Enter a fortuneteller’s hut and ask a question about your future. Spin and dance with Sufi mystics. Discover fluent Spanish speakers on a mangrove island. Speak with a young man preparing to cross the Strait of Gibraltar to find work in Spain. This country is a collision of influences: French, Islamic, African, and increasingly, American and Chinese. Renowned for its hospitality and tolerance, Senegal makes room for all. We delve into pressing modern social issues while immersing ourselves in deep culture. As we sink into the rhythm of Senegalese life, we see that this place has much to teach us about community, global issues, and our own humanity.

Program Highlights

• Find a sense of community and home in rural and urban homestays
• Get completely off the beaten track while learning about Senegal’s many complexities
• Witness the dazzling cultural and linguistic diversity in Senegal

Our journey begins in Thies, where we get our first taste of tchieb-u-dien, Senegal’s national dish, and explore colorful markets, dance and drum with local teachers, and begin to examine issues surrouding the term ‘development.’ From Thies we travel to the sandy shores of Dene, where we study comparative religion amongst a community of Islamic scholars, practice French and Wolof greetings and learn new cultural norms, and possibly stay up late drumming and dancing under the stars. These initial days set the stage for an in-depth exploration of issues related to public health, gender, education, social justice, and human migration. Then, in the urban center of Thies, we engage in an urban homestay where we learn about local history, politics, and development challenges. Plunging into the vibrant traditions of a country that is 95% Muslim, we examine how Islam intersects with ancient African religious customs.

Heading south, we watch the flat desert landscape scattered with ancient baobab trees turn into lush, green forest. We trek through the foothills of the Fouta Djallon mountains, visiting Pulaar villages, traditional healers, and environmental activists along the way. We come to rest for a week of homestays, where students live in traditional thatched-hut family compounds. Students spend the day as locals do, working in the fields, milking cows, partaking in drumming and dance lessons, and listening to village meetings. As we sink into the rhythm of Senegalese life, we see that the tradition of teranga (the culture of giving) offers us many lessons about community and the web of connections we share.