Kaolack : diary of an African experience

August 2001 : Bye bye Anne

It’s time for Anne to pack. I will have to wait until about a week after her arrival to get any news : she’s OK, the trainees are enthusiastic, eager to learn, friendly. She calls from public phone boxes, not like ours, of course. They are located in small rooms, sometimes equipped with a fan. Usually, this sort of business is run by a family. People soon get to know Anne so I can phone from Belgium and they go and fetch her.

September and early October 2001:

It’s back to school for everybody in Belgium. I’m pretty busy with all the arrangements to be made for my absence. I found out it was more practical to communicate with Anne via the internet. Kaolack has several cybercafés : in her Emails, she describes to me the content of the course so far, the reaction of the trainees and we discuss several aspects of the course. Anne has trained herself in NLP techniques and “Gestion Mentale or Mind Management”(de la Garanderie). She is also an amateur actress and theatre director. Among the Senegalese trainees, there’s “Peter” (everybody has picked up an English nickname for the class !), a French teacher, a teachers trainer, a poet, an actor and a theatre director ! So, it is no coincidence that, little by little, the project of creating a theatre play in English comes up. After all, from the very early stages of the lessons, much of “the whole person involvement” is required : mimes, body language, rhythm and stress pattern exercises, sketches, role plays are done every day in the class. A play would be a natural result of the learning process. Some trainees are reluctant “we’re teachers, not actors !” they protest. But soon, the enthusiasm and the cohesion of the group win out… Alongside the lessons, Anne and the group involve themselves in a bustling activity of creating the scenario, writing the dialogues, designing the setting and props, rehearsing…to be ready for the first night on my arrival. In fact, Anne and I have decided that the performance of the play would take place between my arrival and her departure. Several Senegalese officials are invited : the Inspector of the Academy (representing the Ministry of Education of the area of Kaolack), the President of the local association providing the project with facilities and logistic support, both of them associated with the NGO in the project, the headmasters of some schools, other Senegalese English teachers … What a challenge for the group !

October 24^th : D day for me and my family

This morning we hugged and kissed our goodbyes. Alice, my young adventurer, was quiet and strong and optimistic – as usual! Once on board, I tried to sort out my mixed feelings and concentrate on what would be coming. The flight was perfect with splendid views on the desert dunes and the Atlantic African coast as we approached Dakar. Malick had been sent from Kaolack to welcome us at the airport and we left Dakar immediately. We took the road for Thiès and Diourbel as it is said to be in better condition, but we had a flat tyre anyway (which is extremely frequent on Senegalese roads) and we reached Kaolack later that night. There was no electricity, no water when we arrived, but a friendly welcome from Anne !

October 25^th : Theatre Play and…introductions

In the morning, as I was waiting at the local phone box, a young man started a conversation (not saying hello and not talking to passers-by would be considered very rude) and told us he was a musician. A few minutes later, he came with his handmade “Kora” and sang some of his songs…A magical moment…

Later that day, Anne introduced each trainee (this is “Abdoulaye” alias “James”, this is “Babacar” alias “John”, etc) and then, the performance began : the story of a young Senegalese student who gets a grant to go and study in London. He lands at Heathrow, goes through the Customs, can’t bring in his “bissap” (one of his favourite beverages, made of infused hibiscus flowers), looks for a flat, enrols at a school, meets other students, writes a moving letter to his grandmother who stayed in their village and when he returns home, gives a big party and a lively report of his experience : Culture shock and funny situations ! Applause from the audience ! Congratulations !

The performance was followed by a Good-Bye Party in Anne’s honour. Her contribution was over and everyone was grateful.