I just spent a week in Senegal; my emails home were short ... "it's hot, very interesting, too tired to write, more later". I never got to write the "more later", so here's a short version of it.
- I saw the sun set over the Atlantic; here in the US the sun rises over the Atlantic, so having a beer on the deck of a bar, in Saly, Senegal while the sun setting, was a "must". So was swimming in the Atlantic, no waves, warm water ... I knew I wasn't floating at Fire Island or in Maine.
- The desert ... the trip from the ocean to the desert, was just a two hour trip. We traveled to Ndem, about a 3 hour trip from Dakar, but light years away. The rainy season had just ended so, although everywhere we walked, we walked on sand, there were still signs of green vegetation and flowers.
Ndem ... an area of small villages that have been hit by draught, desertification, people leaving for the city. Also the home of Ong Ndem, a non-governmental community of Senegalese and Westerners who are bringing water, farming, schools, health centers back to the Ndem area. And, they are bringing jobs ... through their artisan projects (one of their job creation projects). And that's why I was there, to see their lovely textile products.
Thanks to Aid to Artisans, a US based non-profit that works with artisans around the world, Ong NDem has created new products that they are eager to export to the US. I was there to see if any of these products will work with the Creative Women lines and appeal to our customers. It was a long and hot journey, but looking back, wow, I did find some products. I also have some amazing photos, and I met fascinating people who are spanning cultures, creating jobs, and resisting some of the pressures of a changing ecological climate.
Take a look at a few of the images I keep in my mind:
NGO Staff and ATA Designer
Product Development
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