Daily Updates & Reflections

We began our last day in Senegal by waking up early and heading to Les Cajoutiers earlier than usual, because we needed to leave for the airport. At the school, we finished up the bathroom mural and most of the fence panels. In the end, we painted 15 panels for the school’s new partition between the boarding house and the school.

During break, we played with the kids one last time. It was very emotional as a lot of us were starting to get close with them. We also collected all our uneaten snacks and distributed them amongst the kindergarten kids. Before leaving the school, a few of us played one last game of volleyball before leaving the ball, as well as all of our donated goods, at the school.

In addition, Lauren and a few other students from our group were thinking of sponsoring a child from the boarding house, which shows the impact that trip has made. This means they will receive updates about the student, such as report cards and newsletters.

Overall, the morning was tough. Leaving Senegal was sad, but looking back, it really was such a fun and unforgettable experience.

Lunch was our last meal in Senegal. We shared traditional Senegalese chicken and beef stews with couscous; a warm, familiar comfort that felt like a proper farewell.

After lunch, we departed Le Kenkeni for the last time and took a two-hour bus ride to the airport. The heat on the bus was unbearable, but the students pulled through with resilience. Upon arrival, we bid Madi a heartfelt farewell, took a few final photos, and headed inside. After two hours of customs, security checks, and waiting at the gate, we finally boarded the plane to Dubai for our two-hour layover en route back to Hong Kong.

This final stretch tested our patience and adaptability, but the group rose to the challenge. Students stayed organized, supported one another, and navigated a hot bus, long lines, and tight timelines without complaint. The farewell to Madi crystallized how many relationships we built here in a short time. Sharing that last Senegalese meal reminded us how food, conversation, and small moments became our classroom as much as any planned activity. As we head home, we carry new confidence in traveling together, deeper cultural understanding, and a clearer sense of how resilient we can be when conditions aren’t ideal. The journey wasn’t just about getting from one place to another; it was about practising empathy, flexibility, and gratitude.

Written by Alex and Katelyn.

This morning, we traversed again with horse carts to Les Cajoutiers to resume our service projects: painting the palisades and the mural, as well as hosting dancing/singing workshops. During the children’s break, we engaged in a game of frisbee with them, and some of the girls also invited us to a vivacious dance circle, directed by the song “Waka Waka”. It was a very wholesome moment as all of the children were laughing happily, and we realised the tremendous amount of elation we can bring even though we don’t speak the same language, simply with actions and gestures. 

We then paid our first visit to the Middle School of Les Cajoutiers. We sat in on their Maths class, learning natural numbers along with the deaf and hearing pupils. An interesting thing was how the math teacher was also deaf, losing auditory sense at the age of 11. However, he was still able to fully communicate in the classroom. We were immersed in their classroom setting, learning how the deaf and the hearing students (and teachers) communicate through sign language and interpretation. Specifically, they used French/ASL interpreters to communicate between the deaf mathematics teacher and students. It was impressively effective, allowing deaf children to learn at the same speed as hearing children. I realised how similar their curriculum is to ours and that they are still receiving the best education possible despite the lack of technology. The students were arguably even more willing to participate in class and more eager to learn compared to students in Hong Kong, which made me reflect on my own learning habits. 

For lunch, we headed back to Le Kenkeni, and today they served us the national dish of Senegal for the first time: the Thiéboudiènne. It was a delicacy, comprising spiced rice with fish and vegetables. After a morning of playing with the children under the unforgiving zenith of the sun, we were quite hungry, and really enjoyed the food, especially the fulfilling flavour of the rice and the sauces they served with the fish and vegetables. I thought the dish was quite similar to what is customary in Hong Kong and therefore comforting, as it consisted of rice, meat, and vegetables, which are also staples in Chinese cooking.

After lunch, the temperatures were at a sweltering 35 degrees celcius, and the sun was dazzling down at us. The afternoon schedule was a visit to a rural village, or moreso a large extended family compound. Transportation was done through the use of 4x4 vehicles and 8 seaters mounted on the back. The ride was on rough terrain, but was very confortable and relaxing.

Arriving at the location, it was a small village with about 10 buildings, comprising 2 kitchens, 1 shower, and about 7 bedrooms. They have access to water and electricity, as well as TV reception. Most structures were built of bricks, but the kitchens were made with sticks. Something interesting is the language barrier but also the fluidity of communication. Madi communicated with them in a Senegalese dialect, which he then translated into French, for Ms V to then translate to us in English. We students could also use basic French and hand gestures to start discourse. The entire family was amicable and hospitable, and were very happy with our gifts of rice, oil and soap.

In our tour of the village they also presented an interactive activity of the culinary process of preparing a food called millet. It was done through a large wooden mallet and an oval-esque tall vase with grain inside, intended to be crushed and processed. We were all able to perform the action with great strength and realized the indefatigability of the family members. We departed in the same vehicles after taking a group photo with the village members: a wholesome moment.

After dawn we had a performance that highlighted traditional Senegalese dance culture, with 6 male drummers and 6 female dancers/singers. We were sat outside the porch with scarce lighting, enhancing the nighttime feel of the performance. The performers’ exuberance permeated through our bodies, creating a great mood for our coming departure from Senegal. Something that fascinated me was the enthusiasm spread across the stage, with an intense 1 hour drumming, singing and dancing trifecta. At the end, they even invited us to stand up and participate in a group dance.

We all felt the vast sources of energy from this performance, and it left an indelible mark on us: learning to appreciate what we have rather than mourn for what’s missing.

We ended off the day with a relaxing dinner of beef and potatoes accompanied by bread: an amazing dinner to end the final full day in Senegal.

Written by Tommy and Valerie.

In the morning, we arrived at Les Cajoutiers via the horse carts. Some groups continued the painting projects from yesterday, and others hosted two workshops (singing and dancing) with the children. 

During the singing workshop, the famous African song “Waka Waka” was sung to the children; David was very enthusiastic and the children enjoyed a lot. In the dance session, Jaqueline led the children in basic ballet moves while Lauren and Rita helped with correcting posture.

Before we returned to the hotel for lunch, we were taken on a tour around the school. We visited classrooms for Down syndrome students, the multi-purpose space, as well as some kindergarten classes. We learnt how the education for Down syndrome students was organized and got to understand more about the school’s future development goals.

In the afternoon, we visited Les Cajoutiers boarding house for the final time, and delivered all of the frisbees donated from Hong Kong. As soon as we arrived, we started the frisbee painting activity; each of us was paired with a student at the boarding house for help in painting. In total, there were two rotations of around 18 kids each. Many of the boys painted football club logos like Barcelona and PSG while the girls painted pretty things as seen in one of the photos 

Although there were very few color choices and little space for the kids, we think they still had a lot of fun expressing their interests and passions on frisbees. Overall the activity was pretty successful and hopefully everyone had fun.

After cleaning up the mess from painting, Ms. V and some other students went to buy souvenirs for the school fair while the other students stayed to play with the students at the boarding house (playing football, frisbee, and basketball). 

We then made our way back to Le Kenkeni, and were given the opportunity to watch the sunset,  which was very pretty. 

Through this experience, we realised that although the Senegalese children have limited resources and opportunities compared to Hong Kong children, they seem more enthusiastic in the process of learning. Through our dancing session, the girls enjoyed the session, but the boys were also highly engaged in the dance moves, which we didn’t expect. During our visit in the boarding house in the afternoon, some students from the morning even did ballet moves when seeing us! 

Of course this also applies to the frisbee painting session too. Though kids in the boarding house have less experience in both playing frisbee and painting, they still put a huge amount of effort into creating artwork to reflect their personal interests.

Finally, at 7:30 we all gathered on the rooftop to have dinner to settle down, and prepare for more activities tomorrow — our final full day in Senegal!

Written by Jackie and Katherine

This morning, we headed back to Les Cajoutiers in the usual horse carts, and upon arrival, we were introduced to the service projects to be completed at the school, including painting palisades for the new dormitories, creating mural artwork for the new bathrooms, and refurbishing the bathroom doors on campus. After painting for a couple of hours, we went to socialize with the students who were on recess. A popular way to play was lifting the children up and spinning them in circles, which was a rather tiring yet effective bonding activity.

Behind the trees in the playground lay the mural completed by the 2019 CIS cohort, now partly mouldy and partly painted. We were also introduced to the school farm, and Sophie from Les Cajoutiers informed us that the portable gardens created by the 2024 CIS cohort allowed for other locals to grow their own spices and herbs, in the event that they didn’t have a backyard. The sight of students’ past efforts had a profound effect on making us realize how the two student bodies (CIS and Les Cajoutiers) are intertwined and demonstrates the never-ending cycle of connection between students and the community of Warang against the passing of time.

We found that inclusivity is greatly emphasized at this school. Students who take little interest in regular studies yet have other passions are greatly assisted by the school (to the best of its ability) in pursuing those passions, such as the farm, which had three people operating it, two of whom were students from Les Cajoutiers who had found their passion in agriculture.

Furthermore, there was an abundance of crops of varying species (mangoes, hibiscus, yam, lemongrass, etc.), which was fascinating to see, as it is a goal we are trying to achieve back on the farm at the CIS campus in Hong Kong, where the environment is largely monocultural. Looking down the street sides on the horse cart rides and around the school garden, you notice the remarkable biodiversity that Warang, a small village in Senegal, hosts, which shows the emphasis on biodiversity preservation here.

Further into the farm was a large chicken coop that produced eggs for the school to sell. It also served as an indicator of the school’s ability to self-produce certain goods.

In the afternoon, we went to a safari wildlife park called Bandia Nature Reserve, which aims to reintroduce native species to Senegal. We split into three groups and rode around the park to spot different types of animals including gazelles, monkeys, zebras, ostriches, and giraffes. In the park, there are only two rhinos: one male and one female. Unfortunately, as the guide told us, the rhinos don’t like each other so they haven’t mated. We passed by the rhino, but since it was hidden by trees while drinking water we couldn’t get a close look at it. 

The park kept some hyenas in a special enclosure to keep peace, as they would be dangerous to young animals if they were free in the park. As we passed the turtle enclosure, we saw a few turtles mating. The tour ended with us looking at crocodiles resting in a large lake.

As part of the tour, we visited a Baobab tree named Tombeau de Griots, which tells a fascinating story behind the variety of cultures and ethical differences of Senegal. We were told by the guide that the griots were the ethnical group in the lowest class in the Senegalese social hierarchy, often working as artists or storytellers, or other low-classed occupations. Upon the death of a griot, they were not allowed to be buried in the cemetery as people believed that their dead bodies may lead to a natural catastrophe. Later, Islam and Christianity entered Senegal, making this practice less popular. In 1960, upon the independence of Senegal, the first president abolished this practice.

Overall, this was such a fascinating experience and provided real insight unique to Senegal.

Written by Angela, Johnny and Rita

In the morning, we packed our bags and got breakfast, which consisted of crepes, eggs, and fruits. We headed out onto the roads riding by horse and donkey carts until we reached the school. We then watched the flag raising ceremony as the principal and faculty of the school introduced themselves. 

Afterwards, we played a variety of games with the kids, including hand clapping games, “Ring Around the Roses”, and carrying them on our backs. We all bonded really well together and had lots of fun. Some of us visited the classrooms, which had blackboards and rows of chairs. After the recreation time was over for the kids, we sat around in a circle and talked with Sophie, the founder of the school. She shared with us her story of coming to Senegal in 1996 to sponsor a boy. This helped her form many local connections that led to the formation of the school many years later. We asked her lots of questions and she provided much insight into the details and future plans for the school. 

Finally, we rode the horse carts back to our hotel, Le Kenkeni—it was a bumpy yet exciting ride. We settled down and ate lunch, and swam in the pool, replenishing our energy for the rest of the day.

In the afternoon, we visited the busy fishing port of M’Bour. Although fishy at first, we quickly got accustomed to the bustling pace of the place. We treaded along the shore as we were told about the procedures through which the fish is transported from the ocean to the market. The hectic environment of people passing by with crates of dry ice and caught fish stimulated all of our senses as we learned about the culture and superstitions that exist within the people of M’Bour. 

Another thing that stands out about the place is the problem of sustainability. The shores were scattered abundantly with plastic waste, prompting our IB learning profiles to critically think about the landscape of the town, and the challenges of plastic pollution. Was sustainability an effort that was proactively thought about by the people? Why or why not? 

We headed back to the hotel and had dinner as we prepared for our day tomorrow, reminiscing about our transcendental visit to the school and M’Bour.

Written by Helen and Lucas

For the first half of the day, we took a ferry to an island near Dakar called Gorée Island, also known as Slave Island. A guide toured us around and we learned about the island's important history; it was formerly the largest slave-trading center in Africa. Because Gorée Island was the closest point in Africa to the U.S., enslaved people from all over the continent were sent there before being shipped to America to work on plantations.

One of the most memorable stops was the last slave house on the island, the “Maison des Esclaves.” We saw the cells where enslaved men who weighed under 60 kg were held, as well as other cells for women and children. The men and women were fed Moroccan meals (mainly beans) to grow stronger before being sent to work in the plantations in America.

One thing our tour guide said especially stood out to me: when Pope John Paul II visited the island and asked for forgiveness, the Senegalese replied: “We can forgive, but we will never forget. Never again.”

Another thing which happened during our excursion to the island was that a man tried to sell us the asarat blani, which is a local instrument. He played “waka waka” to capture our attention first, and once we are intrigued he approached and handed us the instrument to let us play it. This engaging approach was very effective as we immersed ourselves in the joyful atmosphere music brought us. After lots of practice we barely mastered it.