Care & Community - SENEGAL Daily Life

Daily Life of a Care and Community Volunteer in Senegal

My days usually began with me waking up to the sound of the maid knocking on the front gate at about 7.30am followed by the dogs barking. This was a good alarm clock, however not so much appreciated at the weekends. I would walk outside my shared room to be welcomed by a breakfast of coffee and baguette with chocolate spread, served in the shade.

My stomach full, I would set out on my walk to school. During the walk I would greet the people I passed as they greeted me; chatting to people on my way to and from school every day was one of the highlights of my time spent in St. Louis.

Arriving at school I would be immediately surrounded by kids wanting to play and jump on me. The first part of the day was taken up by singing 'heads, shoulders, knees and toes' (in French), and many Senegalese songs which I learnt and haven't yet forgotten! We would then have a break which involved a snack, water and entertaining the kids. After the break followed the most taxing part of the day: 'classroom time'. Here we would have to use our initiative to have a productive time of the day without causing havoc amongst the other classes. But of course none of them wanted to work since it is the summer, so simple maths was out of the question. Therefore creative ideas went down better, such as making masks, paper chains, paper aeroplanes, bracelets and colouring in. Depending on how patient and well behaved the children were, time would either fly by and soon the parents would arrive to take their kids home, or, more often than not, the kids would complete a task within half the amount of time predicted and we would then be left racking our brains for new ideas to keep them entertained. This would normally involve more paper aeroplanes! After an exhausting 4 hours at school, I was ready for some 'che-bou-dienne'. Everyone will have a chance of eating this delicious meal in Senegal and I assure you it will be sorely missed when you return home.

After eating we would share some Senegalese tea under the tree in our garden, the neighbours would come over and we would chat. At about 3.30pm after a well-needed shower, I would have the rest of the day free to myself during which time I would meet up with the other volunteers and go to a pool, the beach, the bustling market, or a patisserie. In the evenings I would come home via an internet café and then wait for my dinner which was usually meat or fish with potatoes or rice - pasta was a delicacy! This could be served any time between 7.30 and 11pm! After dinner the other volunteers and I would often meet up in town for a few drinks and sometimes go to one of the local clubs.

There are so many great memories I have of my time in Senegal; every day was something special and new, starting from my anxious ride from Dakar to St. Louis, the 2 mornings a week where I would help out at the local street children centre and my weekend trip to Mauritania where we slept in tents on the edge of the Sahara desert. It is definitely an experience I will never forget.