Hono hen ( Pulaar for what's up );
During the last 2 weeks we have been busy
playing a couple of soccer games (kids). It is a rare thing
here in Senegal and about the only other place they
have boys and girls soccer teams are in Dakar ( 12
hour ride in a Puegot 505 - old as the hills station
wagon or about 24 hours in a mini-karr which actually
should be called 1/2 bus. Also it is kind of
wacky watching the buses go by with about 4 goats
tied on the roof and standing up) ( here I guess it is
goat buses and not chicken buses as in Central
America ) ... so with 3 other Peace Corps Volunteers
here we have started a movement. Right now there
are 6 villages at it with girls and boys teams. Even the
minister of sports in the region was surprised to hear
that there was a girls soccer team.
Two weeks ago we went to Devon's (PC
Health Volunteer) village called Saare Niantho and
I guess you could say it was called ' a soccer match
broke out at the fights ' well ... it wasn't that bad
but it was spirited to say the least. The girls from
my village are undefeated and are really pretty
good. They are strong and can run for hours
without even getting winded and also you can
see the confidence coming with every game.
Well the other team (Saare Niantho) was their
second game and they got upset when the
girls from Goundaga scored first. One girl from
the other team wanted to start a fight and
actually got yellow carded. The amazing
thing about the way the people here
enjoy the game ( the girls really ) is they
will cheer and sing and dance and it is a
sight to see. Of course singing that
you beat someone at a soccer game
is kind of instigating you could say.
But for the adults of Saare Niantho
(it was the first time they saw the
kids play) they didn't know what to do
and it was hilarious seeing the adults
trying to get in the middle of the
dance/singing/criticizing action
going on. They are chasing the
girls and everyone is running in
all different directions and in the
end everyone was laughing like
there was no tommorrow.
I know this doesn't sound like much
... especially to what happens in the US
but here the reason why the girls get
involved so much is that it is the first
time that they have competed and really
don't know the emotions of competition.
It is the first time that they are important
and they are the center of attraction. You
should see the difference in the girls in my
village just from 2 months ago. They have
confidence and they just have a little air
about them that says 'I'm someone'. The life
of a village girl isn't easy as they have to cook,
pound meal, wash clothes and watch their
little brothers and sisters and work in the
fields (that's why they are strong - they
work hard all day) also, maybe they may be
promised out to marry someone when you
are 13 and maybe either married at 13
or 14. But, with these soccer teams the
parents get a chance to see their daughters
as something more than a work horse. I am
proud to say that there isn't one girl that
plays soccer that is promised out. On my
team (ages 10 to 15) there isn't one girl
with a boyfriend (yet) and they seem to
be in more control of their lives and when
I tell their fathers that their daughters are
good players they are actually proud of them.
Also, we played Tom's team (another
Volunteer) from Saare Mahdi ... they are
about 15 km away and getting to my
village is pretty tough right now because
of the rainy season. So here comes Tom
and his kids in a tractor with a kind of
wagon in the back. It was the first game
for his kids and his girls were kind of scared
as they were concerned about how big our
girls are. But I have to say that the kids from
Tom's village are just really nice kids and the
girls went out there for the first time and were
so tight and scared for the first 5 minutes but
after that they were great. Tom was like one
of the college football coaches and just getting
animated (it was the first time for him too).
But the games went well and in the end the
girls and boys from both villages walked out to
meet the tractor holding hands and there was
just a real nice feeling. At times like that I
think ... here I am in Africa on a Saturday
afternoon watching this happening.
But ... in 2 weeks we are off to Saare
Mahdi to play Tom's team. Also there was
another Volunteer (Hillary) visiting Tom from
a section of Senegal called Kategou. About
8 hours from here. She was excited and is
going to try and start a team in that region also.
Hopefully it works and the movement can
continue ... it is great to see the change
in the kids.
Well ... I know this wasn't an out of
control donkey story or healing the masses
story ... maybe next time it will be more
exciting.
En on tuma (till next time)
Paul
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