To Africa, With Love

To the Senegalese, Ceeb u Gin, their national dish, is a strong symbol of home. In that country, most workers are allowed to gather with their families for a midday meal of the intricate and spicy fish-and-rice dish.

Tonight at 6 p.m. at the Denver Inner City Parish, 1212 Mariposa Street, Friends of Gueoul invite the community to gather for a Ceeb u Gin Dinner in support of their efforts to help girls in the village of Gueoul, Senegal, stay in school.

The poorest families of Senegal often marry off daughters as young as eleven so they'll have one less child to feed. To help, the Friends of Gueoul promise the poorest girls in each first-grade class a scholarship of $100 a year for every year they stay in school. And while $100 a year might seem like very little to those of us who spend that amount on one trip to the grocery store, for a girl in Gueoul, it takes care of supplies, school fees, clothes and food for her family.

Along with the hearty dinner, Friends of Gueoul have arranged performances of African music, drumming, dance and song. Ceeb u Gin takes hours to make and includes ingredients not found at the corner store, so please RSVP by March 30 to reserve your seat at the table. Tickets are $20; call 303-584-0440 or visit http://friendsofgueoul.org.
Tue., April 1, 6 p.m., 2008