Saying Goodbye to Senegal ~ Written in June 2023

Saying goodbye to Senegal, after many months of living in the country, brought feelings of gratitude mixed with sorrow. Sharing time with the Senegalese people was a joy. Saying goodbye knowing the inequalities of life and a probability of not seeing the people again felt sorrowful. My Senegal experiences reinforced my belief that we learn how to be good global citizens by asking how to live together.

My time in Senegal continued to help me understand how cultures are different and not right or wrong. Continuing a global exploration, with an interest in listening, leaves me knowing there is so much more to learn. One learning opportunity involved meeting a young Nigerian artist, David Valentine, who is living in Senegal. His view of God's love for us all is similar to the painting created on the dome of the Dakar Catholic Cathedral.

David Valentine described God as "the greatest artist". He believes "God's artistic eye saw all creation as part of one beautiful canvas".  He feels "all art is from God". He added, "God wishes for people to see harmony and similarities" rather than engage in discrimination.  David offered to be a tour guide for  Global Mercy crew and gave us a glimpse of West African from a young Nigerian's perspective. 

One stop on our tour was to the African Renaissance Monument. This 171 foot tall bronze statue is located outside of Dakar, Senegal, with views of the Atlantic Ocean. The statue was designed by Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby, and the interior is an art museum telling the story of slavery and injustices in the world. The African Renaissance Monument is the tallest statue in Africa. 

One of the painting in the art museum depicts the slave house on Goree Island, which is the history     of men, women and children going through the "Door of No Return" prior to being shipped as                          slaves to countries away from the African continent.