The search for a better future

Saturday, November 30th

Blog entry by: Jerrell Oates (McCrorey YMCA, Youth Services Coordinator)

As a wonderful journey in Senegal is winding down, I find myself having flash backs of my 1^st time on the plane, imagining what it would be like in Africa; and as I reflect in these  last moments with my teammates and new family of Senegal one thing is evident, my vision was real!  Senegal was a place of love, free spirited people, and a search for better opportunities.

The search for a better future is very evident in the city of Dakar.  The efforts being made to educate themselves and to provide and take care of their family is also at an all-time high, which made me very proud to be apart of the Senegalese culture.  Knowing that getting a good education is important for these families, and considering education as a top priority meant the world to me.  I had a student at a YMCA say to me with a strong accent “why don’t you know any other languages?”  I then said to her “in my country, it is required for us to learn Spanish in school, but any other foreign language is optional to learn.”  I then proceeded to tell her that I was very proud of her and that I would do better with brushing up on my French.  After speaking with this student, I started to think.  I thought about the communities and families of these students, and wondered how they are able to fund and provide for there families.

Having an occupation, trade, or skill is very important to have in Senegal.  In my opinion Compromising and Negotiating is the ultimate skill to possess.  There are a variety of skills and occupations that you see on regular bases that use these tactics. Just to name a few, you see hundreds of fruit markets. These fruit markets contain the greenest watermelon, with a fleshy red interior. (If you didn’t know, the Watermelon is thought to have originated in southern Africa, where it is found growing in the wild). 

Another occupation that is very popular in Senegal is Taxi Driving.  Majority of the cars that you see on the road in Dakar are Taxi’s.  You occasionally spot vehicles with the same purpose, such as buses, and vans.  I must say ….the vans are the most intriguing to me.  The back door of the van is always open, even when moving, and there is always a ladder attached to the back of each van which a person is usually riding on searching for customers.  There are even times when the worker on the ladder gets off to see if anyone needs assistance in the streets when the van proceeds to take off without him, leaving him with the only option to run and catch up with the van and hop on… dangerous right? Well I must say that they make it look easy. 

The most popular occupation in Senegal is the Markets.  The concept of a market is any structure that allows buyers and sellers to exchange any type of goods, services or information.  Market participants consist of all the buyers and sellers of a good, who influence its price.  The influence of a price, trade or good would be considered as compromising or negotiating.  If you are thinking about shopping in Senegal, Compromising and Negotiating is a good set of skills that you might want to obtain.  Being a tourist from another country and experiencing the market for the first time can be very overwhelming, and for me it was just that. 

Understanding the currency was also a difficult situation, and to be completely honest, I still don’t completely understand,  but thank God for Jack, Max, and Poppa Joe, our three main Tour Guide’s/Trip Leaders who helped us negotiate prices and get good deals.  The owners of the shop would lure you in by saying “hello my brother or hello my sister, wont you come take a look in my shop, you don’t have to buy just look”.  There communication and customer service skills are amazing.  Although there prices seem high and we eventually negotiate a lower price, you gain a greater understanding for the culture and a greater respect for the people.  I had to step back and process my emotions on how everything operates because everything was happening so fast, but one thing I took from this whole experience is that everything I bought was worth it.  I realized that compromising and negotiating is just apart of their everyday life.  They build everything from scratch, the creativity is like no other, the labor is unbearable, working non stop in 90 degree weather with a limited supply off tools and materials, and they all do it with the same goal in mind…. Support their families to ensure a better future for them.  

As I stated to my team members a number of times we were blessed with the opportunity to be able to represent the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, we are blessed to be able to live out the YMCA Mission, which is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirits, mind and body for all.  We are forever grateful for the experience Dakar provided us.

God I am thankful for every opportunity that you allow me to be a blessing to someone else, please continue to keep your loving arms around all of your people and continue to humble our spirits so that we do not take life for granted.  Help us to take this experience from Senegal, Dakar and apply it into our communities, to spread the word and make sure that we are doing our part to make this world a better place.  In Jesus name I pray amen.

 

Created by: Jerrell “Aggie” Moussa Oates.