A Note from my friend in Senegal

Na fi'o?
I think that you're fine. Thank you foryour prayers; Master Wade has won again for 5 years ,till now there's no violence and we hope it will be the same for the legislative ,municipal and rural election . You' ve chief Aliou families greetings. Laste month ,Docor and I was been with an american team in THIES ,for giving health care to the "TALIBES " (street children).God bless you to for all things you done for the kingdom of Lord Jesus.Since your brother in CHRIST , Aliou

Saturday Morning Post(s)

It's Saturday morning here in snowy Wisconsin. After about snow for one week straight,I looked out my window and saw a bit of the sun this morning. Hallelujah Lord Jesus!
I hope that you get some info on Senegal and Africa on this blog in the days to come.
We plan on blogging our entire Senegal trip from Community Church on March 22 -April1 with all the members of the team getting a chance to blog once or twice.
I also have opportunities to get involved in the Democratic Rep. of Congo. and will start blogging on that in the near future.
Interesting week or two in the life of a developer. What is a regional developer for Africa anyway? (that's my official title with UWM)
According to the online dictionary, developer means :one that develops. That's pretty simple eh?
In my role with UWM, I am helping in the development of Mission Inter Senegal (MIS), a Senegalese NGO that's ministry has taken off faster than they could have imagined. With that being said, we are in the process of developing things in the wrong order....but that's the way life is sometimes. We must learn from mistakes and develop them into a positive and God honoring.
I am in dialogue with a couple of people and ministries that could have some impact on Senegal.
A family I met last year in March in Michigan is looking at a mission as business in Senegal building a unsophisticated vehicle called the BUV. While in conversation with John (the founder of Sahel Automotive) he was discussing the possibility of a grant for 250,000$ for the purchase of 20 BUV's for the church planters with MIS. Not only would these provide a great way of getting from village to village in the bush, but they could provide income for the church planters and eliminate some dependency on MIS and ultimately the west for support. In our discussion, we might be able to work together on this project. This is a development.
Also, a couple of weeks ago, I met someone from International Children's Fund (ICF) right here in the Wisconsin. Since that meeting, and after expressing my heart for Senegal and Africa, we are hopeful of forming a partnership to help in Senegal. ICF ships many containers to Africa with relief supplies and medicine. If all goes right, ICF has an order for 5 MILLION dollars of medicine to be shipped to the Barthimee Hospital after my visit later this month. That's a development.
And lastly, I got a call from a woman about a week ago that was so encouraging. A church that my cousin goes to in central Wisconsin is very interested in hearing about the work in Senegal.
This call came at such a perfect time. I thank God for that.

and the life of a developer goes on...

Wade at 80 years Old wins election

Analysts Ponder Senegal President's Legacy
By Phuong Tran Dakar 02 March 2007

President Abdoulaye Wade was declared the winner of Senegal's presidential election late Thursday, giving him five more years in power. Analysts are already speculating about his second term as well as the octogenarian president's legacy.

President Abdoulaye Wade comments after winning re-election

Mr. Wade's campaign slogan was that he needed more time to finish first-term projects. He said higher salaries and steady growth were reasons to keep him in power.

But his opponents said his seven years in office were long enough, pointing to worsening energy problems, a climate of intimidation against political opponents, unfinished construction projects, and boatloads of unemployed men risking their lives at sea to search for work in Europe.

Political science professor Yoro Dia at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar says Mr. Wade had many problems in his first term because he was too busy being a politician, rather than a statesman. His second term may an opportunity to polish his image for the history books.

"Now he is re-elected, he will be free from daily politics and he will be knocking on history's door," said Professor. Dia.

The professor says Mr. Wade is fascinated by post-independence presidents Leopold Sedar Senghor and Abdou Diouf who were in power four decades. Dia says Mr. Wade has been obsessed with how to stay in power, after his three decades fighting in the opposition and five failed presidential attempts.

Dia says the president, secure in his second and last term, can now think about his legacy.

"[Former President Leopold Sedar] Senghor has his place in history as someone who built the nation, [former President Abdou] Diouf has his place in history as someone who built the state, and now me, Abdoulaye Wade, what is my place in history?" added Dia.

Director of the Superior Institute of Information Sciences and Communication School in Dakar, Abdou Latif Coulibaly says Mr. Wade's political instincts are autocratic.

"He uses the rules of democracy to come to power, but when he is in power, he thinks these rules are not good for the Senegalese people and he has to break all these rules and break all the arms that help him to come to power," he said.

Following the electoral commission's announcement of his victory Thursday night, Mr. Wade vowed to pursue corruption charges against some of his opponents. He said Senegal's laws must be defended.

Mr. Wade has dismissed accusations of fraud as lies by journalists, and factually incorrect. He also says Senegal has never been more democratic than under his presidency.

But Coulibaly says power is the only shield Mr. Wade has against prosecution, and that his legacy will be a corrupt one. There are persistent questions over how Mr. Wade is spending new construction funds, and why close friends, and his son, have been given important positions in managing these funds.

"He himself knows he is not clean," he added. "Because today he is the president, no one can put him in jail. But when he loses power, he will be in jail I am sure."

Coulibaly wrote a critical biography of Mr. Wade in 2003 called An Opposition Leader Reaches Power, the Danger of Political Change that is banned in Senegal, and is available only in France.

Meanwhile, organizations that want to see Mr. Wade pursue their objectives are already jostling for attention.

A Chadian human rights non-profit group recently asked him to speed up the trial in Senegal of Chad's former ruler, Hissene Habre, who is charged with crimes against humanity. The group wrote that Mr. Wade's second mandate will be crowned a success if the case is heard.

Mr. Wade did not mention this at the news conference Thursday. He promised to quickly build a new airport and technology university. He also said journalists should have never doubted his first-round victory for a second term, which constitutionally, should be his last.

Senegal Election Free and Fair...

Senegal election 'free and fair'

The 80-year-old incumbent is seeking a second term in office
Senegal's presidential election was free and fair, observers from regional body the Economic Community Of West African States (Ecowas) have said.

Supporters of the incumbent, Abdoulaye Wade, have been celebrating, claiming he has won Sunday's poll.

But none of his 14 opponents have conceded and predict a run-off.

A BBC correspondent says it is perhaps a sign of Senegal's stability that amid contrasting claims there has been no obvious increase in tension.

Senegal's independent electoral commission said partial official results might not be available until Wednesday.

President Wade needs to gain more than 50% of the vote to avoid a second round.

Clear lead

The BBC's Will Ross in the capital, Dakar, says unofficial results being telephoned in to radio stations from across the country give Mr Wade a clear lead.

Election workers in Senegal count votes by the light of candles
Wade's opponents may team up against him if there is a run-off

But he says it is too early to know whether he has won outright in a first vote.

The Ecowas statement, while giving the vote the thumbs up, noted that there had been some problems with the process.

However, it also congratulated the Senegalese for their conduct during Sunday's voting.

Voter turnout was high and long queues left some polling stations open late.

Prime Minister Macky Sall - who is Mr Wade's campaign manager - said partial results gave the president 57% of the votes counted so far

"I invite all the other candidates to accept the voters' verdict," he said, AFP news agency reports.

Our correspondent says a run-off would present an opportunity for Mr Wade's opponents to team up against him.

That is exactly how the 80-year-old president came to power seven years ago in one of Africa's rare peaceful transitions from one president to a rival.

Battle

Mr Wade, who is seeking a second term, has come under pressure in recent months over high rural unemployment.

Since his election he has fallen out with several of his allies, some of whom were among the opponents challenging him on the ballot papers.

Two of them were Moustapha Niasse and the youthful Idrissa Seck, who have both served as prime minister in Mr Wade's administration.

Ousmane Tanor Dieng, who served under the previous president, Abdou Diouf, was also seen as a strong contender.

Senegal, a predominately Muslim nation, is seen as a rare model of stable democracy in Africa.

It is the only West African nation not to have experienced a coup since independence, and polls in 2000 passed off peacefully.

Some five million people were eligible to vote, which is almost double the figure in the last election.

Senegalese in presidential poll


Large queues have been forming outside polling stations
Voters are going to the polls in a presidential election in Senegal, the West African nation held up as one of the continent's few stable democracies.

Incumbent Abdoulaye Wade is up against 14 rivals as he seeks a second term.

Mr Wade narrowly won elections in 2000, but has come under pressure in recent months over high rural unemployment.

Other leading contenders are Moustapha Niasse and the youthful Idrissa Seck, who have both served as prime minister in Mr Wade's administration.


All the time they [the candidates] just talk politics, politics, politics. I don't think the politicians can end our problems - I don't believe in them
Yayi Bayam Diouf, voter

Ousmane Tanor Dieng, who served under the previous president, Abdou Diouf, is also seen as a strong contender.

The BBC's Will Ross in Dakar says that although Mr Wade is seen by many as the favourite, there are several unknown factors.

New system

Senegal, a predominately Muslim nation, is seen as a rare model of stable democracy in Africa. It is the only West African nation not to have experienced a coup since independence, and polls in 2000 passed off peacefully.

This time five million people will be eligible to vote, using a new electronic voting system which reads thumbprints.

The system should make the processing of results faster and easier, but our correspondent says there has been some concern over the accuracy of this new and as yet untested voting method.

Voting began at 0800GMT at more than 11,000 polling stations.

Our correspondent says lengthy queues have been forming at polling stations across the country, many of which are schools.

Dakar voices

Some voters say they again will be backing Mr Wade, pointing that he has started a number of large-scale projects to transform the country.

"Before Wade we were under a socialist regime for 40 years," says Mamadou Fall, a tailor in Dakar.

President Abdoulaye Wade at a rally in Dakar on 23 February
President Abdoulaye Wade is seeking a second term in office
"But in the last seven years he has done a lot of building roads and bridges. We even have tunnels in Senegal," he added.

Others say the construction projects are doing nothing to address the real needs of the poor Senegalese.

"Unfortunately President Wade started changing the rules of the game and didn't want a level playing field," says Jacques Habib Sy, who runs the organisation Aid Transparency.

"He appointed four prime ministers in six years and got rid of all the people who supported him in 2000 and that sent out a very wrong signal," he said.

Clashes

The number of voters has almost doubled since the last election and there have been no independent opinion polls.

And with so many candidates, it may be extremely hard for any of them to get the 50% of votes needed to win outright in a first round, our correspondent says.

Campaigning has been for the most part peaceful.

But earlier this week, clashes in the capital, Dakar, between rival supporters of Mr Wade and Mr Seck left five people seriously injured.

Clash before election...

Clashes ahead of Senegal election
By Will Ross
BBC News, Dakar

Cars vandalised in Senegal attacks
Clashes have heightened tension in the lead-up to the polls
Rival supporters have clashed in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, ahead of Sunday's presidential elections.

Fights between supporters of President Abdoulaye Wade and those of his former prime minister-turned-rival, Idrissa Seck, left five people seriously hurt.

Mr Wade is facing a strong challenge after seven years in office and recent violence has heightened tension.

Senegal is seen as a rare model of democracy in Africa and it is a stable country in a troubled region.

According to eyewitnesses, a convoy of Mr Seck's campaign team was attacked as it passed near the home of an influential religious leader, or marabout.

Senegal's Muslim brotherhoods play a significant role in the country's political arena.

Although they say they were provoked, the young followers of one marabout, who is backing President Wade's re-election, threw rocks and used knives and batons against the passing convoy.

Several vehicles were wrecked in the process.

Compared to pre-election violence in other African countries, the clashes in Senegal were on a small scale. But here such violence is rare.

So waking up to see newspapers showing photos of the victims with serious head injuries has come as a shock to many Senegalese.

Wide field

There are 15 candidates in Sunday's election. Despite being 80 years old, President Wade is the favourite and enjoys the benefits of incumbency.

But acquiring more than 50% of the votes will be hard because of the sheer number of candidates.

So a second round is a strong possibility and President Wade knows all too well the danger that could pose.

After several failed attempts at the presidency, he defeated Abdou Diouf in the last election in 2000, when several candidates teamed up with him for the second round of voting.

That was one of the extremely rare examples in Africa of a peaceful transfer of power from one leader to a rival.

With high unemployment and increased living costs, President Wade is under pressure.

His supporters point to large scale infrastructure projects.

But his detractors say not enough has been done in the area of job creation which is seen as the only way of stemming immigration.

As one of the major set-off points for the thousands of Africans trying to make it illegally by sea to Europe, immigration is a key issue in Senegal's election campaign.

Senegal's Powerful Brotherhoods

Senegal's powerful brotherhoods
By Elizabeth Blunt
BBC News, Senegal

Cheikh Amadou Bamba
Cheikh Amadou Bamba's portrait is displayed everywhere

Senegal's most powerful men are not politicians, but the leaders of the country's Islamic Sufi brotherhoods, to which a very large proportion of Senegalese belong, and whose influence pervades every aspect of Senegalese life.

Everywhere you go in Senegal, you see the same picture: An old black and white photograph of a figure dressed in white, a long white scarf wrapped around his head.

It's the only existing picture of a man called Cheikh Amadou Bamba, the founder of the Mourides, Senegal's richest and most powerful Islamic brotherhood.

You don't have to be in Dakar for long to realise that if everyone who displays his picture is a member, this is a very large organisation indeed.

Lifelong relationship

Its ties bind every Mouride to every other, but one of the strongest ties of all is the one which binds a Mouride to his spiritual guide and teacher, his Marabout or Cheikh.


Massamba Lo

The Cheikh bowled me over, seduced me if you like, and I became his disciple.
Massamba Lo, a personnel consultant in everyday life, is a devout Mouride and a descendant of the movement's founder.

He remembers the day he met his Cheikh as vividly as others remember falling in love.

"It was in Thies," he says. "On a Monday I think. We met, we become friends. He asked after me, said, "Massamba, you must come, you must take tea, eat with us.

"I was looking for just this kind of man. He bowled me over, seduced me if you like, and I became his disciple."

The relationship, he says, is for life, and is more important and intense than any relationship with a woman.

The Cheikh can bring spiritual comfort and open a path to God. But he can also, according to Massamba Lo, help with more practical affairs.

If you are thinking of starting a business, for instance, he can give the enterprise his blessing.

But these Cheikhs are very well connected. He can also put you in touch fellow Mourides who might be able to offer a helping hand.

For people like Massamba Lo, Mouridism supplies spiritual nourishment, business networking opportunities, a social security system and a fulfilling social life - all at the same time.

Celebration

Disciples of the same Cheikh meet for special days of celebration, with prayer and devotional music, and the collection of gifts for distribution to the poor.

Mouridism, says Massamba Lo, isn't simply a large part of his life - it is his life itself, the way he orders his existence.


Their main job is to educate people in the religion, but they have also a social responsibility.

Hadim Mbacke
The Cheikhs are in a position of power, but also of responsibility.

"Their main job is to educate people in the religion, but they have also a social responsibility because they have to make them work," Hadim Mbacke, himself a renowned teacher and scholar, told me.

"They have to marry people who need to be married, they have to reconcile people, they have to help people to get good health care and many other things."

All this takes resources, but the Mourides are rich. Hard work is part of their creed. Their founder, Cheikh Amadou Bamba, placed great emphasis on the Prophet Mohammed's saying: "Work as if you were going to live forever, and pray as if you were going to die tomorrow."

And they work, not just for themselves but for the brotherhood. Some disciples contribute their labour on their Cheikhs' farms; others bring cash.

"You have rich disciples and poor disciples, says Hadim Mbacke. "You have people who work in the government - the president, the ministers - all these people bring you a lot of money.

"Some people bring you perhaps $10, others even $1m sometimes, so he takes from the rich and gives to the poor."

For members of the brotherhood, Mouridism is all pervasive; for Senegal it's a whole parallel structure, hidden beneath the surface of national life.

Email from Chief Alioune In Dioutki

it truly is a connected world...

Dear Slager

Igreat you and all yours family. I'm looking forwar to see you earlier. I wsh you and your family to have goog healf and peace. All my family is talking about you , and they asking me your next come back in Senegal.

The village entire are greeting you . My mother is very happy about your last visit in our village.

See you next time. Walla !!!

Alioune NDIAYE, the chief village of Doutki

Sincerely yours

U.N.: Hunger kills 18,000 kids each day

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press Writer