The first wife of a man is to be respected by the wives who follow in that order. The youngest female children will be the last to be considered in any situation. For example, around the food bowl, she’ll get the least food, or might not go to school at all to help out at home. Likewise the oldest, especially if a boy, will be well-funded for school and clothing, and is encouraged to rest and eat well.
Conclusion
Even after a year in Senegal, I am still learning about and absorbing the culture around family structure. Some things are starting to make more sense and some are making less, but my language skills are getting better too, so regardless I can ask better questions.
A big takeaway from my learning process is how time and integration have been helped me to learn so much. If I’d only spent a week here, or even six months here, I’d only have a partial understanding of how the Senegalese family works. By the time I finish my service after two years and three months, I’m sure I’ll have another, deeper perspective.
The contents of this blog post are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.
Bonus:
A popular TV show that my family will sometimes watch in the evenings is a Senegalese-produced soap opera called “Famille sénégalaise.” It’s in Wolof but available with French subtitles on Youtube. I cannot vouch for any accuracy, but it’s a fun watch to get the gist of family-culture here in Senegal!
Link: Watch here
