Sénégal; the land of Gainde and Baobab

Hello everyone! I am excited to share my experiences with all of you, and learn a few things along the way! These are my reflections from a trip I went on in December alongside Plan International Canada.

The Plan International Canada team arrived in Dakar, Senegal, on November 27th and was immediately embraced by the warmth of the Senegalese culture. On the long drive to our hotel in Saly, we saw the beautiful cows, 100-year-old Baobab trees, the local markets, and magnificent views. While our days would officially start on Monday, November 28th, the team was excited to meet others from Benin, Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, Togo, and Uganda.

Young Citizens Scorecard Training

Day 1: Team Canada at the Young Citizens Score Card Training at Hotel Neptune in Saly, Senegal

And so it began..the YCSC training led by the wonderful Electra Babouri and Imran Khan. The Young Citizens Score Card (YCSC) is a social accountability tool that supports girls, boys, and excluded and vulnerable children and youth by helping them to understand their rights and entitlements, assess whether services and institutions respond to these rights while meeting their real needs, and develop and implement action plans and solutions together with duty bearers to ensure community services and institutions are improved for all citizens. Throughout this training, the Plan International Canada team and other delegations provided invaluable feedback on the effectiveness of this tool, identified services and institutions to be assessed, and gained a better understanding of how to implement this tool in a Canadian context.

While the training days were long, we were rejuvenated by the walks on the beach, the swims in the pool, and the long talks with other delegations. I learned a lot about how others are making impacts in their communities, like Magui from Senegal, who uses her music to empower young girls; Veronicah from Uganda, who hosts podcasts to discuss issues that impact youth today; Damaris from Kenya, whose work with teenage mothers is revolutionary, and others who inspired me every day. The conversations with such advocates reaffirmed my own intentions for advocacy, challenging the kind of leader and person I hope to be in my own journey.

Ultimately, we were able to test out our learnings on the YCSC in the community in the Pikine and Guediawaye communities. The YCSC proved essential in sparking conversations on two key issues: sexual and reproductive health and rights and violence prevention against children. Through the conversations with young girls, boys, parents, and service providers, I learned how leaders in the community could empower marginalized voices and how conversations can lead to powerful changes. I often asked myself, “How can this tool bring about policy changes that are gender transformative, non-discriminatory, and account for marginalized and vulnerable communities?” While it is important for such a tool to be implemented, we must consider how these tools can be implemented alongside others, like budget trackers and pre-existing policies and laws. Barriers like language, connections with the community, and lack of knowledge of budgets and laws might also deter us from optimizing this tool.

Despite being in its early stages of implementation, the tool is powerful in sparking meaningful and intersectional discussions on issues that impact youth the most. I was particularly impressed with how receptive the communities are to this tool and its promise for our collective future. I am beyond excited to see how Plan International Canada and our youth advisory council implement it into youth programming and wider communities.

Day 4: Visiting a rural health care clinic in Pikine and assessing the scorecard with young girls, boys, parents, and service providers

African Renaissance Monument

Team Canada also explored the African Renaissance Monument, which symbolizes the triumph of African liberation from centuries of ignorance, intolerance, and racism. This monument by Pierre Goudiaby contains statues of ethnic Senegalese tribes and soldiers that encaptured me in its’ vivid beauty. The views of the city of Dakar were especially magnificent from the head of the statue and made me feel like I was on top of the world.

The African Renaissance monument by Pierre Goudiaby is a 52m tall statue that symbolizes the triumph of African liberation from centuries of ignorance, intolerance, and racism.

Exploring Goree Island

Our trip concluded with a trip to Goree Island, where Team Canada was mesmerized by all the magic it offered us. From the scenic views of the Atlantic Ocean, riding the boat, visiting a sand painting store, to learning the history of the slave houses, Goree Island was beyond marvellous. I was captivated by its rich culture and beauty.

The sun shines bright on the island of Goree, which reminds us of the atrocities the slaves across Africa faced. The tour guide told us how the slaves were chained from their necks and arms with heavy iron balls and captured in cells that contained over 20 men each. Many families were split up, young women were raped, and children were traded for jewelry. We were also shown the “door of no return”, where millions of slaves passed through to board the boats that separated them from their homeland forever. These stories broke me to tears but were important lessons. May those parted from their homes find their way back, and those sacrificed rest in peace.

Team Canada at Goree Island

Sand paintings

The last slave house in Goree Island, pictured, are: a male slave cell, the door of no return, and a narrative by Boubacar Joseph Ndiaye

End of trip Reflections

Senegal taught me to be fierce like the gainde (lions) with its ferocious ocean waves, livelihood, and overwhelmingly beautiful views. It taught me to connect with others while adapting to new cultures, just like the adaptability of the baobab. More importantly, Senegal taught me the importance of community in shaping a person. I found inspiration in the local markets where I bought bracelets, in conversations with youth advocates from around the world, in the debriefs with the rest of team Canada as we watched the sunsets, in the drives to and fro, and in conversations with the hotel chefs who had memorized my daily orders. I left Senegal as a better person and a more intentional leader. I will miss the memories I made in Senegal deeply, but this is only the start of my advocacy journey throughout the world.

Thank you for reading my reflections! Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram or shoot me an email for more updates on my daily life. See you next time :))