20070110_Makhtar Ndiaga Koné

Date: January 10, 2007
Mr. Koné is the descendent of a family with spiritual ties to both Ndiassane and Ndankh. The interview focuses on his experience as a founding member of the Mouvement des Jeunes Khadres (MJK), established in 1997 with the goal of educating Qadiri youth about the Kounta family. The khalif approved their plan in 1998 and the organization gained legal status as a civil society organization in 2002. They created cells as the organization grew and provided cell leaders with necessary information and training. Women constitute a significant part of the membership and are generally more active than men, although many leave the organization once they get married. In addition to organizing regular religious ceremonies, the MJK provide financial and organizational support at major religious events in Ndiassane and in Ndankh. MJK members are recognizable at events by their light blue tunics with the logo of a camel on the back. Interview conducted in French by Toba Diagne Haidara and Maria Grosz-Ngate. Transcribed by Gana Ndiaye.

20110804_ADCamara

Date: August 4, 2011
Mr. Camara has been an active member of the Mouvement des Jeunes Khadres (MJK) since 2002. He teaches at a middle school in the Kaffrine region of Senegal while also continuing his education at the University Cheikh Anta Diop. He grew up in a Qadiri family in Mbour and began going to Ndiassane at an early age. In the course of the interview Mr. Camara discusses the development of the MJK, his own role in it, and the activities of the daaïra he belonged to before joining the MJK. He also elaborates on the choice of the white camel as part of the MJK logo, explaining that they opted for it over the Kounta symbol of the ostrich because the Prophet Mouhamed made the journey from Mecca to Medina on a white camel. Interview in French by Maria Grosz-Ngate; transcribed by Gana Ndiaye.

20150616_AminataKounta

Date: June 16, 2015
Aminata Kounta, is a daughter of Khalif El Hadj Mame Bou Mouhamed Kounta and his second wife Aminata Mbacke from Touba. She begins by speaking about her upbringing, her schooling, and her work in education, and then discusses the establishment of the Ndiassane primary school and the middle school, where she works. In the last part of the interview she elaborates on her aspirations for herself and for the community and outlines some of the steps necessary to achieve them. Interview conducted in French by Daouda Faye and Maria Grosz-Ngaté. Transcribed by Gana Ndiaye.

20150619_IFallATardif

Date: June 19, 2015
This interview deals with the partnership between the Collège (Middle School) of Ndiassane and the Association des Racines et des Hommes, a French humanitarian organization based in Vichy, France, with a branch in Senegal. The association’s founder Anna Tardiff describes in detail the history of the association’s partnership with Ndiassane and its contributions to the development of the Collège. In addition to the financial support for material improvements provided by the association, she initiated a partnership between the Collège and the Catholic school St. Benoît in Moulin, France, that entails sponsorship of individual students among other activities. This relationship even led to a visit by the bishop of Moulin in 2010 and a meeting with the khalif, an inter-religious encounter Ms. Tardiff found very moving. Mr. Ismaila Fall discusses his responsibilities as the coordinator of activities for the Senegalese branch of the Association des Racines et des Hommes and his work with Ndiassane. Mr. Fall and Ms. Tardiff both agree that the association’s relationship with Ndiassane is special and praise the smooth cooperation and the transparency that prevails in the conduct of activities. Interview in French conducted in Mbour by Daouda Faye; transcription in French by Gana Ndiaye.

20150620_AmadouDiagneGaye

Date: June 20, 2015
Amadou Diagne Gaye has been teaching English at the Collège (Middle School) of Ndiassane since 2005. At the time of the interview he was also vice-principal, a member of the school’s Management Council, and the coordinator of the partnership with the Association des Racines et des Hommes. Mr. Gaye discusses the history of the partnership; its contributions; the sponsorship of children by families of St. Benoît Catholic School in Moulin, France; his own responsibilities; the evolution of the school, including some of the challenges over time; and the school’s student body. Mr. Gaye concludes the interview with his reflections on human and cross-national relationships, religious and ethnic diversity, and personal responsibility. Interview conducted in French by Maria Grosz-Ngaté. Transcribed by Gana Ndiaye.

20150815_MouhamedKounta

Date: August 15, 2015
Mouhamed Kounta was first interviewed by Maria Grosz-Ngate in 2007 as part of the project on the Qadiriyya Community of Bou Kounta, funded by a TICFIA grant. His father had become khalif the previous year, the first grandson of Bou Kounta to assume the khalifate. Mr. Kounta now reflects on the accomplishments and challenges during the intervening years, including his own role as the eldest son of the khalif. He also offers his perspective on the development of Ndiassane and projects yet to be realized, such as the creation of a permanent regional market and a technical high school, and the need of support by the state. During the last part of the interview Mr. Kounta speaks about the annual gammu and its importance in strengthening relationships with the members of the Bou Kounta community as well as the role of the media. Interviewed in French by Maria Grosz-Ngaté. Transcribed by Gana Ndiaye.

20150919_AssaneSene

Date: September 19, 2015
Mr. Assane Sène teaches at the lycée of Pout after having taught at several schools, including the Collège of Ndiassane (2003-08). He briefly discusses the development of the Collège and then describes his interactions with the Kounta family. Asked about his perspective on the responsibilities and concerns of the khalif, he notes that he considers the Kountas to be modern and forward-looking due to their openness to secular education. Interview in French by Hady Sow, transcribed by Gana Ndiaye.

Interview with Sana Cissokho and Makhtar Ndiaga Kone

Date: December 16, 2007
Mr. Sana Cissokho, from the town of Malikounda, is a member of the Qadiri youth movement (Mouvement des Jeunes Khadres - MJK) with responsibilities for researching and disseminating information about the Bou Kounta Path. He discusses how he became involved with the movement as a student at the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar and established a grouping there. In the course of the discussion he explains the structure and composition of the grouping, its activities, and the importance of being organized. Mr. Makhtar Koné contributes information on the structure and activities of the MJK. Interview conducted in French by Toba Diagne Haidara and Maria Grosz-Ngaté after a religious event in Bargny. Transcribed by Moussa Thiao.

Ndankh_Bouna Kounta 30 July 2011

Date: July 30, 2011
Cheikh Bouna Mouhamed Kounta, the imam of Ndankh, and Cheikh Bécaye Kounta provide a detailed history and genealogy of the founding family of Ndankh, drawing on their extensive research. They cover the arrival of Cheikh Bounama, father of Ndiassane founder Cheikh Bou Kounta, in Senegal; his settlement in Ndankh following his religious education under Cheikh Sidy Makhtar Kounta in the southwestern Sahara desert; and his contribution to the expansion of the Qadiri Path. They also elaborate on religious education and on the history of relations between Ndankh and Ndiassane. Interview conducted in Wolof by Toba Diagne Haïdara. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye.