Jiro Dreams of Sushi

        There are a lot of reasons why Senegal hasn't advanced economically as quickly as other countries, but it's certainly not because there are no highly intelligent, highly skilled individuals working to make this country a better place to live. Perhaps there aren't enough, perhaps too many of them leave the country for more lucrative work, but there are certainly many who stay here and work here. Most of my work throughout these first two and a half months in Dakar has just been meeting these people and understanding their businesses, goals, and problems. Sometimes I find them, sometimes they find me, but it always ends up with us just sitting in a room talking about what they want from their business. I could talk very generally about the work I do, but I think it's more accurate and more compelling to describe my work first through an anecdote.
         This work partner was introduced to me through a friend of a fellow volunteer. He is the reason that I titled this post “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” because his passion and expertise in his craft reminds me of Jiro's passion and expertise for sushi in the aforementioned documentary. He is a baker and he makes artisanal breads from fresh, local ingredients. His knowledge of the various grains and techniques is unrivaled; his passion for quality and healthy foods unmatched. On top of this, he speaks English and is a former professor who loves to talk about his craft and share it with others. In other words, he's a model that all social entrepreneurs could follow. After several weeks of trying to set up a meeting, we finally found time for me to go visit his workplace and talk about his business. What I found wasn't big or fancy, it was just a guy and a few family members making bread. They didn't even have their own packaging and would just deliver in regular plastic bags to whoever would buy their products. He explained to me how the business was started and all the different kinds of bread he makes as well as some of the technical stuff. He told me that he primarily wanted help finding appropriate, personalized packaging and finding new markets. He made sure to emphasize that he didn't want to grow too quickly because that would hurt the quality of his product. He stated very clearly that he would rather see the business fold than produce a less-than-perfect product. I pledged to help him in whatever ways I could and, on my way out, he loaded me up with all kinds of breads including an experimental cornbread that was not yet available for sale. I quickly finished the bread and have been working on researching plastic packaging producers here in Senegal as well as a few associations he would be eligible for that could help him find more customers. I just recently reported back with my findings, so I hope he responds so we can continue to work together.
         So, that captures a little bit of what I'm doing. In more general terms, I'm also trying to help a company export dried mangoes, created an excel spreadsheet that automatically calculates profits, taught a juice-maker about unit costing, and teach English three times a week on the side. I also want to teach ultimate, but have had no luck finding a class thus far. Ramadan will be over on Tuesday and my family and I will be attending a large celebration in Thies. I'll spend a few days there, then come back to Dakar for a few days, then return to Thies on August 4^th for another 2 weeks of training. I'll be reunited with everybody from pre-service training back in the same facility, so it should be a decent time despite being stuck in a classroom for 8-10 hours a day. I recently had my camera shipped here, so I've finally been able to snap a few pictures. I'll end this post by sharing two of my favorite spots in Dakar. This first photo you have likely already seen if you pay attention to my Facebook account.  It's the view from the top of a hill where a lighthouse sits called the Phare des Mamelles.  It's one of the few quiet spots in Dakar and offers a great view as well. This picture is the view from the food court at a swanky mall called the Sea Plaza.  This is a place to get American food like burgers and pizzas, a cold drink, air conditioning, and a wonderful seaside view without breaking the bank too much (about $8-$10 per meal).  I typically come here on Sunday afternoons to relax a bit and to buy a few things at the fancy supermarket upstairs.  That's all I have for you for now.  Thanks for reading.