Txatxi Ami
Wisdom and steadfastness (1951-2022) Ngoye, Senegal

A hard-working, resilient, and family-oriented woman. Ami was born in Ngoye, a small Serer village in inland Senegal. Orphaned at 10 and with no older siblings, she worked hard to help support her family; she went to the fields, ploughed with the horse, and looked after her younger siblings. Stubborn and determined, she was the first woman in the village to attend the Dara, the Quranic school. She married young and had 8 children. For her, the most important thing of all was family: she looked after them with steadfastness and wisdom. Always, with tenacity. She built a united and conflict-free home where everyone loved each other. With a lively and energetic gaze and direct and sincere words, she was a much-loved and respected woman in the village. She disliked lies and injustices, and if there was a fight to be had, she fought it. Ami actively participated in the community and cultural celebrations of the village with modesty and elegance. In the evenings, she liked to sit under the large baobab tree in front of her house to chat with her friends... friends who, from under the same baobab, miss her today and remember her as the woman who was fearless and who did everything for her family.