The last day in Kolda was a blur of visits to private schools, technical schools for girls, the cultural center, and more observations of the biology classes at our host school. In one of these classes we got to Skype with my biology class at home, which was fun to watch; both sets of students had a lot of questions for the others, which continued after we lost the connection.
In the evening the Boiros threw us a grand farewell party, complete with two bands, Fulani dancers, what seemed like half the city, and 20 kg of mutton. Fanta had been teasing us all week that we would do the cooking, but I think I can safely say that all partygoers were relieved that didn’t happen when we took one look at the meat and suggested her teenage daughters continue with their excellent cooking. At the party we were so touched by the many kind things people had to say about our visit, from the Colonel to Fanta’s English club students. We were presented with many gifts, once again showing us that Senegal is indeed the land of teranga. On Friday we were ready to go to the airport as the airline suggested, two hours before departure (10 am). However, that’s just not the way things work in Kolda. Knowing this, we said we’d meet at 8am, knowing we would probably be picked up at 8:30 and be at the airport at 9. Sure enough, Fanta’s brother picked us up a little after 8:30, and got us to the airport, where of course they were not yet checking anyone in, because the plane was not there yet (it only runs twice a week from Dakar and immediately back again). We had our passports recorded and received our handwritten boarding passes. It didn’t matter that we didn’t have assigned seats; we’d learned our lesson last time and stayed at the front of the line so we could get a decent seat (and good thing too, since they overbooked the flight and one person had to get off- that would have been bad). Fanta and her husband came to say goodbye, bringing with them certificates from both the Academic Inspection of Kolda and the town council. It was hard to say goodbye to such a generous and kind couple, who really made our stay in Kolda one of the best experiences of my life. So in the end it was hard to say goodbye, although a little less hard to say goodbye to the oppressive heat. Dakar seems so cosmopolitan (and almost chilly!) in comparison. But I already miss the longer greetings, the conversations shared across multiple language barriers, and the teranga of our hosts. We will spend another two days in Dakar, debriefing and catching up on the adventures of the rest of the American teachers who spent the week in different parts of Senegal.
1 Comment
Ramatoulaye Coly
5/17/2016 02:58:09 am
Ce fut un plaisir de vous accueillir dans la region de kolda en particulier au lycée technique de Kolda Kirstin.merci .c ramatoulaye coly prof d'informatique
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Kirstin Bullington
I teach science, engineering, and computer science at W.J. Keenan High School in Columbia, SC Archives
March 2016
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