Taking my children to meet their family in Africa

Hello, my name is Noel Diop, and I’m the single mama of four beautiful children. My eldest two, David Babacar (20) and Eva (17) have solidly had their African father’s roots, presence and love in their younger lives. Zaynabu (9) and Moustapha (8), my younger two, have had a very different experience being raised by a single white American mom. I have total clarity that my children need to know their Senegalese family and heritage and the motherland herself to fully know themselves. Their wonderful grandmother, eldest sister, father's ten siblings, and many cousins are all waiting to know and love them and share their rich Senegalese culture, which is their birthright. For her whole life, Eva has longed to meet her big sister Ngone. Sadly Ngone's mom recently passed away. I know the joy of finally hugging her siblings will help her heart heal. We are fortunate to have our Senegalese cousins who live nearby  and have been so loving. I am also deeply thankful for my family’s support. Now it is time to go to Senegal while the kid's grandmother, Fatou, has vitality and the younger kids are still forming their foundation. Zaynabu dreams of her grandmother braiding her hair. She’s begging me to stay for a year ;). She is named after her grandma’s mother the healer and matriarch of their whole family who passed a few years ago. Moustapha wants to meet his sister, play soccer with his cousins, and drum with his uncles. Eva will soon go out into the world on her own, and the confidence she will gain from feeling her Senegalese identity firsthand, I believe, will be extremely fortifying. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to afford to manifest this dream financially. So I am asking you, my family, friends, community and world, for your support. A little goes a long way when the load is shared. The flights alone will be $7000 or more, then local housing, transportation, food, and loss of income for the bills back home. I hope to stay for 4-6 weeks. Please help me make this dream a reality of building a new and current bridge between the kids and their family for the years to come, their children, and their future generations.

Thank you,

Noel