III. At the office
Even in a totally different environment, office jobs cannot be escaped. For much of the remainder of my stay in Senegal, I’ll be working on the website of the Centre des Arts et Cultures Africains, which will eventually become the Fondation Marleen van Aken (a fondation has enhanced status in Senegalese law allowing for easier fundraising, among other things). In the process, I’ll be working with a local digital marketing and communications team based in Saint-Louis. The Authentic Best Consulting (ABC) Group is a startup that specialises in digital media and marketing - a relative rarity in Senegal, but an emerging market that promises to significantly improve the business environment in the country. They have a quaint office in the heart of suburban Saint Louis, which was well equipped with a kitchen, living area and air-conditioning (given the high temperatures and borderline oppressive humidity, this really is a lifesaver - it might even be more important than the kitchen). Having arrived there on Wednesday morning, it was time to get to work.
Hard at work...
Creating a website from scratch is no mean feat, but with some help from AI tools and the WordPress guide we were on our way by lunchtime, although there is no doubt that exploring how to use WordPress has been a very steep learning curve. Nonetheless, many smaller organisations with limited digital presence have no real way to communicate about their activities to the wider world, so adding a website will be a crucial step forward for the Centre des Arts. In addition, demonstrating increased effort towards incorporating digital tools will allow the Centre des Arts to put itself in a strong position to receive further international funding if and when it should become available. The website will present an overview of the activities of the Centre des Arts, including testimonies from partners and beneficiaries. It will give details of the different trainings offered in a consolidated manner as well as providing a gallery, e-commerce shop and contact form. Once finished, it will be available at fondationmarleenvanaken.sn
A sneak preview of the website under construction
Life in the office is quite different here - everything moves at a relaxed pace and patience is a must. All the same, the atmosphere is convivial and lunchtimes are a highlight - today we had Thiebou ketiakh - a dish with rice and dried fish. Everyone eats from the same platter armed only with a spoon and their hands (a method of eating that is clearly not for the faint-hearted). Lunch is followed by a wander through the city, but this never lasts long because everyone is keen to get back inside to the air-conditioned office.
Over the weekend, I’ll have the opportunity to discover the city of Saint-Louis, before returning to Louga to continue my work there in the newly opened office at the heart of the cultural center. Onwards to the weekend…
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