Reconnecting with the past.

Here in Veligera, I’m not sure if its throughout Senegal, there is fete that the community has, which is called fete de tostan (SP). It is a celebration in reconnecting with the past and teaching the current generation about the past and the culture. The elders of the community think their culture is been lost and the kids have no true idea about their culture. So for a weekend there is a big fete (celebration) for the community to earn the cultures of the past. There is a grand celebration and each tribe does their own thing. It starts Friday and ends Sunday, each day it starts around 9 till the morning. They cook a big lunch each day. The event is organized by the various women’s group all coming together for a common interest. I would be working with these women groups, so they invited me and they did a mini presentation of who I am. They have plays, skits, comedy, dances, etc, all in the name of education and teaching the young people about their culture.

I love this fete. It something exciting, learning about what life use to be like, back in the days and teaching the kids how to hold on to their culture while moving with the times and best of all its done in a non-condensing way. It’s done in a fun way that both generations can enjoy. I was part of the fete, I watched as much as the bugs would permit. Because at night I just get spooked about by the bugs and just get under my mosquito net.

They have these women called the pulo rewbe (fulla women)(. They are fulla dancers. They beat on calabash as drums with metal rings and they sing dance and stuff, while saying prayers for whatever event. People can give them money and they dance; it’s like slow motion music. When someone goes to dance they beat the drums really fast. They offered to come play for me and they did it was fun. They came to my house, but they could not play in the compound as it was not 40days after the death of my grandmother, so we did it outside under a big tree. I have a video and if the internet ever allows I will upload it. People in the area came out and watched and dance. Even I did and apparently I’m a good dancer. It was sooo fun..They prayed for me and my boyfriend (husband here), which here at the time. I am getting soo much special treatment here, when people finally believe I am American.