Constructing Dakar

I got the strong impression that construction seems to be the main occupation of almost everyone in Dakar. From center city to the most remote areas we visited there is construction just everywhere. Although we saw a couple of places that might be planned communities most construction is by the owner, to his specs, and not necessarily following a community plan.

Lots of variety, don’t you think?

This homeowner had just finished a very neat home in the village we walked through while his neighbor goat was thinking how he’d eat his way out of his present home by Saturday 🙂

We wondered why there seemed to be construction everywhere. Nothing seemed to be finished! Abandoned, almost. There was a good answer. The property owner begins his project as far as he can afford so as to stake his claim and then works on it as funds allow. So building materials are everywhere; at the building supply yards and hardware stores as well as sitting outside the projects. It must be a very honest society to be able to leave materials out like that.

There are fancy hotels

and Mosques of all sorts since the country is 97% Muslim.

There are specialty shops

and specialty houses. This one in the palm tree belongs to a yellow weaver. I forgot to include it in the other blog.

It’s a harsh and dusty environment out there but the Senegalese people seem to be able to overcome all the obstacles to creating home. Their love of color and beauty shows not only in some of their architecture but in their clothes and their government sanctioned grafitti. Artists from around the world have gathered here for   Festigraff, the Festival international de Graffiti en Afrique/Senegal .