As I sit on a plastic lawn chair feeling a soft breeze blow through the air, I watch the sunset transform the expansive African sky to all different shades of red and orange, while reflecting a soft pink hue on everything I see before me. I can hear the melodic call to prayer in the distance, and a few feet away from me sits my host father, surrounded by my host siblings as he checks over their nightly homework. I feel an immense wave of peace wash over me during this somewhat rare moment of belonging. However, I can’t shake the small twinge of frustration I feel as well. I wonder why this isn’t the picture the world has of Africa? I can’t help but think of how differently people would react if this was the image they saw spread across pop culture and the news, rather than the never ending reel of poverty stricken children with flies around their faces? Now let me be clear, there is poverty here. More than I can begin to describe, but there is also so much more than that! There is an abundance of life, resilience, strength, and intelligence that the Western media is all too eager to skip over when describing this amazing continent.
I’ve been struggling for weeks to find the right words for this post. I want to do this idea justice, without claiming any unwarranted expertise. I can only speak to my direct experiences here in Senegal, so I will try to do just that. Before leaving the United States the advice I received from family, friends, and even strangers showed the unsettling view of Africa in the minds of Americans. The first question I usually received was “where is Senegal anyway?” After learning that Senegal is located in West Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, advice (solicited or not) came rolling in about terrorism, dangerous military coups that overthrow corrupt governments, Ebola, HIV, food and water safety, poverty, and my all around physical safety. Of course it is important to be safe no matter where you travel, and I understand that all of this advice was well-intended and given only because people truly and deeply care about me, but it doesn’t stop me from wondering how we as Americans actually view Africa? Are our inherent beliefs really those of fear and trepidation? None of the advice I received was about how unbelievably welcoming the Senegalese are, so much so that you have to be careful about compliments (people will literally give you the shoes off their feet if you say that you like them). Or that Senegal has one of the most stable democracies in all of Africa. No one thought to tell me about the deep importance of religious tolerance in Senegal, which became a rude awakening when it put to shame to the U.S notions of “freedom of religion” that I once so proudly claimed. Despite being a majority (95%) Muslim country, the first elected, and widely revered president, Léopold Senghor, was a Roman Catholic. Fun fact for those that are curious: He was also the first African president to ever leave office peacefully. I am well aware that none of this advice was out of malicious intent, but rather a genuine lack of knowledge.
We, I catch myself making the same mistake, talk in broad generalizations about “Africa” as though we forget that it is a continent made up of 54 separate countries. Time for a pop quiz! If you were given a blank map of Africa, how many countries could you properly name and locate? Or to make it a bit easier, off the top of your head, how many African countries can you name? Now, I may be completely wrong, but my guess is that many people wouldn’t be able to name more than 20? And of those 20 or so odd countries that we can come up with off the top of our heads, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of them? Be honest with yourself. No one is judging your thoughts, you don’t have to share them out loud with the class. It’s ok if your thoughts are of dirt roads, swollen-bellied children, and piles of trash. Maybe the only positive image you can conjure up is of safari animals and soccer games? None of that would be surprising in the least. In fact, if you’re reading this as an American, our own president’s mind goes directly to the word “shithole”. When the leader of the Free World considers African countries second class, it has a profound effect on the way in which the whole world perceives the continent. If the only thing I accomplish during this year is to positively influence the way one person from my sending community (that’s you…) views Senegal, or Africa as a whole, then I will consider my time here a success.
There was a time in my life that those same poverty stricken images would have popped into my mind as well. I know that I am incredibly lucky to have concrete personal experiences that can contradict the stereotypes of these “shithole” countries *insert eye roll*. In hopes that I might help replace some of those more typical pictures of Africa you may have in your mind, I would like to share with you all what images pop into my head when I think of Senegal now.
I picture my host family all eating together around the same bowl, sharing food and stories from their day. I see my little host brother climbing on my host dad’s back while he sighs with loving exasperation. I see my host sisters giggling with each other as they sneak the coveted piece of fried fish into their section of the bowl. I see my host mother graciously passing me the large piece of fish that she noticed I was struggling to detach from the bone.
I picture the bustling market on a Sunday morning filled with street vendors selling the most vibrant and colorful fabrics I’ve ever seen. I see motorcycles weaving their way through the throngs of people, somehow managing never to hit anyone. I see locals haggling prices of fruit and rice with vendors they’ve known for years. I see babies tied to mother’s backs as they balance tubs of couscous on their head. I hear the seamless transition of French, Seereer, and Wolof all in the same conversation (you’d be hard pressed to find a Senegalese person that isn’t at least trilingual).
I picture the quiet nights spent staring at the stars with my host siblings. I see the entire Milky Way glimmering down me. I see my host sister laying her head on my lap, while my host brother lays his head on my shoulder. Although, they aren’t as intrigued by the vast African night sky as I am, they are content to sit in silence with me. I feel the gentle breeze blowing through my hair, still wet from my nightly shower.
These moments and so many more are what come to my mind when I think of Senegal, and the continent as a whole, now. To see only starving children, flies, and mud huts, while understandable, lends to falling into the trap of a single story. But trust me, it’s a story that doesn’t even begin to scrap the surface of what Africa is truly about. From the short time I’ve spent here, I’ve gleaned that African culture, Senegalese specifically, is about generosity, hospitality, laughter, relationships, and acceptance. The next time you find yourself bored and staring at your phone, take the time to go in search of positive stories and images from Africa. Stories that have nothing to do with non profit organizations or a safari tourist website. Let your curiosity take over. Discover stories about a people and place that you’ve never even heard of. Familiarize yourself with the what was previously unknown to you. I bet you’ll be surprised by what you find. Yes there are hardships and incredible poverty here, but Africa doesn’t need your pity. Africa needs your understanding, your curiosity, and your wonder. And if you ask me, I think we all could use a good dose of Africa too.
