This is the ‘Door of No Return’ on the Isle of Goree, a short boat ride from Dakar, the capital of Senegal in West Africa. The ray of sunshine is an illusion, as beyond the door used to lie the boats that would ferry the unfortunate captives to the ships lying at anchor, leading to a new life of slavery across the Atlantic, if death did not claim them first. Our trip to Senegal also reminded us of the challenge of so many countries in throwing off the shackles of their colonial past, and the ongoing struggle between the breadline and seeking a better life. It also made me think of how many of the same issues we have faced in the past – and still face, even in different form.
None of these things are new, but at least along the western shoreline of the country there was not just peace but also a sense of near serenity, even among some of the most crowded and often raw areas. Whether it was a ready greeting, the pleasure of a supposed bargain safely negotiated, or a welcoming wave, a ready smile made the connection. Serenity, however, does not apply to the flat area on nearly every village or sandy area into the most intensely physical, and occasionally balletic, football likely to be seen anywhere!
There is much to be done in this country, especially in the intense heat of the dry season, but the signs of solar panels powering underground water sources that are helping turn bare desert into vibrant rice or onion fields, providing labour for many, was a reminder that some fundamentals don’t change. Sometimes the point of return can be seem very distant, but it can come.