Reflections from Senegal
Christie Ko, Fiver’s Executive Director, shares reflections from her family trip to Senegal and the unique partnership that Fiver will be engaging in this summer.
The Ko Family with Mamedjarra in Saly, Senegal.
The rekindling of friendship
Last summer, when we found ourselves with a few last minute staffing gaps to fill at Camp Fiver, I reached out to our all stars – past staff members who have made a meaningful and lasting impact on our Fiver youth. Mamedjarra Diop answered the call. I first met Mamedjarra when she worked as a Camp Counselor and then as a Character Education Specialist at Camp Fiver in 2007. Seventeen years later, her smile and energy shine just as brightly as they did when she was beginning to explore a career in youth development.
Sunu Thiossane - youth development organization in Senegal
During the 2023 summer, Mamedjarra told me about Sunu Thiossane (pronounced Soo-noo Cho-Sahn), the youth development organization she founded in Senegal, West Africa in 2011. Mamedjarra and her talented team of youth development professionals partner with schools and provide arts and academic enrichment-based programs to youth of all ages in Dakar, Senegal. The more we spoke, the more synergies we saw between Sunu Thiossane and the Fiver Children’s Foundation and we began to discuss potential collaborations.
Forming a partnership - Fiver Children’s Foundation + Sunu Thiossane
Having hosted students from Meng Li’s Joyce Happy English Learning Center in Beijing, China from 2015 through 2019, I have seen the powerful positive impact of bringing together Fiver youth with young people from another country during their Camp Fiver experience. Mamedjarra and the Fiver team agreed that bringing youth and staff from Senegal to Camp Fiver would have a transformational impact on Fiver youth and staff and on our guests from Senegal. After months of conversations with school partners in Senegal and potential staff members, we solidified the partnership. This summer, Fiver will welcome seven campers and three staff members to Camp Fiver for the inaugural year of our partnership!
Visiting Senegal
From the first moment we reconnected in the summer of 2023, Mamedjarra began inviting me to visit Senegal. The offer was intriguing from the start and soon the wheels were in motion for a Ko Family trip to Senegal during school break in April 2024. My husband, Will, and twin 14-year-old daughters, Summer and Kelsey, quickly learned that the Senegalese are known for their hospitality. Mamedjarra helped us to plan an incredibly meaningful and memorable weeklong visit to Dakar and Saly, Senegal.
Unforgettable Moments
From the moment we arrived, we were treated like family. The Sunu Thiossane staff and friends (Ndourah, Godiane, Rick, Junior, Madzoo, Pape, Kader, Jili, Sokhna, Mr. Ndaw, Mr. Thiam, and so many more!) joined us in exploring Dakar. We visited Gorée Island (from the 15th to the 19th century, it was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast), Lac Rose (“The Pink Lake”), the Museum of Black Civilization (with the Sunu Thiossane students!), the Renaissance Monument, the RBS Crew’s art studio (where Madzoo helped the Ko Family to create a unique work of graffiti art), and lastly, we spent two days in the seaside community of Saly where we observed wildlife at the Reserve de Bandia.
We toured several schools including the Senegalese American Bilingual School (where Mamedjarra attended as a young girl!) and spoke with students and educators about their experiences. We met with school partners like Mr. Ndaw and Mr. Thiam, who graciously invited us into their homes to eat meals with their families. We sat around a shared bowl of jollof rice, fish, and vegetables and ate with our right hands, as is tradition in Senegalese culture. We were treated to bissap juice and traditional tea following the meal.
Final Reflections
During our trip, at least once a day, one of my kids said to me, “I can’t believe we are in Africa!” That statement captured the emotion I felt every day while we were in Senegal – grateful. I was grateful to have such a caring and generous friend in Mamedjarra who opened her doors and her heart to me, to my family, and to the Fiver Children’s Foundation. The hospitable reputation of the Senegalese people cannot be overstated. We felt embraced and welcomed everywhere we went. We look forward to providing a gracious Fiver welcome to our new friends when they arrive at camp this summer.
Jerejef (Thank you), Senegal!
