First blog, first article! So here we go…or rather…here I am because…to be precise, I am just sitting by myself in front of my screen…Actually, in the French version of this article, I was adding a little English here and there to point out that I have arrived. As far as this article is in English I will add a little French because after all, a little posh have never hurt a fly…so…J’aime Paris et Le Fric C’est Chic. So back to my first article. I talk about those languages issues because when you have the pretention to write a blog which claims to be a travel book of my American Odyssey…you better be on point with your English. So I’ll do my best. Well, about the word “Odyssey”, I am may be exaggerating a tiny bit because, unlike Ulysses, I will be only be gone for six weeks…The other little differences I see with Ulysses’ Odyssey, is that I might not be meeting a Cyclopes, several see monsters, nor a single Mermaid. But, I will definitely be able to say to everybody that I stayed in the country of Homer. Ok…I’m talking about the Simpson one, but a Homer is a Homer!
Now, let’s be serious. I won’t explain everything because we did it in our share article but my fellows and I are not going to the US to chill, we are not tourists. Our experience is special; we are going there to meet President Obama! The one and only! How cool is that?
I also won’t talk about our Pre Departure Orientation, it has already been covered but I will talk about the very moment I received this letter from the Senegal US Embassy the 23th March 2015, it was a Monday…Normally, you say, “Thank God it’s Friday”…but let me assure you, THAT Monday was worth a lot of Fridays. It was the day I was announced that I will be a Mandela Fellow. I made through the selection and I am now part of the 500 young African leaders selected for this 2015 promotion. I have six weeks to “discover” America thanks to this initiative launched by President Obama himself in 2010. Detect and train the future leaders of Africa…What a brilliant example of soft diplomacy. Olivia Pope and Frank Underwood would applaud.
Back to the subject…After having screamed and jumped into the air, danced, toasted, scoffed my friends and family (yes…I am a little bit ashamed of myself but a girl can only be human, right), I realized that I was privileged to be part of such an adventure: a six-week intensive training in Public Management in an American University? Really, Que demande le people? And it was at this very moment that it hits me, a terrible feeling.
RESPONSIBILITY. Beyond my insignificant person, the fact that I will benefit from a unique professional, cultural and personal experience, I feel that I have a responsibility to represent my country with dignity. And beyond that, I have the obligation to come back in Senegal to serve, armed with new skills, concepts, process etc., to better contribute to the development of my country. And beyond my country, there is this continent: Africa. This continent WHO (it’s not a grammar error) deserves to have a say in this world, who deserves to speak, this continent who needs a change of image and finally, this continent who MUST show to the world what she (yeah…I did it, I decided just like that, that for me Africa is a women. Sorry guys, it’s nothing personal) is capable of.
A few weeks ago, I was reading an article about how “Africa is starving”. Of course Africa is starving, but she is starving for development, for social progress, for success, for recognition, but more importantly, Africa is starving for RESPECT. Everybody knows RESPECT from the great Aretha Franklin. It’s the same for Africa: “What you want, Baby, Africa got it. What you need, do you know we got it? All we’re asking is for a little R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”! Those who have ears should hear!
So…after this lyrical and patriotic musings, it is now time to come back to earth…I will continue to scream and jump into the air, dance, toast , scoff my friends and family because…there is another great thing about this program… I am going to the Florida International University of MIAMI…Say whaaaaaaaaaaaat? MIAMI…As a French poet, Joachim du Bellay, wrote “Happy, the man who finds sweet journey’s end”…For me it will be “Happy, the Elsa who will have a sweet journey”!
N.B.: we were told during our PDO that we were privileged but not special. It’s important to keep that in mind. This adventure will definitely help all fellows in their activities but there are more people out there, way better than all of us…So we must keep it humble!
May, 21 2015
Elsa Dansokho
Mandela Washington Fellow 2015
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