La vie à Yeumbeul
November Update
After two months of being with my host family it’s safe to say I’m finally settled in! It has been quite the transition, but I’ve got a basic routine, and a decent layout of my surroundings. I live in a suburb of Dakar, named Yeumbeul Nord, just a few streets from the main road that cuts through Yeumbeul leading to other suburbs. Their home compound is quite nicely laid out, and it’s situated right next to a small lake. In Senegal it is very typical for the entirely of immediate family to live together in the same house. So, I live with my host parents, their son & his wife, their daughter, the wife of a son who lives in Italy, and five grandchildren. With this many people living together there’s always something going on, and the house is bustling. I’m still getting used to being around multiple small children all the time, it’s taught me a lot so far! And finally, as far as home animals go my family has four goats that live on the roof, a very common occurrence here in Senegal!
Home life here is pretty laid back, when differing chores are done people can relax, and do as they please. The nights are significantly cooler so hanging out in the courtyard of the compound becomes the main attraction. Tea and coffee breaks are common here. The tea is called “Attaya”, which is super concentrated, and sweet. One drinks it out of a shot glass, and there is a very specific aerating process when pouring the tea, which gives it an excellent foamy texture. It’s very good! Coffee is served in similarly small quantities called “Café Touba” which is concentrated black coffee with a lot of sugar. I’ve come to enjoy these breaks as it is just time to sit with the family, and not worry about saying much except enjoying the tea, coffee, and evening toward the end of the day.
As far as meals go here, my host family’s cooking is extremely good. The typical meals here consist of a base of rice/couscous, a sauce with vegetables, and some form of meat. Fish is most common to be served, however I have also had chicken, beef, and goat on more special occasions. The way families eat here is everyone sits around a large bowl and eats within their little zone from where they are sitting. You start from the outside of the dish, and then work your way in. Eating either involves a spoon, or your hand. For the meals where we eat with our hand my family incorporates baguettes to scoop with. It was an adjustment at first, but I’m getting used to it. At every meal it is expected you eat well, so my host-sisters are always shoving more food my way. And always reminding me immense hospitality is such a cultural norm here!
Typical Plating of Rice and Fish Called "Thieboudienne"
For work, my placement is split at the “SLDS
Centre Communautaire Galle Nanondiral”, it is the community center run by SLDS
(Services Luthériens pour le
Développement au Sénégal) which consists of a primary
school, library, computer lab, basketball courtyard, family assistance/planning
center, and bank. I work in the bank, called Woolonté credit union, which is a microfinancing firm overseen
by SLDS. It provides micro loans to those in the community that otherwise couldn’t
access standard banking services due to lack of assets. This is with the hope
that those who utilize the funds can establish a self-sufficient small business
and repay their microloan with relaxed repayment schedules. Additionally, Woolonté provides checking/savings services, and money
transfer through third parties such as Western Union. My job consists of helping
the cashier with the various day to day teller duties. It has been challenging
getting used to handling the local CFA currency, and the bank software which is
all in French. However, banking tends to have a universal language in how it functions,
which has enabled me to jump in. I have also had the pleasure to help the loan
officers with some of their tasks, such as traveling to other suburbs to do
periodical collection from market vendors. It has been very cool to see first
hand how microfinancing is a useful tool to combat poverty.
The Teller Windows of Woolonté
Working with Bea, the Woolonté Cashier!
My other
placement is within the financial administration of the community center. I
have been working with the director building an excel database for their paper
receipts that are collected for differing transactions. Such as when someone
signs up for a basketball league or purchases a subscription access to the
computer lab. This position is expected to evolve in the ensuing months. The
hope is to have a role in determining how to increase operational sustainability
of SLDS as needs of the Yeumbeul community change. It feels good to be putting
my college education to good use here at the community center, and it has been
a great experience thus far. I have some amazing coworkers that have shown me
the immense care they have for their community, and I am inspired by their selflessness
every day. Overall, I’m ecstatic to see what kind of experience these jobs
grant over the ensuing months!
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