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S3E4
S3E4
Ngofeen: She did it! She was standing up, debout, on her board. She
was riding the wave! Khadjou whooped with joy.
Ngofeen: Khadjou was used to her cousins thinking she was crazy.
Just the fact that she was a girl in the water surfing was crazy. In the
community in Senegal where she lived, girls weren't supposed to surf.
But Khadjou wanted more than permission to ride the waves. She
wanted to rule them as a pro.
A quick note about Senegalese French: You may notice that “Rs” are
rolled, rather than pronounced at the back of the throat. For example,
“rrr-egarder” instead of “rh-egarder.” You may also notice that the
“juh” sound in words like “je” or “jambes” have more of a “z” sound, so
“je me suis dit” becomes “zhe me suis dit.”
Khadjou: Dans mon village, N’Gor, tout le monde vit près de l’eau. Je
sais nager depuis l’âge de trois ans. Par la fenêtre de ma chambre, je
pouvais voir l’endroit préféré des surfeurs. Et tous les surfeurs étaient
des hommes.
Ngofeen: At 13, Khadjou talked her uncle and male cousins into
teaching her how to surf. She knew she’d have a better chance of being
allowed if other girls went with her. So she recruited a girlfriend and a
younger cousin. At first, it worked. The three girls learned to surf
together by watching the boys.
Ngofeen: Khadjou took the consent forms and went home. She knew
her parents would never agree to sign them. So she did something that
could get her into big trouble. She faked their signature.
Khadjou: Mes parents voulaient une bonne vie pour moi. Mais pour
moi, une bonne vie, c’était une vie où je pouvais surfer. Je voulais
absolument continuer à surfer.
Ngofeen: But word gets around fast in tight communities, and not
everyone was as sympathetic to Khadjou as her grandma was. Soon, a
neighbor spotted Khadjou surfing on her own, and told her parents.
This time, she got into serious trouble.
Khadjou: Au début, ils n’étaient pas d’accord. Mais j’ai dit que c’était
un bon travail. J’ai dit que je ne serais pas la seule fille, parce que la
propriétaire de l’école était une femme. Et certaines élèves étaient
aussi des filles. Ma grand-mère a dit : « C’est une bonne idée. »
Finalement, mes parents ont changé d’avis. Ils m’ont dit oui.
Ngofeen: Finally, Khadjou was able to surf out in the open. No more
slipping out of her bedroom window, no more hiding. To Khadjou, the
sensation of being in the water on her board was sheer bliss.
Ngofeen: Khadjou had no idea that a few months later, this photo
would end up in a New York Times magazine spread, about the surfers
of Dakar. And that a Californian woman named Rhonda Harper would
see it.
Ngofeen: But finding money for the plane fare and the trip wasn’t
easy. Rhonda started an online fundraiser to help raise cash while
Khadjou worked to secure a visa from the U.S. consulate.
Ngofeen: Khadjou arrived in San Jose jet lagged and ravenous. But
when she exited baggage claim and spotted Rhonda, she was grinning
ear to ear.
Ngofeen: Rhonda and Khadjou shared their first meal together, then
Rhonda took Khadjou back to her home near San Jose and put her up
in her guest room. Soon after, they began the most intensive training
regimen Khadjou had ever experienced.
Ngofeen: Khadjou knew Rhonda was right. And despite the sore
muscles, the exhaustion, and the homesickness, she felt lucky.
Khadjou was 21, but before Rhonda, no one had ever taken her desire
to become a pro surfer seriously. Aside from her grandmother, no one
had really encouraged her to follow her dream.
Ngofeen: When her six-months visa was up and the time came for
Khadjou to return to Senegal, she had made up her mind: she wanted
to open a Black Girls Surf school back home.
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