Do's and Don'ts

While I’ve gotten a ton of invaluable advice from older volunteers and lots of patient cross-cultural advice from Senegalese nationals, most of my day-to-day lessons on living in a Senegalese village come from experience (and often times, failure). Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts in case you find yourself in a small African village in the near future…

Do ask your fellow their villagers their names when you first get there, it’s awkward to have to ask 5 months later…or just never address anyone by their name

Don’t put on your fancy clothes a 10am on holidays, no one else will be getting dressed until 4pm and you just look silly

Don’t buy the light brown hair extensions because you’ve developed “natural highlights” – you may be white, but you’re still not blonde

Do make sure to always have enough books in your hut, and always carry one on your person when using public transportation

Do not hesitate to bring your machete into the bank, you will be met with quizzical looks but excellent service

Do ensure that your bike straps are securely fastened before setting out – they will unravel and become wrapped around your gears when you are in the middle of the woods and out of cell phone range

Do eat that piece of mystery liver meat tossed to your section of the bowl – it has a nice smoky flavor and is less rubbery than it appears (and since you’re probably anemic you definitely need the iron)

Do heed local expertise – your neighbors have lived through a lot more rainy seasons than you have

However, don’t believe everything Senegalese people tell you – mirrors and cell phones do not attract lightening, eating lemons doesn’t cause abortions and the flood waters are not up to your neck

Do be careful cooking with propane tanks, minor gas leaks lead to major gas fires