Senegal Study-Service Term
Though Goshen College has sent students to West African countries since 1993, the first Senegal Study-Service Term unit began in 2004. Senegal, located on the Atlantic Ocean, borders Mauritania to the north, Guinea to the south, Mali to the east and surrounds Gambia. Its capital, Dakar, is the westernmost point in Africa.
Study
Students live in the city of Thiès for the study portion of the semester. French classes are held four mornings a week, and an introduction to the Wolof language is also taught. During afternoons and weekends there are lectures and field trips to begin learning about Senegal’s history, religion, environment, social issues, the arts and other elements of Senegalese culture which will be experienced in various ways. Students use French and Wolof with their host families and as they travel around Thiès and the country.
Service
During the second half of SST, students head out to different locations in Senegal, where they serve in a local community and meet a new host family. Common service assignments include working at a health clinic or hospital, or assisting in a community development project. You may find yourself working in a deaf school in Dakar or supporting AESCAW, a women’s organization in Richard Toll.
Latest Blog Posts
Preparing to leave Senegal
This Senegal SST is nearly done! We have continued to enjoy our time together here at our place on the beach, to relax and hear each other’s stories, to think about what we have learned and experienced, and try to figure out the connections between this place and the homes...
Gathering together and time for reflection
Senegal SST students finished their last weeks in their service assignments and on Wednesday and Thursday they all made their way safely back to the CAFE guesthouse in Thiès where they started their Senegal journey three months ago. Lots of hugs and so many stories to relate to each other...
Gorom and Mbour
We did our last service visits yesterday and today, only a little less than two weeks from when we will all meet again on July 21 in Thiès for retreat. On Thursday we visited Caleb and Valentin at the rural clinic, Poste de Sante Keru Yiiw operated by Jeunesse en...