Religious Symbosis

As I am writing this, Ramadan is beginning in its first nightfall. I live in a Catholic household so not much will be changing at home but life will be changing for nearly the rest of my community that is 98% Muslim.

Ramadan is a major holiday so I’ve known about it and been aware of it happening each year. This year it takes on a new meaning as much of my host family, most of my coworkers, and all of my friends observe the 9th month of the Islamic calendar with the practice of fasting.

Fasting is a big part of Ramadan. I’ve always known this, but what is the importance of it and why now?

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. There is also a verse in the Quran that prescribed fasting for all Muslims who are mature and healthy enough to fast a whole day. Muslims fast as an act of worship, a chance to get closer to God and a way to garner compassion for those in need.

So why fast during this month? What makes the ninth month of the Islamic calendar special?

Ramadan is a holy month dedicated to prayer, Quran recitation, introspection and fasting during the sunlight hours. It is a month of the Islamic calendar in which Prophet Muhammad is said to have revealed the Quran to his followers. It is also believed the gates of Heaven are open and the gates of Hell are closed. Because of this, Muslims believe that their good actions bring a greater reward during this month than at any other time of year, as this month has been blessed by God. In turn, bad habits will be easier to break in this time as the devils are chained up in Hell and cannot be tempters.

I am also taking this month to reflect on religious tolerance. We’ve been struggling to accept those different from us, often for religious reasons, since the creation of world religions. All this time has passed and it’s astonishing to me how far we have to go. I have come to forget this struggle for tolerance in my daily life as I walk around my community and not even notice difference due to the strong community across religions. In our world it is made out to be that Christians and Muslims couldn’t be more different. Yet, here in Senegal they live, work, eat, and even pray side by side. Differences aren’t glossed over, but celebrated and protected. Living in a majority Muslim country I have felt no shame for being Christian and only interest and respect in conversations of religion and practices.

This isn’t just tolerance, it’s religious symbiosis. We all need each other to keep everything running and everyone happy.

Why can Senegal foster this religious symbiosis, but nearly the rest of world seems to be struggling so hard to even broach the topic of tolerance?

The opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem seems like a step in the wrong direction.

President Trump has moved the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem citing it as “a long-overdue step to advance the peace process and to work toward a lasting agreement.”

However this move is highly controversial as it breaks decades of US and international policy during a time where there is already conflict in the region.

The move of the embassy increased the intensity of conflict in already tumultuous times. The day after the opening at least sixty people were killed and thousands more injured in fighting between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians protesters.

I won’t bog you down with all the history of conflict and contention leading up to present day realities in the region. But believe me when I say it’s not ideal for peace that the movement of the embassy shows the world that the US is squarely on the side of Israel.

After the opening, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land released a statement in strong opposition to the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem. Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar explains, “This move is in violation of international law and reversed decades of foreign policy regarding Israel and Palestine. Such a unilateral decision undermines any potential for achieving just peace based on the UN Resolutions, and in fact has increased tension and conflicts throughout the region.”

“Jerusalem is a very special city, holy to three religions, and therefore it should be a place of peace, justice, and reconciliation.”

Jerusalem is a shared city for Christians, Jews and Muslims and freedom of access to holy sites for everyone is essential. Limiting this access to any group, to any person, only sets us back in the goal for our world to be a Mecca of religious symbiosis. Riddling these consecrated sites with conflict sends a message to the world that we all wish to work against each other. When what we need is to come together.

We are in need of reconciliation in our world. Reconciliation leads to symbiosis.

Unfortunately, the US and many of its citizens aren’t even close to reconciliation. It amazes me a country that was brought up with the hard work and ideals of persons escaping religious persecution in the Old World would be the same to foster so much ill will towards religious tolerance and not even recognize the possibility for religious symbiosis.

There are events, large and small, happening all around the world that are furthering us from religious symbiosis. It’s furthering us from peace and community, and hurting us. And to think, this is all happening during the holy month of Ramadan.

Ringing in the New Year: Thoughts on Measurement of Time

Admission #1: I started writing this blog post near the beginning of my time here in Senegal but the ability to finish it escaped me with all the busyness of learning the ways of my new life. Its purpose was to explain the concept of time here and how I altered my measurement of time upon arriving here. Luckily, with the start of a new calendar year the topic is once again applicable. We all (here in Senegal and across the globe) are thinking about time on a grand scale — the passage of last year and the future of the next.

Admission #2: I am a musical theater lover. I grew up in community theater singing, dancing, and acting most of my hours and the other hours of the day had a constant soundtrack of show tunes playing. Why admit this to you? One of my New Year’s traditions is to listen to the song Seasons of Love from the musical Rent on repeat. It is my geeky way of reflecting on the past year and conceptualizing the next.

For those of you that don’t have the entire soundtrack of Rent memorized I’ll include some of the lyrics to set the scene:

525,600 minutes, five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear,

How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee, in inches, in smiles, in laughter and strife?

How about love?

Seasons of Love

Journeys to plan? How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learns or in times that he cries? In bridges he burns or the way that she dies?

In time now, to sing out, the story never ends, let celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends.

You got to remember to love. Love is a gift from up above. Share love. Give love. Spread love. Measure your life in love.

I listen to this song during the days before and after the 1^st of January each year because it reminds me of all the unique and beautiful ways to conceptualize time. This New Year’s tradition became even more special as I rang in Year 2018 in Senegal with a completely new view of time.

Time is a concept that is seemingly straightforward. We often view it as a tangible and unwavering entity. Yet, as much it took me months to sit down and finish this blog post, it didn’t take me months to realize time in Senegal is different from back home. Time, the way we measure it and spend it, can change dramatically from one culture to the next.

In the United States, we are particularly obsessed with time. We like to measure it down to the last second to find its most efficient use. Often we equate time with the loss of it and thus loss of value that could have been gained. On a walk home from work one night, my coworker and I got into a discussion of the importance of taking time to greet people in Senegal. I mentioned to him that it is uncommon for people in the States to take time to greet each other, especially on their commutes to and from work. He wasn’t surprised and simply said, “Time is money in America.” At first, I wanted to defend and say that isn’t always true, but after consideration I had to admit, in general, Americans value time based on its measurement of money gained or money lost. It is a culture of working hard and making the most of time to get somewhere and get something. I can appreciate this mentality to a point, but shouldn’t time be about more than profit margins?

Seasons of Love offers up another way of measuring time – through love. The lyrics lift up the beauty of the love between partners, love between friends, love between neighbors, and love of life. Time can be seen as something just passing away as each minute goes by or it can be seen as the composition of moments we have loved one another.

Senegal has showed me how this measurement can be carried out. Time is left open to be used for relationship building. People aren’t rushed to get places so they can stop to greet their family and friends. Work is put on hold when a family member or neighbor needs help. Community is valued above all else and time spent in community follows suit.

My measurement of time in units of love has grown in my months here. I measure time not by the efficiency of my commute, but as the amount of neighbors I was able to greet on my way to work. I measure time at home not by the assignments I get done, but by the happy toddler squeals I can inspire from a game with my little bestie, Astou. Even at work time isn’t valued based on money made but by conversations with the many people that pass through the community center. Time is measured by lunches around the bowl made with love by the many wonderful cooks in my life here. It’s measured by the patience people have used trying understand my Wolof or French. It’s measured by the cups of attayah (tea) made and delivered by neighbors in the evenings. It’s measured by the number of times I’ve used the coffee mug my host family lovingly chose for me.

Time here is measured in love. It makes my theater geek self very content that I’ve found a culture that reflects the words of Seasons of Love. Time is much more than money. Time is relationships cultivated, compassion shown, and community fostered. This New Year’s holiday I continued my tradition and listen to Seasons of Love on repeat and reflected on the passage of time so far in Senegal. Yet, this time I truly understood what “measuring your life in love” meant.

Yalla nu Yalla ni etam jamm! Bonne année! Happy New Year!

 

Life in Senegal: Updates Pt. 3

As Salaam Alaykum, friends and family! My previous newsletter followed a question format and it seemed to be a big hit so here we are again with questions about my life in Senegal! These questions were a bit harder to figure out since all the simple ones were answered last newsletter, but hopefully these new ones will give you a deeper understanding of life here beyond my day-to-day actions.

How did I spend my Christmas…

To be honest, I had prepared myself for the Christmas season with no expectations. I knew the holiday season would just be inherently different being away from home but also different given the fact most people in my community don’t celebrate Christmas. However, my Christmas was much more spirited than I had anticipated! My host mom, Pascalina, set out decorations throughout the month of December and the weekend of Christmas put up a small tree. The morning and afternoon of Christmas were very busy with cooking a holiday meal for the neighborhood. It was a big job because Pascalina and I are the only Christians in the neighborhood and it is customary for Christians and Muslims to share a meal with each other on their respective holidays. After we finished cooking, many family members came to the house to visit and celebrate together. We sat around outside for rest of the day drinking attayah (tea), taking part in the festivities of the day, and enjoying each other’s company. Although the day was different from my celebrations back home, I went to bed full of Christmas spirit and a new memory of how to share the holiday that I will always cherish.

**All holiday meals at my house include chicken (special from normal protein source of fish). This holiday meal the chicken was the chicken that has been living in our courtyard since I moved here… definitely getting a close looker at the reality of food systems here!

What started fresh in the New Year…

After returning from the end of the year school break, I was nervous to go back to the school I work at. Before the break, the kids easily forgot my name or even forgot that I in fact had authority in the classroom and the teachers would sometimes be too rapped up in neighborhood gossip to include me in their conversations. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised to walk into the schoolyard on my first day back after the start of the New Year. I was greeted with warm smiles from the school staff, greetings from each student (successfully remembering my name as Maîtresse Ramatoulaye), and run-and-jump hugs from my favorite preschool students. Maybe it is all chalked up to the thought that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I’ll take this new fresh start in the new year and run with it!

**The idea that absence makes the heart grow fonder is very much present in my community here. You don’t see someone for a few days and they say, “Nama nala (Wolof)/I missed you!” I’m totally into it.

What have I been pondering…

I spend a lot of time pondering things here. I have a lot more time to be in my head. It took awhile to get use to because I am a naturally talkative extrovert who previously liked to avoid any alone time. Yet with the communication barrier and calmer lifestyle, I have learned when to sit back and enjoy my own thoughts. Now I cherish these moments of quiet where I can sit and just think. Life in a new environment and culture, time to read thought-provoking books, and meaningful discussion with friends has its endless supply of contemplations that I am truly grateful to experience during my time here in Senegal.

**Don’t doubt that I will talk everyone’s ear off about these contemplations once I back in the States…once an external processor and extroverted talker, always a external processor and extroverted talker!

What makes me feel at home…

I felt comfortable in my home here pretty quickly. All in thanks to my extremely patient host mom, Pascalina, and loving host big sister, Ami (technically she is my host cousin but she acts way more like a sister with her friendly teasing and guidance). However, I’ve been pleased to experience more and more things each day to increase my sense of home and belonging here. Some things happen every day, like when I get home from work Astou (my toddler bestie) runs from the back to the front of the house with her arms up ready for a hug. After the hug, I go to greet Ami who responds with a big smile when she sees me and greet Pascalina who always has questions about how my day went.  Other things that make me feel at home are conversations while sitting around the bowl at meals that turn into heartwarming memories. At a recent Sunday lunch, I mentioned to Ami (who had cooked the meal that day), “Lunch here is much better than at work. I miss eating here for lunch. I eat a lot more here than there.” It got a huge laugh from both Ami and Pascalina and then Ami lovingly responded, “Food is better here because this is your house.” The same way I prefer and love meals made by my mom back home in the States, I have come to prefer and love meals at my home here. As a foodie, I can’t think of a better way to realize that a house in Yeumbeul, Senegal has truly become my home.

**All quotes are actually translations from French/Wolof to English. Figured it would be nice to take the guesswork out of it for y’all!

Where have I visited…

The last few months have been pretty busy with travel. Since my last newsletter, I have made taken three trips outside of the Dakar region. The first was to Ngayoheme, a village in the Fatick region. It was my first time being out of the city so provided me insight into how life in Senegal can vary a lot depending on urban versus rural settings. I enjoyed the time away from hustle and bustle of Yeumbeul as well as the endless hospitality showed by the families who hosted me and others in my cohort. My second trip was to St. Louis on the northern coast of Senegal. This was the first retreat for my entire cohort to come together and share our experiences so far. It was a great mix of thoughtful discussion, fun on the beach, and visiting the charming town of St. Louis. My third trip was to Linguère over New Years weekend. Linguere is located in the northern desert of Senegal. It was nice to see desert vegetation that reminded me of home, feel the intense sun (I’ve actually been pretty cold in Yeumbeul for the last two months), and celebrate the holiday with friends. Last weekend, my cohort met up in Thies to celebrate Christmas together. We got to explore Senegal’s second biggest city, enjoy each others company, and create our own holiday festivities. Clearly, I’ve had a lot of my weekends full in the last few months! It has all been a blast but I am ready to take a bit of a break and enjoy the weekends at home in Yeumbeul.

What is one of the lessons I’ve learned…

I can’t transcend perceptions of foreigners, the United States, or Americans. These perceptions follow me as walk through Yeumbeul and other parts of Senegal. Some perceptions I inherently perpetuate (both positive and negative), others have no hold on who I am or what my life is like here or even back in the States. However, I must accept the burden of these perceptions and continue to learn their origins. These perceptions have motivated positive and negative experience here. Sometimes I might make it through to people and change someone’s views, other times it just isn’t in the cards. Either way, it has been a truly humbling experience to be here learning to live with these perceptions that are tied to my identity has a foreigner/American.

**This only one of MANY lessons I’ve learned here so far. People aren’t joking when they say experiences like these are full of life lessons!

 

Feel free to catch up with me and ask more questions by contacting me through iMessage, Facebook Messenger, or email. I enjoy keeping up with everyone!

Jamm rekk! Peace only! Xx

Berkley

ps. Shout out to all who sent me sunset photos after my request in October. You’re the best!

Life in Senegal: Updates Pt. 2

This newsletter is the first introduction to my daily life here in Senegal. There is a lot to say so I broke it up into questions. Each section answers a question you may have for me or be interested in. I hope all together it paints a picture of what life is like for me this year!

Where I live…
Yeumbuel, Senegal

Yeumbeul is a technically a neighborhood of Dakar, but there is nothing suburban about it. It is a city in of itself with a endless boutiques (small stores that carry daily necessities), a large market (clothes, vegetables, shoes, everything and probably even a kitchen sink), carpenter shops, metal working shops, furniture making shops, barbers, fabric stores, gas stations, and more. The streets are filled with cars, buses, cargo trucks, motorcycles, and horse carts. There are also a ton of ‘car rapides’ which I take every day to work that are vans turned into public transportation. Every trip is a very tight squeeze with twenty people or more stuffed into a small space, but it gets me to work in half the time of walking so its worth it! Yeumbeul also has some nature get-aways. The best is that I live only a twenty-minute walk from the beach. Mostly though, my everyday is city life full of people and things everywhere Iook.

What people call me…
Ramatoulaye Manga

In Senegal, hospitality is everything. This includes giving foreigners a Senegalese name to welcome and integrate them into the community. My host mom gave me my name the first day we met. Immediately, I loved it. Ramatoulaye is always shortened by my family and kids in my neighborhood to Rama, a nickname that I equate with my close relationships here. Manga is my family name. It is used as a signifier of who I live with but also identifies that my family is Diola/Jola and from the Cassamance, the southern part of Senegal.

Who’s in my family…
The Manga Family

My family I live with is small, especially by Senegalese standards! I live with two women and a toddler. My host mom, Pascalina Manga, is the matriarch of a large family whom I have the pleasure of interacting with often. Pascalina is calm and patient, which is helpful when dealing with countless communication errors with me. The other woman I live with, Ami, is also a part of that family. She keeps me on my toes, calling me out on my mistakes, or urging me to get out of my comfort zone. Her daughter, Astou, rules the roost with her toddler charm and toddler terror. Yet in spite of my endless lack of sleep from her cries each night, Astou is indeed the best family member I could have ever asked for.

My household is small but outside my house I keep meeting more and more family members. I work with one of my host uncles and one of my host mom’s daughters. I also have met so many host cousins I’ve lost count. In addition, anyone else who is Diola claims me as an extended family member.

What do I speak…
Wolof and French

There are many languages in Senegal. The national native language is Wolof and French is used in business, government, and education. I speak both languages everyday. I still have a long way to go with both but within the last few months I have improved understanding. I take Wolof lessons every week and many people at work like to teach me new words everyday. I speak French with my host mom and any time my limited Wolof vocabulary just won’t cut it. Everyone has been gracious with my limited Wolof understanding and my choppy French speaking. However, people are still very intentional about keeping accountable in practicing and speaking even when I am unsure if I am even saying anything that makes sense. The language barrier is the biggest challenge here, but with persistence and aid of everyone here improvement is inevitable.

What I keep busy with…
Working at a preschool and bank

In the mornings, I am a part of the school program of Senegalese Lutheran Development Services (SLDS), a nonprofit organization with the mission to build capacity of individuals and communities through health, sustainably development, and economic empowerment through various programs. I help out at the preschool with the petit section (3-year old class). Needless to say, my mornings are fun but leave me pretty exhausted! The kiddos hate saying bye to their moms, but love dancing to the drum, playing in the sand, and drawing on their chalkboards. I have learned many words in Wolof to keep them in line, like toogal (sit down) or noppi (silence). Although they leave me tired, their cute faces, hilarious personalities, and endless energy keep me smiling throughout the morning.

In the afternoons, I go to the Centre Galle Nanondiral, a community center that includes many services of SLDS. One of the services is a bank where I work. The focus of the bank is the micro-credit program. The objectives of program are to promote economic empowerment, facilitate access to credit, and create a stepping-stone for social mobilization for the community, especially women and disadvantaged persons. Receiving a loan also requires opening up a savings account and committing to monthly payments into both the reimbursement and savings account. I have enjoyed watching the program at work and the bank operate. I have learned a lot of financial words in French and financial concepts I did not know before. Working at the bank and with the program allows for interaction with the community with visits to community groups who have loans to promote their businesses.

Who are my coworkers…
Lots of coworkers with two different workplaces

At the preschool, I work closely with the petit section teacher, Maitress Mariama. She is great with the kids and also patient with me when I don’t quite understand what she is asking me to do. There are also four other teachers who teach preschool and elementary levels. In addition to teachers, there are people to help out with administration and upkeep of the school. One of the men is particularly keen on me learning Wolof and quizzes me each day on what I know.

At the bank, I have three coworkers. Thiam is in charge of giving me tasks and also enjoys practicing English/Wolof/French with me. There are also two cashiers, Virginie and Penda. Virginie loves to tease me and insists I talk and eat more. I tease her right back and we both laugh with each other, our relationship is the epitome of a Senegalese friendship which base is usually friendly teasing.

I also interact with the rest of the people at the Center daily. Greetings are very important to Senegalese culture so I make it a point when I arrive to the Center in the afternoon that I greet everyone. I also visit with Casey, my fellow YAGM who lives in Yuembuel, who works at the Center as well. In addition to coworkers, there are the students who go to school at the Center and use the other services. Ultimately, there is never a lack of people to hangout with!

How I spend my free time…
Lots of Astou-time and some me-time

Gradually my free time has reduced as I have more things to do at my jobs, more people to visit with after work, and more weekend adventures. However, I treasure the downtime when I have it. Most of my downtime I play with Astou who loves to run around the house, take my laundry out of the bucket before I am done washing it, play with her doll, or take all my possessions and place them in random places around the house.

I have also grown to appreciate alone time filling it with reading books, keeping up with recording my life here in my journal, and singing in my room (even though I know everyone can hear me). I also like to go up to the roof in the evenings to watch the sunset and listen to call to prayer coming from the several mosques located near my house.

What do I eat…
Mostly rice and fish

Every morning, I eat half a baguette with butter and a small wedge of Vache Qui Rit (soft Laughing Cow cheese). I also drink a mug of what I affectionately call a “Senegalese latte” that has more powered milk and sugar than Nescafe (instant coffee) in it. I thought I would get tired of this same meal each day but I have grown to love the routine of it. Plus, who doesn’t love butter, bread, and sugar!

It is common for lunch that people go home to eat and rest until work starts back up at 3pm. I sometimes eat at the school after class, but I like to go home because the meals are always so good! Lunch is usually a base of rice and fish and changed up with different vegetables and sauce each day. My favorite Senegalese dishes include ingredients like caramelized onions, bissap (condiment made of bitter leaves of the bissap plant), carrots, olives, cassava, and a lot of hot pepper. Lunch is eaten ‘around the bowl’ with everyone eating from a communal dish with the fish, vegetables, and sauce in the center to share.

Lunch is the main meal of the day leaving dinner to be a smaller meal with less prep time. Sometimes dinner is leftovers from lunch or pasta with a simple onion sauce. Other days it is sweet oatmeal-like dish served with something that resembles goat cheese or a bean dish with potatoes. All are served with a section of baguette. I often heat up some water after dinner and drink hot milk with sugar with the rest of my baguette section for dessert.

What are my plans…
Busy November and December

There is a lot to look forward to coming up! First, my first visitor is coming in the upcoming weeks. Mercedes, a fellow YAGM, will be in Yuembuel for two weeks with work at the seminary. I am excited to show her around Yuembuel and catch up on our new lives here in Senegal. We will also be attending a youth weekend through the Lutheran church of Senegal in the Fatick region with two other YAGMs. After Mercedes’ visit is our first retreat where all the Senegal YAGM will come together somewhere in Senegal. It will be the first time all of us will be together since September so I am really looking forward to it!

Feel free to catch up with me and ask more questions by contacting me through iMessage, Facebook Messenger, or email. I enjoy keeping up with everyone back home!

Love to you all! Xx

Berkley

Life in Senegal: Updates Pt. 1

First off… Why am in Senegal?

My year post-grad had been decided by freshman year of high school when I met my French teacher who had served in the Peace Corps in Chad. I told my parents that day that I wanted to serve overseas. Throughout my four years in his class, he would share his experiences and how they shaped him. My desire to serve abroad stuck with me until the end of college so I set out last fall to seek out what options would be best. I found a great fit with Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM). I realize some of you reading this already know all about YAGM, but for the rest of you… I wanted to give you a bit of background below so you can understand what this next year will be about for me and my 92 fellow YAGMs around the world.

What makes YAGM special?

To its core, the YAGM program operates on a model of accompaniment. Accompaniment is all about relationships. Our year’s goal is to build meaningful relationships around the world. These relationship break down boundaries, create a greater global community, and create a sense of compassion for all regardless of who you are, how you worship, or where you live. In opposition to the white savior complex, the program posited that people with privilege don’t, and absolutely shouldn’t, have a monopoly on serving others. Every single person has gifts to offer and every single person also has things to learn from others.

For more information, look to http://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Global-Church/Global-Mission/Young-Adults-in-Global-Mission or email me with any questions on what accompaniment will look for me in Senegal this year!

The very first photo taken in Senegal! My fellow Senegal YAGMs (Grace, Hannah, Casey, Kristian, Mercedes, and Lily) and our country coordinator (Kristin) right outside the Dakar airport.

Before arriving in Dakar, Senegal!

The week before arriving in Dakar was spent in Chicago for an orientation for all 93 YAGM participants serving all around the world this year. We discussed important topics regarding our upcoming year and in many cases these topics also related to the state of the United States today. It was a wonderful week to take time to process and reflect. Plus, my extroverted-self flourished with lots of bonding time and engaging conversations with seemingly endless amounts of awesome people!

So far in Dakar…

Our very first full day here we were treated by our country coordinator, Kristin, to our choice of fabric from the market to make two custom-made dresses.

Our first attempt at eating “around the bowl” which is how many Senegalese people eat their meals. I love the communal feel but I definitely have a lot more practice to do in terms of successfully eating with my hands.

Learning to wash hand wash clothes. There is a specific Senegalese way! A few days ago I tested it out with a whole weeks of laundry – it took me an hour but my clothes came out nice and clean!

My first three weeks in Senegal are dedicated to an in-coutry orientation with my fellow Senegal YAGM and our country coordination Kristin. We have been very busy with language classes, meeting tons of people, and cultural lessons all day. I have really enjoyed it all so far! It is also special to share this experience with people that are becoming my close friends. We are all throwing ourselves in the culture and getting ready for in a few weeks when we’ll be on our own! There is so much happening everyday… this newsletter would have to be 20 pages long to fit it all in so be sure to tune into my blog and Instagram to see the highlights!

Language Corner

A week into learning Wolof , I thought it would be fun to share a common introduction to you all! My classes are taught almost entirely in French so it has definitely been a challenge… but I love already being able to practice with people in my neighborhood. This greeting is important and said to everyone when entering or arriving at a place or when approaching an already established group. It is also very important to shake everyone’s hands!

Asalaa maalekum

Alekum salaam

(Arabic: Peace to you, and to you peace.)

Na nga def?

(How are you?)

Maa ngi fi rekk.

(I am fine. Literally: I am here.)

Ana waa ker ga?

(How is the family?)

Nu nga fa.

(They are fine. Direct translation: They are there.)

Alhamdulilay.

(Arabic: Thanks be to God. )

Feel free to follow me on Instagram at berkley.hope or email me any questions at berkleyhope@gmail.com! I also have a blog at https://berkleyhope.wordpress.com that has not yet been used but I plan to use for pictures and reflections of my experience!