Ndem and Resistance to Urbanization

Artisan village at Ndem

Up early in the morning and loaded onto buses packed tight with a handful of Senegalese visitors- in particular, Mere-bi, the mother of “all” (Senegal). Honestly I had no idea where we were going. Attempting to keep track of the schedule seemed silly at this point, and I had already determined just to go with whatever happened- “Trust the process,” as my advisor always says. I don’t even remember how long we were on the road. Hours, perhaps. I do know that I stepped off the bus, somewhat bewildered about where we were and why we were there, but also blinded by the sun and shocked by the intensity of the heat. I followed the crowd in through some gates, mainly staring at my feet and being thankful I’d left the sandals behind today. The sand was really, really hot. Nearly scorching desert hot (at least how I imagine it to be). We meandered around and made our way to a giant canopy covering an assortment of cushions on the mat-covered ground. We took our shoes off and claimed a cushion forming a giant circle around a few empty seats. Some people came out donning long, flowing, patchwork robes. A tall slender blonde woman with a heap of dreds peeking out from under the fabric wrapped around her head caught my eye. I had no idea who these people were, but they seemed like royalty somehow. On top of that, of course, my almost always confident-looking professor looked utterly nerve-wracked sitting and waiting for the proper introductions to be made. We sipped bissap juice and ate beignets while sitting in the shade of the billowly canopy.

Mural of Ndem’s Values

That day passed in a dreamy-sort of way. I remember it being hot and seeming long, but the passage of time seems funny. It turns out, we were in one of the most magical places I have had the pleasure to be in- ever. Here is the story, from what I understood and remember…

Long ago, the village Ndem was founded by a man whose grandson later went off to study and live in Paris- a common pursuit for Senegalese even now. That grandson, while in Paris, met a woman, fell in love, got married and eventually had a child. With the birth of this child, the couple began to really think about what kind of environment they wanted to raise a family in. In France, the woman felt that when her baby cried, passersby judged her for not being able to “hush” it quick enough. When in Senegal, she felt as though the care of her child was the responsibility of the community and she always had someone nearby willing to offer a helping hand. It was agreed. It was time to return to Senegal and raise this new life in the village of Ndem.

Upon arrival, the couple was surprised at what they found. No longer was Ndem a thriving rural village. Only the very old and very young remained. Most able-bodied people had left the village in search of economic opportunities in Dakar where they could earn enough to send home to their families in Ndem. But this couple came to Ndem to live in a community that supported families and this village, broken by the stresses of urbanization, simply wouldn’t do. In the beginning of their new life in Ndem, the nearest well was miles away. Trees and grasses had been cut down with no plan for sustainability in order to supply firewood for cooking- and nothing was left. The village had become so small that it didn’t warrant proper schools or healthcare facilities in the eyes of the state. It was just a dustbowl with relatively little hope for the future.

Freshly dyed fabrics drying in the village

This did not deter the couple. They began a plan to revive the community one step at a time through the hard work required through their religious beliefs. Hard work, according to their religious beliefs, can substitute for prayer as a way to demonstrate devotion to God. First, they built a well. Water is the source of life, and no project should be put before that. Over time, however, they began to address the needs of the villagers more specifically. They firmly believed that no one should have to leave their family in search of opportunities elsewhere unless they truly wanted to. They began to develop an artisinal community and provide products to a high-end consumer base in France through their previous ties. Through this art community, Maam Samba- the company formed to market these products- is able to provide skills training and work to well over 300 members of this tiny community. For the people of Ndem and surrounding areas, this means the reality that economic opportunity doesn’t have to be sought far from home and family. Additionally, the community has its own schools and healthcare facilities now.

Alternative fuel cooking pellets drying in the sun

The Village Ndem strives to live entirely off the land, with food and even the organic cotton used in their products being grown locally. In order to address the cutting of trees, villagers are even working on alternative fuel sources in the form of peanut husks mixed with clay that would allow the trees to continue growing while still providing fuel for cooking. These little pellets are still in the development stage, but offer a promising solution to the environmental problems in the area. The final step in development is to figure out a way to store the pellets during the rainy season- water causes them to turn to mud.

The experience of visiting Ndem was deeply moving for everyone in the group. I can only speak for myself, however, and I was fascinated by this couple’s devotion to creating an environment that prevents mass-migration for urbanization. The UN takes climate change seriously and the UNHCR is constantly warning the public that environmental factors will create increasing flows of refugees globally as people are no longer able to live off the land. To take back a community one project at a time and find more sustainable avenues for the future is truly inspirational. Not to mention, of course, that it’s refreshing to see a peaceful representation of Islam when I come from a country whose media often chooses to represent the religion in its entirety much differently. Extreme heat aside, the founding couple of Ndem inspired me to set big goals and achieve them one step at a time. No dream is too big!