Hey all, I want to kick off my blog with a simple post because I don't have much time to write a longer one at the moment, but a more educational post will come soon. For now, I'll just tell you where I'll be living for the next 6+ months. I'm going to spend a little time in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, but I'll be stationed primarily in Ourossogui and Ndioum. These are two towns near Matam, close to the border with Mauritania in the Sahel, the southern region of the Sahara Desert. See the map at the bottom of the blog to see Dakar and Matam in Senegal. Dakar is the westernmost capital city in Africa, further West than all of Europe. Search on google if you want to find Senegal in the continental context.

Mamadou Niang, former Marseille striker, comes from the Fouta, the region in which Matam is found.




So does the (somewhat) famous singer Baaba Maal:




That's all for now, but I'll post again soon!