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An Unforgettable Experience

Saturday, 13 June 2020.

My project partner Elhadji Dieme and I had a wonderful experience in the remote village of Bougbo. Mounting the planned roof of the kindergarten building, which was built by the local people themselves, turned into a festive and cheerful day for everyone. The workers were already awaiting our arrival and could not wait to get started. Before we had even unloaded the last corrugated sheets, the first ones had already been mounted. With the beginning of the heavy rainy season, we were all worried about the building, which was constructed with bricks made of only sand and clay. The four-sided roof was covered at a brisk pace. It didn't take long for us to realize that the work was done absolutely professionally and that our control function was hardly necessary at all.

It was a special and wonderful surprise, when suddenly a jumble of people appeared. All the women of the village had gathered to welcomed me and they accompanied me all the way to the school, singing and dancing. There, a circle quickly formed all the while the rhythm for the singing and dancing was being drummed powerfully on an old plastic container. Spontaneous, theatrical presentations were interwoven, at which I laughed so hard I almost had tears in my eyes. It was a lively hustle and bustle, a potpourri of colors. Soon I too was invited to dance along in their special type of dance, hopping constantly on one leg, as the other foot keeps stamping to the rhythm. A real athletic challenge and of course there was a lot of laughter, especially when I started rubbing my aching muscles from the constant hopping.

Soon children and teens, women and men, actually everyone from the whole village was present and spent the day with us. Right as the sun started to set, the last corner of the roof was covered. Still had to take one last photo before it got completely dark and then off we went home. Before we left there were again many appreciative words and gestures of gratitude. This happiness definitely reflects right back into our hearts.

Lots of food was prepared for us and there were always moments and gestures that showed us the gratitude these people felt from the bottom of their hearts. The boys collected a whole sack full of mangos for us, the women peeled several kilos of peanuts, the "school care president" handed us a big bottle of honey, a great purple hat was put on my head, there seemed to be no end to it. In the end we had received so many presents that the director had to help us transport them home. We would not have been able to take it all with the motorbike. But the most beautiful gift, their warmth, touched me the most. So Elhadji and I, despite the darkness, completed the 18 km long stretch through the bush landscape in high spirits and arrived home overjoyed.

The road to Bougbo led mainly through the forest. Elhadji and I had already visited the village a week before to inspect the kindergarten building built by the truly committed villagers. "We didn't want to wait for help any longer from the state or any other sources," the "Chef de Village" explained to me. So, with united forces and under the expert guidance of the craftsmen from the village, a new building was built which ended up being quite impressive. The suitable sand for the bricks was fetched from the surrounding area by the youths using an ox cart. They dug, drew up the walls and even built the attic from the palm wood that they also cut themselves.

Sadly, the effects of the coronavirus spoiled the annual business of the cashew nuts, so that the corrugated sheets for the roofing and the cement for the plastering of the building were not able to be financed from their own resources. That is why the headmaster of the school came to us and asked, if we could help. Having seen the great commitment of the villagers I agreed happily and full of conviction to pay for the remaining materials. This commitment of the villagers and the grateful cooperation have impressed and touched me very much.

Unfortunately, the schools here will remain closed until the new school year, in October 2020. But we will stay in touch and we are looking forward to working together again when the children are once again at school. My offer to accompany the kindergarten was particularly well received.

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