Volunteering in Senegal with Projects Abroad

Casey Czajka
Freeman High School
Richmond, Virginia

I was ecstatic when I discovered that I had been selected by NSHSS to participate in a Projects Abroad program. I chose to teach in Senegal for multiple reasons. First, it's a francophone country, and I speak French. I have also long felt that struggling democracies in Africa and elsewhere need as much support as possible to flourish in today's interconnected world. I could never have known what lay before me.

Projects Abroad's Senegalese base is in Saint-Louis, about 200 miles north of the capital city Dakar, and that is where I spent this past summer. It was an amazing experience. On a cultural level, I was exposed to a society completely alien from anything I had ever encountered. Because Senegal is a Muslim nation, and despite the extreme heat of the sub-Saharan climate, female volunteers had to keep their shoulders and knees covered. Still, living in a Muslim country enabled me to come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Islamic faith.

I volunteered in a Senegalese middle school as an English teacher. Although I taught diverse lessons, I was particularly happy to be able to introduce the students to American English. Most had been taught exclusively British English, and they were interested to learn of the differences between the two dialects. They were also interested about life in America. I myself was intrigued by the Senegalese variant of French; having studied in France, I sometimes found the accent confusing. This, of course, was assuming that I could find someone who spoke French. Most of the poorer individuals and young children spoke only Wolof.

Senegal has a rich musical tradition as well. Saint-Louis also hosts an International Jazz Festival each year, and I was able to attend. The incredible musicians played myriad pieces; there were also different styles of jazz. In the music with a heavy Senegalese influence, native instruments such as koras were often involved. Throughout the country, Akon is played everywhere; he is from Dakar, Senegal.

Aside from teaching, I was able to contribute in other ways as well. Young boys called talibes often beg in the streets for their religious leaders, and they are always thrilled to have someone buy them food. I found myself translating a letter for a company exporting bissap, too.

Overall, my stay in Senegal was incredible. I encourage everyone to apply for the NSHSS Projects Abroad Scholarship. If this is not an option, I still urge everyone to consider doing a Project Abroad to help a struggling nation and to learn more about our world.