Bada ya Tanzania

James Mixon

Africa 2017

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After a little over two weeks in Tanzania I’ve returned to Nairobi, having successfully bagged (and filmed) the other two major peaks on my agenda: Mt. Meru, and that most auspicious of African climbs, Mt. Kilimanjaro.

While in Tanzania I was working with the local sister company of KG Mountain Expeditions called Snow Africa Adventures–it is extremely expensive and difficult for international companies to operate in Tanzania, so almost all tour companies have partnerships across the Kenyan border, from where most of the tourists arrive after flying into Nairobi. Snow Africa Adventures is managed by a long-time mountain and safari guide named Hussein Omari. Hussein was my host and coordinator for my time in Arusha, the township that dominates tourist traffic. It’s the nexus of the business running to Kilimanjaro National Park and the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the two most popular safari areas in all of Africa.

With Hussein’s help, I arranged interviews, got to and from the parks, and explored the towns that are home for the guides and porters on Kilimanjaro and Meru. When I actually went to the mountain, it was with a different Hussein. Hussein Said is also a long-time mountain guide, and of the two Hussein’s he’s the only one that’s still active (and in shape).

I’ll be posting several updates after this one regarding each individual mountain, the men I was working with, and a particularly complicated story regarding the Tanzanian bureaucracy.

Mental Health Ward

Karah Waters

Tanzania 2017

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August 15th

I’m sitting outside with the sun shining on me as it begins to set. This Saturday is coming to an end and as it’s ending I’m reflecting on these last 2 weeks that I had at the hospital. I have been in the Mental Health Ward and it has been such an eye opening experience!!! At first I was really worried because I didn’t know what to expect. I had heard how it was very different in some aspects. However, I absolutely loved it.

I spent my first few days in the male acute ward and fell in love with the patients. In the psych ward they have an acute ward for males, a general ward for both females and males, PPI which are private rooms for people with private insurance, Occupational therapy unit for groups, a day clinic for pediatric and adolescent patients, and a methadone clinic. I had a chance to go to each of these units; however, I spent most of my time in the male, acute ward because I was able to see and learn a lot there!

This is the outside of one of the acute male rooms. It looked a lot like a prison and you had to use a key to unlock the gate to get in

When patients first arrive they are immediately admitted into the acute ward (if they are males) and then when they calm down they’re admitted into the general ward generally after being in the acute ward for 24 hours (sometimes longer). A lot of the male patients upon admission are aggressive. I witnessed quite a few. The family members that bring them in as well as the staff hold them down to the bed and restrain both arms and legs. At first I had a hard time dealing with this. In America, restraining patients is a last ditch effort. We go from least invasive to most invasive. Once they get the patients tied down they then administer medications. Both through the vein and an IM (intramuscular). However, when they administer the medication through the vein they don’t insert an IV cannula. They do it strictly with the needle into the vein. It’s quite a big needle and sometimes the patient is thrashing around on the bed. Typically the needle is jerked out and the nurse re-inserts it several times until they’re able to get it all in. In America we never restick the patient with a needle. This was quite different to see. I’ve never seen medication injected directly into the vein without the use of an IV cannula. It also made me nervous for a needle stick injury. It would be very easy to accidentally stick yourself with the needle with the patient is trying to fight you putting the needle in.

A lot of the patients were admitted with psychosis due to drug use. The most common drug of choice was cannibus. Patients were also admitted because they weren’t being compliant with their medications. Therefore, the patient may come in because they’re being manic from their bipolar disorder. There were also patients there who had schizophrenia, grandiose due to psychosis, aggressive/agitated patients, major depressive disorder, etc. A lot of the patients were highly educated and had a college level education. A lot could speak English as well. In the acute ward there are two rooms. Each room has 6 patients so a total of 12 patients. However, the rooms didn’t really look like rooms. They looked a lot like a jail cell. The male patients wore blue scrubs and the female patients wore red.

Inside the acute ward there was one patient that absolutely broke my heart. He was found on the street (they think his family just dropped him off and left him) and brought to the mental health ward. He is mute and seems to have some sort of mental disability. A lot of patients with mental disabilities are seen as someone who has a mental health problem. They tried sending him to an orphanage but things didn’t work out there so he has been in the acute ward for 2 years now. T W O Y E A R S. I just couldn’t believe it. The rooms aren’t that big and there’s nothing to do inside the room. Every now and then the patients are able to leave for OT but that’s not that often. Since he is mute he’s unable to tell anyone his name. In addition, he’s not able to write so he can’t write his name. He’s literally known as Unknown. They don’t have a name for him. They’ve tried putting his picture in the newspaper, on the news, and on radio broadcastings to try and let his family know he’s at the hospital because he’s unable to give the staff any information about his family and where he’s from. However, know one has shown up. In one regard it’s wonderful that the government pays for him to be there and that he’s not left out on the street but it’s very sad that he’s been there for so long. They’re trying to get him a permanent home but it’s still in the making. I’ve learned that you can’t change things in the hospital but you can have an open mind and just understand that’s the way it is. Before I came here a native had told me to

Be compassionate but not emotional.

That’s the one phrase that I’ve kept in mind over and over again. I’m not here to compare and contrast how we (America) do things compared to how people in Africa do things. I’m here to see how they’re able to manage and use the resources they have here. Countries can learn a lot from one another. Whether that be a developed or undeveloped country.

The man in charge of the acute male ward is named Clemence.

He is SUCH a sweet man and taught me so much!

He’s been there for 10 years and went to college at Muhimbili. He’s such a sweet man with a huge heart and shows compassion to all of the patients. He was so good at explaining how a lot of people in Africa aren’t educated on mental health conditions and people may think the patients are bewitched and such. He also explained how the police force aren’t educated on mental illnesses. A lot of the times the police officers will see a person acting out. Maybe the person is being overly manic and destroying things or acting out in public and the police officers will beat the person and then bring them into the hospital. There was one patient who would scream in pain any time you would touch him and his upper lip was extremely swollen, bruised, and bleeding. When I asked what happened to his lip Clemence explained that he was acting out in public so a police officer bit (yes... bit) him on the lip and they beat him before they brought him in. They did this simply because they weren’t aware that he couldn’t help what he was doing due to his condition.

Moreover, a professor and clinical instructor invited me to a class presentation that his students had where they presented a case of a patient. This was very eye opening! I learned a lot by getting the chance to attend the class. They use a lot of the same terms we use in America for their patients and they also use NANDA! Which is North American Nursing Diagnoses. So a lot of the same nursing diagnoses we use in America they also use in the mental health ward.

Getting to go to the Methadone clinic was a very unique experience. A lot of the patients who have addiction problems to drugs and/or alcohol will go to the clinic to get methadone which is a type of opioid. It is bright green and they drink it at the clinic. It’s in liquid form so the patients can’t try and sell it which they could if it were in pill form. The patients who are seen here have to want to get help and have to no longer use the substances they have been using. Each and every day the patients come to the clinic to get the methadone and then leave.

A lot of the patients who suffer from addiction and have risky behaviors tend to also have risky behaviors sexually. Therefore, a lot of the patients being treated at the methadone clinic also are being treated for HIV. Since they HIV and their immune system is lowered they tend to also have TB. Almost all patients with HIV also have TB. Before the patients can get their methadone they have to come and get their TB and HIV medications. Since the patients really want their methadone, it helps increase the compliance of them taking their other medications first so they can get their methadone. I know back in America it is extremely important for patients with TB to take all of their medications each time. Patients are typically on TB meds for an entire year and take up to 6 pills. At the health department if patients don’t come to take their meds then staff members will call them and even go to their home. It’s so crucial to be compliment with the medication regiment. I thought it was very smart for them to put all 3 medications (methadone, HIV, and TB) in the same clinic. Since there is methadone in the clinic there is a risk for people coming in with guns to try and get the methadone. They said that it’s happened in the past where people have come with guns. So I was extra cautious. However, nothing like that happened while I was there. I also got the chance to see a patient in the clinic get reassessed with how he’s doing with his addiction and no longer using drugs. During the interview there was one thing that really stood out to me. When he was asked what his annual income was he said 350,000 Tanzanian shillings. This is less than $200 US dollars. I just couldn’t believe it. On a typical week here I usually take out 200,000 which is $89 US dollars for food and commuting each day on the bus and tuk tuks. I just couldn’t fathom it.

The methadone clinic was different then any other clinic I’ve been to in America. The experience I’ve had in my mental health rotation and my senior practicum which was in a child and adolescent psych unit back home in America was quite different compared to here. There aren’t rehab programs here or a place for children to stay in patient. The day clinic for children and adolescents doesn’t admit children for overnight. In addition, there is not a problem with self mutilation among pediatric patients here. The most common issue with children and adolescents are drugs. This was a great thing to here! I had to explain to the doctor and nurses how children in America do self mutilate and will sometimes try to kill them selves. It was the first time they had ever heard of self mutilation. However, one of the nurses did tell me that on the adult unit a patient would bite at his fingers and literally chewed them off. Other than that, the patients don’t tend to harm themselves as often as I’ve seen in America. Furthermore, there was also a difference with not having a geriatric unit. The older patients tend to stay in the acute ward and aren’t put in the general ward because the other patients are too intense there and there isn’t as much observation in the general ward. There are about 30-40 patients in the general ward and they all share one room. So the older patients just stay in the acute ward until they are discharged.

Overall, I was able to see a lot of admissions, discharges, and transfers. During my time in mental health I learned a lot! The biggest issue I see is the need for educating others on mental health and imploring more time for the patients to have in OT and getting out of the room on a day to day basis. There are some things they can’t help like being understaffed and not having as many psychotropic drug options as we do in America. However, I was able to learn a lot here from the patients, nurses, and doctors. I’m excited to see what my next two weeks will be like in the Emergency Department! I did a night shift once in the ED already and it was a very interesting experience.

Nane Nane Day

Karah Waters

Tanzania 2017

Adventure with Mcha

Karah Waters

Tanzania 2017

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It’s hard to believe I’ve officially been in Africa for an entire month. The first few days and weeks it didn’t feel real. I would wake up every morning in disbelief that I was actually in Africa. It wasn’t until the trip to Zanzibar which was when I finally accepted I was in Africa. Throughout the week I’m at the hospital, Muhimbili National, from 8a-3:30p. The commute to and from work is about an hour. The weekends are when I go on adventures. Two weekends ago was when I went on an adventure to Zanzibar. We had a tour guide by the name of Mr. Alewei and we did so many amazing things. We left Tanzania early in the morning by ferry and met Mr. Alewei upon arrival. I learned that Tanzania’s original name use to be Tanganyika. It wasn’t until 1964 that Tanganyika and Zanzibar joined together. The “Tan” is for Tanganyika, the “Zan” is for Zanzibar, and the “Nia” means to come together. The first day we got a tour of Stone Town which is a very historical part of Zanzibar. We took a boat to Prison Island where we had a tour. When slaves would act out to their owners in Zanzibar they would send them to the island to be prisoners. There were huge turtles on the island that we got to feed and play with! The oldest one was 192 years old.

They are protected by Zanzibar and have a safe home on the island. We snorkeled on the island and then went to a place where we had a spice tour. There were SO many types of spices! They would pull off a leave on a plant and have you smell it and guess what it is. I ate the bark from a cinnamon tree and it tasted just like Red Hot gum! After smelling all of the different spices we watched a man climb the coconut tree and throw down the coconuts. They then cracked the coconuts open for us and we got to drink the juice. The people from the spice tour made us grass crowns, bracelets, rings, and necklaces.

Mr. Alewei is the gentleman squatting. And these are some of the great friends I have made who are also working in the hospital.

It was absolutely amazing! Afterwards, they fed us fresh fruits that are all grown on the island. There were fruits I ate that I had never heard of before like laichi and jack fruit. The next day we got the chance to swim with dolphins and go to Jozani which is a national park. The forest was so breathtaking! I got the chance to see SO many monkeys in their natural habitat! It was unbelievable. The monkeys would run right in front of you or right beside your feet and swing from branches just in front of your face. There are two monkeys native to the island. One of those monkeys you can find all throughout Africa; however, the Red Colobus Monkey is only found in Zanzibar.

This is a baby monkey being nursed by its mother.

I also got to see Mangroves all throughout the forest. These are trees that can only live in salt water and the roots of the trees actually grow above ground because of the lack of oxygen under ground.

Zanzibar was such a beautiful place and it was quite different compared to Dar es Salaam. You felt a lot safer in Zanzibar. I could actually carry my phone in my hand while I was walking out in public and carry a bag with me. Thefts weren’t as prevalent there as they are in Dar. The economy of Zanzibar relies so heavily upon tourists whereas Dar doesn’t have as much tourists. There is a lot more poverty in Dar compared to the people who live in Zanzibar. However, there is still poverty there. I passed by many homes and villages that were very rural and looked poverty stricken. Moreover, the population of Zanzibar is very diverse! 90% of the population is Muslim. A lot of people spoke in Arabic and there were many buildings that had Arabic writing. Luckily, a guy that was on the trip with me, Saqib, knows Arabic and was brought up Muslim. He taught me a lot and I had the chance to hear him speak to some of the natives in Arabic. It was really cool to see. A lot of people were in hijabs and modestly dressed. There are also a lot of Muslim people in Dar but not as much as I saw in Zanzibar. Dar is about 50% Muslim, 50% Christian. So although I had an absolutely unforgettable experience and trip to Zanzibar there is one person that I really hold dear to my heart and was my favorite part of the trip. Everyone, please meet Mcha.

Mcha from Zanzibar

He’s a 15 year old boy who’s a fishermen. I was attempting to go out to the sea with a friend from Work the World named Saqib, because the tide was really low and there was about a mile or so of shallow water and then you could reach the reef. He approached us with his fish he had caught that day, which you can see in this picture

and asked if we were trying to go out. He spoke very little English but we were still able to communicate with the broken Swahili we new and the broken English he knew. He led the path and along the way he showed us his world in the water. This was a time that I really learned the importance of non-verbal language. Even though we couldn’t communicate through words I could still understand everything Mcha wanted me to. He would find beautiful sea shells and just hand them to me. He would find star fish after star fish and I never once spotted one.

He would find these sea creatures in shells and told us the names of all of them. There were sea urchins EVERYWHERE! He would make sure we didn’t get hurt by them. As we were heading back there was a little rock in the water. All of a sudden he said there’s an octopus underneath there! I had NO IDEA how he even saw it! It didn’t look like anything would be underneath the small rock. He reached under the rock and I saw ink everywhere in the water! HE WAS RIGHT! There really was one!!! After battling and battling and the tide rising and rising he eventually won the fight. Thr water was at first just below our mid-calves and it was now way above my knees. The tide had risen a good 2 feet and we still had a good mile to go to get to shore. We made it back just in time and that’s when I captured the first photo up above. This little boy has a heart of gold and is such a hard worker. Could you imagine supporting your family at the age of 15 and fishing all day long so your family has food to eat? He had an even younger brother too who was also fishing. Him finding things so easily in the sea taught me how I need to change my perspective.

If you’re walking blind and not looking for things around you then you’ll miss them. Just like I missed all of the beautiful things in the sea until he showed me. That’s something Africa as a whole has taught me. To really open your eyes.

Le Dernier/The Last One

Sean Grossnickle

Senegal 2017

Aug 13, 2017

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Mon séjour est presque fini. Cette semaine j’étais à Dakar, une ville vraiment différente que toutes les autres au Sénégal. Je suis resté dans une rue qui avait tous les luxes d’un quartier américain, qui se trouve près de la mer. Il y a des gens de la classe moyenne et de la classe supérieure, quelque chose de presque impossible à trouver à Saint Louis. Il y a des grands bâtiments et grandes statues, des plages et des restaurants, des bars et des théâtres. Mais quand je marche jusqu’au prochain quartier et vois des maisons sans sols et des talibés suppliants, je me rappelle que je suis toujours au Sénégal. Après avoir habité avec les pauvres sénégalaises, je vois pourquoi il y a des gens qui disent que la classe moyenne gaspille trop. J’ai acheté pour déjeuner un sandwich avec macaroni et lentilles, un bon repas, d’un kiosk dans la rue pour 200 F. Pour souper j’ai mangé des pâtes au resto, pareil à l’autre repas (pour remplir l’estomac), pour 4 000 F. Ça m’a rendu un peu mal à l’aise et je ne sais pas exactement pourquoi. Peut-être la disparité est plus facile pour moi de voir que chez moi. Peut-être ça m’a dit que j’aurai un grand choc culturel quand je retournerai aux Etats-Unis.

La résidence universitaire/The university dorms

Ça me plaît beaucoup de faire une promenade dans une ville parce qu’on peut voir exactement comment les gens vivent. C’est bien aussi d’avoir un guide qui connait toutes les rues et toutes les boutiques. La seule chose pour améliorer le Centreville (sans parler la circulation) est l’entretien de la ville. Il y a toujours des déchets dans les rues et même les monuments nationaux sont un peu délabrés. Entre les gratte-ciels je me sens plus à l’aise quand je vois les gens qui portent les costumes et sont trop occupé même de dire bonjour. Ça m’intéresse les choses qui me rappellent de chez moi. J’ai visité un supermarché hier qui a la climatisation et des choix pour la première fois dans 3 mois. J’ai mangé un hamburger (qui a été fait avec le bœuf d’Angus) avec ketchup de Heinz et moutarde jaune (pas Dijon). J’ai pris une douche chaude avec sa propre canalisation et un rideau de douche. Maintenant j’ai un séjour dans une place qui a un système fermé, ça veut dire pas de sable à l’intérieur. Je pense que je serai reconnaissant pour beaucoup de choses quand je rentrerai chez moi.

Je suis content de faire des choses touristiques à Dakar parce qu’il y a un grand patrimoine ici pour le Sénégal et pour l’Afrique. J’ai visité l’île de Gorée, une ancienne place principale pour la traite des esclaves. Le Monument de la Renaissance Africaine est aussi une place intéressante. Cette statue en bronze, avec une largesse de 49 mètres, a été fait par les coréens du nord, finie en 2010. C’est la plus grande statue en Afrique et les gens sont très fiers de dire qu’elle est plus grande que la Statue de Liberté. Un bon coin pour se baigner est l’île de Ngor qui se trouve au moins d’un kilomètre du contient. Même les missionnaires découvrent une nouvelle place chaque jour, il y a plusieurs côtés d’une ville.

Je vous remercie pour avoir lu mon blogue ! Je serai aux Etats-Unis le 14 août. Mais ne pas décrocher ! Quand il est fini, je vais publier mon rapport final ici. Cela va conclure mes aventures avec une réflexion finale. Je remercie toutes les personnes qui m’a permis d’être ici pour les derniers trois mois. C’était vraiment un trésor que je vais garder toute ma vie.

My trip is now almost over. This week I am in Dakar, a town quite different from all the others in Senegal. I stayed on a street that had all the luxuries of an American neighborhood which was right by the sea. There are some people in the middle and upper classes, something that is very difficult to find in Saint Louis. There are tall buildings and statues, beaches and restaurants, bars and theaters. But when I walk over to the next neighborhood and see houses without floors and begging children, I am reminded that I am still in Senegal. After having lived with the poor Senegalese, I see why people say that the upper classes waste so much. I bought a macaroni and bean sandwich for lunch, a really good meal, at a street stand for 200 F. For dinner, I had some pasta at a restaurant, just as filling and probably just as good as the first meal, for 4,000 F. That fact upset me and I am still not quite sure why. Maybe the disparity here is easier for me to see than back home. Maybe this means that I will have a big culture shock as well when I return to the states.

I enjoy taking walks around a town because it is a way to see how the people live in a city. It’s also great to have a guide who knows the streets and stores (mine is a missionary). The one thing I think would improve their downtown (besides the traffic issues) is the upkeep. There is always trash in the streets and even the national monuments are run-down. Between the sky-scrapers (maximum 20 floors) I feel comfortable, it’s where I see men wearing suits who are too busy even to say hello. It is quite interesting the things that most remind me of home. I visited a supermarket for the first time in three and a half months that had air conditioning and different choices for the same product. I ate a hamburger (which was made with angus beef) with Heinz ketchup and yellow mustard (not Dijon). I took a hot shower with its own drain and a shower curtain. And now I am living in a place with a closed system, which means there is no sand on my floor. I think I will be very thankful for quite a few things when I return home.

La guardienne du Nutella/The keeper of the Nutella

I am happy I got to do some touristy activities in Dakar because there is a rich history here for Senegal and for Africa. I visited Goree Island, a former slave trading post that was one of the biggest in Africa. The African Renaissance Statue is also an interesting place. This bronze statue, with a height of 49 meters, was made by the North Koreans, finished in 2010. It is the largest statue in Africa and people are very proud to tell you that it is larger than the Statue of Liberty. A good place to swim is Ngor island which is less than 1 km off the coast. Even the missionaries find something new each day, there are many places to discover in a town.

Au bord de la mer/At the ocean’s edge

Thank you for reading my blog! I will be back in the states August 14^th. But stay tuned! When it is finished, I will be posting my final report here. That will sum up my adventures in one final reflection. Many thanks to all those who allowed me to be here for the last three months. My time here is a great treasure that I will carry with me my whole life.

Brad and Jicole Wells

La vue du phare/The view from the lighthouse

Le Journal quotidien/The Daily Journal #14

Sean Grossnickle

Senegal 2017

Aug 13, 2017

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Jour 88 – C’était le rendez-vous des maitres formateurs aujourd’hui. Ils ont discuté de la stratégie pour partager la bonne nouvelle avec leur propre argent, sans aide des missionnaires. Oofi m’a dit qu’il voudrait acheter un grand steak aux Etats-Unis. On a visité le village artisanal, j’ai acheté même plus de souvenirs.

Jour 89 – J’ai pris l’avion de Ziguinchor à Dakar ce matin. Peut-être c’est impossible de scanner les bibles, main chaque aéroport m’a fait ouvrir mes boites de bibles. J’ai fait une promenade autour de mon quartier. Le logement ici est exactement comme un hôtel, mais c’est beaucoup moins cher. J’ai discuté et ai joué du ping-pong avec le gardien et son frère. J’ai pris une sieste et ensuite j’ai mangé à Southern Fried Chicken (main le propriétaire est anglais…).

Jour 90 – J’ai assisté une église baptiste aujourd’hui avec Brad et Josh. C’était vraiment énergique et a duré 2h 20. Après nous avons mangé à un resto près de la mer. Brad m’a amené pour voir le phare, c’était une belle vue. J’ai regardé les films Beasts of No Nation and Good Will Hunting. J’ai encore mangé à Yum Yum et ensuite j’ai mangé une crêpe avec banane et Nutella. J’ai appelé mes parents.

Jour 91 – J’ai visité le centre baptiste à Grand Yoff aujourd’hui. Rachel vient de Nashville mais malheureusement elle et son mari soutiennent Vanderbilt. Ils enseignent les cours d’anglais. J’ai fait une promenade avec Brad aux quartiers de Dakar. On a visité l’île touristique et artistique, Ngor. C’est beau là-bas. J’ai mangé des pâtes italiennes et j’ai appelé mes sœurs.

Jour 92 – Ce matin on a fait l’évangélisation au Centreville de Dakar. Après on a mangé à Classic Burger, le seul restaurant en ville qui fait bien les hamburgers. Nous avons fait une petite promenade dans les rues et ensuite somme rentré chez nous. J’ai tapé mon blogue. Je ne sais pas pourquoi exactement j’ai commandé un hotdog sénégalais, mais j’étais déçu comme toutes les autres choses américaines que j’ai commandées ici. J’ai eu une discussion avec Oumar sur le mariage, il m’a dit que sa mère lui a dit qu’un homme a un choix dans un mariage : avoir raison ou être content. Il ne peut pas avoir les deux.

Jour 93 – J’ai tapé mon blogue ce matin. J’ai joué deux matchs de ping-pong avec Oumar, c’était 1-1. J’ai mangé à la VDN avec Brad, Jicole et le nouveau couple américain. Après on a payé une facture avec Brad et est allé à l’université. C’était bien mais j’aime Belmont de plus. J’ai mangé chez Oumar pour dîner, du yassa poulet.

Jour 94 – Aujourd’hui on a visité l’île de Gorée, c’était vraiment beau là-bas. De nos jours, c’est une île très touristique, ça veut dire j’ai trouvé moins d’histoire que je pensais et plus de boutiques pour acheter des souvenirs. Je n’avais pas besoin de plus de souvenirs, mais j’ai acheté une peinture en verre, j’espère ne pas la casser pendant le retour. Je ne sais pas comment il est possible d’avoir 15 boutiques touristique côté à côté avec les mêmes souvenirs. C’est une ancienne base militaire aussi avec les canons et tout ça.

Jour 95 – Ce matin on a eu un rendez-vous au centre baptiste à Grand Yoff. C’était la plupart des missionnaires et quelques sénégalais. On a fait une étude de la Bible sur Mattieu 15. Les garçons ont marché le retour et ont mangé à un resto dans la rue. J’ai finalement trouvé mon cher planet orange, une boisson gazeuse que je cherchais les dernières 5 journées. Pour souper on a mangé au bord de la mer, c’était bon mais cher. J’ai presque dépensé tout mon argent, mais il me reste 2 jours. Presque là.

Jour 96 – On voulait aller à la plage mais il pleuvait toute la journée. Plutôt on a visité Le Monument de la Renaissance Africaine. Il y a une belle vue en haut. J’ai mangé à N’ice Cream. Pour souper, Jicole a fait « meatball subs ».

Jour 97 – On est allé à l’église ce matin. C’était bon mais la musique n’était pas la meilleure. Il a presque duré 3 heures. Après on a mangé du jambon et a passé la journée chez Brad et Jicole.

Day 88 – It was the meeting with the master trainers today. They discussed the strategy for sharing the Gospel with their own money, without help from the missionaries. Oofi told me that he would like to buy a big steak in the United States. We visited the artisanal village and I bought even more souvenirs.

Day 89 – I took the plane from Ziguinchor to Dakar this morning. Maybe it’s impossible to scan bibles but each airport made me open my boxes of bibles. I took a walk in my neighborhood. The accommodations here are just like a hotel, but way less expensive. I talked and played ping-pong with the guard and his brother. I took a nap and then I ate Southern Fried Chicken (but it might be a rip-off because the owner is English…).

Day 90 – I attended a Baptist church today with Brad and Josh. It was very energetic and the service lasted 2 and a half hours. After, we ate a restaurant next to the sea. Brad brought me to see the lighthouse, it had a great view. I watched the films Beasts of No Nation and Good Will Hunting. I ate at Yum Yum again and then had a crepe with banana and Nutella. I called my parents.

Day 91 – I visited the Baptist Center today in Grand Yoff. Rachel comes from the Nashville area but unfortunately her and her husband support Vanderbilt. They teach English courses as a ministry. I took a walk with Brad through the neighborhoods of Dakar. We visited the tourist island, Ngor, that is also known for its art. It’s quite beautiful over there. I ate some Italian pasta and called my sisters.

Day 92 – This morning I shadowed some evangelization walks downtown. Afterwards we ate at Classic Burger, the only restaurant in town that makes good hamburgers. We took another walk through the streets and then returned home. I typed my blog. I am not entirely sure why I ordered a Senegalese hotdog, but it was pretty disappointing like all the other American things I have ordered here. I had a discussion with Oumar on marriage, he told me that his mom told him that a man has a choice in marriage: to be right or to be happy. He cannot be both.

Day 93 – I typed my blog this morning. I played two matches of ping pong with Oumar, the score is 1-1. I ate at the VDN with Brad, Jicole and the new American couple. Afterwards, we went to go pay a bill with Brad and then visited the university in town. It was nice but I like Belmont better. I ate at Oumar’s house for supper, some chicken yassa.

Day 94 – Today we visited Goree Island, it is really beautiful over there. Nowadays, it is a very touristy island, which means there was less history than I thought and more shops to buy souvenirs. I did not need any more souvenirs, but I bought a glass painting, I hope to not break it on the way home. I do not know how it is possible to have 15 shops side by side that all sell the same things. It’s also a former military base, so it had some cannons and tunnels.

Day 95 – This morning we had a meeting at the Baptist center in Grand Yoff. It was the majority of the missionaries here and some Senegalese. We did a bible study on Matthew 15. The guys walked back and ate a restaurant in the street. I finally found my precious Planet Orange, a carbonated beverage I had been looking for all week. We ate at a restaurant by the sea for supper, it was good but expensive. I have almost spent all of my money, but I only have two days left. Almost there.

Day 96 – We wanted to go to the beach but it rained all day. We visited the Statue of the African Renaissance. It was a beautiful view at the top of the steps. I ate at N’ice Cream. For supper, Jicole made some meatball subs.

Day 97 – We went to church this morning. It was good but the music was not the best. The service lasted about 3 hours. Afterwards, we ate some ham and spent the day at Brad and Jicole’s house.

La Casamance

Sean Grossnickle

Senegal 2017

Aug 3, 2017

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Cette semaine je me suis déplacé au sud du Sénégal, à une région qui s’appelle Casamance (sud de la Gambie). Le paysage est vraiment différent ici qu’à Saint Louis et la culture aussi. Il est vert, pas comme le désert au nord et il pleut tous les deux jours. C’est d’ici que toutes les mangues, les arachides et noix de cajou au Sénégal viennent. Mais ce n’était pas toujours une région de paix, les gens ici se divisent selon une langue, une religion ou une tribu.

J’ai appris aujourd’hui qu’il y a toujours une guerre civile à Casamance (c’est bon à savoir). La France a apparemment promis l’indépendance de Casamance 50 ans après l’indépendance de Sénégal, avec un dossier du coup. En 2010 quand les 50 ans ont expiré, le Sénégal a refusé de leur donner indépendance. Ça ne marchait pas avec les gens de Casamance et ils ont formé un groupe de rebelles. Au début il y a beaucoup de luttes mais heureusement maintenant les rebelles sont en train de parler avec le gouvernement. Il reste plus que 5 000 rebelles au total. L’ancien président de la Gambie a soutenu les rebelles et cela n’aidait pas la relation entre les deux pays. La dispute ici est plus que l’indépendance de Casamance, c’est une dispute ancienne entre les wolofs (la plupart ce qui habite au nord) et les djilas (la minorité tribale au Sénégal qui constitue la majorité au sud). Il y a des gens de chaque group qui ne parleront jamais avec l’autre groupe. J’ai entendu quelquefois qu’un bon djila ne parle pas wolof et vice versa, donc ils se parlent français. Les gens au sud parlent un peu wolof, mais c’est le wolof déformé, alors mes salutations ne marche plus. De plus, il y a beaucoup de langues au sud : djila, wolof, français, bintu, créole portugais et portugais. Djila et créole portugais ont beaucoup de dialectes, quelques qui sont assez différentes les gens ne peuvent pas s’entendre. J’ai rencontré des personnes ici qui peuvent parler plus de 9 langues. Ça c’est beaucoup.

Au village/In the village

Comme les langues au sud, les religions se mélangent aussi. Il y a des chrétiens, musulmans et animistes principalement. Les animistes pratique les cérémonies traditionnelles, avec les sacrifices, les médecins traditionnels et ils adorent leurs ancêtres. Il y a des gens qui disent qu’ils sont chrétiens ou musulmans mais cachent leurs sacrifices et leurs pratiques animistes. On peut le dire à cause de leurs gris gris (des bracelets, des colliers et des ceintures). La communauté évangélique ici doutent de chaque personne qui dit qu’il ne pratique pas les choses animistes. Je n’ai pas encore vu les animistes pratiquants mais j’ai entendu des histoires. Mais j’ai déjà remarqué que les gens ici aiment leurs traditions, il faut lire le journal quotidien pour découvrir des histoires intéressantes.

Je suis content d’avoir voyager au sud. Il est vraiment beau ici, c’est comme toutes les vidéos que j’ai vu d’Afrique. Il faut savoir que même dans un petit pays il y a beaucoup de cultures et traditions. Ziguinchor a une troisième de la population de Saint Louis, une missionnaire l’appelle le grand village (pas une ville). La plupart des touristes vont à Cap Skirring, 45 minutes à l’ouest, mais il faut passer par Ziguinchor à cause de l’aéroport et le quai. Parce que les gens ici font pousser tous les fruits, ils sont moins chers. Joe a acheté environ 30 mangues pour 2000 FCFA ($3,70) et il y a un mois c’était 1 000 FCFA. Ce n’est presque rien ! J’ai aussi essayé beaucoup de fruits étrangers ici.

Une formations pour les pasteurs/A training session for the pastors

Une formation pour les pasteurs/A training session for the pastors

Ensuite je vais voir Dakar, la seule vraie ville moderne au Sénégal. Peut-être je vais trouver une nouvelle façon de Sénégal là-bas.

This week I went down to the south of Senegal, a region known as the Casamance (south of Gambia). The landscape is quite different here than in Saint Louis, so is the culture. It’s quite green, not like the desert in the north, and it rains every other day. It’s from here that all the mangos, peanuts and cashews in Senegal come. But it was not always a peaceful region, the people here are separated by language, religion and tribe.

I learned today that there is still a civil war going on in Casamance (that’s always good to know). France promised the region independence 50 years after the independence of Senegal, the promise being in writing and everything. In 2010, when the 50 years was up, Senegal refused to give them their independence. This did not make the people in Casamance happy, and they formed a group of rebels. In the beginning, there were a lot of battles but now, fortunately, the rebels are in the process of talking with the government. There are still more than 5,000 rebels here. The former president of Gambia supported the rebels and that did not help the relationship between the two countries. The dispute is more than just the independence of Casamance, it is an age-old dispute between the le Wolofs (the majority who live in the north) and the Djilas (the tribal minority in Senegal that constitutes the majority of people in the south). There are people with both groups who will never speak with the other group. I have heard several times that a good Djila does not speak Wolof and vice versa, so they speak to each other in French. The people in the south speak a little bit of Wolof, but it is a different dialect, so my greetings no longer work. In addition, there are so many languages in the south: Djila, Wolof, French, Bintu, Portuguese creole and Portuguese. Djila and Portuguese creole have a lot of dialects, some that are so different people cannot understand each other. I have met people that speak more than 9 languages. Now that’s a lot, I will stick with two.

Un puits au village/A well in the village

Like the languages in the south, the religions start to mix together as well. There are primarily Christians, Muslims and Animists. The Animists continue to do traditional ceremonies with sacrifices, witch doctors and ancestor worship. There are people who say that they are Christian or Muslim but hide their sacrifices and Animist practices. You can tell mainly because of their charms (bracelets, necklaces and belts). The evangelical community here doubts anyone who says they do not practice Animism. I have not actual seen any Animist ceremonies but I have heard the stories. But I have noticed the people here like their traditions, take a look at the daily journal to read about some interesting ones.

La place des chèvres/The place of the goats

I am happy I got to come to the south. It is really beautiful here, it’s like all the videos I saw of Africa. It’s good to realize that even in a small country there are many different cultures and traditions. Ziguinchor has a third of the population of Saint Louis, one missionary calls it the large village (not a town). The majority of tourists travel to Cap Skirring, 45 minutes to the west, but you have to pass through Ziguinchor because of the airport and quay. Because the people here grow the fruit, they are quite cheap here. Joe bought around 30 mangos for 2,000 FCFA ($3.70) and a month ago, it was only 1,000 FCFA. That’s practically nothing! I have also got to try a lot of strange fruit here.

Next I am going to Dakar, the only modern city in Senegal. Perhaps there I will discover even another side of Senegal.

Une ferme d’arachide/A peanut farm

C’est beau ici/It’s beautiful here

Ma grande famille à la fin/My big family at the end

La famille des missionnaires/The missionary family

Elle vend les crevettes/She sells shrimp

Le Journal quotidien/The Daily Journal #13

Sean Grossnickle

Senegal 2017

Aug 3, 2017

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Jour 81 – Quel jour ! J’ai pris un taxi de Saint Louis à Dakar ce matin pour 4h. J’ai trouvé la maison des missionnaires (Brad Wells) et ai mangé avec eux au resto. Ensuite j’ai attendu la liste d’attente pour le bateau, heureusement, j’ai pu acheter un billet. J’ai rencontré des gentils sénégalais sur le bateau. J’ai mangé un sandwich. Le bateau est parti une heure en retard donc je me suis couché après le départ à 9h 30.

Jour 82 – J’ai passé le matin sur le bateau, j’ai vu des dauphins. C’était vraiment beau. Moses m’a rencontré au quai. Il m’a montré mon appartement et ensuite j’ai mangé la vraie nourriture chez lui. On a acheté mon billet d’avion pour le retour. Je suis retourné chez moi et ensuite j’ai passé la soirée chez Moïse. Les enfants se sont disputé sur les vaisselles.

Jour 83 – Je suis allé à une église protestante. J’ai fait une introduction devant les 30 personnes là-bas. Le pasteur m’a dit que c’était 3 ans depuis la dernière pluie pendant l’office. Il m’a dit aussi que j’ai un gros accent américain. L’après-midi j’ai parlé avec Joe et j’ai fait les doubles pour les cartes SD qui contiennent la bonne nouvelle. J’ai appelé Bre pour faire l’horaire (inch’Allah) de Seussical. J’ai appelé mes parents.

Jour 84 – C’était ma première journée avec Moïse aujourd’hui. Nous avons visité les petits villages. Notre premier rendez-vous a été annulé parce que la femme est toujours à Dakar. Le deuxième était très africain. Nous avons discuté sur le tournoi de foot que Moïse veut faire pour 20 minutes et ensuite on n’a fait rien pour les prochaines 3 heures. J’ai entendu les histoires des villages ici. Il y a un village de pêcheurs qui jettent leurs enfants (qui ont une semaine) dans l’eau. S’ils flottent, ils sont fort et ils sont sauvés. Sinon, ils se noient. Il y a un autre village que la seule raison qu’ils ne sont pas chrétiens c’est à cause des sacrifices. Sans sacrifier les animaux (ils croient), il n’y aura plus viande à manger, parce que tout leur viande qu’ils mangent viennent des animaux sacrifiés. L’autre histoire que j’ai entendue c’est qu’il y a un village où avant que le fils se marie à quelqu’un, le père doit essayer la femme avant. C’est parce que le fils n’a pas encore l’expérience. J’ai mangé chez Moses.

Jour 85 – Joe, Oofi, Olga et moi sommes allé à l’ouest, jusqu’à la mer. Nous avons fait l’Arbre de vie, un programme de formations des nouveaux chrétiens. On a fait 4h de cours et finalement on a mangé à 16h. J’ai mangé de la pizza chez Joe. J’ai appelé Quinn pour faire le stage de Seussical.

Jour 86 – Nous avons visité un pasteur qui habite au village. Parce qu’il a voulu faire quelque chose pour nous, il était en train de pêcher pour le repas quand nous sommes arrivés. Donc on a eu assez du temps à faire une promenade. Moïse a partagé la bonne nouvelle avec un voisin du pasteur. On a fait n’importe quoi jusqu’à il est arrivé. J’ai entendu plus d’histoires. Dans ce village il y a une tradition que l’homme qui veut se marier avec une fille doit voler quelque chose de sa belle-famille potentielle pour leur montrer qu’il est courageux. Dans un autre village il faut battre les autres hommes célibataires avec une cravache. On a partagé un repas togolais et a prié pour eux. J’ai essayé du vin de cajou, du moonshine cajou et du tapioca.

Jour 87 – Nous avons fait quelques arrêts avant d’arriver à notre destination finale. Il y a une fête aujourd’hui pour tous les enfants qui ont réussi à leurs examens. On a fait les cours pour les retards alors ils peuvent finir avec les autres demain. J’ai fait les choses diverses pendant l’après-midi. On a mangé yassa porc pour déjeuner à 16h 30, on a attendu dans la pluie.

Day 81 – What a day! I took a taxi from Saint Louis to Dakar this morning for 4 hours. I found the missionaries’ house (Brad and Jicole Wells) and ate with them at a restaurant. Next I waited for the waiting list of the boat, fortunately I was able to buy a ticket. I met some nice locals on the boat and ate a sandwich. The boat left an hour late and so I went to bed after the depart at 9:30.

Day 82 – I spent the morning on the boat, I saw some dolphins. It was really beautiful. Moses met me at the quay. He showed me the apartment where I will be living and next I had some “real food” at this house. We bought my plane ticket for the way back. I went back to my house for a bit and then spent the evening at Moses house. The children argued over the dishes.

Day 83 – I went to a protestant church. I had to introduce myself before the 30 people there. The pastor told me it had been 3 years since the last rain during a service. He also told me I have quite an American accent. In the afternoon, I talked with Joe and made copies of SD cards which had the Gospel on them. I called Bre to make what will hopefully be the rehearsal schedule for Seussical. I called my parents.

Day 84 – It was my first day with Moses. We visited some small villages. Our first meeting was cancelled because the lady is still in Dakar. The second was very African. We discussed the soccer tournament Moses wants to put on for 20 minutes and then did nothing for the next three hours. I heard stories of the villages here. There is a fishing village that throws their one-week-old kids into the river. It they float, they are strong and are saved. If not, they drown. There is another village that the only reason they are not Christians is because of their sacrifices. They believe that without sacrificing animals there will be no more meat to eat because all the meat they eat comes from the sacrifices. The other story I heard is that there is a village where before the son gets married the father must “try” the wife because the son does not have experience yet.

Day 85 – Joe, Oofi, Olga and I went out west, all the way to the sea. We did what is called Tree of Life, a training program for new Christians to teach them how to teach the gospel to others. We did 4 hours of courses and then we finally got to eat lunch at 4:00pm. I ate some pizza at Joe’s house. I called Quinn to create the set of Seussical.

Day 86 – We visited a pastor who lives in the village. Because he wanted to do something special for us, he was in the process of fishing in the river for the meal when we got there, so we had enough time to take a walk. Moses shared the Gospel with the pastor’s neighbor. We just hung out until the pastor arrived. I got to hear more stories. In this village, there is tradition that a man who wants to marry a girl has to steal something from his potential in-laws’ house to prove he is brave. In another village, you have to fight the other bachelors with a rod. We ate a Togolese meal and prayed for them. I tried some cashew wine, cashew moonshine and tapioca.

Day 87 – We made several stops before we got to our final destination. There is a celebration today for the students who passed their exams. We did courses for the people who need to catch up on several lessons to finish with the others tomorrow. I did some miscellaneous things in the afternoon. We ate Yassa pork for lunch at 4:30pm. We waited for it in the rain.