose families lack the means to pay for her education.  The goal is to encourage them to continue their education and to show the families the importance of learning.  I have extended the scholarship program from merely a disbursement of materials to a weekly program.  Last year, it consisted of 9 girls, and this year it has doubled in size from the additional scholarship girls.

Towards the end of last year, I asked the girls to write poems about the importance of education.  This blogpost is devoted to the youth in Senegal who strive to learn despite numerous roadblocks.  I have included their poems below.  They had never read or written a poem before, but the message they express is very powerful.  They wrote them in French, so I have included the original French version, followed by a translation.  (I merely plugged the document into Google Translate, so I apologize for any glaring translation errors.)  Education, am na solo.  (Education is important.)





J’ai un rêve par Rokhy Ba

J’ai un rêve qu’un jour, tous les femmes deviennent les meilleurs que les hommes sur l’éducation.

Je voudrai qu’elles aient un jour les meilleurs place que les hommes sur l’éducation.
J’ai un rêve.
J’ai un rêve qu’un jour les femmes blanches et les femmes noires soient dans les mêmes pieds d’égalité.

J’ai un rêve.
J’ai un rêve qu’un jour tous les enfants des pauvres et des riches soient égaux.

J’ai un rêve.
J’ai un rêve qu’un jour tout les femmes et les enfants répètent : la liberté, la liberté, la liberté.
OH mon dieu, nous sommes libre.





L’éducation sur un Élève par Souadou Cisse

L’éducation sur un élève, il lui permet d’avoir tous ceux qu’il veut dans le monde.

Dès fois, les gens dites : « Travaille plus discipline égale réussir ».

L’élève qui avoir de l’éducation, il permet que ces professeurs lui respectent de même que les autres élèves.

Si un élève a un éducation, il peut-être n’importe quelle école, CEM ou lycée et il peut être n’importe où

C’est pour cela avoir une éducation est bonne






L’éducation pour fille ou garçon ou autre par Awa Ndiaye
Pour l’éducation.  Il faut être d’aller a l’école jusqu'à l’université pour avoir du bon travaille.

Il faut être apprendre.
Pour les voyage, ou bien pour lire ou écris.

Si vous n’avez pas apprendre, il y a des gens qui ne peut pas donnée du respect.
Comme tu n’a pas de travaille
Respect son travaille.

Pour apprendre jusqu'à l’université.
C’était pour qui puis comprend.
Et guide les personnes.

Pourquoi l’éducation est bonne
Parce que tu vas dans un autre pays tu peut être là.  Ou bien si veux lire une lettre.


Adama Mendy
L’éducation est bonne
Elle nous fait connaitre beaucoup de chose
Elle nous renseigne dans le monde ou nous sommes

L’éducation est bonne, l’éducation est bonne
Car il nous guide
Elle nous montre le chemin

J’aime l’éducation
Je l’aime de tout mon cœur
Et je l’adore

L’éducation est bonne, elle est bonne, bonne, bonne,
Grâce a l’éducation
Je peux lire et écrire

J’aime l’éducation, j’aime l’éducation, j’aime l’éducation
Je ne savais rien en naissant
Maintenant je connais beaucoup

J’aime l’éducation
L’éducation même
Je consacre toute ma vie sur l’éducation





J’aime mon école.par Lena Thioye
            Ho mon école !
                        Ho mon bon endroit !
                                    Toi qui m’a appris comment étudier

Chers parents
            Ho parents
                        Je me vous demande rien
                                    Que de faire attention
                                                Aux études de vos enfants

L’école nous a appris comment :
Lire,
            Comment écrire.
                        Elle nous a donnée.
                                    Une bonne étude de base

Donnez nous le temps.
            S’il te plaît !
                        D’apprendre jusqu'à
                                    L’université !

Pour avoir un bon travail
            Un travail fort

Arrêtez le mariage precours.
            Le mariage force.
                        Ho quel tardement
                                    Quelle coupure d’étude

Que vous faites vos filles
            Ca ne vous donne pas de rendement
                        Ni de récolte
                                    Ho laissez les filles
                                                Etudiaient
                                                            Apprendre.

Pour demain.
            Qu’elles seraient quelqu’une
                        Pour vous aidez
                                    Regrettez la maltraité
                                                Aidez nos familles

                                                            S’il te plaît !



I have a dream by Rokhy Ba
I have a dream that one day all women become the best men on education.

I would like one day they have the best place men on education.
I have a dream .
I have a dream that one day white women and black women are the same feet of equality.

I have a dream .
I have a dream that all children rich and poor are equal day.

I have a dream .
I have a dream that one day all the women and children repeat : freedom , freedom , freedom .
Oh my god, we are free .




Education on Student by Souadou Cisse

Education on a student , it allows him to have anyone he wants in the world.

Once again, people say: "Work more discipline equal success."

Students who have education, it allows these teachers respect him as well as other students.

If a student has an education , it can be any school , college or EMC and it can be anywhere

That is why having a good education is




Education for girl or boy or another by Awa Ndiaye

For education. It should be going to school to university to have a good working .

Must be learned.
For travel , or to read or write.

If you do not learn , there are people who can not given respect.
Since you do not have a working
Respect his works .

To learn to university.
It was then that to understand.
And guide people .

Why education is good
Because you go to another country you can be there. Or if want to read a letter.

Adama Mendy
Education is good
It makes us know a lot of thing
She tells us in the world where we are

Education is good , education is good
Because it guides us
It shows us the way

I love education
I love with all my heart
And I love it

Education is good, it is good, good, good,
Thanks to education
I can read and write

I love education , I love education , I love education
I knew nothing at birth
Now I know many

I love education
The same education
I spend my whole life on Education



I love my school by Lena Thioye

Ho my school !
Ho my right place!
You taught me how to study

Dear Parents
Ho Parents
I ask you nothing
What to watch
For your children's education

The school taught us how :
read
How to write .
It has given us.
A good baseline

Give us time .
Please!
To learn to
University !

To get a good job
A strong work

Stop preschool marriage.
Forced marriage .
Ho what tardement
What cut study

You do your daughters
It does not give you performance
Or harvest
Ho let the girls
were studying
Learn.

For tomorrow.
They would some one
To help you
Regret the abused
Help our families

Please!

Friday, December 13, 2013

Senegal, sama reo, dafa neex


Senegal is known to be a country of hospitality, and this is something I’ve certainly witnessed during my time in Senegal.  This blog post is dedicated to all those wonderful men, women, and children who help to make Senegal such a welcoming and peaceful country.

A few months ago, I had some time between a meeting at the school and a meeting with a women’s group.  I was hungry and had some paperwork I wanted to fill out, so I bought a mango and found a shady place to sit.  I sat down on a brick and began devouring my mango, planning out an upcoming activity as I ate.  Soon, a group of children approached me and stood around, watching and laughing at me.  I didn’t mind; the mango was delicious.  But a man passing by saw this group of children and told them to continue on their way and to leave me alone.  I finished my mango, washed my hands with some of my water, and took out my notebook.  As I was pulling it out, a woman came out of a nearby compound.  She’d heard the children and came to investigate for herself.  She began to ask me lots of questions: What’s your name?  Where are you from?  Where do you live?  Who’s your father?  Who’s your mother?  Do you go to the fields?  Where’s your husband?  Can you cook?  Do you do your own laundry?  What are you doing?  What are you writing?  I was concentrating on what I was writing, so I gave her very short answers.  She’d ask me  string of questions, fall silent for a bit, and then launch into some more.  I was beginning to get a bit annoyed by her, but finally it was time for my next meeting.  I packed up my bag and told the woman I was leaving.  She urged me to stay for lunch (it was only 11:00 – lunch is not until at least 2:00).  When I declined, she told me to have a good day and said she’d return to her house now since she had only come outside to keep me company, so that I wouldn’t be lonely.  I hadn’t realized she was trying to help me.

People are equally generous on public transportation.  Passengers sit with other passenger’s children on their laps for hours.  Young men willingly give up their seat to older people or me, and inside stand outside the car, hanging on or sit on the roof.  Two weeks ago, the car I was in stalled.  Three men got out of the car to help check out the engine and then helped push the car for a few minutes so that the speed would help the car start.  Today, when a boy vomited in the car, a woman gave up her kerchief to another man who wiped the mouth of the boy while his mother held her other child on her lap.  Last week, a woman needed to stop to go to the bathroom.  She passed her baby to another passenger, got out of the car, went into the market, and then took her baby back when she returned.

One morning during rainy season, I was walking to the weekly market.  All of a sudden, it began to pour.  I ran into the nearest compound.  The woman offered me a seat and insisted on buying me a bean sandwich and coffee for breakfast.  I sat there for three hours while I waited for the rain to stop.  I have stopped at many compounds, greeted the family, and asked for water.  If I pass a compound around lunch time, they offer for me to stay and eat lunch.  If it is late in the evening, they offer for me to stay the night.  If I pass a compound while they’re drinking tea or snacking on peanuts, I’m instantly offered some.  Once, I had to go to the bathroom while I was in public transportation.  I asked the driver to stop so that I could go in the bushes.  The driver insisted on continuing just a bit further to where a compound was located.  I walked into the compound, greeted them, and asked where the bathroom was located.  I was given a pot of water and pointed to the room; they didn’t ask me any questions.

I can think of so many examples of Senegalese sharing food and drink, even when they can barely afford to feed themselves.  Or of Senegalese giving up their beds and rooms so that a guest can be properly hosted while they sleep on the floor in another room.  No matter where they are, they try to help everyone around them.  They may do so with lots of teasing and raised voices, but it is all well-intentioned.  A popular Senegalese song sings about returning to Senegal and asking a ship captain to return her to her native country; all Senegalese feel pride in how well they treat their guests and each other.  As the song says, “Senegal, sama reo, dafa neex.”  (Senegal, my country, is nice.)