The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC)

History

In 2007, this project was more commonly known as "The Temple for Women Initiates (TWI). .....

Tamsier Joof, founder of the Seereer Resource Centre and Seereer Radio first heard about this project around 2007 / 2008 when he was researching about Seereer resources online. It was then that he accidentally bumped into a paper authored by  Fatou Kiné Camara Ph.D  - titled: "The Temple for Women Initiates: An Alternative Religious and Cultural Institution." Joof contacted the author and tried to connect with Professor Issa Laye Thiaw in order to help bring this project to fruition. Following an introduction by Demba Sene, a friend and colleague of Joof at the SRC, and former assistant to Professor Thiaw, Joof accompanied by Sene  visited Professor Thiaw at his home on 8th January 2015 to interview him on Seereer religion, history and culture for the SRC Collection. After the interview, this project was brought up. Joof pledged to do whatever he can to ensure that this project comes to fruition as it is very close to the SRC's long-term objectives since its founding in 2008. It would also be the first and only centre where ancient Seereer culture and religious practices can be taught without discrimination, and it will be taught to those who want to learn it, and connect them to their ancient religious past. It will be a sanctuary where anyone who wishes to learn about ancient Seereer culture, medicine and religion can come to learn.

On 14th December 2015, Joof and Sene visited Professor Thiaw at his home to carry out a further interview with him and with other notable Seereer scholars and elders for the SRC Collection. A day after the interview with Professor Thiaw, Joof and Sene accompanied by Professor Thiaw. Momodou Secka and Njaga Gaye left Dakar for Joobaas to interview Saltigi Biram Puuy. On their way to Saltigi Puuy's house in Joobaas, the five gentlemen stopped at Sangue where this Centre will be built. Professor Thiaw showed the gentlemen the huge land he has donated to the Seereer Resource Centre to help bring this project to fruition with the help of the Seereer Diaspora and anyone interested in helping bring this project to fruition. It was there that Professor Thiaw pledged that the Centre will be called "The Seereer Resource Centre and The Temple of Initiated Women."