Koor ak Jamm: Yalla nañu yalla boole baal

"Ramadan Kareem" or "Ramadan Moubarak" are used as greetings during the holy month.

I started out this month, the holy month of Ramadan, 

with every intention of fasting. 

Many of you might be thinking...Participating in Ramadan? What is that, what does that mean? Why?

First: What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, a calendar that is lunar based with each month aligning with the phases of the moon and lasting 29 or 30 days. Ramadan is the ninth out of twelve months in the Islamic calendar and its dates change every year (because its based on the moon). This year, although the dates vary depending on your geographical location, Ramadan started June 5th. In Senegal however, it started the 6th and for some the 7th.

Ramadan is the month that Muslims believe the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and it is also one of the five pillars of Islam*. During this month, hundreds of millions of Muslims from around the world will participate in a day long fast from sunrise to sunset (or dawn to dusk as some call it) as they have for the last 1,400 years. Many non-Muslims know that this "fasting" means abstaining from food and drinks, technically nothing can pass through your mouth during this time. But what many don't realize is that that is the easy part. Muslims are also expected to abstain from participating in anything that is ill-natured or excessive - this includes refraining from gossip and complaining - this includes avoiding feelings of anger and lust - this includes lying, stealing, cheating, etc. 

Now of course Allah is loving and merciful and there are always exceptions to the sunrise-sunset rule of fasting. If you are traveling, sick, or physically incapable of fasting, there are exceptions. If you are a woman who is on her period, you are also exempt. However, you're expected to make this time up later in the year.

Second: Ramadan is different everywhere

In Reykjavík, Iceland, for example, Muslims are expected to fast from 2:13 to 23:50, a total of 21 hours and 37 min of fasting. Then you have cities like Sydney, Austrailia where Muslims only fast for about 11 hours and 28 min. A whole other side of this coin is the heat - although in Islamabad, Pakistan the hours are shorter than in Raykajavik, (3:20-19:22 or 16 hours and 2min), it has been over 40ºC degrees (over 104ºF) every day of Ramadan. 

In Dakar, the sunny yet breezy capital of Senegal, Muslims fast for roughly 14 hours with moderate temperatures in the mid 20ºCs (high 70s/low 80s in F).

In some predominately Muslim countries (eg: Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan), it is deemed illegal to drink or eat in public in and going so can results in deportation, a fine, or jail time. Beyond this legality, there can sometimes be a strong social pressure - so even if you aren't fasting, and there are no laws enforcing you to fast, you may have to act as though you are. On the other hand, China has banned teachers, civil servants, and students in its mainly Muslim Xinjiang region from fasting during Ramadan.

Everyone including the youngsters take part in Ramadan. They might not be able to fast the entire month, or even full days -but they are slowly learning what it means to be a good Muslim, including how to pray.

Third: Why? What is the purpose? 

For Muslims to educate themselves in spirituality, humility, self-discipline and patience. It is a month to get closer to Allah, cleanse your soul (physically, spiritually and mentally), and practice selflessness. This is also a time to put forward more dedication and time to Allah and the Quran (you can find people reading it more) and put forward more prayers than is customary because, as I've been told, Allah answers more prayers during this holy month.

Fourth: Why me? Why did I want to do this?

Since I spent last summer in Florida participating in the AFLI summer program and preparing for my year in Senegal, I knew I would be in Senegal for Ramadan 2016 and I told myself I was going to observe it while there. Last summer I fasted every Friday (the holiest day of the week) just to see what it was like - and even that one day a week was quite a challenge.


I wanted to fast because I also can benefit from the many purposes I listed above. Namely, abstaining from "bad thoughts and temptations" and self-control, which can be transferred into many aspects of life and overall help me become a better human. Although many Muslims use the month to get closer to Allah, I wanted to use the month to get closer to myself. Instead of praying five times a day, I had planned to meditate five times a day. And yes, I also wanted to fast in solidarity. I am living in a predominantly Muslim country and I knew many of my friends and colleagues would be fasting as well, so I thought - why not!?

Ramadan 2016 Highlights: 

As I counted down until the start of Ramadan, the weeks quickly turned into days and I wondered how to "prepare" myself. Turns out, after asking several of my friends, there isn't much preparation at all. The month comes and you fast, it's as simple as that. Or is it...

I had the opportunity to be in not one, not two but three predominantly Muslim countries during the month of Ramadan. I would like recount some of the most memorable events.

First thing's first, wolof vocabulary: 
Koor: Ramadan (eg: Naka koor gi? - How is Ramadan?)
Metti: to hurt (ie: koor dafa metti wala yalla baax na - Ramadan, its painful but Allah/God is good)
Woor: to fast (eg: Yangiy woor? Waaw, mangiy woor. - Are you fasting? Yes, I am fasting)
Sukraa Koor: literally means "Ramadan Sugar" but is the name of any and all gifts given during the holy month (eg: Ana sama sukraa koor? - Where is my Ramadan sugar?)
Ndogu: Iftar (in Arabic) or break fast. (eg: Kaay ndogu - come and break fast)
Wori: to break fast (at the end of the month, not daily)
Korité: Eid (in Arabic), holiday that marks the end of Ramadan

The first week of Ramadan was relatively easy for me. I was in the office a lot around other who were fasting and kept myself quite busy. A friend of mine once told me that having ndogu alone was like waking up Christmas morning alone. I appreciated the vivid and strong metaphor, but because I have indeed working up on Christmas morning alone, I wasn't afraid of breaking fast alone either. 

Usually, those who are fasting will wake before dawn to drink plenty of water and eat one meal known as the Suhoor. I did this sometimes, but not always. Before dusk everyone will gather for Iftar (break fast) which is at sunset and locally known as ndogu. This is true for practically all Muslims but how people prepare and do Iftar usually varies.

In Senegal, the minuets leading to ndogu are spent preparing the meal. The second you hear the muezzin begin the Adhan (call to prayer), you break the fast with a date (because this is what Mohammad did). Some people prefer to pray first and then break fast. I'm not sure why, but I've been told you must have an odd number of dates. Next is the hot drink (eg: coffee, hot chocolate, hot milk, etc) and a sandwich. Depending on your preference and your income, your sandwich will have butter, cheese spread, sliced cheese, sausage, beans, peas, hard boiled eggs or a number of other things. Most traditionally I have seen butter, sliced cheese, and sausage. Afterwards, you can drink some water - but not too much, you need to save some room to eat more! The women of the house will disappear and begin to cook the large meal of the evening which will be served after Isha'a, the last evening prayer. This meal could be a number of different things, ceebujen, yassa yapp, salad with friends and chicken, etc etc. 

My ndogu one night when I broke fast alone.
It wasnt too depressing, dont worry.

I celebrated the first ndogu (or iftar) with my old host family in Mermoz. Before heading to their house, I put together a little "Ndogu Gift-Basket" for their sukraa koor which was comprised of tea for attaaya, sugar, powdered milk, coffee, and dates. 

As the first weekend of Ramadan came, I woke up with a massive head ache and feelings super weak and dehydrated -- I decided to break fast for the day. The following day I had a guilty conscious and felt as though I had "failed" already. I tucked these feelings away and got back in the routine of fasting. I cheated again by drinking coffee one morning and another day by drinking water. Before I knew it, I had altogether stopped fasting. However, I kept the spirit of Ramadan and I've learned a lot this last month.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, salutations and greetings are of the utmost importance here in Senegal and this holds even more true during this holy month. During Ramadan there is a familiar exchange added to salutations:

Person A: Baal ma aq - Forgive me (for all of my sins, everything I have done)
Person B: Baal naa la - I forgive you
Person A: Yalla nañu yalla boole baal - Allah has assembled us together and forgives us all
Person B: Amen - its optional to say Amen several times

In addition, departures are extra long as everyone is saying prayers for one another and their families. As I mentioned, I was told Allah answers more prayers during the holy month so its seems like people are constantly praying for one another and always followed by repetitive "amens". Its beautiful! My favorite (or maybe the only one I've learned) is "Yalla nañu yalla sàmm" meaning, "may God protect us"

Having a later dinner of yassa ginaard (chicken) after ndogu at a friends house

One evening, I knew I was going to be stuck in a taxi in traffic (there is always traffic) as the hour of ndogu arrived so I needed to plan ahead of time. I didnt want to wait to break fast with my friends at a restaurant. I could safely assume that my taxi driver was Muslim and I knew it would be rude to break fast in front of him, so I decided to pack two sandwiches and some dates for the two of us to share, you know, a little sukraa koor. As the minutes approached break fast, the taxi was at a standstill in traffic and I sat in the front seat anxious and excited to share my gift and break fast with this taxi driver. Suddenly, I saw several men with large bags weaving in and out of traffic on foot passing things out. The reached our taxi and gave us both a sandwich...next a man followed with coffee. Although I have to admit I was a little sad to be "outdone" - I was so curious and excited! "Who are these people? What are they doing? Why are they passing out sandwiches?" The only thing missing was a date, so I opened up my purse and passed one to my taxi driver. He was pleasantly surprised. After I showed the taxi driver the sandwiches I had packed, he explained to me that everyday the Baye Falls, a sub-group of the Mouride brotherhood, collect money all day long in traffic so that they can provide coffee and sandwiches to anyone who is stuck in traffic during ndogu. I found a great video in French that explains a lot. After hearing this, I was completely enamored. All I could think was "Yes of course, this is Senegal" For those of you who don't yet know this amazing country, let this be another reason to visit.

I wasn't able to capture my own photo of this wonderful break fast event of sharing but these two photos are amazing and both belong to @ricci_s - check out her Instagram for more photos.

In addition to countless precious moments spent "ndoguing" with friends and family, I found myself much more forgiving and more generous this month. Sometimes in a taxi, I would just let him keep the change (sure this might sound normal in the US or elsewhere, but relatively unheard of here - at least I've never heard of it). I made "Ndogu Gift Baskets" for everyone in my office at work, the guardians of my apartment complex, and gave small coins to the talibé (young children often forced to beg on the street).

Generally throughout the month, shops opened a little bit later, people moved a little slower, and shops usually closed for ndogu. Sometimes they would open back up, but usually you would have to wait until the next day. Although almost 96% of the population is Muslim, life carries on. You can still find people selling sachets of water in the middle of traffic under the hot sun (even though its highly likely they themselves are fasting), and people are still selling food on the road side for those who aren't fasting. It's really no big deal.

Ramadan in Turkey

Although I was only here for a day, less than 24 hours in fact, I feel like I was able to thoroughly enjoy the city. According to the CIA World Factbook, Turkey is Muslim 99.8% Muslim and if I wasn't already aware of the month of Ramadan, I dont think I would have actually noticed it going on. Sadly I wasnt able to break fast and participate in iftar while in Turkey, maybe one day I will have the opportunity.

Outside of the Blue Mosque aka the Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Street food, Istanbul style. Even during Ramadan!!

Inside of the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom)

As I said, business and life seemed to go on as usual, at least in the capital, Istanbul. I saw tourist and locals alike wearing an array of different types of clothing - from short shorts to niqabs and everything in between. Nothing seemed to be running on "Ramadan time"

Ramadan in Jordan

Things were much different in Jordan for the month of Ramadan. The official working hours change from 10am-3pm, and you can often times find people arriving later and leaving earlier than those changed hours. Additionally, some people straight up dont work - they take vacation or completely close up their shop. For example, the Christian alcohol shop owners (only Christians can sell booze) are not allowed to sell alcohol during the month, even at night. The CIA World Factbook says Jordan is 98% yet the main difference here is - Jordan's religions enter directly into their state affairs. It is even illegal to eat or drink in public during Ramadan until the sun sets.

Again, sadly, I was not able to participate in iftar there but I had a good friend of mine give me the 4-1-1 on it. In his words: "There are different traditions here: some people prepare many types of food and sit down and wait for Maghre (the evening prayer at sun set when you break fast), other people go to the Mosque for praying and to read Quran before Maghre. Once Maghreb has come, they eat dates, drink water, do Maghreb Prayer in the mosque then go back to their homes and have Iftar. Its Sunnah (the verbally transmitted record of the teachings) to break your fast with dates and water or yogurt, thats why most people do that. On the table there will be different types of food like Meat, chicken, salads , soups and rice. There are also drinks like lemonade and sweet things, we mainly prefer qatayef (an Egyptian origin traditional dessert that is similar to a dumpling and popular mostly during Ramadan) stuffed with white cheese, coconuts with almonds, and some times Nutella."

The end of the holy month of Ramadan is capped with "Eid-ul-Fitr"

AKA the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. 

Here in Senegal, this holiday is called Korite.  

Check back soon for an update all about it!

Ci suba, nungiy korite, inshallah

 Tomorrow, we are celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr, God willing.

One of the best surprises of the month...

My "sister" had her baby...

A Ramadan blessing!

Welcome to the world little one, Babacar Pierre Seck :)

*Five Pillars of Islam: 1. Shahadah: a testimony declaring belief in the oneness of God/Allah and the acceptance of Muhammad as his prophet; 2. Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day; 3. Zakat: paying some sort of tax to benefit the poor and the needy (like charity); 4. Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan; 5. Hajj: everyone (if possible) is supposed to take at least one pilgrimage to Mecca (the holiest city).

Disclaimer: I write this piece on Ramadan as a non-Muslim only sharing my experiences and what I have learned from Muslims and other non-Muslims. I do not speak on behalf of anyone. If you feel like I have misrepresented something, please leave a comment. If you feel like I have forgotten something important, please leave a comment. Remember, I am only human and I am still learning :)

Kolda Mission: Village Sensitization in Saré Moussa

Sensitization by the Social Mobilization Agents (SMAs) in Saré Moussa village

[This is the second post in a two part series, start with part one]

Afterwards, both of the réalisateurs/animateurs discussed their progress in the field. They focus more on publicity, such as radio programs in local languages that sensitize communities on the same themes as the SMA and in effect, Totan. Their only complaints or problems in the field were the difficulties of transportation and the amount of paperwork. These radio broadcasts would sometimes host for example arguments for and against FGC, has testimonies of Tostan community members, and other ideas about abandonment. They have ever had special guests (marabous, doctors, etc.) come onto their radio to talk and help sensitize the communities on these themes. They were also interactive with communities because they allowed people to call into the radio station as its happening allows for them to find out there are other things that important to the population.

They way it was described in the meeting is that the SMAs and the work of the réalisateurs/animateurs compliment each other: the radio is not physically with the people but it reaches a broad audience and sensitizes them. In a way, it almost “prepares” villages for the work on the terrain that the SMAs do. They work together to coordination dates of fieldwork and emission dates. 

On Friday we had prepared for a day (or maybe half day) or workshops with the whole Tostan crew from the day before and several local representatives (Imams, leaders from local women’s associations, etc) but in the end it was cancelled. Friday in general is a difficult day to plan events on as it is the holy day for Muslims, 95% of Senegalese. 

Here are some photos of the compound where I stayed:

It was a very traditional Senegalese family set up. There were three "houses" within the same compound, a large well in the middle of the 'common area' (this is where everyone hung out and did chores likes washing laundry and pounding millet) and behind the houses were two latrines. Each house was headed by a brother from the same family, living in the house was their wife (or wives) and children. I think total there were about 15 children running around (including a couple on the backs of their mom as well)

This hiccup in the plan gave me a whole extra day to spend with my new family/friends in Kolda! By this point, I had seen all of Kolda. You walk to one end you get the market and a few hotels – you walk to the other end and it's the Governance. I decided to go to the market to get indigo fabric. The indigo fabric comes from Guinea and is much cheaper in the Casamance. 

Doing what I can (which isnt much - probably just got in the way) to help with household chores

My evenings in Kolda consisted of hanging out in the courtyard of the compound, practicing Wolof, learning Pulaar, playing and dancing with the children, and my favorite – pulling a couple chairs to the roadside with Mamadou (+ friends) and drinking attaaya, watching the traffic, and chatting.

Rice and sauce with fish!

Our last day of the mission we went to Saré Moussa, a predominantly Peul village in Kolda, with the SMA team and Tostan to observe/participate in a sensitization. This was the event that I had traveled so long to observe! Finally the SMAs in action!

A few observations I noted included:

The men and women sitting separately, much more women than men, maybe 10-13 or so men but about 30-35 women. There were seven men “of importance” – these are men who were introduced by name before the program started. In addition the Maytron and the leader of the Woman’s Association. Names are very important here, especially when there are guests in the community. I will hopefully get a chance to write about names and cousinage in another blog post.

Next, the SMAs and their supervisor introduced themselves, their purpose/objectives and then finally us, the "Tostan" people. As I’ve mentioned before, the SMA work as a team, each of them has their own special role. While they were introducing themselves, this role was highlighted. For example, one was an Imam and the other a Matron. The ending of the introductions was sealed with a prayer said by the village Chief. He was very happy to have been chosen by Tostan – they had been hearing a lot from other villages about them and he knows that many villages wanted to have Tostan come – so he was very grateful that the SMAs were there. 

Before getting to the heart of the matter, which is discussing the harmful consequences of FGC and child marriage, the SMA started with questions about HIV/AIDs, hand washing, and other not so ‘taboo’ topics. This was all part of their plan. This gives the village time to be comfortable, a safe space to open up and reply to their questions, etc. At one point the Imam reminded everyone to speak up and to feel free to share his or her opinions.

They delicately moved into the more difficult topics, but they did so with caution. Instead of out rightly asking “Do you practice child marriage”, they asked “How do you marry here in the village” “Do children get taken out of school to marry” “Is the decision made by the parents or the children?”

Although they didn't record marriages formally, the women noted that usually by 12 or 13 years old they would be married. One man pointed out a change in the new generation. In the past, he said, it was the boys who wanted the young marriage but now it's the opposite. Then he gave a metaphor of: “Its like a monkey who is chasing the hunter.” 

After this, the supervisor stood to give a sort of “recap” of what had been discussed so far. He talked about the responsibility of the parents – they have to take are of their girls, they must feed them and cloth them. If you talk to them and do the things they want and ask for they wont want to or nee to leave school to get married.

As I looked around I noticed that there were no youth at the meeting/sensitization. Traditionally, adults and children are usually separated, for example when eating the kids will have their own platter to share and the adults will have another. However, I think its detremental to have youth involved in these conversations. 

Finally, after more than one hour of discussion, we finally moved to the topic of FGC, also known as "the tradition". The Maytron replied first explaining that in her line of work she has noticed that those who haven’t been through the have much less trouble giving birth. She herself had done a lot of training and sensitization on the village about this topic. They knew how bad it was so they want to abandon.

In the middle of the sensitization we started to hear music being played and some singing. It got louder and louder until...

We witnessed a bangal!! This is an important ceremony that serves as public acknowledgment of a marriage - it is the movement of the bride to her husband's village and termed "bangal". The women of that village come to greet her, and the welcome is a rite of passage for the bride. In this case, the bride was sort of paraded around the village and went from door to door greeting people.

Kolda Mission: Thiès and the Konkourang

Because of the research I am conducting here, the Tostan office in Thiès invited me to go "on mission" (into the field) with them for some field observation. Presently, there are two regions of mobilizers who are doing in the field mobilization - Kolda and Futa Tooro (also known as just simply Futa). This mission was to the Kolda region down to the Casamance

  

The Casamance is in red and near the middle you will see the city Kolda.

We would leave from Thiès at 9am so I decided to stay in Thiès the night before our departure to avoid being rushed. I went out on a limb and chose to stay with someone on “couchsurfers”. I know that will make my family feel uneasy - but don’t worry - after several years I have ‘travel senses’ (like a 6th sense) and I was safe. After arriving around 4pm, the family welcomed me and had saved some lunch which was served almost immediately. I had brought them several packets of clementines that I bought on the roadside while coming. Although couchsurfers is a site that provides places to stay for free, culturally, it’s sort of an unsaid expectation that you should not come empty handed.

And there it was again. I noticed it right away. 

The feeling that comes when I leave Dakar. 

The serenity of not wanting to be anywhere else.

I think I can relate to mindfulness, which is essentially the practice of bringing one's attention to the experiences occurring in the present moment. I felt like that was what I was doing – not thinking about the past or the present – just being there, with the family, my new friends.

The evening was spent talking, laughing, joking, and learning with the family and some friends. The one thing I love about Senegalese is their sense of humor. If they aren’t trying to marry you, they are hilarious! In French we use the verb “taquiner” which means to tease or bother in a friendly manner and in Wolof the verb is “fo” which means to play or joke. Je te taquine or damay fo.

Bright and early the following day we were on the road: Kamera (the driver), Ousman*, Issa*, Fatou (a woman who’s brother and nephew work for Tostan in Kolda and was hitching a ride), and myself. Because of complications at the border with the Gambia (a lot of traffic and fees that would result in a lengthy lay over) we would be traveling to Kolda via Tambacounda in the south east of Senegal.

Our journey from Thiès to Kolda - about 620k or 385m

Yes, that was a very long and hot journey. A good 150-250 (90-155 miles) kilometers of road were pretty beat up, resulting in us doing a bit of “off roading” if you will. We stopped outside of Tambacounda for a delicious late lunch of ceebujen (rice and fish). This dish is indeed the national specialty and is the most commonly found.

My original plan was to stay at the guesthouse of a friend of my French professor, but that was changed as we rolled into town just after nightfall.  Alternatively, I stayed with Fatou, the woman who drove with us from Thiès! My Tostan crew was worried about my security and who I was staying with, so they arranged for me to stay with someone they knew and trusted. It had been over a month since Fatou was home in Kolda because she was visiting family in Thiès, so everyone congregated in the courtyard to chat and greet Fatou (and me, the new Toubab visitor).

Fatou Seck and Fatou Pam

The next couple of days were a blurry heat wave. Temperatures were over 38C (100F degrees and didn't drop below 27C (80F), even during the night. I survived under a mosquito net with a fan propped up on a suitcase that blew hot air at me and my new bed-mate, Fatou.

I'm always astonished at the stark difference in the pace of life when I leave Dakar. The constant traffic jams bellowing black clouds of smoke into my lungs were replaced with horse carts going to/from the market and the hustle and bustle of Dakar was replaced with tranquil attaaya sipping.

After a 10-minute walk with my new friend Mamadou (Fatou's nephew), we had hit the end of the town marked by the “Gouvernance” – a large building found in nearly every town/city where... well I'm not exactly sure exactly what happens here but government things. 

Local street art in Kolda!

The following day we had a big meeting at Tostan office in Kolda. As an “observer” that was really only invited along as a nice gesture, I wasn't sure what to expect and how much I would be involved. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone was happy to have me there and allowed me time and space to ask as many questions as I wanted.

Present at the meeting in addition to me and the two men I traveled with from Thies were: three men from the Kolda office, two male réalisateurs/animateurs (they do media publicity) and nine SMAs, four women and five men. Those SMAs together made up two different teams and each team had a male supervisor who was also present. One team was Peul and the other was Manding. The réalisateurs/animateurs and the SMAs are both part of Tostan’s “organized diffusion” efforts.

SMAs and the whole crew in the meeting.

I was surprised that the majority of the meeting was in French, even though not everyone present spoke French. For the first 30-45min it was mostly the big dogs talking (those from the office in Kolda and Thiès). After some time, the conversation was directed to the SMAs and their work, Alhamdulillah. The supervisors started to bring up issues and problems with the current plan of action.

Their plan of action states that each team will visit 18 villages in a three-month span, that's six villages a month. Normally, the team will spend two days in each village.

The main problems that Yaya Diollo, supervisor of the Peul team, expressed were about community leaders who didn't agree with the themes of the sensitization, specifically with the idea of abandoning FGC** For example, the Imam of one village refused to attend the sensitization. In another village it was the Matron (a very senior or the chief nurse), and in the third it was the ‘Président de Groupement Promotion Féminine” (think women’s empowerment group). In all of these instances, these people disagreed with the idea of discussing and abandoning the tradition (aka FGC), not the ending of child marriage or another topic.

As I said, the teams are usually in each village for two days. On the first day they do the “training” and on the second day they do more of the sensitization. After that, on what would be the third day, they leave to go to the next village.

We took a break after the first supervisor spoke and I had a chance to ask some follow up questions to his explanation. Typically, even though some village may have this one ‘important’ community leader (imam or matron etc) who doesn't agree with the abandonment, it won’t change the outlook of the entire community. At this point in time, the community is ready to abandon and that's why they allowed the SMAs to come and sensitize in the first place. This one person won’t change the mind of everyone. As he summed up, “When they community is ready, they are ready.”

Me and my team from Thiès!

One huge success that was brought to light was a declaration of abandonment in one village where the parents themselves, not the SMAs, had brought the idea across the Gambian boarder to villages where their children had married. This is, essentially, exactly what the SMAs do but this time the community members had taken it upon themselves to share the knowledge.

After a nice snack-break, the team got back to business. The next SMA supervisor brought up a very interesting and surprising problem they were facing in the field. The mobilizers were doing their work at the same period that the kankourang (see below) was active. The solution was that the village chief went around to the houses so that they didn't have to disturb the practice/tradition.

KANKOURANG:

Historically, this is a ritual celebrating the circumcision among the Mandinka of the Senegambia region (including the Gambia, Senegal, and parts of Guinne) and especially in the Casemance. More recently, due to 'globalization' and 'wolofization' (which I will possibly write about in another post), you can find this ritual practices all over the country. The mask worn by this mythical character is also called the Kankourang. It is made out of pieces of fibers that are extracted from red tree bark. 

The Konkourang protects against bad things, like spirits, and is very afraid and even violent. Stories are passed on from generation to generation about the Konkourang who walks the streets terrorizing the population to protect young circumcised during their initiation. When the Konkourang is active, the women and children cant leave the house as they are not allowed to see him because as earlier stated, it can become violent and hurt them. The event takes place over 30 days (four successive Sundays and most nights).

I was also told that if a woman or girl sees the Konkourang, she will become infertile and no longer be able to give birth. On the contrary, if there is a woman who cant get pregnant they will bring her blindfolded to meet the Kongourang. She will lay on her stomach and after the Kongourang circles her several times he will stand on her back and hit her with a stick type thing. He wont “beat her” but it will hurt, and then she will be fertile and be able to give birth.

* name changed for privacy reasons

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