A story about the importance of connecting with nature in times of crisis by Djinda Gueye, 30 yr, Dakar, Senegal
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Djinda is an ecofeminist and advocate for animal welfare, working as an independent consultant dedicated to sustainable development and women’s empowerment. Passionate about supporting women in agricultural value chains, she leads projects that promote sustainable agricultural practices and community impact.
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I was thinking back on my first memories engaging with the environment around me. We have a family home on a small island, named Gorée, off the coast of Senegal. When I was younger, we would come back here every summer. Usually, we would arrive at night. In the lights of the boats, we would see flying fish jumping along the side of the boat. It was magical.
Back then, there was an order of things that was aligned with the climate. We don’t really have winter here, but the temperature does cool down and the water gets colder. We would wait for the time that we could go into the water. Around April, there would be a lot of jelly fish in the water confirming the arrival of the summer period. Following the jelly fish, there would be a time with a lot of algae because it was a bit warmer, and then came the rainy season. After the first rain, it was okay for us to go into the water. I don’t know if this is ancestral knowledge, Indigenous knowledge or community myths, but it just made sense; like after the first rain the sea is cleansed, and that’s when we can go in.
Now, the cycle is either not being followed by people, or it is not as it used to be. The rain often arrives much earlier than it used to, overlapping with the algae season. The coast around the island is eroding and falling into the water. I still go back to the island regularly, but we notice that there is way less fish. There are no more flying fish. I feel a sadness to see the island slowly degrading.
Overfishing and water pollution in Senegal are a big issue because a lot of people’s livelihoods depend on it. Large scale fishing boats are allowed to come and use big nets to get a lot of fish, and nets are being left under water ruining ecosystems. This contributes to a crisis causing people to migrate, often dying on the way. Worldwide, what is very dear to me is forests, and how deforestation is affecting animals and the soil that we rely on to live and grow our food. These are things that, to me, should be more logical for people to care about and prioritize.
Caring for literally everything feels important. I feel very overwhelmed by these emotions. Sometimes, I feel like I need to make up for other people who are not doing anything about it. I’m now transitioning from being a vegetarian to veganism, because I just feel so much empathy for animals. I also feel so paralyzed in terms of what we consume. When I need to buy something, I overthink it so much because I want to make the most sustainable choice. You uncover all this complexity, and for me, the anxiety I experience is the anxiety of making choices.
In the morning, I might wake up, check my phone and see some sad news about animal advocacy. I think it is really helpful to take moments to walk in nature, be in the water, to disconnect from technology, also to be fuelled a bit: to remember how nice nature is, how we need it to survive, and how important it is that we keep it.
I love the water. For me it is a very meditative space. I enjoy having my ears under water and the quietness that comes with that. Floating. It is a place where I feel at peace. When I have a lot of thoughts on my mind, it helps to be submerged in water. When you look around at what is happening under water, you realise that your life is such a small piece of this world. I look at the fishes and imagine what their lives are like. The water is a place to disconnect from the busy world. You can’t bring your phone, so it’s really nice.
My mom has been very sick the last year and one thing that we did together was take walks in the forest, hug trees and things like that. It has been a sad year, but it is the best memories that I have, because we would also talk and enjoy the environment. It was calm – those little moments where you can take time for yourself where you don’t need to do something, to be productive, you can just slow down and take a break from the business of life. Being in nature helps ground you and see what is important.