Here are some pics taken in Senegal with an old-fashioned camera with only one button. The quality of the pics is not that good, but you might get an idea. I'll scan some of the best pics, but that will take some time. So, for those that are interested, it might be a good idea to visit this thread more than once...


To begin with... this is me and Charlotte. She's a friend I met at university. During a volunteering-job in Dakar, she fell in love with Mor, a wonderful man. Right now she's working there at the Belgian embassy and living with her husband, his cousin and two children... Together, we made a trip to Saint-Louis, the old capital of Senegal. The centre is colonial-style and relatively clean.

But as you move further away from the centre, you are confronted with poverty...





This is a 'house'

and this is a kid that was taking a pee as I passed by with my camera. This pic was taken at the safe moment afterwards.

MarieLouise said:

More more more....wonderful sweetheart and its good to have you here.

During our last week, my boyfriend and I took a plane to Casamance, a green, tropical and lush region in the south of Senegal, under the Gambia. Rebelfights have been going on for the last twenty years, in order to gain more independance. The climate is completely different here and the local people, Diola, speak another language. Their religion is based on catholicism, whereas the rest of Senegal is almost exclusively Islamic. We went there against everyone's advice, but had a wonderful time. We shared a meal with some former rebels and listened to their side of the story... once again stories of exploitation, corruption and so on...

These are some goats on the wonderful island of Carabane, in the Casamance region.

Passing through a village, we entered a house where a pig had been slaughtered. As you see, we weren't the only animals interested by this event. Twenty of them flying over your head. A bit scary, I tell you. (and no, these aren't chickens)

This is Yacine, the cousin of Mor (husband of Charlotte). She doesn't have any papers and never went to school, and at the age of 27 she's taking her first French courses, but her eyes told me the harsh story of her life. This lady stole my heart...



Da fa tanga trop, Yacine (it's way too hot)
[Edited 8/24/06 6:12am]

Another pic of Casamance...

This is l'île des oiseaux, an island made of different bushes of mangroves, where a huge variety of birds educate and feed their children...


[Edited 9/15/06 10:08am]

MarieLouise said:

Gorgeous pictures.

Thanks.

An isolated village in the Casamance region, only to be reached by 'pirogues'. People there live from the rice they grow and the fish they catch. They've never heard of Prince, not even of Michael Jackson.

This is my boyfriend giving basic capoeiralessons to some children of Yoff. Yoff is an ancient fisher's town situated between Dakar and the airport, and the town where Mor grew up in a family of 'Griots'.

Griots are the local musicians, those that make djembés and pass the family stories by singing and playing.

They're the group of society that is regarded as the lowest, only just above the families of people taken to America for slavery.

Me chilling with two boys after their exhausting lesson...

Once more some children from Yoff at their local school, where we drank a lot of very sweet tea.

(it's a pity black faces are so much harder to catch in pictures)

I've got about 200 pictures from Senegal, so this is just a small collection. I hope those who are interested got at least a small idea of how it was there. I can tell you it's been a very confronting journey, leaving me with a strong warm feeling in my chest, but also painful images in my mind.

For those who are meeting each other in Amsterdam tomorrow... just know I'd love to be there one day, and meet you all. Right now, however, it's not the best moment to undertake another journey, although it's a small one.

I've spent a lot of money over there, as a tourist, but also as a 'rich' white lady trying to give some people some experiences they never had the opportunity to have...

My account is empty and my head and body need some rest. Moreover, I'm not sure about the job I was offered, and I want to be here the next week to keep looking for another job.

Anyhow, enjoy yourself and I'll meet you, one day, that's for sure.

Lots of love, ML xxx

MarieLouise said:

The ocean water view is gorgeous.

Beautiful pictures, sweets.

Too bad you won't be here tomorrow...

Really beautiful snaps. Impressed. Wanna go there now, The only sengalese person I know is Akon!

drcoldchoke said:

He's a real hero over there.
[Edited 8/24/06 8:45am]

beautiful marielouise. and what a wonderful experience

MarieLouise said:

i love love love love this picture.... and what an experience that was!! so glad you're back safe. and thank you so much for sharing.

Yacine, the children, you and your boyfriend have stolen my heart. What beautiful pictures and what an experience!!


M

Beautiful picutes!

Makes one appreciate what they have, and don't have.

Wow! Amazing pix.

Amazing pictures Marie. How did you cope with the poverty?

MarieLouise I am amazed by these pictures. You must tell us more about your trip

JDINTERACTIVE said:

As we really visited projects in the poorest neighbourhoods of Dakar and St. Louis, that was not always as easy. I've tried to draw a line; during our visits we gave the children we got to know a bit something small, like a lolly. They expect you to do that, and it's much easier when you simply do so.

But whenever I walked in Dakar as a tourist, I tried to give nothing to the begging children. Most of them are 'talibés', young boys 'taken care of' by a marabout, an islamic leader who teaches them the coran and gives them shelter. Some of them take their job seriously, but many of them send the boys out on the street with a tin bucket to go begging. It's also know that many boys are physically abused, but as these marabouts have so much power in the country (the president is strongly supported by them), people can only react on a personal level. That's why I closed my heart and didn't give them money, because I don't want to support the rotten system that's behind it.

One day a boy of about ten years old came to me and asked me for a cigarette. I gave him a necklace instead and told him to give it to his first girlfriend. He was very happy. Another day we went to a horrible Americanstyle pizzatent, longing for something else than chicken and rice. The pizzas were way too huge, so we wrapped them up and gave them to the talibés on the street.

But most of all, I've tried to make the life of my friends a bit easier, by buying them a matress and a second ventilator, and paying for Charlotte's trip to Saint Louis.

But it was hard, I tell you. Raises many moral aspects. The first time after my return I entered a Belgian supermarket I felt slightly disgusted.

The other thing I realized once more is that religion for me is ok as long as people use it to strengthen themselves on a personal level. I don't believe in God, but I respect those who don't and I understand their choice. But once it becomes involved in the higher politics of a country, it becomes fucked up. But I better quit or this thread will end in another forum, and that's not what I want.

MarieLouise said:

Absolutely beautiful...

Extreme worthy thread... and so worth my time. I mentioned this to you, yet I will say it again. Some moments and experiences are of extreme value, to learn about life, our world and the people who experience these moments. (To hear what they have to say, or to feel what they feel)

Beautiful Thank You to you MarieLouise, I don't find myself reading much here anymore... but this gives me great joy and inspiration to follow all that you have to express.

This right here, your journey... is why I keep my faith of the org. Very powerful it can be, at times...

~Hugs.

Beautiful Morning here and to you a beautiful afternoon.

Here's some more...

These are the typical 'pirogues' that are used for fishing. Most of them are painted in lively colors and carry sayings on names or them. These same pirogues are used by desperate souls to cross the ocean in search for a better life in Europe. Many of them disappear. Can you imagine, crossing the ocean in a boat like that?