Service-Learning Trip – Senegal (French Immersion)

The capital of Senegal, this is a modern city with more than 1.5 million people. The city features beautiful contemporary buildings, combined with historical colonial houses. It is vibrant, with active open-air markets, cafe terraces, and delicious food. Dakar is also a shopper's paradise, where exquisite crafts can be found in markets, on the streets, and in stores throughout the city.

Goree Island is deeply rooted in the history of the slave trade. From the beginning of the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century, men, women, and children were gathered on this small piece of land and locked up in cells, before being shipped away to the New World. The island was seized by the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French, and the British all of whom participated in the trade. Forts and cannons attest of the island's violent past. Most of the buildings were used as warehouses or slaves' houses, and today many have been turned into museums. The most famous is "La Maison des Esclaves," which used to hold up to two hundred captives. Their cells can be visited, as can be the apartment of the slave dealers upstairs. From the "Door of no Return" countless Senegalese caught a last glimpse of their homeland before boarding the slave ships. After our tour, we will transfer back to the mainland.

This afternoon we will embark upon our first Volunteer Activity. Our options will include assisting in the Nursery and Orphanage Center of la Poupouniére de Medina, or assisting disabled children from the TalibouDabo Center.

Late this afternoon, we will transfer to Lac rose (Pink Lake).

We will travel to Lac Rose. Lac Rose got its name from the beautiful and distinct rose-tinted hue created from the Dunaliella salina bacteria that thrives due to the lake's high salt content. In some areas the lake has a salt content of up to 40% and is second only to the Dead Sea. Lining the lake in among the sandbanks you will see pink Samphire bushes and picturesque terracotta sand dunes. You will spend the morning driving on the beautiful sand dunes of this lake and have few hours of service with the salt collectors. Your activity will consist of helping them put away the salt in small bag or carrying salt from the lake to the ground and experiencing their boat. The lake's coloration is most prominent in the dry season when the sun shines straight on it.

We will transfer to the oldest French colonial city in West Africa and is located at the North of Senegal.

Senegal is home to around 160 species of bird life and is a bird-watcher's paradise. Today you will visit one of the fantastic bird sanctuaries of the region. A boating tour of either Langue de Barbarie Sanctuary or Djoudj Park Sanctuary, depending on the season, is the best way of witnessing the various winged beauties of the area. Both sanctuaries are home to an abundance of migrant bird species such as: pelicans, Mocking Gulls, cormorants, Royal and Caspian Terns,egrets, teals, Lapwing Spurred Sandpipers, flamingos, herons, ibis and many more.

After a morning boat tour at the Langue de Barbarie birds park you will proceed to the Talibes (street students) house center.

Volunteer service for the rest of the day at the Talibes children's center. A talibe is usually a quaranic student. Senegal has a large number of homeless children, known locally as Talibes. This center is set up to help these children and as a care volunteer you have the opportunity to work at this center or participate in their activities. The work at the drop-in centers involves four main areas; education, health care, sports and leisure and practical refurbishment or clean-up activities. The volunteers follow timetables in order to ensure that the children are exposed to these different areas on a regular basis. You can get involved with a variety of different activities from administrating health care to distributing food to the children. You may also want to help the children with activities such as brushing their teeth and washing their clothes, and just spend time with them drawing pictures, doing arts and crafts or organizing sport activities.

We will journey towards the Ferlo Sahelian region and visit a local village along the way. Then continue to Kaolack with a short break to visit Touba Mosque. This sublime mosque, with its three large domes and five towering minarets, is the biggest mosque in West Africa. It's the largest building in the entire city with a potential capacity of 7000 persons.

Arrive in the afternoon in Kaolack and have a volunteer service at SOS Children Village. You can take part in the cleaning activity of the center or provide some English teaching to the children or just participate in their daily activities.

Today we will travel to Sinesaloum Delta River and visit a local village on the way. Enjoy a fantastic boat ride in this wonderful nature reserve. The Sine-Saloum Delta is a vast saline wetland that lies in the heart of Senegal. Floating aboard a motorised pirogue you will spend today exploring the beautiful landscape that the Sine Saloum river has to offer. The majority of the delta is covered by mangroves and is recognised as an important birdlife area by the Birdlife International. The delta supports the local communities and villages surrounding it, providing them with fresh water, fishing, fuel wood, oyster collection and honey production.

Here, we will learn more about Serere's tribe cultures.

This morning we transfer to Mbour Orphanage for a day of volunteer services. According to the preference of the group, the participants can assist with daily services and help take care of the children. The children range from newborns to teenagers. The participant's duties will mirror the day-to-day activities of the orphanage. There will also be an opportunity to teach the older students English, play games, or participate in craft activities. Our day will consist of a morning session, followed by a break for lunch, and then an afternoon of service.

This morning we will Volunteer at Lycee Demba Diop High School. Students will have the opportunity to lead and participate in English learning activities, as well as technology and craft activities. Break for lunch and return to hotel. Check out in the late afternoon and transfer to Bandia park for a game drive safari to spot some wildlife like giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, rhinos, antelopes, and monkeys.