Ramadan Inn

During this month a group of people camp out near my house in Yoff in an open field. A large tent has been erected with chairs for about 200 people nestled close together. There are two huge screens hung from two large buildings and a projector to cast images of praying people and people giving speeches. They have a sound system loud enough for people a mile away to hear the goings on. During the day about 100 women sit around and talk. They wear white and are most veiled. These women come to Yoff only for the month of Ramadan. I don’t know where they sleep but I do know where they use the facilities. Every night after people break the fast more women and some men stream to this tent. One night I would estimate about 400 people came spilling out onto the nearby sandy field. They pray together and listen to speeches in Arabic and French.
Since a bunch of the women stay in Yoff for Ramadan they need a place to use the bathroom, take showers, get water, and change clothes. That is where my house plays a part. About 30 women a night come into the house, one after the other greeting us then proceed to use the facilities. Sometimes they stick around and watch television or pray in the living room. It is very kind of my family to allow all these women to use our house as a hostel. The women seem to appreciate it immensely. I am pretty sure my host mother gives them food if there is some left over. I have coined our house the Ramadan Inn.