Senegal Newsletter
Babelfish
Translation
During the month of June, we could be forgiven for thinking that SENEGAL
was the centre of the world! Who had not heard of the exploits of our national football
team at the World Cup, especially after the euphoria of our win against the World
Champions, France, in the opening match? Many emails and letters from around the
Congregation shared our joy and pride, and that of all the country. Fervent supporters,
we, too, sported the national colours of green, yellow and red; we, too, had our favourite
players in this team known as the Lions of the Teranga. And what is this teranga? 
When we prepared a brief summary of the core cultural values in Senegalese culture for the General Gathering, teranga was the first we noted. This Wolof word, often translated as hospitality, speaks of the most immediately striking feature of Senegalese culture which is the spirit of WELCOME: teranga is more than hospitality, which is warm and genuine; it includes the sense of being honoured by the visit of a ‘stranger’; it includes also the sense that no one in fact is a ‘stranger’. All that teranga implies becomes a challenge for us as RNDMs as we continue to discern the relationship between our charism and the Senegalese culture.
News from the Region:
Death of Yvonne’s Father.
On Pentecost Sunday, May 19, Yvonne received the news of the death of her father Mr Aloïs Baumann. Yvonne was able to return home for the funeral and then spend time with her family. Yvonne, ‘yaasaam Roog a yirmin too bisin no mbeela buuba laa arjana’: ‘ may God have mercy on him and lead him to the cool waters of paradise.’
Departure of Thu Trang.
In July Thu Trang returned to Viet Nam after her two year International Mission experience. Thu Trang spent eight months of that time learning French in Lyon before coming to Senegal at the end of January 2001. Most of Thu Trang’s time here was spent in the community of Mboro. A nurse by profession, Thu Trang worked in our dispensary alongside Yvonne, as well as being a member of the Parish Choir and doing visiting, especially of the sick. Her lovely smile, her gift of humour and fun, her friendship and generosity endeared her to many during her time with us. We miss you very much, Thu Trang, and know that you are still very much a part of our lives and mission. As you continue your formation in Viet Nam ,may these words from your reflection become more and more true for you: "After two years on International Mission experience, the greatest favour that I received is that of the grace of God as a precious gift He gives to me. I am happy and at peace as I have shared in the fruits of International Missioning. Because of that gift, I have been able to overcome difficulties and follow God closely. It is He alone that I thirst after deeply. Thank you, my God." And we say our ‘Amen’ to that.
Home Leave.
Cora, our Filipina Young Professed, is presently home in the Philippines at the end of her initial two year International Mission experience. While home, Cora will take part in her parents’ Golden Wedding anniversary celebration towards the end of September. Cora returns to Senegal at the end of October for another year.
Hong Thuy, our Vietnamian Young Professed ,was unable to go to Viet Nam for her home leave so is spending three months with our Sisters in France. Most of this time is being spent in Lyon where she is very happy to be of help and cheer for our sick Sisters there. Hong Thuy returns to Mboro at the end of this month for another two years.
Elsie goes on her home leave to Peru at the beginning of November, while Patricia will reach the shores of New Zealand in time to celebrate Christmas with her family.
Nawet – the Rainy Season.
Senegal has one rainy season a year – usually from mid June or early July until
October. This year the rains have been anything but ‘usual’. After a couple of
promising early rains in June, we went seven weeks without rain and this was catastrophic
for the rural areas. When rain finally returned in August, many
farmers had to resow their millet, peanuts and beans. The worry now is that the rainy
season will end soon and therefore the growing time will not be long enough to bring the
crops to harvesting time. Already the Government has been organising the distribution of
rice to all the rural areas, as well as cattle feed for the starving beasts. So many
people here in Senegal still depend on this one rainy season for their daily food so the
coming year will be a particularly hard one for them.
Village Well at Talagne.
Margaret , who is very involved with this project writes: "When RNDMs first arrived in Ndondol the village of Talagne (4 km away) was one of those receiving water from a forage ( a deep bore well). However about 6 or 7 years ago the water became too salty and since then the women have had to go a distance of 3 or 4 km to obtain drinking water. The committee of the women’s literacy class( one of the many literacy classes for which Dorothy is the coordinator) wrote to us asking for help. We were put in touch with a small NGO in Holland who agreed to provide funds for a well. A diocesan priest gave us much practical advice and the actual site for the well was indicated by Brother Matthieu, a Benedictine monk, well-known for his water-divining skills. A series of meetings with all concerned clarified responsibilities and the work started in April. All has been done by hand, with picks and shovels, ropes and buckets, and progress slowed as the well-digger moved from sand through clay into a kind of rock. In July, at a depth of 20 metres, the first layer of water was reached ,though this is not for drinking. Presently we are trying to find a pump to remove this water so the digging can continue, but it seems best to suspend the work during the rainy season."
With loving greetings from the land of Teranga –
Your Sisters in Senegal.