We are splitting our time between an apartment in Dakar, just behind the airport, and our newly constructed house in Ngone's village Boukhou. Boukhou is about 35 km Southeast of Dakar.
The pictures above are of our village house. There will be one more coat of paint, which Ngone has picked to be a silverish white. We have spent 3 years constructing it. The work has been managed by Ngone's older brother Lassi, who has taken it as a point of pride to prove what he and his family can do for us. We have heard a number of stories of him lecturing the workers how the money to build this house was made by hard work in the United States, and also how some workers have refused to work for him because he is too cheap and works people too hard.
The main components of the building have been constructed by Ngone's family members. Ngone's brother Abibou is a master plumber and I have been amazed watching him heat sand-filled PVC pipe with a gas-fired flame to form multiple elbows and joints using both hands and feet at the same time. The flame thrower and other plumbing materials were purchased with funding from my Uncle Tom (more on that to come). Those materials have enabled him to get work recently in the southern region of Casamance to help support the family.
Another cousin has a business laying tile. Another cousin is a painter. A great uncle is a mason with 40 years experience. Another uncle is an electrician. Another cousin installs solar panels. And there are plenty of mechanics for our car. They have built our house to a fine western standard, showing very clearly that they could all construct their own homes to that standard if they could just afford it. In fact they have told me that their local ethnic group, the Serere-Safin, have constructed most of the wealthiest parts of Dakar, and pointed out a number of modern buildings which they or their cousins worked on.
Also our house is equipped with a concrete terrace roof for lounging and sleeping underneath the stars, which at 3000 dollars was the most expensive part of the building. Also midway through construction Lassi suggested adding the porch, which is well worth it for an additional play area, added breeze, and an additional level of privacy and security. I will post more pictures of the house soon.
Our apartment in Dakar is on the 3rd floor with sliding glass screened windows, which leaves us with no mosquitos indoors. It is a 3 bedroom apartment with nice tiling and has never been lived in. The owner of the building is an elder Catholic man who is very nice. He told us he has two kids in the United States, so he doesn't need money, he just needs peace.
Kathleen is attending a French pre-school and Ngone has started two classes, French and Math, at a nearby school. David is enjoying the good spoiled life, spending most of his time lounging in the apartment. We have our niece Mariam living with us to help watch him when we go out. I have been networking with NGOs, American government organizations, and almost lined up a one week consulting gig in Mauritania for a German engineering firm, but they decided not to propose on the project.
The obvious highlight of my networking has been hanging out with Sam Perkins of the LA Lakers at a reception for the United States Peace Corps Director at the Senegal Peace Corps Director's residence here in Dakar. He was super cool, asking where I lived in LA and telling me where he's lived. He was here with some other NBA scouts visiting a basketball academy in Thies that was set up by a Senegalese NBA player. I told him about my Senegalese friend who lives in the Valley and used to play basketball in Senegal. I said back in the day maybe he could have taken advantage of that basketball academy but eventually found another way to get to LA. I said he's "probably 6' 4", and Sam just looked right down at me and said "I'm 6' 9". With my neck leaned back to look up at him I didn't have much more to say about that. I also enjoyed chatting with Toni Blackman, a self-described "Hip-Hop Ambassador". Check out
toniblackman.com
