My Travel Blog from Senegal
http://grandrapidsgoesglobal.weebly.com/blog
Travel Reflections
Before I left for Senegal, I was conflicted on what my research question (required by Teachers for Global Classrooms) would be. As a social studies teacher of both Sociology, Geography, and Civics, my mind was filled with multiple ideas to study: "How does transportation effect communities in rural Senegal?", "What is citizenship in Senegal?", "How does poverty affect communities in Senegal?" I ended up settling on the question, "How does the physical geography of Senegal shape human interactions with the environment?" The task of concentrating on just one of these topics proved to be incredibly challenging.
Throughout my two weeks of travel, my focus went much further than the land of Senegal but more towards the relationship of movement and migration out of Senegal. A week before I left Minnesota, my geography students were studying migration and I found an incredible article on the story of young men leaving the EXACT village where I stayed, http://www.wsj.com/articles/young-men-in-senegal-join-migrant-wave-despite-growing-prosperity-at-home-1434127244. My students were thoroughly engaged in the idea of young people, not much older than them, venturing across Africa and then the Mediterranean in search of jobs in Europe to support their families, many of them never returning home after losing their lives in the Sea. One of my students ended up stumbling on a wonderful film that shows the desperation of migrants taking this voyage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPelTu3iupc. As my students watched, you could have heard a pin drop. Never did I think that this lesson prior to my departure would actually mean so much when I arrived in Senegal.
As Anita and I arrived in Tambacounda where we would be spending the next week with our host teacher, I immediately saw what the article and film had discussed; bus upon bus aching with luggage strapped higher than would be legal in the U.S., crowded with men waiting to travel East to Mali on their long journey. You could see the mix of anxiety, hope, and desperation in their movements as they stood, waiting for the bus to depart. I was in awe at how many people were actually allowed on each bus; comfort was not a guarantee on this ride.
We were immediately introduced to Ishmael, a kind man who was some kind of local celebrity. Ishmael was one of the only people from the small village of Kothiary (near Tambacounda, where our host family and school was located) that had a vehicle. Ishmael had made the difficult journey years before and had been working in Italy in between coming back to his family in Senegal. He was able to afford a car and generously agreed to drive us around during our stay. Ishmael remained a beacon of hope to young men in the community that wrestled with the idea of leaving their families for work opportunities abroad.
Ironically, our amazing host teacher also had a migration connection. Her brother in law had recently made the journey across the Mediterranean to France. He left behind his two wives and children who lived with my host teacher's family. These incredible women and children continued their lives like nothing had changed even though they were missing their husband and father. These women and children showed a resilience unlike anything else I had witnessed; not knowing when they would hear from their husband and father again, let alone see him; I can't imagine it. Unfortunately, family separation is a way of life for countless families in Senegal and across Northern Africa. With opportunity just on the other side of the Mediterranean, the journey seems like a necessity especially from a country like Senegal that has faced an incredible population explosion in the past 40 years. With over half of the population under the age of 18, there simply is not enough opportunities for everyone which leads to the emigration. In discussion with multiple community and regional leaders, it was apparent that one of the main concerns is increasing work training, job opportunities, and even leisure activities for youth. These community stakeholders expressed the importance of retaining youth in their rural communities to build a stronger future for Senegal. These leaders are worried for what the future holds for their country. Additionally, the families who support family members left behind are strapped with extra financial burdens unless job opportunities abroad are able to be secured.
Through my travels to Senegal, I have gained a new perspective on life. I teach differently. I care about different things. I think differently. I hope that my students have already seen a change in me and my teaching. I look forward to the stories that I will tell in my classroom in years to come. I look forward to expanding the single story of Africa for my future students. When I teach about topics like migration, they are no longer a political disagreement but a personal narrative. I wonder, what will the future bring for Senegal? Will the growing population be able to sustain itself without having citizens feel the need to emigrate? What will it take for more opportunities to become a reality in this country?
Disclaimer: This blog is not an official U.S. Department of State blog. The views and information presented are the grantee’s own and do not represent the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, or the U.S. Department of State.
http://grandrapidsgoesglobal.weebly.com/blog
Travel Reflections
Before I left for Senegal, I was conflicted on what my research question (required by Teachers for Global Classrooms) would be. As a social studies teacher of both Sociology, Geography, and Civics, my mind was filled with multiple ideas to study: "How does transportation effect communities in rural Senegal?", "What is citizenship in Senegal?", "How does poverty affect communities in Senegal?" I ended up settling on the question, "How does the physical geography of Senegal shape human interactions with the environment?" The task of concentrating on just one of these topics proved to be incredibly challenging.
Throughout my two weeks of travel, my focus went much further than the land of Senegal but more towards the relationship of movement and migration out of Senegal. A week before I left Minnesota, my geography students were studying migration and I found an incredible article on the story of young men leaving the EXACT village where I stayed, http://www.wsj.com/articles/young-men-in-senegal-join-migrant-wave-despite-growing-prosperity-at-home-1434127244. My students were thoroughly engaged in the idea of young people, not much older than them, venturing across Africa and then the Mediterranean in search of jobs in Europe to support their families, many of them never returning home after losing their lives in the Sea. One of my students ended up stumbling on a wonderful film that shows the desperation of migrants taking this voyage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPelTu3iupc. As my students watched, you could have heard a pin drop. Never did I think that this lesson prior to my departure would actually mean so much when I arrived in Senegal.
As Anita and I arrived in Tambacounda where we would be spending the next week with our host teacher, I immediately saw what the article and film had discussed; bus upon bus aching with luggage strapped higher than would be legal in the U.S., crowded with men waiting to travel East to Mali on their long journey. You could see the mix of anxiety, hope, and desperation in their movements as they stood, waiting for the bus to depart. I was in awe at how many people were actually allowed on each bus; comfort was not a guarantee on this ride.
We were immediately introduced to Ishmael, a kind man who was some kind of local celebrity. Ishmael was one of the only people from the small village of Kothiary (near Tambacounda, where our host family and school was located) that had a vehicle. Ishmael had made the difficult journey years before and had been working in Italy in between coming back to his family in Senegal. He was able to afford a car and generously agreed to drive us around during our stay. Ishmael remained a beacon of hope to young men in the community that wrestled with the idea of leaving their families for work opportunities abroad.
Ironically, our amazing host teacher also had a migration connection. Her brother in law had recently made the journey across the Mediterranean to France. He left behind his two wives and children who lived with my host teacher's family. These incredible women and children continued their lives like nothing had changed even though they were missing their husband and father. These women and children showed a resilience unlike anything else I had witnessed; not knowing when they would hear from their husband and father again, let alone see him; I can't imagine it. Unfortunately, family separation is a way of life for countless families in Senegal and across Northern Africa. With opportunity just on the other side of the Mediterranean, the journey seems like a necessity especially from a country like Senegal that has faced an incredible population explosion in the past 40 years. With over half of the population under the age of 18, there simply is not enough opportunities for everyone which leads to the emigration. In discussion with multiple community and regional leaders, it was apparent that one of the main concerns is increasing work training, job opportunities, and even leisure activities for youth. These community stakeholders expressed the importance of retaining youth in their rural communities to build a stronger future for Senegal. These leaders are worried for what the future holds for their country. Additionally, the families who support family members left behind are strapped with extra financial burdens unless job opportunities abroad are able to be secured.
Through my travels to Senegal, I have gained a new perspective on life. I teach differently. I care about different things. I think differently. I hope that my students have already seen a change in me and my teaching. I look forward to the stories that I will tell in my classroom in years to come. I look forward to expanding the single story of Africa for my future students. When I teach about topics like migration, they are no longer a political disagreement but a personal narrative. I wonder, what will the future bring for Senegal? Will the growing population be able to sustain itself without having citizens feel the need to emigrate? What will it take for more opportunities to become a reality in this country?
Disclaimer: This blog is not an official U.S. Department of State blog. The views and information presented are the grantee’s own and do not represent the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, or the U.S. Department of State.