A bittersweet farewell to Mbisell

Hello family and friends!

This morning we said goodbye to Mbissel and to the many friends we have made over the course of our time here. It was a bittersweet farewell and many tears were shed!

Over the course of our last week in town, our students worked hard to complete the main project-- building a wall around the church. They also put the finishing touches on murals painted on the walls of several classrooms. One mural depicts a map of the United States and a map of Africa connected by a bridge over which people are walking-- an image that resonates strongly with our group because of the connections we have made both here in Mbissel and throughout Senegal. In addition, our students wrapped up the English classes which have been a lot of fun!

This past weekend we stayed in our village to have a chance to see village life on a weekend (instead of taking an excursion). This gave us many opportunities to connect with our many friends from town and drink lots of Senegalese tea! On Saturday night we held a soiree and outdoor discotheque. We also took a day trip to the ocean where we relaxed an enjoyed.

This week we were able to witness the start of the rainy season in this part of Senegal. The rains began and suddenly our surroundings (which had been dry. dusty, and brown) became green, lush, and in bloom! Several students spent part of a day out in the fields with farmers, plowing their green fields.

To celebrate our last days in Mbisell, the town held a goodbye ceremony complete with Senegalese wrestling, sabar drumming and guitars, and more. This was followed up with another soiree and dancing at the school with many friends from town. It has been a memorable week to end an amazing month.

This morning we said our goodbyes and boarded a bus for Toubab Dialaw, a beach resort where we will spend two days relaxing and reflecting upon our many experiences this month before we head back to Dakar and home.

Signing off!
Amelia, Chris, and the whole crew

Projects and Pirogues

Hello family and friends!

This past week was wonderfully comfortable and fun. Work on our main project, the wall, is coming along at lightning speed, and the villagers are finally beginning to understand that we do not mind shoveling sand (even if we are dripping with sweat!) The students are teaching regular English lessons which are also progressing marvelously. It is both impressive and encouraging to see how motivated the Senegalese students are to learn English, especially the high school aged kids. Interactions between our students and local teenagers also help to facilitate great conversations while easing the French language barrier. We have also begun some sketches for mural paintings on the walls in a few of the classrooms. 

On Wednesday, one of our friends in the village had a birthday so we threw her a little party in recognition. It was great fun and bonding with our village friends, and we got to try a sort of funky shrimp chip; a Senegalese specialty. 

This weekend we are in St. Louis, a colonial city situated on the northern coast, with lots of history and a tranquil feel to it. Everyone is extremely happy to have showers, flush toilets, electricity, and a chance to truy relax!  Yesterday we took a pirogue tour along the Langue de Barbarie, a national bird reserve off the coast. We were delighted to find a beach with gigantic waves-- we were all craving some good wave jumping action!

Last night the restaurant where we had dinner had live music after the meal, highlighted by a fire dancer who literally ate balls of fire!  We were convinced that he had a few tricks up his sleeve, but he insisted that it is all in the skill.

We have a week and a half left in Mbissel, with independent projects underway and more exciting things to come!

Bye for now, 

Amelia and Chris

Life in Mbissel

Hello all,

It has been an eventful week since we last blogged! The people of Mbissel have been wonderful – the local kids, who are full of energy and enthusiasm, love to play with our students. Everyone in town is excited about the group’s presence, and our students’ integration in the community has been a high point of the first week. One activity that everyone particularly enjoyed was an evening when our students paired with local kids their age who showed them around the village. We have also celebrated three birthdays in the group with a cake and a wonderful tam-tam dance party!

Work on our principal construction project – building a wall around the local church – has gone very well. Last week we made bricks and now we are working on the actual construction of the wall. Another project, teaching English lessons, is very popular with both villagers and our students alike.

Our weekend excursion this past weekend didn’t end up being the relaxing break from the village that we hoped it would be. The bus company (the same one used successfully by our group last summer) was late on the journey out which resulted in our late night arrival at the private island where the eco-lodge is located. The eco-lodge was comfortable and the tour of the partially submerged mangroves there was excellent. Later, during an evening trip to the nearby town for internet access and dinner, we encountered a long power failure and the trip home was delayed by a brief breakdown in the boat from the island, and several breakdowns in the bus back! We were all frustrated that the weekend didn’t go as smoothly as we had hoped, but we talked through the experience and in the end it brought the group closer together. After all, it was an “authentic Africa” experience – not what we anticipated, but a realistic slice of life in Senegal.

This week we will continue to work on the wall and English lessons before heading north to St. Louis, the original capital of Senegal next weekend. Aside from an occasional upset stomach, everyone is doing superbly. The amount of growth we have seen already is amazing – parents should be very proud. We hope all is well in the States!

Lots of love from Senegal,

Chris and Amelia

Greetings from Mbissel

Hello all,

We arrived in Dakar-- safe and sound, and a tad weary from our long travels. That night we slept well! The next morning we held our group orientation on a rooftop terrace and then caught the ferry to the Ile de Gorée, an island just off the coast of Dakar that was used as departure point for many of the slave ships during the West African slave trade. It was a great experience for all.

In the morning the group split up to explore the bustling marketplace and the beach. We ate our first delicious, traditional Senegalese lunch of tiébou dienn and fresh fruit and (using our hands) with Chris' Senegalese host family. That evening we watched an exciting football (soccer) match and retired to our hotel.

The next morning we set off for our project village, Mbissel. Almost as soon as we arrived in town our students began playing games with young children from the village. Last night the town put on a special ceremony to welcome us-- friends from Mbissel shared words of welcome and excitement and for the month ahead, as did we! This week we will begin work on our main project, constructing a wall in town.

We have a wonderful group of students and everyone is happy and healthy.

Until next time,
Chris and Amelia

The group has arrived

We've received word from the leaders that the group has arrived in Dakar. They will travel to their village, Mbissel, on Monday.

Meet the trip leaders

2009 Senegal Leaders: Christopher Bromson and Amelia Nebenzahl

AMELIA NEBENZAHL: Colby College, B.A., International Studies with a concentration in French Studies. Amelia spent most of her years enrolled at Colby abroad. She studied at the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, France where she focused on French language, Contemporary French Society, and French History. She then went on to study at the CIEE Study Center at Suffolk University in Dakar, Senegal. While there, she concentrated on Development in Africa including Environmental Policy, Economics, Public Health, and International Crisis Management in addition to French and Wolof. In Senegal, Amelia also worked at Pouponniere de Medina where she gave basic care to young orphans. Amelia also spent two separate months at the Gandhi Ashram School in Kalimpong, India where she created lesson plans and taught English, music, environmental awareness, and basic math to Indian students. Amelia taught musical theatre at the Looking Glass Theatre Co. in Providence, RI for kids ages 8-16 and represented Colby College at the U.S. Campaign for Burma’s national conference in Washington, D.C. She was a member of the Movement for Global Justice, League of Progressive Voters, Colby College Chorale, and the Colby College Broadway Musical Revue. Amelia is fluent in French and proficient in Wolof and Spanish.

CHRISTOPHER BROMSON: B.A. in Corporate Communications with a minor in French, Baruch College, The City University of New York. During college, Christopher spent five months in Dakar, Senegal studying at the Université Cheik Anta Diop where he had the opportunity to study with some of the country’s most prominent figures in politics and HIV/AIDS advocacy. Christopher also worked at Empire des Enfants, a shelter that takes in victims of child trafficking and reunites them with their families. During his time there, Christopher gained a valuable inside view of the workings of an international and developing NGO, and also a rich knowledge of the Talibé system and its effect of the children of West Africa. He currently works as a rape crisis counselor in the emergency department of St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital. In his free time, Christopher enjoys spending time with friends and family, working in his garden, and preparing for a career in medicine in the fall. Christopher speaks French and Wolof.

Welcome!

In order to keep parents updated on the progress of their child's Putney program, from time to time over the course of the program, the trip leaders will post an update on this blog. We hope that the occasional updates will keep you informed about the activities, projects and successes of the summer, as well as comfort the usual worries in sending a son or daughter to a far-away place.

You should expect leaders to post blogs no more than once per week during the program. We feel strongly that the leaders' first priority is the students and the program. The reasons for infrequent updates will be the very busy schedules of our program leaders as well as inconsistent internet access at Putney's various destinations throughout the world. Please know that any important issues on the program will be discussed and resolved with leaders and parents by phone, not through the blog.

We suggest that you subscribe to the blog during your first visit so that you will receive e-mail notifications at the end of the day whenever a new update is posted. To subscribe, enter your email address under 'Subscribe via e-mail' on the right-hand column of the blog.

Have a fantastic summer!