Selfless Love -- Touba and Mouit

After I short stay in Thies last Friday night, we ventured to Touba last Saturday. Touba is an Islamic city, which is home to the largest mosque in Senegal. Next the the mosque rests the tomb of Touba's founder, Chiekh Amadou Baba. According to legend, Chiekh founded Touba when he saw a vision of light while resting under a tree. In Arabic, "tuba" means "felicity" or "bliss" and evokes the images of a sweet afterlife.

Next we travelled to Mouit where we stayed for a few days with a host family. Mouit is a dreamy village surrounded by le Langue de Barberie National Park. I was very nervous because I did not know what to expect from village life. I was greeted with a large family, who was eager to show me their way of life. By Western perceptions it seemed as though you could not accomplish much by drinking tea, eating watermelon, and sitting under a tree for a few days. What I discovered was a whole new approach to life and love.

People in Mouit just genuinely enjoy spending time with each other. They wake up each morning and gather the food they need to eat for just that day, so they have no waste. Most of the day is spent around the preperation of meals since it takes most of the day. The warmest hours of the afternoon are spent under a tree drinking tea and eating watermelon. However, what I will remember most is that even though they did not have much, they were just genuinely happy to be alive.