Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
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Class Year
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A Little Ditty About Self-Forgiveness
Ananda Day
2010-02-26
A couple of weeks ago a lot of personally and monetarily valued things were stolen from me. Cameras, phone, favorite shirts, money, and so on. The roughest part by far being the loss of my notebook containing four months of notes and all of the studies that I had completed in Noflaye thus far. The...
Read MoreCultural Onomatopoeia
Alec Yeh
2010-02-25
David Sedaris, a memoirist, wrote about how it’s always interesting to hear the different onomatopoeia of a culture. It’s SO true. I never thought about it, but it’s really hilarious. In Dakar recently, we learned from Rachel that for a car horn, the Senegalese use “pain pain”, pronounced closer to “paing paing.” And after hearing...
Read MoreVampires and Sorcerers
Hilary Brown
2010-02-18
I first learned about my host family’s belief in the super natural when I asked my host father about the belts made of thick cord and string the family, and many other Senegalese, wear called gris-gris. I was told that the pouches attached to the belts contain plants and verses of the Quran to help...
Read Morepickin’ up good vibrations
Victoria Tran-Trinh
2010-02-18
Since I basically live on the edge of Sebikotane, opposite from Gaya, Hilary, and the places where our activities are, I walk about two or three miles every day to get around. I could take a ndiaga-ndiaye for about 15 cents, as my Senegalese family and friends encourage me to do, but I prefer to...
Read MoreDonated clothing: the receiving end
Gaya Morris
2010-02-17
Physical evidence of the connections between the lives of Americans and the lives of Africans is rare to come by here in Sebikotane, but when I do stumble across some random object originating back in the world I used to live in, it never fails to strike me. I will never forget for example the...
Read MoreFriends
Hilary Brown
2010-02-01
A few nights ago, after accompanying Victoria to her host house, I walked the twenty minutes back on the route nationale with two Senegalese friends. While it was dark, it was only about eight thirty and we could see by the car lights streaming past us. Randomly, a shiny new truck pulled off the road....
Read MoreFive blogs in one: apprenticeship updates
Gaya Morris
2010-02-01
Last Saturday, the 15th of January, marked the halfway point of our seven-month stay in Senegal. Three and a half months down, three and a half to go. I find it hard to believe that we are already on the downward slope, when so many things are only just beginning. In my apprenticeship at l’Ecole...
Read MoreApprenticeship Updates: 5 in 1
Gaya Morris
2010-01-29
Last Saturday, the 15th of January, marked the halfway point of our seven-month stay in Senegal. Three and a half months down, three and a half to go. I find it hard to believe that we are already on the downward slope, when so many things are only just beginning. In my apprenticeship at l’Ecole...
Read MoreMusings on Islam
Gaya Morris
2010-01-28
It is nine thirty on thursday evening and someone has just installed a new loudspeaker in Sebikotane, right above my bedroom. And currently blaring from this speaker, for the past half hour or so, is what seems to be a never ending chant of verses from the Qur’an. Every once in a while the voices...
Read MoreSenegal – a discussion of the economy
Alec Yeh
2010-01-26
I had the most interesting discussion with my boss at the Traditional Hospital. It was about the Senegalese economy. I just wish I could have fully understood every word, instead of having to ask him to try and explain some of it in English. I also wish I got him on video. He was made...
Read MoreShadows Of Aid
Ananda Day
2010-01-20
The morning is still dark as I sit in my Ndiaga Ndiaye on the way to Rufisque. The single light bulb hanging from a failing red wire illuminates me, casting a grand silhouette, maybe four times my size, on the passing scenery. The past few weeks I have been getting a wealth of opinions on...
Read MoreDon’t think twice, it’s alright
Victoria Tran-Trinh
2010-01-19
Friday the 15th marked the halfway point of our stay in Senegal. I’ve been keeping close track of the days, and feeling the halfway mark looming upon me was, frankly, kind of depressing. A month ago, I had written a proposal detailing all the activities I wanted to initiate at the preschool. The director approved...
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