The construction keeps going and the flies’ invasion goes on at the same pace… We have been improving the technique to catch them but it was not really successful… Our favourite technique is to approach them, quietly, with a bowl and then… zas!, catch them. When we manage to catch around 30 flies (best scenario), we take them out of the house with great enthusiasm, but immediately many others enter escaping the heat that is getting more and more humid… Working inside the house, taking a little nap or eating without fuss becomes more complicated every day… Maybe eating one from time to time and fighting against them is a good nutritional act and physical exercise… who knows! Mosquitoes are getting smarter and have managed to find small holes on the mosquito net! But they do not manage to bitter our morning with the smell of coffee and wills to work…

This week, the mixer and the vibrator have decided to take a small break… We have had some technical problems, but as our xarit said, here they find solutions for everything. So despite we are working on a manual way, the foundation of the Administration has continued. And if everything keep going as planned, we will start to raise the adobe walls today! Everyone is very excited!

We have also had some other surprises… on Wednesday night there was a thunderstorm, offering a beautiful spectacle from far away. It seemed to announce the approaching korite, the end of Ramadan feast where everyone travels to meet their families and share the joy of eating and drinking when the thirst and hunger urge. The dark clouds hiding the myriad of stars that illuminate the sky made the toubabs worry (besides Pablo, who is already local and has even acquired a similar skin tone). Therefore, we shared our concerns with Mamadou… “Is it going to rain? What about the adobes? We must cover them!” But Mamadou reassured us… here, it does not rain in this time of the year… Everything will be fine…

But on Thursday morning, before the alarm ringed and against all odds (1% chance of rain on one of the 100 sites consulted), the noise of the rain woke us up… Rain… here, a symbol of joy, of hope, of life… but for us, it could only mean one thing… the adoooobes! It was a short downpour (let´s call it shower) but the dark clouds announced nothing good… The team, as early as usual, was already passing by the house and they ran to cover the adobes with plastic… Finally they were safe and we could enjoy the rain as the rest of Senegalese… Although, the rain did not last long, it brought a sticky humid sensation that did not facilitate the work for all of those who still do not drink water during the day… they deserve so much merit!

At the same time, as we had already advanced last week, we are still defining the way to involve the community both in the construction and in the management of the Centre. Every time we see clearly that young people must be the focal point. With their energy, motivation and their dreams in full development, they are the most indicated to put the Centre in movement, drawing with it the future they want… We plan to work closely with the gouvernement scolaire, the School Group where teachers and students gather to share ideas and improve the teaching model. Also, the idea is that students get involved in the construction, where they can learn new sustainable techniques, and begin to define how to use the Centre and what for…

We are also identifying different groups with whom we want to share the project, looking for their involvement: women, elders, notables, workers… Besides, we are planning visits to other cultural centres in Saint-Louis and Dakar to learn and to enforce our resources by creating networks.

Next week, we will tell you how do we experienced the korite, how the adobes behave, and if we have managed to get rid of any fly… Do not miss it!