Reflections

Two of the major problems in Senegal: 1. It was colonized by the French. 2. It has another country inside it. Seriously, go check out a map of Senegal online. It's as if Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky were all a totally different country. It doesn't cause serious political problems, but seeing as how Gambia was a British colony and Senegal French, it must be very annoying to switch from the right side of the road to the left on the drive through. 

The northern part of Senegal tends to be arid or semi-arid - it is the Sahelian region, a dry area that separates the lush equatorial areas from the Sahara. The south is more lush and green. Peanuts are the main crop of the north, a leftover cash crop from colonial times. Rice is grown in the south. 

We spent our first two days visiting the northern city of St. Louis, the former capital of the French West African colonies. The most immediate thing one notices driving through the rural areas, of course, is the poverty. Senegal is quite 'lucky' among African nations in that it does not usually have to deal with extreme famine, only a chronic level of undernourishment and deprivation (sounds great, right?). The end result is that poverty in Senegal looks a bit like poverty in Mexico - dilapidated buildings (often right next to swanky hotels), goats in the street, beggars everywhere in the cities. Senegal is also fortunate not to have much civil unrest (apart from the 2008 food price riots) or ethnic conflict. 

Remarkably, part of what explains amiable relations among the country's many ethnic groups is their ability to poke fun at one another. As one Senegalese USAID officer told me, "I am Toucoleur. If I meet a Jola man in the street, and it is early in the day, I can say to him, 'oh, just my luck. The first person I see today and he is Jola. I can tell already that this is going to be a bad day." I experienced some other extremely humorous interactions with Senegalese folks, none of which - unfortunately - translate into writing. The Senegalese, being on the coast, have also historically had significant exposure to outside influence, and are known for their abilities as traders. You can see this in the streets of Dakar, where the two criteria for being accosted in the street by some guy trying to sell you stuff you don't need are: 1. Being white. 2. Leaving your hotel. They are by far the most persistent street hawkers I've ever seen. One guy followed a friend and I for an hour and a half. I eventually concluded that spending $10 on his crap was preferable to dealing with him for the rest of the day. He must have also known this, going in.

The street vendors sell not only touristy crap. They also sell every conceivable item that you could want in your home, and many that you do not. I saw street hawkers selling underwear, belts, watches, irons, coffee makers, clocks, Tupperware, alarm clocks, and sundry other household items. The sheer volume of goods being sold - and people selling them - is amazing. 

So why are there so dang many people in the informal sector of the economy? Briefly: 1. There is a perception that money is made in the city, not in the country. While it is true that the rural economy remains stagnant and many families expect their male family members to travel to Dakar to work and send remittances back to the village, it is often difficult to make it in the city. The cost of living is actually startlingly high for a developing country, and there is simply too much competition among the street hawkers. 2. Value added taxes are an absurd 18%, creating disincentive for anyone to set up an ordinary business. 3. Ditto labor laws. It's VERY difficult to fire anyone, and if you do, you'll probably have to pay a fee. This discourages both foreign and domestic investment, and we can all thank the French for that. Colonialism was really a lousy idea. 

Speaking of colonialism, many nonprofit organizations seem very keen on simply setting up shop in former colonial buildings, the message apparently being that THESE white people are here to help! Seriously, I find it infuriatingly insensitive that European nonprofits and international organizations do not seem to comprehend the symbolic error of living what is essentially a post-colonial expatriate lifestyle whilst working in colonial-era buildings. 

On the upside - French colonial history has endowed Senegal with a legacy of delicious bread and fine French cuisine. Senegalese food is excellent - especially the fish. The coasts also provide opportunities for fishermen to load up into tiny fishing boats and try to make their way to Spain and France. Unlike the Cuban counterparts, however, they usually have something to lose, as it can be quite costly to arrange the trip in the first place. They apparently prefer to travel to Spain, despite the obvious language impediment. Besides being closer, it's also considerably more lenient in its immigration policy. 

Part of the motivation to emigrate is poverty.  Everywhere you go you see children begging in the streets. They are known as the Talibe, and often they are a part of one of the main Muslim brotherhoods in the country. The Talibe are sent off to Islamic schools, and often end up being sent out by their 'headmasters' to go beg and return the proceeds to him. It's a pretty lousy deal. Although they chase down white people, they also chase down affluent-looking Senegalese, who are obligated by Islamic law to give alms.

In sum, Senegal is a complex, diverse country.  Its impossible to experience all the country has to offer in a week, but I know that I gained a much greater understanding of the country's, and indeed the region's, complexities during our short time there.  It makes me want to return and experience more.