My African sickness - adventure trip from Senegal to Guinea: From Dakar to Conakry

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Month between Senegal and Guinea. And 'my twelfth trip to Africa, but the wonder in relation to color, light and contrasts remain intact, as is always difficult to go home with a heart full of sadness and desire to share as soon as you can!

Are not starting from tourists, but by volunteers. We are committed to 6 years in developing projects for the affirmation of fundamental rights to health, education and dignity of life in 4 regions of Senegal. In Dakar, we have a small rented house, which we share among a dozen people, in other regions are staying as guests in their local communities and is therefore a must adapt to living conditions of the site. These villages lacking electricity and running water.

Shifts occur strictly on local transportation: taxi de brousse, ndiaga Ndiaye and car rapides ... trips are so long and uncomfortable, but at least we are close to people. We travel to monitor the status of projects to meet the children in the child sponsorship project, to organize new activities.

This month we have been through all the Muslim and Catholic parties, the 3 days of mourning for the death of the Grand Marabout of Touba, the threat of general strike in Conakry and the start of the Africa Cup of Nations ... and we managed to complete all tasks that we set in our calendar. It is not easy to describe the encounters and emotions, we will try to do that through our activities.

We started the first community garden in Casamance, in Diourou. It 'was possible to buy the pump for the well, various farm implements such as plows and hoes, watering cans and the various seeds. The health center of the village continues its activities in full swing and now we want to equip it with a gas refrigerator for storage of medicines more sensitive to heat and humidity. Diakine In contrast, the group engaged in the design of the village center is able to collect all the necessary funds for the purchase of iron and will begin work on the construction proper. The library has already been completed in recent months and get some books. A Bignona Thionck Essyl and the youth group continues its activities to farming and agriculture, and go ahead with plans for nonviolence education in the district Kadiamor, together with all the activities of women.

We pass to the north of the country: new groups were born in Kaolak, Saint Louis and Thiaroye in the neighborhood of Dakar. Women are very active everywhere in Popenguine with dyeing of fabrics; Sebikotane to the production of fruit juices and jams that very soon will be exported to Parcelles Assainies with micro gardens. Women were able to rent land and to expand their farming activities, in addition to salads, beans and other legumes also essential for complete nutrition. In Dakar, again, continuing the efforts of the volleyball team engaged in the collection of medicines and the community of Cité Avion to support the poorest people in the neighborhood. A Fatik has started the campaign against cholera and health awareness in the surrounding villages.

It 'difficult to summarize and give both a comprehensive view of what is our current reality: many basic tasks, development "concrete" that takes shape, the long-term commitment of the community. We immediately think of the future and everything you need to achieve. Especially the campaign of prevention and fight against malaria.

Malaria is a problem that touches all of Senegal and people of all ages, and our intent is to involve a massive number of volunteers in an activity to help direct and concrete to join with the non-violent assertion of their rights, and in particular the fundamental right to health. The campaign will start from where we are already in place to meet new villages and new neighborhoods and will continue throughout 2008 with various activities: days of medical consultation, distribution of mosquito nets, awareness and prevention, clean neighborhoods and removing stagnant water regular marches for the right to health. We also plan to construct two new health centers and the opening of other community gardens to ensure good nutrition and steal the land all'incuria.

Our commitment will be huge in Italy: We want to bring to public attention the seriousness of the problem, this massacre that saw the deaths of 2 million people each year and that nobody talks about or is interested, and corruption that allows some to speculate and gain the health of the poorest. We are making a documentary and has already started to contact local radio and television that can give us some 'time to talk about all this.

We try so many volunteers to join our campaign: you can make many small actions that give a deeper meaning to our lives and can save the lives of others. Sometimes it is not easy to put aside their problems, find the time or, simply, trust. Then when you find that you start thinking about their other problems may take a different dimension, that a little 'time, in the end, we have it and that it is always just to listen to their wishes.

Volunteering is good for your physical and mental health, in which case you can just get sick of a poignant nostalgia for Africa, but the remedy is always a bit 'of coupe decal ...