EVERY AFTERNOON, Malick plays soccer with his friends at school
Malick is 7 years old and lives with his mother (Mariana) and younger brother (Luka) in Diakene Ouloff. Diakene Ouoloff is located in the jungle region of Casamance, in the south of Senegal. Malick is probably the only person in the world who speaks Basque and Diola perfectly, in addition to Spanish, Oulof and French, as his mother is from San Sebastián (Spain) and his father is Senegalese. Malick lives most of the year in Senegal, but he also spends several months visiting his relatives in Spain.
When he grows up, Malick wants to become a fisherman and a soccer player. But he won't play for the Spanish team because, he says, they are "chekmarks". His goal is to play for Real Madrid or the Senegal team, although he knows it is difficult and that he will have to be better than one of his favorite players: Mbapé. He also loves mathematics and drawing. He is lucky that, at home, he has a giant mural where he can paint whatever he wants with his hands.
When he grows up, Malick wants to become a fisherman and a soccer player. But he won't play for the Spanish team because, he says, they are "chekmarks". His goal is to play for Real Madrid or the Senegal team, although he knows it is difficult and that he will have to be better than one of his favorite players: Mbapé. He also loves mathematics and drawing. He is lucky that, at home, he has a giant mural where he can paint whatever he wants with his hands.
SOME OF MALICKS DRAWINGS
Uno de los dibujos de Malick
El mural de su casa, lleno de banderas de senegal y del País Vasco
His village belongs to the Casamance region, the jewel of Senegal. Casamance is a region in the south of the country, of extreme beauty and exuberant vegetation. In addition, Casamance is known for its great cultural richness and diversity. Seven main ethnic groups coexist in the region. Among them, one of the majority are the Diola, originally of animist religion (they believe that all living beings have souls). All these ethnic groups live very closely together sharing their celebrations, rituals and other ancestral traditions. Casamance is also known for its tropical climate, with miles of unexplored beaches, white sand islands, ancient trees, mangrove swamps and rivers.
Malick lives in a small and very familiar village where the values of community and family are still intact. A village similar to those where our grandparents used to live in the past. The streets are full of life, filled with children playing and adults enjoying each other's company at the entrances of the houses. In addition, your home is surrounded by rivers, mangroves and just minutes from the most beautiful beaches in the country.
Life in the village is quiet and revolves around fishing and working the land. Every morning, the women go out to work in their fields where they grow most of the food they eat. The men go out to fish or work in the nearby towns. As everywhere in Casamance, its inhabitants live in a sustainable and natural way. The locals give a lot of importance to nutrition, consuming only natural products that come from their land or animals. Buying vegetables, rice or fruit in a large supermarket is something they do not conceive. All the neighbors have their own farm where they grow all kinds of food, and they know the benefits of each one of them. They are surrounded by trees that give all kinds of fruits.
MALICK NEIGHBOURS WORKING IN THEIR LANDS
Malick is fortunate that his house has also become a cultural center that welcomes people who want to travel in a sustainable way. A house that his mother designed with the help of his uncle, with natural materials and respecting the local flora.
His home is a place to find peace, away from the overwhelming tourism, a place to connect with the culture and traditions of the region. Not only Malick, Mariana and Luka, but also Bay and Boy live there. They are part of the family and are in charge of making sure that everything runs smoothly and that visitors feel at home.
Desde la casa de Malick, se puede ver a una de sus vecinas trabajando en su huerta
Like every morning, that day Malick Mariana, Luka and I had breakfast together. Breakfasts usually consist of homemade bread toast, tomato from the garden and moringa juice (a plant they have at their front door). After breakfast, Malick walked to school, accompanied by his mother and younger brother. Malick says that he thinks he likes going to school in Spain more than in Seneegal, because in Senegal "they don't let us play soccer at school" That day Malick was excited because, in the afternoon we had arranged to go fishing together, he was eager to show me all the fishermen's tricks that his father had taught him. Malick confessed to me that his father was the best fisherman in Senegal and caught huge fish.
At 15:00, when he got out of school, he came home like a rocket to prepare the shrimp that we would use as bait. Bay, the best captain in the area, and I waited impatiently for him.
Malick, dressed in his soccer jersey, put on a colorful fishing hat, grabbed the rods and his net and we headed for the jetty where Bay would pick us up in the narrow wooden boat. He is lucky that this paradise is practically in his backyard. On the way to the jetty, Malick was describing his experience as a fisherman in Casamance and preparing me for what we were about to encounter. While we waited for Bay, Malick showed me how to catch fish with his retel. He managed to catch a few minnows and "transparent shrimp".
At 15:00, when he got out of school, he came home like a rocket to prepare the shrimp that we would use as bait. Bay, the best captain in the area, and I waited impatiently for him.
Malick, dressed in his soccer jersey, put on a colorful fishing hat, grabbed the rods and his net and we headed for the jetty where Bay would pick us up in the narrow wooden boat. He is lucky that this paradise is practically in his backyard. On the way to the jetty, Malick was describing his experience as a fisherman in Casamance and preparing me for what we were about to encounter. While we waited for Bay, Malick showed me how to catch fish with his retel. He managed to catch a few minnows and "transparent shrimp".
Malick prepARES EVERYTHING FOR THE FISHING DAY
WHILE WALKING TO THE CANOE, HE EXPLAINED ME EVERYTHING I HAD TO KNOW ABOUT FISHING
BAY, THE CAPTAIN
Once we jumped in the canoe, we began to navigate upstream through the narrow mangroves. We sailed without a motor, only with the help of the paddle. On the way, he told me that once, in those waters, he saw a "dizzy fish", something he would never forget. Slowly we reached a sufficiently deep area and dropped anchor. We prepared the rods with the shrimp we would use as bait and started fishing.
At that time the tide was still going out, which made the fishing quite complicated. Malick insisted that I had to be patient. Although he thought he was "retiring" from fishing, because lately he was "not fishing at all".
Shortly after, with patience, Bay managed to catch the first fish, a fish with human teeth, which we would have for dinner as ceviche that same night. As Malick says, the captain is the first to catch the fish.
At that time the tide was still going out, which made the fishing quite complicated. Malick insisted that I had to be patient. Although he thought he was "retiring" from fishing, because lately he was "not fishing at all".
Shortly after, with patience, Bay managed to catch the first fish, a fish with human teeth, which we would have for dinner as ceviche that same night. As Malick says, the captain is the first to catch the fish.
With the advice of experienced fishermen I also managed to catch some fish. I landed a small crested fish and another one that we threw back into the water because it was poisonous.
Good things come to those who wait, and finally Malick landed one of the big ones. At first, with the nerves of the moment, we thought it had slipped away from him, but it didn't. He was able to show me all he had to offer.
Gradually we ran out of shrimp and light, so we decided to take a head count and head home.
We paddled back through the canals, enjoying the sunset. Bay, the captain, rowed from the stern of the boat while Malick, in the bow, continued to tell me about his experiences.
He was struck by the star shining over our heads and was sure that lone star closest to us was his dad (who passed away last year) as he had never seen a single star in the sky.
As we sailed along, Malick insisted that he would go on to play for Real Madrid "I'm great because I beat everyone in my class."
Good things come to those who wait, and finally Malick landed one of the big ones. At first, with the nerves of the moment, we thought it had slipped away from him, but it didn't. He was able to show me all he had to offer.
Gradually we ran out of shrimp and light, so we decided to take a head count and head home.
We paddled back through the canals, enjoying the sunset. Bay, the captain, rowed from the stern of the boat while Malick, in the bow, continued to tell me about his experiences.
He was struck by the star shining over our heads and was sure that lone star closest to us was his dad (who passed away last year) as he had never seen a single star in the sky.
As we sailed along, Malick insisted that he would go on to play for Real Madrid "I'm great because I beat everyone in my class."
Malick took great care of me since the beginning, offering me a cap to protect me from the sun, offering to carry my rod, guiding me through his village, hydrating me with water and teaching me the tricks and customs of the most experienced fishermen.
The following days that I stayed at the cultural center I was lucky enough to continue enjoying this little piece of paradise called Diaken Oulof with Malick and his family.
The following days that I stayed at the cultural center I was lucky enough to continue enjoying this little piece of paradise called Diaken Oulof with Malick and his family.
Besides fishing, soccer is Malick's great passion, and if you don't find him in the river, you'll find him in the town's soccer field.
Like every afternoon after school, the boys dressed up in their soccer outfits and prepared to play a game the other kids in town. Malick was dressed up in his blue uniform with yellow letters on the back with his name written on it.
We passed the Koranic school where the children study Koran every day, the rice fields and arrived at the soccer field at his school.
Like every afternoon after school, the boys dressed up in their soccer outfits and prepared to play a game the other kids in town. Malick was dressed up in his blue uniform with yellow letters on the back with his name written on it.
We passed the Koranic school where the children study Koran every day, the rice fields and arrived at the soccer field at his school.
THROUGH ONE OF THE SCHOOL WINDOWS, I COULD SEE THE SMALL KIDS WATCHING THE SOCCER MATCH FROM THE OLDER BIG GUYS IN TOWN.
While Malick played with the children, Luka showed his mother and me where was his classroom. He also showed us how they do "parkour" through the school windows.
After the game, we went back home strolling through the wildest roads of the village. In his town, everything is close and everyone knows each other. On the walk home we stopped by Luka and Malick's aunt's house. There they gather every day and drink moringa juice while the children play. As they used to do in the old days here, you don't have to ring the doorbell or give advance notice, you just show up.
Back home, we organize a soccer game with his brother and his friends. Malick says that when someone wins, you have to change your shirt, like Mbapé does. While we played, the adults drank tea around the fire as they do every evening, sharing and chatting.
After winning the game and scoring no less than 10 goals, Malick and Luka went to bed. Tomorrow more adventures awaited them in their little paradise.
After the game, we went back home strolling through the wildest roads of the village. In his town, everything is close and everyone knows each other. On the walk home we stopped by Luka and Malick's aunt's house. There they gather every day and drink moringa juice while the children play. As they used to do in the old days here, you don't have to ring the doorbell or give advance notice, you just show up.
Back home, we organize a soccer game with his brother and his friends. Malick says that when someone wins, you have to change your shirt, like Mbapé does. While we played, the adults drank tea around the fire as they do every evening, sharing and chatting.
After winning the game and scoring no less than 10 goals, Malick and Luka went to bed. Tomorrow more adventures awaited them in their little paradise.
