Leaving my mark in Africa, little by little

Ok, so in Sangalkam, my training village during Pre-Service Training, I had an aunt there who was pregnant, Fatu. During the first few weeks I thought either she didn’t like me or that she was just always angry because she had a permanent scowl on her face. However, as the weeks went by and I learned how to say some things and could actually have a basic conversation with her, it turned out that we got along very well. She was due to have her baby in October, the month I swore in, and I was hoping that she would have the baby while I was still living with them, but alas she didn’t.

So when I came back up to Thies for our all-volunteer conference I decided to go and visit Sangalkam because I really liked my family and they are genuinely nice people. They had no idea I was coming for a visit so it was a big surprise to everyone when I just showed up on the compound. When I got there I was warmly greeted by everyone, my host mom even came out running and gave me a hug, which Senegalese people do NOT do. Of course Fatu was there and no longer pregnant, so we began discussing the baby, she is a healthy little girl. Fatu asked me if I wanted to see her and of course I did. As I was led into the baby’s room she asked me if I wanted to know what the baby’s name was, what I heard next just stunned me, she told me she named the baby “Alexandra!!!” That’s right she named her baby after me, I was so touched that I had no idea what to say. I spent the rest of the day with my family and my namesake, whom I must say is one beautiful baby! My own namesake in Africa how cool is that??!!