Allen Writes From Africa

Allen in a traditional Boubou posing with a member of the Dieng family.

Allen in front of the Medina Mosque in Kaolack.

Children playing alongside raw sewage.

We are taking a break from convention memories to see what Allen is doing in Africa. Here are three recent pictures and his report,

"My time in Senegal is going very well. I was very fortunate to have been invited to attend a traditional Bapetem for a new baby in my Senegalese family. I traveled by a very hot, long bus to Kaolack in central Senegal. The trip took 6 hours because the bus stopped everytime a new passenger raised his/hand along the road.

My Senegalese father grew up in Kaolack, and his entire family is there. His father had two wives (both are still alive but he is dead), and 13 children. All of the children are grown, and have children and huge families of their own. Thus, the Bapetem was enormous. Kaolack is extremely poor, and the images of children playing next to sewage on TV came true for me. It was extremely sad, and I was very emotional on Monday in Dakar because of the things I saw. Never the less, the Baptem was an awesome experience with singing, dancing, and excellent food. I wore a traditional Boubou, and was nearly the guest of honor, even considering the event did not involve me in the least! The Senegalese family accepted me as their own, and renamed me "Alioune Dieng".

On Sunday, Muhamet (Senegalese father) took me to the Mosque of Medina in Kaolack. It is very large and one of the most important Mosques in Senegal. We even got to visit the bedroom of the Cheikh who founded Kaolack and the Medina Mosque. This was a special event for Muhamet, and he prayed upon entering. The ideas in my head on ways of improving the lives of these people, specifically the Dieng family, are constant. The poverty of the Dieng family and others in Senegal is beyond understanding for Americans.

I cried for a long time yesterday when I wrote my mom and thanked her for the life she and my father gave to me. Senegal hit me hard."