The End of the Beginning, the Beginning of the End

The end has come and I am very tired. Apart from a few ends to tie up the project has finished and I'm off South for a two week break before I head back to Dakar for a much anticipated rendezvous with my family and girlfriend.

Fatigue and proximity have not allowed me much reflection and I'm sure I'll muse over it more here as it sinks in, but right now, I feel releived that everything went very well and happy that I've learnt so much. Not just about the application of aid with its possibilities and limits or about the culture and history of Senegal and West Africa but also about myself, and ourselves, as a group and in the broader sense, which is always the lesson I least expect.

As for the talibes, the benefit has been significant. We've been in complete control of our finances; deciding to build 5 new classrooms, 4 outside Dakar and 1 in, which will all greatly reduce child begging and in many cases eradicate it. We've also addressed some inner city problems, treating their illnesses and taking them away from begging to have some fun or learn something new. As always, there are certainly a few things we would change, but overall I think we've exceded what could reasonably be expected of us. Which is great!

Here's some pictures of my final night on a roof drinking tea, a habit I'll miss. First is Daouda (Dr. Tea) making...........tea. Second is Sheena, Marie and Jeannet happily anticipating my departure :-) Third is me exchanging details with Dr. Tea and last is a picture of a Senegalese 'fete' breaking the darkness and calm of the surrounding night.



But I still haven't had enough, now it's time for a biggish trip around West Africa. Right now I'm in Ziguonchor in the Casamance region of Senegal, from here I'm hopefully head further South to Guinea Bissau tomorrow assuming the very changeable price of the visa isn't prohibitive.

Getting all the way to Ziguonchor from Dakar yesterday was an uncomfortable and brilliant beginning to my African adventure. I arrived at Dakar's 'Gare Routiere' at 6.30am to catch a minibus for the 500km journey to Zig (as the obligatory trendy name goes). We left as the sun came up with my legs under my chin. 15 hours, 1 new country and 2 climate zones later we arrived in a night time tropical storm with lightning periodically illuminating the lush forest all around. The real tropical zone began as we approached The Gambia, which is also where the bribing began. At each Gambian checkpoint I climbed over numerous headdresses to be taken into a room with one soldier, who then looked at my passport, stamped it, held it, sized me up and then named his price. For the first two I payed about 5 pounds in total. The third soldier was a treat. He made me do my climb, stamped my passport and triumphantly told me that he would demand absolutely nothing, all with a handshake and a fist bump.

Time has run out on this post must finish quickly. I'll leave you with pictures of; the border, the Gambia River ferry, my bus, the ferry landing and my view of Ziguinchor in the morning.