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