Mar Lodj

Mar Lodj (sometimes Mar Lothie , more rarely Mar Lyotch , Mar Loytch , Mar Lotche ) is an island of the Senegal located in the Sine-Saloum near Ndangane - where the landing stage is - and to forty kilometers of Joal-Fadiouth.

Administration

The island is attached to the area of Fatick. The villages belong to the rural community of Fimela.

Geography

Flora

The landscape is that of the Savane and the Mangrove S of the delta.

Rônier S, Cheese-making S and Manguier S is well represented in Mar Lodj.

Population

Approximately 5.000 people live on the island.

One counts there four villages which live a little with the variation of the tourist migrations, even if some inhabitants are implied here or there.

Two of them are rather important: Mar-Fafako and Mar-Lodj (2 000 inhabitants each one), whereas Mar-Soulou and the hamlet of Wandié fishermen count respectively only 300 and 200 inhabitants.

Close to the church, imposing a Cheese-making, a Rônier and a caïlcedrat ( Khaya senegalensis ) intermingle their trunks, symbol of the agreement between the three religions practiced on the island: the Islam, the Christianisme and the Animisme, even if the Christians are definitely majority.

To the foot of these trees of the sacrifices are regularly applied: chickens or goats are cut the throat of, of curdled milk or of the palm wine are offered to the spirits. Only three women - one of each religion - have the right to proceed to these ritual.

Infrastructures and activities

The island has two stations of health, of a maternity (Maternity Josyane Vierne), of four schools including three public and a private catholic nursery school.

One finds there a church round sheltering a black Vierge, as well as a fresco carried out by a local artist. Sunday one celebrates there a mass with the Tam-tam.

Mar Lodj also has a mosque.

The local economy is precarious. Rice, the millet, the groundnut, the water melon and certain vegetables are cultivated there and one practices there a also little breeding (cows, pigs, goats, chickens…).

As in the remainder of the area, fishing is a source of resources and, taking into account the exceptional framework, much of hopes rest on the development of tourism (lodging and sale of local arts and crafts).

Rooms of host and several campings of local style accommodate the visitors who come to rest or undertake there walks in the dugout and excursions of fishing or observation of the birds (Île of the Birds in particular).

In addition to the dugout, the usual means of transport are the cart.

Local artists carry out tables of Sable - a African speciality - by using various natural materials to obtain the desired nuances. Thus in 2006 Emé Mastiff, a native, presented his achievements in France, with Cugnaux.

Twinnings and co-operations

See too

List of the islands of Senegal

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