“Everything in Africa is Stronger”
~Posting this very late because of a fun battle with Malaria (I promise I’m better now) and limited WIFI, but I wrote this after my first week in The Gambia~
Everything in Africa is stronger. This is what the man sitting next to me on the flight from Frankfurt to Casablanca (the second of three flights to get to The Gambia) told me. After nearly two weeks here, I can say with some certainty that he is indeed right, at least about The Gambia as I definitely cannot speak to all of Africa. Below is a list of the things that have felt or seemed stronger since I’ve been here.
*Side note, this man was fascinating, he spoke five languages and grew up in Senegal but has lived all over the world. We talked for hours about everything from American politics to adding meaning to your life*
1) The heat and humidity. The days are often uncomfortably hot and humid. Don’t be fooled by the weather forecast that says it’s 86. It feels like 98 and the humidity gets up to 90%. The closest thing I’ve gotten to relief from the heat has been car rides with the windows open, swimming in the ocean, and the rain (see #2). No there is no air-conditioning.
2) The rain. When it rains, it pours. The first rain of the season came a few days ago and it was so loud against the metal roof of the Starfish classroom building I couldn’t hear the person talking next to me. It was kind of beautiful though, therapeutic even, and reminded me a bit of home.
3) The bugs. I truly believe they bite harder than the ones in the U.S. Despite constantly applying bug spray, within the first few days I had 30 mosquito bites just on my legs alone.
4) The food. The flavors are rich and intense, spicy and sour. It makes the food I eat at home seem bland in comparison.
5) The noise. Each morning if I am not awakened by the call to prayer from the mosque down the street, then I am by the lizards and birds that scurry across our dorm’s roof. When walking through Lamin where we live, horns constantly go off and men in vans that serve as public transportation, shout out the windows holding up on their fingers the number of passengers they can take. At Starfish kids are always yelling, laughing, and running around. It is rarely quiet and there is a constant atmosphere of controlled chaos.
6) The emotions. Almost every feeling and emotion seems amplified. There’s been a lot of high highs and low lows and sometimes they occur in a single day.
7) The hugs. Every day each of the mentors and Starfish girls come up to us with open arms and give us hugs. It doesn’t matter if you’ve met them once and don’t even know their name yet (although believe me they know yours).
8) The community. Gambian culture is entirely different compared to most of the U.S. There is a much stronger sense of community here because of the collectivist culture. People eat out of the same bowl, spend a significant amount of time greeting one another, and go out of their way to be welcoming and attend to others needs.
The one thing that isn’t stronger? The WIFI and power. The WIFI is spotty at best and we are subject to frequent power outages. It has become just a normal part of the day. One of the classes I have been teaching is Computer & Web Design. As you can imagine, the internet being down constantly has made it very difficult and often frustrating to teach this class. I keep telling myself it’s all part of the experience, but the worst part is knowing that I could teach the kids so much more if I had the same resources we have in the States, things I would normally take for granted. This is something I continue to think about and reflect on.
Being in The Gambia the past two weeks has been an adjustment and not an easy one. But as I said in my last post, that is the reason I’m here. Through all the challenges and discomforts, this experience has already been incredibly rewarding and I am coming to understand myself in ways I never would have imagined. I’ve been living in the present as much as possible and trying to embrace all The Gambia has to offer.
With love,
Lindsay
