In Senegal, approximately 55.2% of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Yet after completing my Global Citizen Year in rural Senegal, I’ve come to realize that development statistics don’t even begin to tell the real story. Thus, here is a glimpse into the past eight months of my life and a hint…

14 May, 2013

Someone once told me that a person’s story could be told by the soles of her shoes.  She said that the shoes’ movements, trails, rhythms, and placements could converge to reflect a unique tale. Although the narrative of my past eight months often feels as multifaceted as the collection of sand and dirt particles perpetually…

14 April, 2013

In mid-January, the Senegal cohort gathered together in the region of Kedougou to partake in our second training seminar- an inspiring week filled with beautiful hikes through the Bedik Mountains, thought provoking discussions, plenty of cultural activities, and of course time to reconnect with our fellow fellows. Together with the three other Nike Girl Effect…

12 March, 2013

Ask the Senegalese what the national language of their country is and the responses are often mixed. While the government and all reliable media sources assert with black and white precision that it is French, a little grassroots observation displays something quite different. While French may be the national language of Senegal, the amount of…

07 March, 2013

For the past four months, my life has largely existed without the word “Thank You.” This absence does not by any means indicate a lack of gratitude or appreciation. It doesn’t mean that my passing of the hot pepper at the dinner bowl was a worthless action, nor does it mean that bringing cotton balls…

22 January, 2013

It begins before the rise of the sun, before the first cry of the rooster.  They leave their clay hut compounds and begin a steady trickle onto la route nationale. Their destination- jurato- Tomboronkoto’s gold mine. The diverse crowd steps together- an old man who parts with nostalgia for the days when this very hour…

15 January, 2013

Tang Aning Segi — Malinke Eighteen — English Dix-huit — Francais Fuk ak Djurom Nyet — Wolof   Maybe it’s because we scrutinize that which is closest to us, but I think I’ve begun to over analize the number 18. Although logically 18 is a number and thus should retain a certain universal meaning, I’ve…

29 November, 2012

Dakar mystifies me. I find myself in a fascinating whirlwind of new culture, sounds, smells, tastes, and words.  I haven’t even come close to scratching the surface of Dakar, but from the past few days of exploration I’d like to share with you what I’ve discovered thus far. While my advanced French for the most…

07 September, 2012

I was raised in the “adventure stroller.” A pink, blue, and green conglomerate of lightweight plastic, it was the vehicle of choice by which my 4’11, volcano climbing, Guatemalan grandma fiercely edged through the crowds of Washington, D.C. to show her first female grandchild life beyond suburbia. While my kindergarten classmates headed to ballet recitals…

20 July, 2012