Around MSD - Maryland School for the Deaf

The Junior Bulletin Contributed by MSD Students
A Community Service Trip to Senegal, Africa
In July, 2010, seven MSD high school students, along with
teachers Mr. Martin O’Brien, Ms. Stacey Farone, and
Ms. Mary Eidukevicius, traveled to Senegal, Africa, for
two weeks on a community service venture. The trip was
organized through Senecorps, a volunteer group founded
to help improve the lives of the people of Senegal.
While in Senegal, we accomplished many amazing
things. We taught deaf children and young deaf adults ASL
at the newly built People’s Center, a center that educates the
deaf and other local community members. While teaching
there, we met many deaf people. Since there was no
air conditioning inside the building, it was scorching hot
teaching ASL lessons, but the deaf children were so excited
to have us there working with them that we were able to
tolerate the heat.
During the prior school year we had had a variety of
fund-raising events. We raised a total of $4000 which was
donated to the students and teachers at the Senegal School
for the Deaf. We also traveled to a very small village in
rural Senegal to paint the walls of a clinic. We worked on
this project for two days and were proud to see it finished.
We also learned about the culture of Senegal. We participated
in a lot of hands-on experiences with African
art. We learned the skill of batiking, using wax to create
designs on different things and then adding color dye to
make purses, shirts, and large sheets. For participating in
the program, we each received a beautifully carved African
drum. We learned to play drums, and we also leaned some
African dance. The food in Senegal was different. Meals
were served on a large tray which usually had rice along
with chicken, beef, fish, and special sauces. In Senegal we
also had the opportunity to visit a Turtle Park. We visited
a museum about the history of Senegal, rode horses along
the beach, toured Goree Island (a former slave island), went
swimming, and went to Pink Lake to dig for salt under the
water. We also took classes in Senegalese culture at a local
university. The boys even rode dune buggies.
The trip taught me a lot about the people and culture
of Senegal. I enjoyed learning about their way of life, food,
clothing, and art. What amazed me was how happy the people
of Senegal seemed. They did not have many things, yet they
smiled all the time and were always very helpful. While in
Senegal I felt I had the chance to help others less fortunate and
to learn more about another culture. The two week trip was a
great experience for me to see what life is like in an underdeveloped
country. Most importantly, we had the opportunity
to make an educational, cultural, and social connection with
deaf people in Senegal. Senecorps did a wonderful job making
our trip a most memorable experience.
—Liv Polzin, Junior
MSD Senegal Connection students completed a two-day project painting and renovating a health clinic in a rural village in
Senegal. MSD participants pictured are (L-R) Martin O’Brien (co-founder of the Senegal Connection Project), Dalton Kramer, Kyle
Blakley, Liv Polzin, Heather Mansfield-Hom, Eric Setzer, Shelby Thurmond, Grant Whitaker, Mary Eidukevicius KNEELING Stacey
Farone (co-founder of the Senegal Connection Project)
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