Hello from Senegal… again! Our life with Mercy Ships has been quite the whirlwind. What started out as a 3 month commitment on the hospital ship Africa Mercy in 2020 has turned into an amazing adventure over the last 3 years; taking us from Dakar during the Covid pandemic to China where we helped prepare the 2nd ship in the Mercy Ship fleet for sail; to Europe where the Global Mercy could be equipped in readiness for its first field service.
After a wonderful reunion back in New Zealand with family and friends, we rejoined the Global Mercy in Tenerife and sailed to Senegal for the Global Mercy’s inaugural surgical field service for the people of Senegal and the Gambia.
Dakar occupies the southern tip of the Cap Vert peninsula, the most westernmost point of the continent of Africa. Portuguese explorers called it Cabo Verde or “Green Cape”, not to be confused with the Cape Verde islands found some 570 kilometres further west. Once a small settlement, the city of Dakar now spreads almost across its entire triangle, and continues to grow.
As we leave the port area of Dakar, we are greeted with ‘taxi.. taxi?’ as the drivers wait patiently outside the Dakarnave entrance to the port where Mercy Shippers venture out into the city.
The Dakar train station built in 1884 sits right outside our ‘front door’. Its a beautiful old colonial building, a combination of old and new. In the past, the train service used to link to Saint Louis the old capital to the north. Now the train service is being revamped with the eventual goal to reach the airport some 60 kilometres away.
At the roundabout, you see the statue of Demba and Dupont, a Senegalese and French soldier. The Senegalese soldier represents the ‘Black Army’, a group of African troops in the French colonial forces who fought alongside the french troups in WWI and WWII. The statue has come to symbolise the bravery and loyalty of the African fighters.
Although its our third trip to Dakar, the contrasts of this city never fail to amaze us. Here you see extremes of poverty and wealth, where horse & cart drivers are at home on the dusty roads and lanes as much as the buses and gleaming SUVs, where colorful African ladies mingle with the bedraggled poor begging on the side of the street.
We are based in Dakar for another 5 months, so we plan to venture out a bit further and make the most of our extended time here.
Watch this space!
Wonderful journey you both have been on. Looking forward to seeing you in May.