Oussouye

12 december 2022

It was sad to leave this wonderful oasis of homeliness. The home of the 'earth woman' - Banku Mussa as Regula is called in the community. I had the privilege of spending time with this new friend and meeting some very inspiring people.

Today I travelled by shared taxi to Ziguinchor, a large town in the south of Senegal and then on to Oussouye.

When exploring the village, I came across the entry to the meeting place of the local king. He resides in Oussouye and makes himself available for the local people from 06:00 to 18:00 each day. He explained how he is elected - by a vote from the people rather than inheritance and how he serves a number of villages including two in neighbouring Guinea Bissau. He has elected members in each village who act as his representatives and consult with him about individual village affairs. He sees his role as three fold; to serve the villages, provided information for tourists / guests to the area, and to provide for the most needy in the area. When I asked what his hope were for the younger generation he explained that the priority is education; making sure that this is the best they can provided and that every young person goes to school.

The Diola people:
below are some notes I made after researching a little about the people who live in the villages around Oussouye.

Location:
The Diola (or Jola) are an ethnic group of people living in Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea Bissau. Most live in the small villages scattered throughout Senegal and particularly in the lower Casamance region. Many speak the main dialect of the ‘Fogni’ language.
Economy:
Their economy has been based on wet rice cultivation for several centuries. Later they added the cultivation of peanuts, palm wine tapping, honey collection, livestock rearing and the production of vegetables such as sweet potatoes, yams and watermelons.
Religion:
The Diola follow a traditional set of beliefs and traditions which include specific ceremonies. In more connected areas many of these practices have incorporated Islamic practices too.
Many Diola people believe that spirits called Bakin or Eneerti (Mandinka Jalang) can protect their families, their villages, and their rice fields. They also place great respect in the traditional observations of a funeral ceremony, believing that the person’s soul will go to it’s final resting place to join their ancestors.
Social structure:
The communities tend to be organised into family or neighbourhood communities, with their own representatives. Some elect a king, who acts more as an elder for the community rather than an inherited role of status. The most prominent Diola kingdom is in Oossouye.
Elders are considered very important in Jola society and are believed to possess occult powers and guard societal traditions. In villages, a council of elders make many of the daily decisions for the community and exert much influence. Despite the patriarchal nature of Jola society, many women played major roles in the community and were often members in village councils, religious leaders, and landowners. Women are also important as cultivators of wet rice fields in which they predominated. Polygamy and genital mutilation are not practiced by the Jola although outside influence has made these more common in certain villages.

Accommodation in Oussouye
I stayed at the Hotel Kabekel where rooms are 10,000CFA and breakfast is 1500CFA. Dinner is 3500CFA.

Future visits:
I would love to learn more about the Diola people, their culture and customs.
A travel company called Banoa provide a really interesting tour through villages by canoe and on foot.
Flight to Banjul –Ziguinchor –Affinian –Seleki –Enampore –Pointe St George –Niomoune –Diogue –Carabane Island –Kachouane –Edhje –Boucotte –Djembering –Cap Skirring –Bouyouye –Nioumoune –Haer –Bankassouk –Kafountine –Banju