Global Understanding
Posted on August 10, 2018
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This summer, my family and I went to Europe for vacation. After some unfortunate issues, we had to travel to Abidjan and Senegal before returning home. Because we saw both continents with very little space in between, we saw the stark difference between the two environments.
The first thing I noticed was the gap between the higher class and the lower class. In Europe, sure, it was there, but people on the lower end of the chart still had means. The higher class reached extremities of wealth. In Senegal, the hotel we stayed in was on the same road as the president’s palace. His palace was huge, and it was almost blinding white. There is a big difference between that and those whose only possessions are a blanket and some sunglasses, who live day to day in terms of food and shelter. Even compared to Thailand, where poverty shows itself more commonly than Europe, the poverty on the streets of Dakar was far beyond that. As far as I’ve seen in Africa, which is Senegal, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya, this pattern can be seen everywhere, and it doesn’t look like anybody is doing anything. I thought back to what I saw on CNN, which covered the Zimbabwe election, where people were hopeful for the future because they all knew Robert Mugabe was not good for them. He dragged their economy through the mud, to the point that they couldn’t even use their own currency and had to revert to USD. I searched some more and it turned out that he was so corrupt that he won his own lottery and spent millions on his birthday. He also ordered public executions to scare the population and his political opponents. I find that frankly shocking. It seems to me that he was robbing his people of opportunities and ways out of poverty. Although other countries around the world have reports of scandals and corruption within governments, it is not as extreme as this. This is almost common in Africa, and that is a problem that needs to be fixed.
The second thing we noticed was the religion. I saw beautiful cathedrals, basilicas and churches in Europe. I also saw some beautiful mosques in Africa, but the main difference I saw was that the mosques, although open to all, were almost always open for prayer, compared to the other holy structures, which were mostly open for tourism with small sections cordoned off and some days reserved for prayer. In Europe, I saw statues and the famous ancient structures towering above us. I understand that it is a way of generating income, but to me, it looked like the main way that they hold on to their religion is through their history. However, in West Africa, I could still feel the importance of religion. Although I didn’t see many holy structures, I saw Islam everywhere: pendants on cars, graffiti on walls, people listening to music and recitals in Arabic. The most surprising thing was when someone helped out my parents saying it was “pour Allah!” Faith was a way of life for them. I wondered why it looked like faith was so much more important to them than to other parts of the world, but then I remembered that when I needed help or had nowhere left to turn, I would turn to faith. I knew these people were suffering deeply, so it only makes sense that they would have the same instinct. However, simply relying on one’s faith can be unhealthy, as it can lead to someone feeling the need to correct the world’s wrongs, which can lead to them turning to terrorism, which pretty much is what happened to ISIS.
After a few days, I began to like walking the streets. We had found a Senegalese restaurant, but it wasn’t what we would consider the restaurant. We were questioning the hygiene levels and the food was quite cheap. We were worried that we would getsick, but didn’t want to be rude and leave. Not leaving was a really good choice. This restaurant served a dish called mafe, which was rice with peanut sauce and a meat of your choice. There are no words to describe that mafe. I had always hated peanut sauce, but this was delicious. Almost every day after that, we returned to eat the food again. On the third day, we decided to change it up and eat somewhere different. This restaurant was about 2-3 times more expensive the previous restaurant, and the food was delicious, but nothing we ate there could compare to the mafe.
At one point, we asked a taxi driver to take us to the beach. That was a scene I won’t forget for a long time. We found an entrance to the sand, and what met our eyes wasbeautiful. The beach itself was covered in red sand and the fumes of the nearby traffic were hanging over it, but the water was blue. Very, very blue. The most beautiful thing, though, was seeing all of the people on the beach. It was so different from the beach I saw in Nice. In Nice, everyone’s main goal was taking pictures and tanning. Nobody talked to one another. In Dakar, everyone on the beach was part of a community. Whether it be helping with the barbecue, eating the barbecue, playing soccer, swimming or just talking, nobody was left out. It was amazing, and it brought to mind something my dad had shown me. It was a quote from Arthur Ashe, in which he said, “If wealth is the secret to happiness, then the rich should be dancing on the streets. But only poor kids do that! If power ensures security, then VIPs should walk unguarded. But those who live simply, sleep soundly. If beauty and fame bring ideal relationships, then celebrities should have the best marriages!” Although it’s very philosophical, that really rung true in comparing the scenes of Europe and Africa. Despite their situation, they were able to form a level of community that I have never seen before.
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These people deserve to have opportunities like the rest of us do. They deserve to be educated, to have a job, stability, security, and I really want to help them. One of the reasons is that I saw the way they live. The other is that I am one of them, technically, but I have a barrier with helping them. Although I am from Côte d’Ivoire and I am West African, I do not live like them, and I never have. The only way to really get on their level is to live like them. However, if I do that, it will be seen as an insult. They don’t voluntarily live the way they do, they just don’t have another choice. To see someone else with means live like them is like giving up opportunities any of them would have gladly taken. I really do want to help them, but I have to find another way to find the problem and find a solution for them.
