Senegal: The Warm Embrace of West Africa

  Senegal

Dakar,  Thies

Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: June 27- August 7

Description: Colorful beads, pounding drums and exotic spices consistently surround you as you live in and journey through an African world you had never dreamed still existed. Whether in a small animist village nestled on top of a mountain or in a costal fishing community amongst mangroves, the strong Senegalese culture seeps through you, invigorates you and stays with you long after you leave. The beat of Senegal--the drumming, the dancing, the greetings, the waves, the pounding of millet--lures you deeper under the layers of the culture, and travels with you throughout this adventure.

During our expedition, we weave across green savannahs scattered with ancient giant baobab trees and come out at the marshes on the northern coast. In the north, we are exposed to Wolof traditions, and join villagers in local initiatives to preserve the wetlands of La Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie where they have lived for centuries. Heading south, we work our way through Serrer, Mandinka, Pular, Pularfuta, and Baditk villages, watching the flat grasslands fade into tropical forests that blanket the rugged hills near Guinea. Transportation is hard to come by in the south so the group travels as the Senegalese do--by foot. Strapping on our packs, we head into the mountains, bedding-down in villages along the way, dropping by remote weekly markets, and bathing in stunning waterfalls.

Along our way, we make a voyage to Touba, the largest pilgrimage site in West Africa, where we learn about the beliefs and practices of the brotherhoods of Senegalese Muslims - a unique way of practicing Islam using an intermediary who interprets the Koran. One of the most phenomenal things we are exposed to in Senegal is the high degree of religious tolerance. The people of Senegal commonly express a feeling that whether reading the Bible or observing the Koran, all are recognizing a God, and this unifies people of disparate faiths, rather than creating conflict.

During our travel experience, we learn about the resource management work that is ongoing in Senegal and we strive to understand how Senegalese villagers are working to make the sparse resources they have last longer and produce enough to provide for their families. With the desert encroaching from the north and yearly locust migrations, nature is not making their work any easier. As a group, we bear witness to the reality that even though life is a daily struggle, the Senegalese maintain a culture of embracing all people and giving as much as they can to guests. As you sit on a mat outside of your homestay family's hut, sharing a meal of pounded maize, fish and peanut sauce, you will marvel at how you can do things that are so different from your familiar lifestyle and still love the experience.

Highlights: Rugged Travel: 5 stars
Travel by public cars, mini buses, horse-drawn carts, bicycle and by foot; staying in traditional huts in remote villages, and camping under the stars.

Home stays: 4 stars
Spend nights in rural villages with Senegalese from a variety of ethnic groups; option for an extended 3-5 day home stay in coastal villages.

Trekking: 3 stars
7 day trek in the rugged hills in the southeast corner of Senegal; option for a overnight camping trip in the bush with Serrer youth during their initiation; day hikes in national parks and to weekly markets.

Religion and Philosophy: 3 stars
Learn about the fundamentals of Islam as well as the unique Islamic brotherhoods of Senegal; explore how Muslims and Catholics live side-by side in peaceful religious tolerance and have both integrated traditional animist ideas into their practices.

Language: 4 stars
Regular lessons in French and Wolof, the Senegalese national language; additional instruction in the greetings used by minority ethnic groups.

Development Issues: 3 stars
Women's rights; the gradual abolition of female circumcision; coastal erosion, sustainable development and recourse management; eco-tourism; culture preservation.

Service Work: 3 stars
Have the opportunity to help a number of villages with ecological preservation projects such as mangrove planting and environmental clean up initiatives.

Cost in US$: 6,350

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Senegal Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of max 12

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Where There Be Dragons's Mission Statement: Through expertly guided and honest introductions to the cultural and physical landscapes of developing Asia and Latin America, and through Experiential Education that stresses the empowerment of the student, Dragons strives to cultivate cultural awareness and sensitivity, opportunities for personal growth through physical and emotional challenges, and a commitment to the communities through which we travel, providing young adults with a richer understanding of themselves, and of the social and physical worlds around them.

Year Founded: 1992