Spotlight: NYU Gallatin/Africa House Bergman Summer Fellows
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Aisatou Diallo, Fula Migration Motivation
This research project answers the question of why migration is heavily ingrained in the culture of the Fula people of Guinea in West Africa. Combining historical, political, and sociological lenses to build on the current scholarship of Fula migration, Diallo argues that Guinean Fula migrants primarily leave the country because of the lack of security and resources from the Guinean government.
Laganeh Aisha Fadé, Global Pandemic, Local Risks: The Development and Trajectory of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Senegal
Researching the effects and management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Dakar, Senegal, as compared to other cities in low- and middle-income African countries, Fadé tracks the impact of the pandemic on Dakar’s urban development initiatives. Did the pandemic place a hold on the city’s infrastructural development projects or did it expose the need for more disaster and risk prevention and preparation across varying sectors of Dakar and other cities, such as those in Egypt and South Africa? These findings reveal the impact of the COVID-19 global disaster by looking at the success and failures of social, economic, and community development factors on a local level.
Haleemat Dyenaba Laguda, A Look into the Past and Present: Life of the Talibé in Senegal
This past summer, Laguda traveled to Senegal to see research ideas unfold in real life. A Look into the Past and Present: Life of the Talibé in Senegal highlights the lives of young Islamic scholars (talibés) in the West African nation. Talibés have long been at the center of accusations of human rights abuses in Senegal. In addition to discussing these abuses, Laguda’s research provides the necessary historical and current contexts to understand what being a talibé in Senegal has meant over time. This project closely examines the role of government, religion, and society in shaping the lives of talibés and how they are viewed in the country.