Cherished Memories of Africa — Page 33
25 My First Trip to Senegal In 1984, I was stationed in Basse, the Gambia as a Murabbi. Moreover, in compliance with Amir’s order, I was also rendering administrative and educational services at Nasir Ahmadiyya Muslim High School. The Amir sent to me a young muallim Ahmad Ly from Senegal. He spent a few months with me in the Basse area. He told me a lot of things about Senegal that got me quite interested and inspired me to visit the country, if possible. After a while, it was time for summer holidays in the Gambian schools. I requested the Amir for leave to visit Senegal that he readily granted. Ahmad Lee and I set out for Senegal. The journey was long; it was rainy season and the tracks were in a terrible state. We travelled by a van to the nearby Senegalese town of Velingara. From there, we took another van to Tambacounda and then to Kaolack - our first destination that being the only area where there were a few Ahmadis. We reached Sare jugari in the suburbs of Kaolack. The Jama’at had a small mud-brick mosque there and we spent our night there. It was an extremely poor locality. There was stagnant rain water all around and, therefore, the mosquitoes thrived. It turned out to be a long night as if there would be no morning. Anyhow, with the Grace of Allah, the night was over safely. Next morning we met some brothers. After that we went to Kampamant village by local transport. There was only one Ahmadi brother there. His house comprised of one mud-brick room right in the midst of a corn field. We had