Service Across the Atlantic: Westchester, NY Area Teens Complete Service Trip to Senegal

DAKAR/LAMBAYE, SENEGAL - July 7-15, 2026

Visiting Lambaye

Westchester, NY participants from Reclaim the Journey lived with the villagers of Lambaye, Senegal as part of their service work.

A group of teenagers from the Westchester, New York area traveled to the village of Lambaye, Senegal, to complete a hands-on community service project, immersing themselves in local culture while raising funds to improve access to education for village children.

Westchester, NY Teens painting the Lambaye Learning Center in Senegal

The trip combined cultural exchange with tangible impact: the teens collected more than $8,800 to paint a local school, then rolled up their sleeves to work alongside local painters to complete the project themselves. They also donated school supplies to preschool-aged children in the village. In addition to their service work, participants took part in a traditional African naming ceremony, visited the African Renaissance Monument, and learned about Senegalese cuisine through a cooking class. Each teen was gifted a tailored kaftan as a gesture of welcome from the community. The group also traveled to Gorée Island, standing at the "Door of No Return," which faces the Americas and marks where millions of enslaved made their final departure from Africa. Participants described the moment as deeply moving.

Throughout the trip, students lived alongside families in Lambaye, sharing meals, playing soccer with children, and forming connections that transcended language barriers. Participants said they experienced the best of Senegalese Teranga, the country's celebrated tradition of warmth and hospitality, firsthand.

Reclaim the Journey was founded by Kristian Acosta after a connecting with his chemistry teacher, Mr. Amary Seck. Mr. Seck had been assisting teens from Mamaroneck, NY, make the trip annually for 16 years with his organization Students for Senegal. For this journey, Kristian partnered with them to expand his vision for African American participants to cross the Atlantic in the opposite direction their ancestors had arrived; this time, to give back and connect with their ancestral roots through history and service, thus Reclaiming the Journey.

"I valued how we connected with the community, living amongst them, seeing their schools and homes, eating their food, and playing soccer with them was priceless," said Kristian Acosta a 17-year-old senior at Fieldston. "Despite not speaking their language, there was a tremendous connection that others should appreciate."

"I was able to blend into African culture," said Avry Michael Ayo,16, of Fox Lane High School, Mount Kisco. "I went to another country last year for community service, but this trip allowed me to really build relationships while serving the community of Lambaye.”

Friends Ava M, of Rye Country Day School, and Peyton Files, of New Albany High School in Ohio, both thanked the organizers for such an eye-opening experience.

"The world is far more connected than many people give it credit for," said Kristian Acosta, founder of Reclaim the Journey. "I hope more young people can appreciate that connection on future journeys. That's something I want to keep building on."

About Reclaim the Journey
Reclaim the Journey is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections between American and Senegalese youth through culture and service. Rooted in a desire to give back to West African descendants, the organization created an immersive service and cultural exchange trip that combined hands-on community impact with authentic cultural understanding to build lasting relationships between participants and the communities they visit.