5 *îl t J o r t la n b ( D b s e r u r r
A p ril 21. 2004
C o u n tries
o f A fr ic a
Senegal: Land of
beautiful women and
gorgeous beaches
Page A3
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B o rd ered on the n o rth by
Mauritania and by Guinea-Bissau
on the south, this quiet Wcst-Afri-
can nation also faces the Atlantic
Ocean. Smaller than America’s
South Dakota, Senegal has five
hundred and thirty-one miles of
pristine coastline. One of Africa’s
smallest countries, Senegal is made
up mostly of low rolling plains,
which rise to foothills in the south
eastern region of the country. While
many of the plains are often faced
with seasonal flooding,
. much of Senegal’s coun
tryside is also threatened
with devastating defor
estation, poaching, over
Dakar
grazing, soil erosion and
over fishing. Occasion
ally we hear of small third-
world countries such as
Senegal depleting their Atlantic
Ocean
natural resources in an
effort to stave off their
economic problems. Due
to hard work, lack of
medical care, and pov
erty, only three in every
one hundred persons
reach the age of sixty-five or more.
The average life of a man is less
than fifty-five years. Women are
slightly higher, with an average life
span of less than fifty-eight years.
With a primary Muslim population
(94 percent) and a small Roman
Catholic following (5 percent), there
is still much illiteracy. Only one out
of every two men (sixteen years old
and above) is able to read and write.
The number of literate women is
staggeringly low (30.7 percent). The
percentage of literate Christians,
both men and women is estimated
to be much higher.
Senegal is a relatively new mem
ber of countries that are considered
tree. Gaining its freedom from France
on April 4, 1960, the country
adopted a new constitution only
three years ago on Jan. 4,2001. Just
ten years ago, Senegal took a bold
move and established a new eco
nomic reform program. Devaluat
ing their own currency by a monu
mental fifty percent, the country
linked their money to the equiva
lent of the French franc. Greedy,
powerful government officials no
longer control prices of goods and
services. This country, which had
a history of a few very rich and
millions of extremely poor, is now
beginning to see a slow but sure
shifting of the balance of national
wealth. Whi le a small boom involv
ing information technology-based
serv ices gave a much needed eco
nomic boost to Senegal in the mid-
to-late 1990s, unemployment, juve
nile delinquency, and drug addic-
•S t. Louis
SENEGAL
•Kaotack
to be the most beautiful woman
Godhadevercreated. Today, much
of Senegal is lush and has rich,
productive soil. With its entourage
of internationally acclaimed musi
cians, this country brings in more
tourists than any other country in
the region. In addition to the music,
tourists soak up the sun on warm
beaches, enjoy upscale resort ho
tels, and w ander through city
streets lined with thousands of small
gift shops. The country’s 10 mil
lion- plus inhabitants mostly speak
French and welcome the nation’s
huge to u rist industry. W hile
Senegal is a haven for Europeans,
visitors from around the globe flock
year round to this jewel of Africa.
Senegal is a “must-see” hot spot
for travelers of all ages.
Pue! lour Future
/U r National G uard
*Z1gulnchor
tion still plague much of the inter
city life. A 2001 survey showed a 48
percent unemployment rate in the
suburbs.
Senegal and other parts of West
Africa have been inhabited for more
than 150 thousand years. Some of
this earth ’s earliest humanoids
walked this land. From the times of
the 15th century, the Portuguese,
English, and Dutch have inhabited
the country. France was the last
nation to rule Senegal. In the 1600s,
traders from al 1 over the world came
here to trade for hides, cotton fab
rics, gold, ivory and slaves.
Senegalese women have often
been touted as some of the most
beautiful females in the world.
Slaveholders were known to pay a
premium price for them to bear their
children.
Nanon, the famous Senegalese
woman who bore Joseph Boulogne
Chevalier de St. Georges, a famous
mulatto European Symphony di
rector in the 18'h century, was said
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W'e g r e w y ft b t r t
Dear Deanna:
I want to know why you never
mention the good men in your
articles? Yes a majority o f men
are dogs but not all o f them.
Sometimes a man can be telling
the truth but the woman seems to
think he’s lying. It boils down to
how well you trust your man. I
believe if a man cheated once
doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll
cheat again. There are some men
that cheat and keep on cheating
but some men do tend to stop.
Ask
—Ms. Confident
Real People, Real Advice
All advice column known ¡or
its /earless approach to rca/itv
hosed subjects!
Dear Ms. Confident:
{Y ou're absolutely right. There
fare many good men whose exist
ence and credibility is being de
stroyed by the so called dogs. A
•woman must have her own trust,
confidence, self-love, and esteem
in order to reflect, build and gar
ner trust in a man. There are men
out there treating their women
well and just as many good men
‘ waiting r—
for .. a ____
good i ______
woman. i I
definitely give props to the faith
ful, Godly, honorable and caring
men that are holding it down and
doing the right thing.
Dear Deanna!
I read in your column for the
week o f April 14 about Jackie
who had responded to my con
dom situation! I just wanted to
let her know that just because her
man popped up with a baby—
mine didn’t. All men are not the
same. Yes my boyfriend messed
up. I'm not making excuses for
him but like another person wrote
and said, the men are reflected
negatively although there are a lot
o f good ones out there. -Letting
Interstate MAX Yellow Line
Grand Opening Saturday, May l, 2004
Free rides on MAX Yellow Line May 1 & 2
Opening ahead of schedule and under budget on May 1, Interstate MAX Yellow Line w ill serve North
and Northeast Portland between downtown and the Expo Center, w ith 10 new stations along
Interstate Avenue. On opening day, we invite you to "Celebrate Interstate." Discover exciting activities
at the new stations along the Avenue, and enjoy free rides on MAX Yellow Line all weekend. (Also watch
for expanded bus service in North and Northeast Portland starting Sunday, May 2.)
good person who made a bad
mistake that you both had to ad
dress, argue over and decide to
split or stay together. It’s great to
see your relationship learning from
a mistake and doing better.
10 a.m.
about the Swan Island Pump Station and new
Dear Deanna!
Interstate/Rose Quarter Station The day
pedestrian and bike paths along the way.
Since everybody is talking about
good men, I have to put in my
two cents worth. My fiancé has
never cheated, never hit me and
treats me like a princess. Al
though I’m a big girl, he sees
beyond that and treats me as if
I’m a size two. It’s time women
started sharing and telling the
good things in relationships so
maybe some o f the dogs will
le a rn
to
be
re a l
m en.
begins w ith a grand opening ceremony and
N K illin gsw orth St S tation This m ulticultural
Featured events
community parade.
S h o n d a ; Birmingham, AL
Dear Shonda:
Dear Letting You Know:
It’s true that men imitate other
men when it comes to certain
things. Today’s real man has an
obligation to lead by example so
the boys o f tomorrow go in the
right direction. I applaud your
fiance’ because he has definitely
latched on to the program.
Men. just like women, make many
mistakes in relationships. How
ever, a woman will write, expose
the problem and sometimes seek a
solution faster than a male. I'm
sure your fellow, like others, is a
Ask Deanna is written by Deanna
M. Write Ask Deanna.' Email:
askdeanna I @ yahoo.com
or
write: DeannaM, P.O. Box88847,
Los Angeles, CA 90009. Website:
www.askdeanna.com
You Know in Toledo, OH
SIEMENS
stop w ill offer food and festivities from around
11 a.m.
the world, including performances by Obo Addy
MAX Yellow Line opens to the public.
and Pachamanca.
lla .m .-6 p .m .
N P ortland Blvd S tation Learn about
Albina/Mississippi Station Enjoy a street fair
transportation options in the Portland area, and
w ith jazz and blues by The Beyons, Ron Steen,
check out TriMet's hybrid-electric bus.
Norman Sylvester and The Original Cats.
K enton/N Denver Ave S tation Celebrate the
Overlook Park Station Celebrate the
Kenton neighborhood's 100th anniversary w ith
neighborhood's Polish cultural history along w ith
bluegrass, barbershop and vintage cars.
activities promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.
Expo Center S tation Japanese culture w ill be
N PTescott St Station Take a guided walk down
honored w ith Taiko drummers, traditional food
Going Street to the W illamette River, and learn
and historical inform ation about this form er
internm ent site.
For a complete event schedule or to plan your trip, visit us online at trimet.org or call 503-238-RIDE.
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