Saying hello Senegalese style whether to a friend or just a passer by: “Ca va bien?” “bien, ca va?” “ca va bien merci, ca va?” “ca va bien merci” “na nga def?” “maa ngi fi rekk, na nga def?” “maa ngi fi rekk, ana waa ker ga?” “nu nga fa, ana waa ker ga?” “nu nga fa” “alhandulilaay!” “alhandulilaay!” [“How are you?” “I’m good and you?” “I’m good thank you, and you?” “I’m good thank you” (now in Wolof) “how are you?” “I’m good, how are you?” “I’m good, how are your family?” “they are well, how are your family?” “they are good” “thanks be to god!” “thanks be to god!]”
This is the beginning of indefatigable Senegalese hospitality! Taranga as it is known in Wolof is a central part of the way people interact with each other. Walking the streets, whether in urban Dakar or rural Casamance we were continuously invited for tea, dinner or to meet somebodies family. It is impossible to be a stranger here and this can feel both like a warm welcome and an exhausting ritual when all you want is some sugar from the shop. Sharing or partarge-ing is an unquestionable part of life, you are welcome in Wolof is ‘noo ko bokk’ which means ‘we share it’. If all that was left was a grain of rice is would be split between the whole family and who ever happened to wander by.
This culture of sharing is exemplified by how food is always eaten around a communal bowl, though the amounts never seem to vary no matter how many people crowd around. Eating like this is a great way to make new friends and you cannot help but feel welcomed however the food itself leaves a lot to be desired! Chee bu jen (rice and fish) is the national dish and eaten almost every day for lunch and dinner. Even when you are told you will be eating something else the dish will seem indistinguishable from chee bu jen. If looking forward to an un-fishy meal domodah (peanut sauce with rice) you will be disappointed as everything seems to taste of fish and bones turn up everywhere. The sauces are rich, comprising of palm oil, msg and onion and are redeemed by the spicing from chillies.
Luckily when boredom sets in there is always a boiled egg or deep fried omelette in a baguette to turn to. These are sold from little shops and street vendors everywhere. Sweets treats are a resounding disappointment which seems strange as sugar is in everything apart from them! Peanut brittle however is an unbelievably delicious exception to this and once we discovered it we did not stop eating it. The best use of peanuts we have seen, they are abundant here as Senegal’s main crop.
The preparers of the food are inevitably women and fixed gender roles and divides are noticeable. Men and women seem to lead separate lives and rarely if ever mix as friends. If married a woman takes on all domestic duties and often has a business selling goods on the side, whilst men go out to work (or not). Even before marriage girls are expected to help with all chores and errands whilst their male counterparts enjoy much more freedom and are prioritised in education. Child rearing is almost always entirely a woman’s job and it is a noticeable anomaly when you see a man holding an infant.
These roles are present in all strands of society. Women here are fierce and strong but traditional roles inhibit social equality. We found it nearly impossible to find the opportunity to get to know women and as western women were definitely treated differently by men. (Interestingly Tash is often treated with more acceptance than Harry, being as they say here ‘a cappuccino blend’ (a quarter Lebanese). People often look to Tash for translation as understanding Harry seems inconceivable! Some children seem genuinely frightened of us but often work up the courage to shake hands though a few have run away in tears!)
Religion helps uphold convention and is fundamental to life and culture here. Islam is the predominant religion with 80% of the country classified as Muslim. This informs dress and habits which remain for the large part conservative. Mosques are on every corner, the call to prayer is a common refrain and can be heard in all parts of the country. Even though people’s beliefs are central to the way they live their lives Senegal is a remarkably harmonious and tolerant place. Different religions co-exist peacefully and we never saw frank conversations end in nastiness or forced conversion.
Senegal is undoubtedly a tolerant country in many ways. Sadly sexism and homophobia remain cultural norms that are impossible to get away from and difficult to challenge. We had conversations which disturbed us and it was strange to get along with people who we discovered had such alien views to our own. Many people we met were shocked that we have friends who are gay and could not understand how homosexuality could be accepted. Gay relationships must obviously exist but are forced to be clandestine as they are met with legal and social hatred. To us, this remains an issue that is in desperate need of change.
Marabouts (West African religious teachers) are another troubling aspect of religions grip on society. On one hand their influence stops the infiltration of the fundamentalism which is currently marring other countries in the region, at the moment most notably Mali. On the other they are a powerful influence on politics and seem to inhibit change. The reverence held for Marabouts is apparent in the large amount of money people donate to them and the pride of place their pictures take in homes and vehicles. A system exists where young boys are entrusted into their care but in reality these children are exploited. The recurrent sight of dirty and sickly children begging on their behalf really makes you question the worth and integrity of the Marabouts. There is no stronger image of the hypocrisy of religion.
Allah does not only play a major role in social life but also in the economic sphere. Inshallah is a commonly used phrase which means ‘god willing’ and seems to abdicate personal responsibility, a concept which is unhelpful in the world of business. For example if someone asks if their newly purchased table will be delivered in time for a family feast the answer will undoubtedly be inshallah! Limited resources make forward planning very difficult and therefore a healthy profit often unattainable. Restaurants often wait for customers to order before they even buy the ingredients, each dish is cooked individually which is a very expensive and inefficient way to run a business. People work very long hours for very little and it is clear that making money here is a struggle. Women in the street sit side by side selling small bags of peanuts and it is impossible to understand how any of them make enough to survive.
Issues of development are very hard to judge. Senegal is on track to meet its 2015 access to clean water goal, we saw this in practice in rural areas where all communities had at least one well. When we met a P.H.D researcher however he told us that this did not necessarily indicate as positive an achievement as we had thought. Much of the water becomes contaminated after leaving water tanks and often contains dangerously high levels of lead and fluoride.
Though in many ways Senegal is a very modern country in some areas securing basic needs is an on-going challenge. We were however heartened by many of the young people we met here who see the future as in their hands. Where past generations (as they see it) have failed to look far enough forward this generation is planting seeds and looking for sustainable answers.
Everybody we met in no way wanted to trade their culture for a western one but were willing to embrace outside ideas that would enhance progress. Dialogue and the sharing of knowledge is beneficial to all of our futures. Discussing these things with like- minded people under the stars was one of the highlights of our time in Senegal. Even though elements of life here are sometimes hard to stomach we couldn’t have enjoyed our time in Senegal more. The people welcomed us from the moment we stepped off the plane and were only to happy to share their culture, tea and conversation. We would recommend a trip here to anyone and certainly plan to return ourselves. WOW! Senegal’s favourite tune!
