Another day in Dakar and the ladies are ready for new experiences! After breakfast, we jumped into the van heading to GIABA centre to receive our training.

Today, we started the Personal Development section focusing on speaking in public. It is an important skill that every entrepreneur must work on, so we had to face the challenge. Many of us felt afraid of giving a speech in front of the class and even more in a foreign language! But this is what the personal development is about. So we did! The Senegalese had prepared very interesting projects based on new technologies. They presented them to the class, while the rest was paying attention to make questions or suggestions about their ideas. They had found a solution for specific problems, such as an agency to receive new guests in the country or a safety jacket for the local fishermen, who usually disappear leaving no trace, and we were amazed to see their great job. All them involved new technologies in a way or another. The Majoreras introduced themselves and presented their professional career so far, in order to know each other better and get in touch with someone who had a project to help with.

Sonia and Natalia introduced themselves as teachers, so they wanted to teach us a song to sing and dance. Aceysele took the timple out of its case again and we all sang a song accompanied with movements. It was hilarious! And, as the timple is becoming more and more popular down here, it fell in Chamaida’s hands too and we played ‘musical chairs’ with a polka majorera! The Senegalese are always happy to dance, so they tried to take us out to the middle of the circle we formed, and we tried, but our hips do not move with the same rhythm. Body language is very important to bring us together, and it worked! We are creating a powerful team full of energy and optimism towards the future.

After the training, we exchanged information about our lives and dreams, finding that, at either coasts of the Atlantic, we are all the same. That way is much easier to work together and get great results. We feel as if we had been friends forever and are eager to be on Fuerteventura together, so we can show them the island and give them such a warm welcome. We know what teranga is!

Aceysele Chacón Méndez