Gerda Hanemaaijer
In 2023 I visited Abene in Senegal. Abene is a small fishing village on the coast with a handful of tourists. I stayed with the Dutch Mieke Visser and her husband Adgaly in their Guesthouse Diabatalo. It is within walking distance of the sea and every evening I saw the magical light of the setting sun. As a photographer, I naturally brought my camera and I was lucky enough to photograph three beautiful young Senegalese women, thanks to Mieke.
The photo in the Vermeer Center shows Thiepe. As a child, she did not have a very good start. She suffered a severe burn on her face and at the age of 9, orphan Thiepe had to go door to door to sell brooms. That is how she ended up with Mieke who more or less took care of her. Thanks to her financial support, Thiepe was able to go to school and has just completed her secondary education. It is still uncertain whether she will be able to do further education; for that she has to move to Dakar and that is expensive.
Thiepe and her friends felt very honored to pose for a 'real photographer' and were very enthusiastic. Clothes were exchanged and lip gloss was carefully touched up, as was their only make-up. What pride and strength does this young woman radiate? I am grateful for this meeting and the beautiful portrait.