tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3050320393733195752024-02-19T04:24:54.580-08:00Rucksack Wanderer's Guide to Senegal"This world demands the qualities of youth; not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease" RFKKourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-38748813004620804892011-12-23T08:01:00.000-08:002011-12-23T08:01:43.127-08:00A Long Road to Hoe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This post has been a long time coming… I just want you all to know that I have not abandoned you quite yet, but took an extended pause. In my actual world, life has been beyond busy. Let me explain something real quick. Your first year as a PCV you spend all your time thinking about how much time you have to do everything, and figuring out the best way to do it while missing home; your second year, however, is spent doing all those things you thought you had so much time to do, and thinking about how you wish there was more time to do it all, and then of course, planning for life after Peace Corps, which could take all of your time if you wanted it to.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a> So, I am currently in this last phase, known as ‘Now What?’ for most of us. The prospects of being both jobless and homeless are not in any way shape or form exciting, in fact, they create an incredible amount of anxiety, which is dealt with differently by different people. In the last week I have talked to other volunteers who claim to want to disown all their possessions, teach English in any country that will let them, volunteers who cry every day and invariably upset everyone they know because they can’t seem to deal with it all, volunteers who are so hopeless they just laugh, and then volunteers who are in such denial they drink as much as possible to forget they will have to at some point leave this utopia that pays them, feeds them, houses them, and provides them with a ‘job’ on a daily basis. The mental state around here is a fine equilibrium of euphoria and anguish. Blogging has taken a backseat, and I hope you understand why.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The quick and dirty breakdown of the last six months:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Went to America (yay!) where I saw my best friend married and then become pregnant. And got tattoos!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Had impetigo, staph, the flu, and a cyst excised from my palette. Oh, and crushed my big toe and toe joint on a car ride. Karma is a bitch. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Re-planted mangroves in the wilderness area near the Gambia (see blog post from Sept. 2010).</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Had another PCV and fellow grad student visit me for a week.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Turned 25 (no quarter life crisis yet).</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-My village sister had a healthy baby boy, and my other sister is about 5 months along.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Dressed up as a Wonka Bar and Golden Ticket for Halloween.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Became a regional coordinator and the Kaolack transit house Manager.(Do your dishes!!!)</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Said goodbye to 6 friends, and welcomed 18 new PCV’s to the region.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Celebrated World AIDS Day and demonstrated how to use condoms to villagers ages 11-62. Gave out over 300 condoms to teenage boys.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Witnessed 2 births, and assisted with 1. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I can’t possibly describe every thing I have been involved in, mainly because I just can’t remember. At this point, I am focusing on trying to feasibly complete the proejcts that have either been in motioin for a while, or I have decided to participate in at the last minute, but are certain to be complete before I leave.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>NOW</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I am going to launch into shameless self promotion for the biggest most awesome project ever.</b> <span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">The Senegal Race For Education</span>.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Every year the volunteers choose 6 teenage girls from their villages or road towns to provide scholarships for the year, as well as money to school supplies, and participate in after school activities. In Senegal, girls enrollment in school is twice as low as boys, and their education typically lasts only up until the point of menstruation, when they are expected to marry and reproduce. I myself have seen a sister drop out of school at 13 to become married and pregnant. The best way to keep girls from early marriage, abuse, early pregnancy, and early death, is to keep them in school. The Girl Effect organization has this video that displays exactly how this works:</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Each year we intend to give as many scholarships as possible (each at 60 dollars each); last year, after months of planning and promising to get girls their money, we did not have enough. Partly because our donations from home were so low, and partly because the Peace Corps budget has been cut. It left the volunteers to pay out of pocket, or revoke the scholarships. We refuse to let this happen this year, and so the<span style="color: purple;"> RACE FOR EDUCATION </span>is a marathon to draw in sponsorship money for the scholarship program. I am totally running it, and looking for sponsors from home town running companys, money for prizes, Gatorade for the runners, power bars, anything. It would be really awesome if we could get Nike involved somehow, since I know they already sponsor stuff like this.</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ia8xgXyXBo4" width="420"></iframe></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>So, don’t let the girls down! Ask everyone you know, to either donate, or send packages for the race. Please contact any business interested in sponsoring this project! I need your help, the girls are counting on it.</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>SEND ALL NON-MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO: BP 325 Kaolack, Senegal, West Africa</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>DONATION LINK: </b><a href="https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=685-CFD">https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=685-CFD</a> </div></div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-20191597278702999042011-07-13T11:33:00.000-07:002011-07-13T15:28:57.762-07:00Work as Work Goes<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> "You don't lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> going to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">that place and making a case"- Ken Kesey</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another day, another dollar. Or in my case, another day, no dollars. As I am writing this, many of my fellow friends (and foes I am sure) are recovering from the various exploits of the Oregon Country Fair. As much a place in counterculture history as in my own, the fair marks the passing of another year, but lso a long tradition that was spearheaded by Kesey and his counterculture crew in the 1960's. Being in the Peace Corps used to be a part of that counterculture, and as it becomes more mainstream (and celebrates it's 50th year), it is apparent that we still oppose most mainstream ideas of what a job really is...at least enough so that we can ignore the societal constraints put on recent college grads for 2+ years. No longer is the Peace Corps family full of hippies or draft dodgers or bleeding heart activists who need to disappear off the map for a few years... right? Ok, so most of us fall left-of center, but we have more than our political views in common, but a passion and tenacity that seems to be born into the very thread of the Millenial Generation. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If Ken Kesey were here today (RIP), he might be appalled by the shambled state of politics, Conservative attacks on women's health, and budget cuts for our international aid programs, but he would be proud that my generation is willing to go, and lead not by prose, but by example. So, here I am in Senegal, making my case.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My blogging has been thin of late, mostly because I have felt that what I had been up to was neither interesting nor extraordinary....but I have come to realize that is just my altered lens. What we do everyday, is indeed, rather un-ordinary, just by virtue of being here. It is also just my job, and few people in the US would blog about their every day job, because after a while all seems commonplace.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So my job over the last few months in brief:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Health Hut Murals: A productive way to educate a large number of people with limited resources over a long time. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Baby Weighings: Monthly little gems....still no pictures, and I terrify the kids; the moms get a chart and bit of wisdom on taking care of their little ones! No pics from my weighing's yet, since I typically don't have any help.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Malaria boot camp and Neem Lotion tournee: Rainy season is here, so that means a spike in Malaria cases. I am working with a large organization, JHU, and other vols on prevention tactics. We did a large tournee to teach people about making Neem Lotion, a cream made of local ingredients to ward off mosquito bites.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Doing an art demo and contest </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">cooking the leaves </span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Moringa Propagation Tournee: 7 days and about 24 villages in Kaolack were versed on the awesome properties of this nutritional powerouse plant. For this first phase we dug beds and displayed various ag techniques to amend the soil. Phase 2 comes in September when we will be going back out to do nutrition lessons with porridge and dried powder!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the middle of it all, showing women and kids how to add amendments</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Teaching about proper height for leaf propagation </span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So that's about it for now. I will keep you posted on any new activities and pics of the new wall being built at my health hut!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"></div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-20045175105803317192011-06-16T05:48:00.000-07:002011-06-16T05:48:18.573-07:00The New Normal- A Little Life Reflection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is normal anyway? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every day, I am surrounded by things people back home , and most places in the developed world for that matter, would consider, well, abnormal. Riding donkey carts, sweeping dirt, and pooping in a hole are not activities, before coming here I would have regularly subjected too. I just came back from the most amazing trip in Morocco, where I loved the food, cleanliness and culture, where most of the country would seem like a shock to westerners, things were much better than here. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnVviLh6C1WVpd4fXi9JzgmOsSF2XRvNokcipdd0oF085llQyd9hDouA5LbLtDZJYOoH4O1_rqxEHuayLXDVnWbHlwUgEXnLkcQ9KpZNT182ynCiDA3aEnRPFMfazzdpkSmb80fJ77VOQ/s1600/IMGP0004-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnVviLh6C1WVpd4fXi9JzgmOsSF2XRvNokcipdd0oF085llQyd9hDouA5LbLtDZJYOoH4O1_rqxEHuayLXDVnWbHlwUgEXnLkcQ9KpZNT182ynCiDA3aEnRPFMfazzdpkSmb80fJ77VOQ/s320/IMGP0004-4.JPG" width="221" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People go on vacation to relax and see new sights, but as one friend of mine pointed out, I went on vacation to experience ‘anything but here’ and exhaust myself physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hiking Mt. Toubkal was one of the best things I have done in the last few years, and even though I was not on the trip alone, I had copious hours of silence and scenery to think about how ‘normal’ all this has become. While being here and living the way I do is tiring, it seems that places that are more developed are even more tiring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imlil Valley</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imlil</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGt4-3bxlmvyexssnaOnUthWMMjIEn_bAGyBpKokGQ_d4f_it0gwThihgqqsPrvCv6Q4RnTiQ_3mqrrBfPehtBCSACK8KU878dJWz-QvCwGxxikjiSejjEL3J1q4v6c5qGhLzl0bJEzHS/s1600/IMGP0006-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But just ask quick as it has come, this will all disappear. Soon, I will no longer be a Peace Corps volunteer, and one day, Senegal will have good roads, educated citizens, and long lifespans; compared to most in Africa, they are well on their way already. I spend every last ounce of my energy, essentially, hoping that one day, someone won’t have a job like mine to do, and if they do, it won’t be some overeducated white person doing it, but another African wanting to serve.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet, looking at my range of decidedly abnormal activities, I know that living a life outside of this new norm is not something I want. While real aid workers are much better paid living in better circumstances, they still choose to go to the worst<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>places on earth, and see the best. They work hard to eradicate the need for the very reasons of which their positions were created (in most cases). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judging by the barrage of emails about jobs and fellowships, putting oneself out of business is good business.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating the summit, 4,900 Meters</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve never been an average Joe, and choosing to live this life, reassures me that I will never have to be.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 110.25pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div></div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-68141961353184506092011-03-08T01:44:00.000-08:002011-03-08T01:44:25.428-08:00"If I could walk 500 hundred miles, then I could walk 500 more"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>DONATE HERE (before you read please please donate to my library project).</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #492d11; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=685-164" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #a20202; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=685-164</span></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I did it. 1 calender year. 365 days. 52 weeks.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I haven't been an officially sworn in Peace Corps volunteer for 1 year (that happens in May), I have been living here in Senegal for a year.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #93c47d;"> I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"> remember how tough the first few months of being here were for me, but I also now that I don't have to do it again (hurray). Which doesn't mean that there will be fewer stumbling blocks, just my ability to take what comes with greater stride. I can now predict what will happen in the future, because I have been here before! I know what the weather will be like in the next coming months (hot, hott, and hotter). I know that a new group of Trainees are in Washington at this very moment waiting to arrive. I know that the work load will be greater, and time will go faster. I know that starting August 1st, my life will be consumed with fasting and reading. Then the rains will come. Before I know it, I will have to start planning for my life<b><i> AFTER</i></b> Peace Corps. This year felt like an insurmountable mountain to climb before reaching the peak, and in the next few weeks, I will begin my descent. Some of my favorite people will be leaving to head off on their new adventures: Grad school, jobs, and travelling.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While hitting this milestone is important as a PCV, it is also the time when you get that feeling that you are tightening the reigns on your projects, and the ability to actually 'do work' is now made easier. But also, knowing exactly how to plan that work time around the American holiday celebrations, and large regional projects that now fall upon the year-in people to organize and run. I also feel much less guilty about having fun... See the end of the post about the West Africa Invitational Softball Tournament.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And about that work, which is moving along swimmingly thank you for asking. I had my first Health Committee meeting. The members have committed both money and time to improving my health facility. Tomorrow I will be collecting the first moneys for a new fence. They are starting the search for a new volunteer to help handle the work load. The people who work there now, will start bi-monthly trainings with the NGO World Vision this month. And finally, the long talked about mural series, will also begin this month at their request.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am helping at with the local bed-net distributions by organizing an educational series to go along with it. We travel to weekly markets and talk about ways to not only take care of your nets, but other effective ways to protect against malaria (neem lotion, environmental controls). I will hopefully do follow-ups to these tournees in August around the rainy season, and complete adherence surveys.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHxA6uZDX23EA6gM9TUFA-mCTt-f0UufnpciiiEH6PVj2AEzgVvrJ_J6ay_ycoMzWqUKUABYZ0IDutMzXtfSL9srJRUoZu_MEJRql5cYYg_JBMhuOvv9JZ3ggd63Ni4xIf3wqz38ux0J9/s1600/DSCN0112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHxA6uZDX23EA6gM9TUFA-mCTt-f0UufnpciiiEH6PVj2AEzgVvrJ_J6ay_ycoMzWqUKUABYZ0IDutMzXtfSL9srJRUoZu_MEJRql5cYYg_JBMhuOvv9JZ3ggd63Ni4xIf3wqz38ux0J9/s320/DSCN0112.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently returned from a reproductive health training series for middle schoolers, arranged by another volunteer, Stephanie Schumsky. I plan on replicating this in my village middle school, on a smaller scale.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sure there are many more things I can talk about, but will have to wait until next time. Enjoy my <i>lagniappe</i> about WAIST 2011. And don't forget to donate!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<b>Y</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>early, held in Dakar, Senegal, is the West African Invitation Softball Tournament (WAIST). Included in the tourney for 2011 were PCV's from Mali, Cape Verde, the closed Mauritania program, Niger evacuee's, The Gambia, and one or two stragglers from other West African countries (Guinea, Burkina Faso, etc). We were not only pitted against each other by region and country, but against teams from the American Embassy league, Missionary organizations, and other NGO's working here in Senegal. Historically, organizations have uniforms for their teams, but leave it to the Senegal volunteers to take it to a whole new level. Featured from our regions were: cowboys, cops and robbers, liederhosen, space-core, and the 52 ballerinas from my region in Kaolack.</b></span><br />
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</b><div><b>The festivities encompassed 4 days of talent shows, pool parties, and good ole' fashioned American fun (BBQ hot dogs and pulled pork were featured foods). Volunteers usually stay in the homes of foreign service workers while participating in WAIST, which adds that extra touch of being back home (hot showers, home-cooked foods, laundry facilities, etc.).</b></div><div><b>The U.S. Marine Corps even hosted a date auction where PCV's and Military men were sold off to the highest bidder to help fund the Gender and Development scholarship program in Senegal run by the Peace Corps organization SeneGAD.</b></div><div><b><br />
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</b></div><div><b>Fun-times had, and utterly exhausted, Volunteers returned to their usual lives, just awaiting February to come next year, for another round of American good times. Oh and don't forget all that softball playing!!</b>"</div></div><div><br />
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</div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-14607906998980037992011-01-24T03:07:00.000-08:002011-02-06T17:10:21.106-08:00Across the Atlantic and Back Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><b>“All they now wanted was to stay where they were with the Lotus-eaters, to browse on the lotus, and to forget all thoughts of return”</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><b>Homer, <i>The Odyssey</i></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When I left Senegal, I tried hard to leave behind my frustrations and annoyances, in order to truly enjoy my time at home. However, it seems that such feelings, after being built up for the previous nine months, were an awful lot to leave behind, and inevitably, some came along. I did all of the things in America that I wanted to do. I ate huge portions of food of every variety and all the fresh fruit and veggies you could imagine. I drank vintage wine and micro-brewed beer. I went to the grocery store, and shopping mall, all in the same day by way of car. I spent the holidays surrounded by close friends and all my family, drinking cocoa in a rustic log cabin. Like Homer in <i>The Odyssey, </i><span style="font-style: normal;"> I was eating the sweet lotus, and rarely thought about return. Yet, I did return. No matter how much I justified my anger with my community, frustrations, and otherwise bad experiences...there is a family here for me too. A group of mostly 20-somethings feeling exactly the way I do most of the time, but pressing onward; a family of Senegalese relying on me to make small changes in their way of life today, so they might lead better lives in the future. </span> </div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">While in America, I knew all along I had made the right decision coming to the Peace Corps, and while it is never what anyone expects it will be, it is a time to grow as a person if nothing else. I often fooled myself into believing that I did not subscribe to the American brand of complacency; I bought local, rode my bike, used Eco-friendly products, and bought alternative fiber clothes. But, I still took for granted how incredibly easy my life was...and how floating along, eating the lotus blossoms, gave little thought for anything else. Half of me did not want to get back on the plane, but the other half knew if I didn't, it might mean never leaving; falling back into sweet complacency. </div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Now that I have been home, I can see my mission here with fresher eyes, washed of the expectations I had in the beginning. I will continue to do whatever it is I am willing and able, but also take steps to be remain happy and sane...getting out of my village if things are bothering me, working more on regional projects, spending more down time with my host family, and not pressuring people into work....follow the West African time-line, not my American one.</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Thankfully, Spring is an incredibly busy time for PCV's, and I am really happy that I have things to do right away. My personal projects in village are still slow, but coming along. I have taken on the role of the annoying white person at any meeting, NGO, or health facility I can get in too...I want to make myself more visible in the community at large, and also as someone who will push to make changes. So far, just simply putting myself out there, and caring less about what some Senegalese may think about me showing up everywhere, has paid off. There are a couple major projects in motion, and I will blog about them as they happen. I am also focusing my energy more into training other volunteers by way of Peace Corps connections. The end of the week, I am working with an organization, TOSTAN, to do a basic training on personal health and living in Senegal for their short-term (6 month volunteers).</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Also, as a project with Books for Africa, I am creating a school library in my village. The books have to come in a standard shipping container size, and we need money to get them here! Bring 500 books to my village and thousands more to others in Senegal: see Link below!</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=685-164">https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=685-164</a></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div></div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-10284848563919831082010-12-01T23:58:00.000-08:002010-12-02T00:01:07.858-08:00Gobble Gobble!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Well, despite my defeated voice in my previous blog post, many good things have happened recently, not the least being </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Thanksgiving!! </span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">In a time and a place where I often forget how lucky I am ...and who I have to be thankful for, this day was with my new Peace Corps family in body, but with my American families (both East and West Coast alike) in spirit. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few quick "thanks":</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My parents, first and foremost, for supporting me the whole way in the crazy adventure I have called life for the last 24 years. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The endless care packages, cards, and letters from friends and family while being here.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">And now, a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"> photo Ode to Turkey Day!</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1ySiDDtDm630A66ExKQa8bnSqKekZTzYqzU0wBahNRjRsN8BhZCKwetyYMz19olITX1QGAN0wjPF9jB-JtaP_oBSHkCZ9czFQ1VnzPG3OYO85aq654ZeUbdRE7Sok4GHNozfGiCG0f2W/s1600/IMG_3052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1ySiDDtDm630A66ExKQa8bnSqKekZTzYqzU0wBahNRjRsN8BhZCKwetyYMz19olITX1QGAN0wjPF9jB-JtaP_oBSHkCZ9czFQ1VnzPG3OYO85aq654ZeUbdRE7Sok4GHNozfGiCG0f2W/s320/IMG_3052.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Band</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica dunking her fried turk</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing the Uke!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EW</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deviled</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCz1ufQnhIhjApCeQ5d4govs0wYKuauOuJaEIrZQivH5yo9JBWLaiCDwVIs1hzqfuKi5cfom_BygWQcbcBabX9nICX81tM4jOYl7VgM9nSxXRGxFOxMzPMP0ppX0y4HQXtnWoiObYegjjL/s1600/DSC01855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCz1ufQnhIhjApCeQ5d4govs0wYKuauOuJaEIrZQivH5yo9JBWLaiCDwVIs1hzqfuKi5cfom_BygWQcbcBabX9nICX81tM4jOYl7VgM9nSxXRGxFOxMzPMP0ppX0y4HQXtnWoiObYegjjL/s320/DSC01855.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turkey pikins<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymQbP6ebGm__THDyE5_4WQiu5ZTSv4vphA0lMCxNAKEHqD9-v7mtdcIk9mdXflxa4iGA4Rv9EFtm0Cq93OHxWq-2r1CqK5wttJgWczann1PhN1z21xZ6bD0reBnwfodHRsQASEIhts4g9/s1600/DSC01876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymQbP6ebGm__THDyE5_4WQiu5ZTSv4vphA0lMCxNAKEHqD9-v7mtdcIk9mdXflxa4iGA4Rv9EFtm0Cq93OHxWq-2r1CqK5wttJgWczann1PhN1z21xZ6bD0reBnwfodHRsQASEIhts4g9/s200/DSC01876.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veggies</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOKLHVafhmm8wesBHEWBZwo3bq6_NkW-nPHPM2oYlX0JDx0hrRCX1Z7Vc5R6SJER5R54EQBAlvf7grbojLmBViTF76N-Yw7IpyK7S4xiv3xEZLMwTJ9zQBCfAXjCaCk9_Ql42CAE90HEG/s1600/DSC01878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOKLHVafhmm8wesBHEWBZwo3bq6_NkW-nPHPM2oYlX0JDx0hrRCX1Z7Vc5R6SJER5R54EQBAlvf7grbojLmBViTF76N-Yw7IpyK7S4xiv3xEZLMwTJ9zQBCfAXjCaCk9_Ql42CAE90HEG/s320/DSC01878.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Bean casserole</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLyyogT6M_QkArTNkoxseRIkCDPyzD8byMVnJPNCR0D2E1Js_ya4rCtJ1EA1k8ZCIaWsqXzIPHQ1fqiWbeBqf2grmUkp-bBA62OEzkf1lcvSiwTauee7dj8OZnLTUxhVW9BwW1gVDGHIf/s1600/DSC01877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLyyogT6M_QkArTNkoxseRIkCDPyzD8byMVnJPNCR0D2E1Js_ya4rCtJ1EA1k8ZCIaWsqXzIPHQ1fqiWbeBqf2grmUkp-bBA62OEzkf1lcvSiwTauee7dj8OZnLTUxhVW9BwW1gVDGHIf/s200/DSC01877.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mac n Cheese</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT90fsmg7VCEi9cqroPTFbIYUcXK4JCLJUepS5NSjn8VidM2C1fWIta35WmsnwCb7jO6rYzsO3-BbgP1KxuIA8Pya_Gh8-S0ft2DDv2cTEkR35h8VcGio62CA5gEOq7B9e67t79mII2BX/s1600/DSC01879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT90fsmg7VCEi9cqroPTFbIYUcXK4JCLJUepS5NSjn8VidM2C1fWIta35WmsnwCb7jO6rYzsO3-BbgP1KxuIA8Pya_Gh8-S0ft2DDv2cTEkR35h8VcGio62CA5gEOq7B9e67t79mII2BX/s200/DSC01879.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mashed potatoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQphbYCRK44PcI5GDIhwHZytHJ_CmDYBD-6JBH9pyU9zyplOejXDisVEG6qUwJx8SI4EH3h7MgHxewEjE6PDzFkJKCIy66Ha-9_N5nUTCWqE-CSPEsGjqOnQEZfW0anNeblgqiM_WLeqV/s1600/DSC01880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQphbYCRK44PcI5GDIhwHZytHJ_CmDYBD-6JBH9pyU9zyplOejXDisVEG6qUwJx8SI4EH3h7MgHxewEjE6PDzFkJKCIy66Ha-9_N5nUTCWqE-CSPEsGjqOnQEZfW0anNeblgqiM_WLeqV/s320/DSC01880.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuffing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpYOaF1imRr5Ar_iW4m-kqFzFGf3mhfo8hQ8nT_DksrEMK3xhsnATKYgquj21nz2QfB1V3WaUaaEXBvXDHnp03kqBZKVQTUuQjwjnw6TjlamN5pMOuhEy57k4_7HRx5rBUpphLEi5RCyO/s1600/DSC01886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpYOaF1imRr5Ar_iW4m-kqFzFGf3mhfo8hQ8nT_DksrEMK3xhsnATKYgquj21nz2QfB1V3WaUaaEXBvXDHnp03kqBZKVQTUuQjwjnw6TjlamN5pMOuhEy57k4_7HRx5rBUpphLEi5RCyO/s320/DSC01886.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corn Bread</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXQbpvtQrzzZJlX2ZB8WFikpfzbN0zKow7UdR7-Y6hc9i-ONB447gxO8uyBxX_SaJq-nej_-MnvWT2KDh4lIi43bu2umH-Q4Ncko0O6aAoHzlswe9CdhIHxiBNltXRvYj5eaQ-vtTDSld/s1600/DSC01882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXQbpvtQrzzZJlX2ZB8WFikpfzbN0zKow7UdR7-Y6hc9i-ONB447gxO8uyBxX_SaJq-nej_-MnvWT2KDh4lIi43bu2umH-Q4Ncko0O6aAoHzlswe9CdhIHxiBNltXRvYj5eaQ-vtTDSld/s200/DSC01882.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more veggies</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIQ8jYFKluyfmhZTKQFZmrsHvqNVJ6n9XPy8M-aux6FZR2G8CZsLL1R6nv0FQdm4ai7DJeJb3gmGQEGgHP1aSu92FSmUwKP1OS96-EDeb9-ncOqHhF1OdUVO1y8dzD8fvJXf4jfj7_Etn/s1600/DSC01881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIQ8jYFKluyfmhZTKQFZmrsHvqNVJ6n9XPy8M-aux6FZR2G8CZsLL1R6nv0FQdm4ai7DJeJb3gmGQEGgHP1aSu92FSmUwKP1OS96-EDeb9-ncOqHhF1OdUVO1y8dzD8fvJXf4jfj7_Etn/s200/DSC01881.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cran sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUd-aYhk1LVReAGv7O5vMsoPU2tutCZ_PW5Z-d7OEX8M3LOxLkkIesLD0fO23qWWOJqrOuS9hKOyZ_DFOFvYsabzvX8dPCyvHkwpf71oA9-Mq1F2A_5ojHXaQElhpncvZcStphL8QTH9wn/s1600/DSC01883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUd-aYhk1LVReAGv7O5vMsoPU2tutCZ_PW5Z-d7OEX8M3LOxLkkIesLD0fO23qWWOJqrOuS9hKOyZ_DFOFvYsabzvX8dPCyvHkwpf71oA9-Mq1F2A_5ojHXaQElhpncvZcStphL8QTH9wn/s320/DSC01883.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gravy</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzj736IOrbI8qja9IaeU-CCUlnHan98ZGqPAlQ0H4D2bWnCaJAhT7YKaMmri9ICOVnmVPYshIH3wvsE4EkE80PnwvbCifvAsXrBxOgCaSs6y7LSpZWAmOejtEIrQCcaIBoApKhOUaB-NF/s1600/DSC01891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzj736IOrbI8qja9IaeU-CCUlnHan98ZGqPAlQ0H4D2bWnCaJAhT7YKaMmri9ICOVnmVPYshIH3wvsE4EkE80PnwvbCifvAsXrBxOgCaSs6y7LSpZWAmOejtEIrQCcaIBoApKhOUaB-NF/s320/DSC01891.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snagria</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkI5wsWgcKVRzUpB9hYRqTGOwT0yPSrLgC_lYGbLj6WJGCJb2_3c0K0mCRxjZmjEmrPYXjbhJOdZmWr3DJve7tqCwYeS-bh3vOW-EQW7EjEMC0MrV9NRcbhenpKVYnLcQxPb2Z0NqvPKsp/s1600/DSC01889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkI5wsWgcKVRzUpB9hYRqTGOwT0yPSrLgC_lYGbLj6WJGCJb2_3c0K0mCRxjZmjEmrPYXjbhJOdZmWr3DJve7tqCwYeS-bh3vOW-EQW7EjEMC0MrV9NRcbhenpKVYnLcQxPb2Z0NqvPKsp/s320/DSC01889.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fried Turkey</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws2oxHEyQl-eScjIWyrLz-wI53F0quxu4hdDDJWmjkVfZFh1APeY8XOOtH9s8yU-4omiEV5HWAT3HMZOE2s00QleKQ_u8Z95boSnpn8gzUx-bkGwZL0YLAhL_u9M9smFaNBHAvyYAIUKZ/s1600/DSC01894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws2oxHEyQl-eScjIWyrLz-wI53F0quxu4hdDDJWmjkVfZFh1APeY8XOOtH9s8yU-4omiEV5HWAT3HMZOE2s00QleKQ_u8Z95boSnpn8gzUx-bkGwZL0YLAhL_u9M9smFaNBHAvyYAIUKZ/s640/DSC01894.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the meal (my friend Mika)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
</span></span></span>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-53055370834493952012010-11-26T03:32:00.000-08:002010-11-26T03:32:55.331-08:00The month I stopped sweating the small stuff<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the last couple weeks, it has cooled off considerably in my village. At night it gets down in the sixties, and I literally freeze. In the day time it still gets hot, but not like I am used to and on most days I don‘t even break a sweat(although as someone informed me it still gets up into the mid-90‘s everyday)….think New Mexico in late Spring…very arid. As someone who prefers a bit of humidity, the sudden change has wreaked some havoc on my body (super dry skin, cracking lips, a 3 week long cold), but on the good side, the mold in my hut has cleared out, and the mosquitos (most of them) are gone!!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Every new month continues to bring new challenges, and like the months past, I continue to question the motivation of my community, but now also my own motivation. One of my Senegalese “ colleagues” from Peace Corps came to my site to sit down and talk to the leaders about my plan for the community. It also served as a forum for them to express any grievances or amendments they might have to my proposed work plan. It was helpful in the sense that my community heard from someone in a position of power at PC what exactly I was supposed too do, and would be doing. At the same time, I felt incredibly embarrassed that I had so little to actually show for the last 6 months I have been living here. As much as Peace Corps pushes the intangible experiences, they tend to look more upon physical changes in the community as indicators of your work…I have painted no murals and worked little with the school since my failed school garden; mainly because people did not express interest/motivation for those things. But, now I am feeling pressured to do those things, even if I do not think it is important or a need of the community.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">In situations like this, I find myself bowing down to the beaurocracy, because if I do those projects that are looked upon favorably, I have a better chance of positive job recommendations, and a better chance of the administration looking on me as a better volunteer. So then, why am I here? Because I want to help people, or because I want to help myself…I think any volunteer would tell you both. It still leaves an uneasy feeling in my stomach that I could be letting my community down, or the PC down, or myself down depending upon how I choose to live out this experience; which as of now has 16 months remaining in it.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I decided all of my time here is compromise, and that doesn’t just mean everyone else compromises so I get what I want. I did a mural at the health hut; there is proof that art is therapeutic, right? In this, I have discovered, nay confirmed, something I already new about myself: I am an organizer. I want to be the person at the top organizing, planning, and researching programs for other people to execute at a lower level…I lack a lot of the patience to do small scale projects. One day I will be a great boss, but in order to be at the top, you have to start somewhere, usually at the bottom. In this sense, Peace Corps is the first 2 years of my working career, where I can be on the bottom with an immense amount of freedom. I know where I want to be when I turn 30, and this experience is just the beginning of what I hope is a long career (having just celebrated my 24th birthday this is something I was thinking about). And at 24, I feel like I have so many choices; more choices than my family has in Senegal, more choices than my grandmother, and even my mother, had when they were my age. I am not married (with no prospects here to the dismay of many Senegalese men), no kids (to the dismay of Senegalese women), and no heavy financial burdens (like a house or car payment)…I could literally do whatever it is I wanted, a powerful motivator for me to provide opportunities for others; even as small as helping a girl delay pregnancy a year so she can finish middle school by giving out condoms. So, while I might question the motivations of myself and my community, one thing is clear that I can do: be an example of a woman who has chosen this life over others, while creating small opportunities so that others might have a choice too.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In addition to all this woeful reflection, another Senegalese Holiday has broached upon us. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tabaski; in Arabic “Eid al Adha”</span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><span lang="ar" xml:lang="ar"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">عيد الأضحى</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"> </span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uV27LWYIXqdWpncXRtYMrD1w3xp6cWAz-QuN682xJL5-WC9fFE_yZi8pDosD3xM-LleAkXbI8ijWu8ruKH0fvsWMEPTe7VZA8UkWxs_IuKcFVK1xoWlAUGFJyesUUp6b4PJDOJYNHOdI/s1600/DSC01644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uV27LWYIXqdWpncXRtYMrD1w3xp6cWAz-QuN682xJL5-WC9fFE_yZi8pDosD3xM-LleAkXbI8ijWu8ruKH0fvsWMEPTe7VZA8UkWxs_IuKcFVK1xoWlAUGFJyesUUp6b4PJDOJYNHOdI/s320/DSC01644.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sisters and I in our traditional whites</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">In tradition, the celebration is an </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><b>"important <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_holiday" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Religious holiday">religious holiday</a> celebrated by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Muslim">Muslims</a> worldwide to commemorate the willingness of<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Abraham">Abraham</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_view_of_Abraham" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Islamic view of Abraham">Ibrahim</a>) to sacrifice his son <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishmael" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Ishmael">Ishmael</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_view_of_Ishmael" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Islamic view of Ishmael">Isma'il</a>) as an act of obedience to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_in_Islam" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="God in Islam">God</a>, before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0" style="font-style: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha#cite_note-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup> The meat is divided into three parts to be distributed to others. The family retains one third of the share, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors, and the other third is given to the poor & needy." </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">However, as with many Koranic events, the Senegalese interpretation is simply </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">about food and family. My Tabaski was really fun actually. We spent the day before in preperation mode, celaning the compound buying the supplies, etc. In an effort to really embrace the holiday, I wore clothes that matched the other 15 women in the compounds around us. Quite the site given the fabric was polka dotted. My measurements weren't taken before the holiday, ad so the clothes were huge, but I am getting them fixed. No one seemed to care.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgyPvMNcUYm3P2N-FYjBE3ZHjCfkbPlk6xONyWtFgGL-nLUipYSvMI6GheewKmN0d3FU6CSZ1da6MfycwZMgsCCUzwuGcTdF0RM7gmMa6Joi4S18DcEL4NFwfpmsZUURRfEfYyuF_OmZ1/s1600/DSC01613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgyPvMNcUYm3P2N-FYjBE3ZHjCfkbPlk6xONyWtFgGL-nLUipYSvMI6GheewKmN0d3FU6CSZ1da6MfycwZMgsCCUzwuGcTdF0RM7gmMa6Joi4S18DcEL4NFwfpmsZUURRfEfYyuF_OmZ1/s320/DSC01613.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know I look ridiculous, don't hate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGZ7BHOjCgOr0mEEJ67c6P2ibXMM2it8ory3MjdMwH5XaMzWSlI2CX3K1WQBL_KKCUUkDtZHo7bIV5XjfgQH4avyaF5Oxb6XMJBmzc2zO1e5fTaZCrI0c_Jxy5NuUePenrO7TW9J-s1j0/s1600/DSC01518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGZ7BHOjCgOr0mEEJ67c6P2ibXMM2it8ory3MjdMwH5XaMzWSlI2CX3K1WQBL_KKCUUkDtZHo7bIV5XjfgQH4avyaF5Oxb6XMJBmzc2zO1e5fTaZCrI0c_Jxy5NuUePenrO7TW9J-s1j0/s320/DSC01518.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skinning the sheep</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">T</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">he day itself was absolutely exhausting. We killed 3 sheep and 1 goat at around 10 am. There was a lot of tea drank, and we fried up huge meat parts and ate with mustard before our lunch even began. Then our neighbors came over and we ate lunch. Then everyone had sodas. Then we all showered and rested a bit before eating another snack. Right before night fell, we changed into other clothes, and started off visiting neighbors and sitting around with the family. Then we ate again...twice. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b7QLvNNUcM9CrVjgM8YbNUeEKLfvj4_Zbfr2BmRIuBM9KPDGUozAnbN2vZCVYsFlyTXlgCzrjxvPUXc4x3ODM5g_DrhyphenhyphenGoh8vaKnTIpr7K54EyIGsGqv7KR4b9O2YqomRt4KLNJcFY-x/s1600/DSC01594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b7QLvNNUcM9CrVjgM8YbNUeEKLfvj4_Zbfr2BmRIuBM9KPDGUozAnbN2vZCVYsFlyTXlgCzrjxvPUXc4x3ODM5g_DrhyphenhyphenGoh8vaKnTIpr7K54EyIGsGqv7KR4b9O2YqomRt4KLNJcFY-x/s320/DSC01594.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frying up the rib and shank portions with mustard</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">I ate so much sheep that day. As is typical, we all stayed up late drinking tea. The next day a similar festivity ensued, and the day following. The last day we ate the goat and drank yogurt drinks all day. So for 4 days, we celebrated. On the 5th day, things went more back to normal, but we still were eating the meat (which by this time had been sitting in heat without refrigeration for 5 days). My stomach was glad when it was over. The best and worse part about it all was the lack of work. I got to relax, but it was impossible to accomplish anything at all. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">See pics below!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDLPZchT038DfM0Gg62p_blg1OL1sRDrwZASNVeB-K3YvJBzwypxrPYCg_j2hlF2d-kGo6BI2nuTAhD0PDncbG8odXyz0jTgI-XsaJP5LVWG9Db-W16bdaS2I7wBHf7EJpkzBhEbgPtaz/s1600/DSC01694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDLPZchT038DfM0Gg62p_blg1OL1sRDrwZASNVeB-K3YvJBzwypxrPYCg_j2hlF2d-kGo6BI2nuTAhD0PDncbG8odXyz0jTgI-XsaJP5LVWG9Db-W16bdaS2I7wBHf7EJpkzBhEbgPtaz/s320/DSC01694.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister Rhamma and I</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnjuXLHah8e4Pp6Zo01w4PU8iV9_64J8iq-_6KNRNqp-g51eEPHXVwuJteskXMxVmT-4j_utXE52LLgbS7hAvoaleTamaDVqRDfxW2aD8dSs8vwZYiBQNT6DAb50jMyv_6bMlI8p7G3gx/s1600/DSC01755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnjuXLHah8e4Pp6Zo01w4PU8iV9_64J8iq-_6KNRNqp-g51eEPHXVwuJteskXMxVmT-4j_utXE52LLgbS7hAvoaleTamaDVqRDfxW2aD8dSs8vwZYiBQNT6DAb50jMyv_6bMlI8p7G3gx/s320/DSC01755.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lunch...onion sauce ad sheep</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qKiZ8Ob3sj3Xfi3BWxASsP3Rx8ydo718iqCGSYK8o3cMLXBYU6EOL8BS1DrC-POBlOmsk4RZNfCXIHLDq5C2ceZfs3Y7fPGSsUU2piDlk4CdOffiJ023HJGVdfse19xVuAa8XmLL4REm/s1600/DSC01818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qKiZ8Ob3sj3Xfi3BWxASsP3Rx8ydo718iqCGSYK8o3cMLXBYU6EOL8BS1DrC-POBlOmsk4RZNfCXIHLDq5C2ceZfs3Y7fPGSsUU2piDlk4CdOffiJ023HJGVdfse19xVuAa8XmLL4REm/s320/DSC01818.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing for my sister in my second clothing change</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUjZKOtEgRLlBuGPfYr983ByW1nJzyypcruJkjJexqRAWXRUw-QrSt_8bLw4-wUvzc05wT_SdM5GdlVKvyhdppZI66PBEUGyTgYVN1Ta6C-vzZID_fe9nv2oZv6kNd9Z5CDFpZUJCdq6a/s1600/DSC01683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUjZKOtEgRLlBuGPfYr983ByW1nJzyypcruJkjJexqRAWXRUw-QrSt_8bLw4-wUvzc05wT_SdM5GdlVKvyhdppZI66PBEUGyTgYVN1Ta6C-vzZID_fe9nv2oZv6kNd9Z5CDFpZUJCdq6a/s320/DSC01683.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister Fatu and her cousin in their whites</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvA4JUXyMtpaZfZC8tE3IJL1H8JfRJZUf9dKBvqNCEalZ-EDHTMaXFMzImCAHztlJ2Ahzhv6gdwDxaX2-RpoVajxT4ZgqcBSbYz8zXLgzb9sFHmFY-q389BCKgVx7y0mBIwN3rPil96yJs/s1600/DSC01821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvA4JUXyMtpaZfZC8tE3IJL1H8JfRJZUf9dKBvqNCEalZ-EDHTMaXFMzImCAHztlJ2Ahzhv6gdwDxaX2-RpoVajxT4ZgqcBSbYz8zXLgzb9sFHmFY-q389BCKgVx7y0mBIwN3rPil96yJs/s320/DSC01821.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophie and me</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSw3NdCbknS1hqG2dp-4NH_JhpowLGTf6MoGa3TMj2Ccyz-NKnC2Fi1EMRYzmZcmhipM0l9pLLxq4hhW11X3CMrFX44_EQt8bLJC3b8nguit_5xEbJr1QHgkPCpq7LtmCkzw3ZTlIHIXl5/s1600/DSC01831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSw3NdCbknS1hqG2dp-4NH_JhpowLGTf6MoGa3TMj2Ccyz-NKnC2Fi1EMRYzmZcmhipM0l9pLLxq4hhW11X3CMrFX44_EQt8bLJC3b8nguit_5xEbJr1QHgkPCpq7LtmCkzw3ZTlIHIXl5/s320/DSC01831.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The goat head...which we also ate</td></tr>
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</div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-49941419670610930452010-10-31T13:19:00.000-07:002010-10-31T13:19:55.568-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_KdmAUm0CmJy7ZvCbkZYcAmqKUorftvT1-BPIYWxUCunDOxbXAj_CNkXJoz6BLO5SpAt1dUp0vLjdpigBqxf1t69uq3hAJiwVB7lfUWJFofloStPg4z4hI-FHn_3z4LTmKirJTU3BRrD/s1600/040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_KdmAUm0CmJy7ZvCbkZYcAmqKUorftvT1-BPIYWxUCunDOxbXAj_CNkXJoz6BLO5SpAt1dUp0vLjdpigBqxf1t69uq3hAJiwVB7lfUWJFofloStPg4z4hI-FHn_3z4LTmKirJTU3BRrD/s320/040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b>It seems that October has come and gone, along with the cooling rains. The dry sahellian wind has returned to my village, but with a slightly colder edge. The nights cool off, and the days are hot, but not blistering or humid. My throat and lungs are having a hard time getting used to the sudden dryness. The days too, are shorter, the sun rises about an hour later and sets about an hour earlier….much like Fall in the States. </b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b>The millet harvest has finished up, and so have the last of the peanuts. Everyone is preparing to sell and hoping for higher market prices than last year. Since Senegal exports most of it’s agricultural products, the small farmers make hardly enough to live off of, and large co-ops and unions have not formed to fight for better price security while foreign imports of rice and wheat flood the domestic market. This is the plight of the third-world farmer all-over the world, and even the small farmers in America face a similar fate.</b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>I spent the first 18 days of this month traveling to and from meetings, appointments, and fun days with my stage-mates. We now have the tradition of renting our trusty beach house before any large event, and as such did so the first weekend of October. It was calm, and not too hot. We went for our night swim around midnight and were blown away by the bioluminescence. We had seen it before, but it was especially bright and dense this time. Some of us stayed out there for 3 hours, just floating in the tepid water surrounded by pearls of light. The next day we headed up the coast to Joal for our meeting.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Example of Luminescence </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Wikepedia article about it: </b></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioluminescence">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioluminescence</a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">All of the health and environmental education volunteers in the country had a ‘summit’….basically it was a 2 day open forum for sharing ideas, problems, stories, and ideas about how to improve and modify the current programs and projects. It was the first time the first and second year vols had been together in a place to exchange information. I felt relieved that like my fellow volunteers, I was facing adversity and malaise when trying to start projects, and comforted by the second years who said, in most cases, all comes with time.</span> </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>I am finally at peace with the pace of my work, partly because of the reassurance from my family that the village only expects that I set up projects for the next volunteer, and that I can get people thinking about ‘health’ as more than just illness and medecine. I still occasionally get ‘where is your money for us’ or ‘why don’t you farm or plant trees’, but those comments are slowing as the idea that I will be here for the next 1.5 years and working with the health hut sinks in.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">After the summit, I went to Dakar, always a nice getaway…I forgot how exhausting the stimulation of the city is. There were nights when all I wanted to do was hear crickets and see starts, but in Dakar, those things barely exist. One night a group of us went to down to the beach where some very smart Senegalese men have set up a maekshift tikki bar with a generator. We paid in advance and they had a donkey cart bring the beer to the top of cliff, and it was carried down to the tikki hut. We swam, had a beer, and chatted until it was way past dark, then headed of to a BBQ at one of the third year volunteer apartments. At times like those, it is hard to believe that I am living in western Africa, and can go from barely having electricity to a life that is the picture of a 20-something in America.</span></b></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><u>On the work front</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">:</span></i></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>I am constantly in the process of procuring supplies for our health hut, as it is severly lacking. A few NGO’s furnish health facilities for free, so I am trying to get one of them to come out and do an evaluation. In the mean time, I have basically been begging anyone I have contact with for things: a scale, medicine, patient logs, pharmacy requests, etc. I also am trying to rally my health committee to start meeting once a month. I want them to try and find someone in the community who can be trained as a health educator, and can volunteer their time at the health hut when the guy who runs it is out (which is often).</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">I participated in a vegetable pepinere training in the next large village over, and started intensive moringa beds in the health hut. I eventually want to train the midwife to take care of the moringa, turn it into powder, and then sell it for profit so the health hut has extra cash to either pay a full-time employee or subsideze the volunteers.</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">I came to the realization however, before any of these things happen, I have to get the health hut functional and organized. I gave a calender to my counterpart, so he can mark important events, as well as anything that is regularly occurring (such as vaccination days). He also is learning, however slowly, to keep track of who comes in, for what, where they are from, age, etc. I made a makeshift log book until I can get an official one for him. I try not to get frustrated by the fact that this is all so basic, and is part of the training they </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">receive when they agree to work at clinic…but often it just becomes a medicine dispenseray and nothing more. </span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"></span>The amount of guess work they do here freaks me out; how does everyone survive without knowing what is what and when things are supposed to occur?? Not only that, but most fot he people (men specially) who I have met who work in the health system are not just jerks, but also completely incomepentant and okay with doing the bare minimum. The lack of accountability to human life blows my mind. But, overworked and underpaid will do that to you…right??</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Food of the Month: Bush Meat</span></i></span></u></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>While I ate like a queen in Dakar (Korean, French, American style Sandwiches, Ice Cream!!!!!), this is not so in the village. We have unfortunately fallen on lean times, waiting for the harvest to sell, and the last of the seasons veggie crops winding down. What do lean times mean in a country where most people subsit off of only rice and millet? It means BUSH MEAT. In an effort to make the bowl hardier than the few beans and plain oiled rice, often bush meat is added (or old salted and dried fish). What exactly is bush meat you ask? Well that’s the beauty of it, you don’t really want to know!!</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Lizard is a popular secret ingrediant where I live, since they are enormous and bountiful…no matter the poison. it’s like eating bony girstle. I have seen other types of meat like things in the bowl, and when I ask if it is lizard, the response is ‘no’…and no further explanation. So I don’t really want to know what critters are being consumed on a bi-weekly basis, but if I had to guess I would say rat, dog, and field rabbits are likely contenders.</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Porcupine_bushmeat_in_Cameroon.jpg/300px-Porcupine_bushmeat_in_Cameroon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Porcupine_bushmeat_in_Cameroon.jpg/300px-Porcupine_bushmeat_in_Cameroon.jpg" /></a></div>"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Bushmeat</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> initially referred to the hunting of wild animals in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Africa" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="West Africa">West</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Africa" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Central Africa">Central Africa</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> and is a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calque" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Calque">calque</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> from the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="French language">French</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><i>viande de brousse</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">. Nowadays the term is commonly used for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Meat">meat</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_animal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Terrestrial animal">terrestrial</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> wild animals, killed for subsistence or commercial purposes throughout the humid </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropics" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Tropics">tropics</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Americas">Americas</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Asia">Asia</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Africa">Africa</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">......"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">\</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushmeat">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushmeat</a></div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-11348117857207360292010-10-04T06:59:00.000-07:002010-10-04T07:13:17.202-07:00So much time, and so little to do! .....Strike that, reverse it.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Back home: leaves are falling, a smell of crisp apples apples is in the air, and jack-o-lanterns are beginning to appear on doorsteps.....</span></span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
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<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">In Senegal: The humidity has no threats to subside, the humming of millet chaffing machines is all around us, and the mosquitoes cling to every surface........ Ahh Fall.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Where has the month gone? It seems like Ramadan ended light years ago. I forgot how quickly the days pass when people are being active; and how much happier people are with their bellies full (well fuller during the day at least…most still only eat one regular meal a day!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We had the naming ceremony for my new baby sister. It is the first Seneglese event that I felt truly included in, and excited about! We had so many people running around the compound; I had forgotten how much I loved parties in the states. I invited another Peace Corps volunteer who lives 5k away, so it made the experience that much better. There was music, and we killed a sheep, and everyone was giddy with excitement!! It seems like all we did that day was eat, from morning until about 11 pm… a bit of a shock to my system just one day after Ramadan. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PVtFhJmQ6FxcBc62dV_C6AILg7sMGi-05EbIFxgySQ2lpK064i36-KXyCgYA2hr6yJzxKrjbZGATOCsQwTR5SV44Kg5jwCFPP44y_FiPPUXeYH1x-qlU5OTnb3s27AIIY8-k899wkn8E/s1600/DSC01325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PVtFhJmQ6FxcBc62dV_C6AILg7sMGi-05EbIFxgySQ2lpK064i36-KXyCgYA2hr6yJzxKrjbZGATOCsQwTR5SV44Kg5jwCFPP44y_FiPPUXeYH1x-qlU5OTnb3s27AIIY8-k899wkn8E/s320/DSC01325.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
I think he knows he's done for.... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KVcEuWSLaPjsZO-MwdAOdSwSLJyGsmnER5RhlImiksj8gy47vHSO9ATvghRscOaLQMIw2QipDL7bNwIHEh6smikkPwIOBmE7GeIIA8r0WC0-NW9-t0XoIxFvoSehyF6ZbZmr5OIadMsR/s1600/DSC01327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KVcEuWSLaPjsZO-MwdAOdSwSLJyGsmnER5RhlImiksj8gy47vHSO9ATvghRscOaLQMIw2QipDL7bNwIHEh6smikkPwIOBmE7GeIIA8r0WC0-NW9-t0XoIxFvoSehyF6ZbZmr5OIadMsR/s320/DSC01327.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Waiting for the Kilifa (religious leaders to confirm the baby name) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmntI4pTQqXjQ6o9O6rdbUg3FN8K8M2ocxHyJV7-s8ycuP-tMKxgiVFwNLYx4XwVn-sPNrp0Lbsd1cTOAFB09mbo0qXokJ7R5tKvT1z6c-Vxjmqck361qYRFRGqc6EG1EPEg3fixuMH2yN/s1600/DSC01328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmntI4pTQqXjQ6o9O6rdbUg3FN8K8M2ocxHyJV7-s8ycuP-tMKxgiVFwNLYx4XwVn-sPNrp0Lbsd1cTOAFB09mbo0qXokJ7R5tKvT1z6c-Vxjmqck361qYRFRGqc6EG1EPEg3fixuMH2yN/s320/DSC01328.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
When the babies name is confirmed they kill the sheep, and bury some blood for a blessing<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9hB_EDfs1EIfBV3-CtRQmxPNP1uIw2p6GvDRW5A5npi6QdDLRHKKsjptX711yehfQOdUjEjJLcbu_LPpvqh8IV0iqEbNHvz736M0y5AFhx9AHX1kvjE5BSRBBPLMFEHaD-ujW5oOcHtC/s1600/DSC01336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9hB_EDfs1EIfBV3-CtRQmxPNP1uIw2p6GvDRW5A5npi6QdDLRHKKsjptX711yehfQOdUjEjJLcbu_LPpvqh8IV0iqEbNHvz736M0y5AFhx9AHX1kvjE5BSRBBPLMFEHaD-ujW5oOcHtC/s320/DSC01336.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
Mom and Baby<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMS47ea4IEMcb4yWd-ffUMTeIwayMfKgC_6CMNYr66_AvICjQYkdwaTZWgtWimR_Q23EIk_Jl_fnyCvac41MQw7M03nDWr8GwWqxkjuTXXztzwR1ygQ7r0QVa3mVnoRLOyOYxr5vUJ2OO/s1600/DSC01361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMS47ea4IEMcb4yWd-ffUMTeIwayMfKgC_6CMNYr66_AvICjQYkdwaTZWgtWimR_Q23EIk_Jl_fnyCvac41MQw7M03nDWr8GwWqxkjuTXXztzwR1ygQ7r0QVa3mVnoRLOyOYxr5vUJ2OO/s320/DSC01361.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
My aunt cooking a traditional rice topping Chou....parsnips onions and carrots in a broth<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsyxkoXWgXg2Wx77bfuV7zGpKEoBbjclRc2lHc_mASHNzPXH2EAcdqsZbWTfqzhxB3wuUAQGu5Rt62P1UNxoOPoc06G3RIpd_o3_eXPguPO3Wx25RQQvPIYy2UhQhyphenhyphenVnd59kDeLi6D_zr/s1600/DSC01364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsyxkoXWgXg2Wx77bfuV7zGpKEoBbjclRc2lHc_mASHNzPXH2EAcdqsZbWTfqzhxB3wuUAQGu5Rt62P1UNxoOPoc06G3RIpd_o3_eXPguPO3Wx25RQQvPIYy2UhQhyphenhyphenVnd59kDeLi6D_zr/s320/DSC01364.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Notice the HUGE pots used to cook the food<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQTONt1ZWPQb82BJs9gsJHEA5ekRZ5WsbLyDIZ_2a7WtqlPxFETCcuVVhjp5uSlIjxoYoJ7_jXaEoCReJ7WFwP82xVr3SCWVC_dzZdPVwfaTE4zyLrNLaSb1ZnsUWjvqzeuvh8dcAut58/s1600/DSC01359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQTONt1ZWPQb82BJs9gsJHEA5ekRZ5WsbLyDIZ_2a7WtqlPxFETCcuVVhjp5uSlIjxoYoJ7_jXaEoCReJ7WFwP82xVr3SCWVC_dzZdPVwfaTE4zyLrNLaSb1ZnsUWjvqzeuvh8dcAut58/s320/DSC01359.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> My host brother and his daughter and me</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am not sure if I mentioned it earlier on, but I am getting new PCV neighbors. 3 will be replacing current COS-ing volunteers, and 2 will be new sites. The volunteers in my region of Senegal had a “Kaffrine Day” where we took them to the market, our favorite juice spot, and showed them the cyber café. We finished up by taking them for a beer and our favorite ceeb shack (lunch hut). It was nice to see the new, fresh excited faces…I know I have been here barely 7 months, but I am amazed how my attitude has changed to fit my situation. I thought I had good coping skills before I came here, but now, I am hard as a rock. I have also had to change my perspective/reality of what I will achieve here, and what development as a whole can achieve on the small scale community based level. The simple fact is: sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and everyone fails at least once (something I was NOT accustomed to back home). If you want to read more about the shortcomings and failures about aid in Africa check out a great book: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><b>On the work front: </b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was able to participate in a regional project in the mangroves a couple weeks ago. Mangroves are known as Forests of the Tide, and support more life in their ecosystems than any other system on earth. According to National Geographic "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #191919; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 26px;">Mangroves provide nursery grounds for fish; a food source for monkeys, deer, tree-climbing crabs, even kangaroos; and a nectar source for bats and honeybees. .. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #191919; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 26px;">Each mangrove has an ultrafiltration system to keep much of the salt out and a complex root system that allows it to survive in the intertidal zone.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #191919; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 26px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #191919; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 26px;">The plants' interlocking roots stop riverborne sediments from coursing out to sea, and their trunks and branches serve as a palisade that diminishes the erosive power of waves." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #191919; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 26px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We planted mangroves in a delta town called Toubacouta. The place is beautiful…. But the human impact on the mangroves forests over the last 50 years that Senegal has been industrializing is enormous. Where there used to be a network of tidal flats and acre deep forest, there is now just empty sand bars. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We had a total of 50 community members, in addition to 20-ish PCV’s out in the mud flats during low tide planting mangroves. It was a fun, dirty, tiring day, but by the time we had finished, there were acres and acres of new mangroves seedlings planted in the thick mud.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mangrove inlet where we stayed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs655.snc4/61584_804676699285_419940_44430509_7276917_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs655.snc4/61584_804676699285_419940_44430509_7276917_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sorting through the seeds before planting time</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs353.ash2/63315_804714448635_419940_44432609_6069397_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs353.ash2/63315_804714448635_419940_44432609_6069397_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Planting the seedlings along the natural water line</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The last Friday of every month, my health hut holds post-natal vaccinations sponsored by UNICEF. I was given a job at the one we had this month…I sold the aspirin and explained the dosage instructions and proper uses. Not exactly the most important job, but I participated none the less. I spoke with the mid-wife in my village, and starting next month we are going to have an information table, covering a different topic each month. I am going to try to get my hands on a baby scale also so I can monitor the children who routinely come through. Hopefully I will have some pictures of this in November.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I also went to an “open field day”… a project held by AgFo and Sustainable Ag volunteers, and part of the region-wide food security initiative. The tour was held in a village at the site of a farming demo plot. The plot is designed to maximize space and food production, while using natural pest management, live fencing, and a host of other techniques. There were tons of Senegalese farmers there, as well as many PCV’s, and our Country Director. Eventually, we want to integrate nutrition and health education into the program, since both play a large role in food security.</span><br />
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Rice paddy demo plot</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs707.snc4/62767_808639088625_419940_44542499_7121357_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs707.snc4/62767_808639088625_419940_44542499_7121357_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> The farmers doing a question and answer session</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">And now for some lagniappe (New Orleans lingo for "a little something extra")</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">“A Wolof Guide to the Supernatural in Honor of All Hallows Eve"</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since I have been here, I have heard some odd and varied bits of information about supernatural beings and the underworld…although the country as a whole is Muslim, it does retain some of it’s animist beliefs. (There is an ethnic group who is wholly animist, the Bassari, I would love to go to visit a village of this group during a ceremonial celebration!)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Witches: People here talk about witches all the time. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- If you don’t eat the bitter tomato in the bowl, or you eat it and spit it out, you’re definitely a witch.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-If you ride you’re bicycle in a skirt, you’re probably a witch.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- If the local schizophrenic/fortune teller says you’re a witch, you might not be a witch.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ghosts: Ghosts are the scape goat for everything, they also serve as reason not to do something.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-If you whistle, you are actually calling the ghosts. (oops! No wonder people give me weird looks when I whistle a tune while I work). This also means you might be a witch, especially if you’re a woman.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- You can’t go into the Baobob forests alone, because ghosts will attack you (this is always the first thing people say, not that you will get attacked by animals, or get lost, but ghosts!!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- You can’t walk in between corners of buldings and other objects ( ex. Between a house and electrical pole) because the ghosts will get you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- you can’t go to the well after dark, because there are ghosts</span><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- The most dangerous thing on the bush paths are lions and ghosts (let me remind you there is only 1 pride of lions in all of Senegal and it lives in a protected reserve)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am sure there are other superstitions, but this is what I have compiled so far…I am totally a witch, and I communicate frequently with ghosts!</span><br />
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</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b>The non work related picture of the month:</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kaolack Kitchen Dance Krew...if we aren't busy singing Glee at the top of our lungs, we are cleaning, cooking, and dancing away in the kitchen</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHYRxXtr-3eFVAgikv-qhehmRN_zT2fP8-BgSwZip93H3iPcpvwP7LSJSs_piEJvTDBnw7tnVuK46eFMat59raHXmDKiNhEXKJcUJXq9_P_0rJFzWe17nobORtzKLTKWcoSS1OZinlwNx/s1600/IMG_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHYRxXtr-3eFVAgikv-qhehmRN_zT2fP8-BgSwZip93H3iPcpvwP7LSJSs_piEJvTDBnw7tnVuK46eFMat59raHXmDKiNhEXKJcUJXq9_P_0rJFzWe17nobORtzKLTKWcoSS1OZinlwNx/s320/IMG_0032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-5162445206028345252010-09-15T09:53:00.000-07:002010-12-11T04:28:08.658-08:00My 6 Month Anniversary!!c<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">As the title indicates: I have officially been in Senegal for 6 months!! It’s the shortest, longest 6 months I have ever had…if that makes any sense. Life has been busy around my compound and village lately.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">When I returned from my time in Kaolack, to my surprise the entire village as flooded…think streets turned to rivers sort of flooding. It was gross…there was overflowing douches and horse poop and all of it floating in the “rivers”. But, it was no worse than Kaolack, which was also flooded. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">My host brother wanted my help distributing trees to each compound in the village, so we went around with charettes (horse carts) and gave out 2 trees to all the compounds in my village; a pretty awesome task, but so important for the health and aesthetic of our village. </span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgl4_ODSRnVgwczSAAVSU0nS-6iVH7B1quvUaLhLwHgMVm9gPZTlkREV6LLdPdx94gBHMEYCaU0SFbDqORmrSfp6cxRz4yyksNTG5zIbFLlO6siEaLHIuriM7td29oIXxNyEqHg14pzm3q/s1600/DSC01321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgl4_ODSRnVgwczSAAVSU0nS-6iVH7B1quvUaLhLwHgMVm9gPZTlkREV6LLdPdx94gBHMEYCaU0SFbDqORmrSfp6cxRz4yyksNTG5zIbFLlO6siEaLHIuriM7td29oIXxNyEqHg14pzm3q/s320/DSC01321.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The same day we hosted an Ngente, or naming ceremony, for our neighbors. In Senegal the ngente’s occur 10 days after the child’s birth and involve everyone who is related to the family. It is a highly ritualalized affair. When the parents decide on a name, the baby is given to the Imam, and the Imam whispers the name into the babies ear then the griots (town crier) calls out the babies name for everyone to hear. The baby is brought back to the mom in the room, and from what I observed there is something involving hair and salt before the mother and baby are allowed to leave their room. Then there is a party, and lots of food! So we killed a sheep. Since it is Ramadan, all the food and drink was saved for after sundown. </span> </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">In other Village news, the peanut harvest is beginning to come in, and now among the other various and odd skills I have learned in Senegal (such as killing and plucking chicken and skinning vermin) I can add harvesting and separating peantus to the list. This is a monumental task, since all of the work is done by hand, and the women sit around for hours tearing the peanuts off of the vines, and eventually shelling them. Farming takes up about 90% of the arable land in Senegal, with 60% making up the peanut basin east of Dakar where I live. 36% of that land is used on, you guessed it, peanuts! So the nuts are incredibly important for the region.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Unfortunatly I came back from Kaolack with dysentery (I will spare you the details), but needless to say I went to sleep the morning of the naming ceremony and didn’t move for 2 days, except to use the facilities. It sucked, but it’s the first time I have gotten sick in country where I didn’t want to go home! </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Other good news, Ramdan is over! Woot. However to my dismay, apparently the holiday extends for some time. I went into town to try and get some errands run, and none of the businesses were open a week after Korite (the official end of Ramadan party). I was told by another volunteer not to plan on doing serious project work until Tabaski (the largest Islamic holiday that is in November), because people kind of take a while to “get back in the swing of things”. WTF. I am going to try to do a latrine project anyway, so I guess I will find out!! </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My family will be having an Ngente this week because my sister had a baby girl!!!! I am so excited, she was miserably pregnant, and now I am an aunt!</span><br /><div><br /></div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-31475817545021325402010-09-03T01:31:00.000-07:002010-09-03T01:31:46.650-07:00Surviving Ramadan<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Ramadan</span>:</span> "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">is the ninth month of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_calendar" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Islamic calendar">Islamic calendar</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">. It is the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Islam">Islamic</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> month of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Sawm">fasting</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">, in which participating </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Muslim">Muslims</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> refrain from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Eating">eating</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Drinking">drinking</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_relations" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Sexual relations">sexual relations</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> from</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Dawn">dawn</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> until </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Sunset">sunset</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan#cite_note-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality. It is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_in_Islam" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="God in Islam">God</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_language" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Arabic language">Arabic</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">الله</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">, trans: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allah" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Allah">Allah</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">) and to offer more </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Prayer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Islamic Prayer">prayer</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> than usual. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. As compared to the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_calendar" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Solar calendar">solar calendar</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards about eleven days each year </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_calendar" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Lunar calendar">depending on the moon</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qur%27an" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Qur'an">Qur'an</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> were revealed to the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophets_of_Islam" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Prophets of Islam">Islamic prophet</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Muhammad">Muhammad</a>" (Wikipedia)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">n Senegal, Ramadan and fasting is observed by almost everyone, except for the small percentage of Catholics, and even then, I think they are somewhat forced to observe it because essentially the entire country changes it’s pace of life from slow, to barely moving for a whole month. I had said to myself before the holiday started “ I am not fasting, no way, I neeeeeed to eat!”. Well, was I wrong, since I pay my family to include me in cooking the meals, there is only food and beverages when they eat, which during Ramadan is only between sundown and sun-up. This wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t rainy season and peak agricultural production season also. My typical day is as follows:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5 am: Xudd (my breakfast, but what is typically served for dinner) A porridge of some sort, or bread and sour milk (like yogurt or buttermilk), or millet and beans. All not so bad, but takes a bif of getting used to so early in the AM.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">8-9 am: wake up, NO coffee means NO caffeine… I struggled with this the first few days for sure.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">9- 11 or 12: work. This is typical for almost everyone to be working at this time.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">12-6 pm: sitting, talking, watching tv, LOTS of reading</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">6-7pm: I have to exercise to salvage my sanity; 12-25k bike ride, depending on weather and heat.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">7:28pm: Breaking Fast!!!! We start backwards from meal times so Breakfast is first, then lunch, etc. We have bread and butter with spiced coffee (Café Touba). Then we are given glass after glass of sticky, minty, limey, sweet Bissap (hibiscus) juice. WITH ICE!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">8:30/9 pm: Lunch. This is the biggest meal, and is what we typically would eat during the lunch hour…lots more veggies in the bowl, chicken or other “meat” 2-3 times a week. Often followed by a smoothie like concoction of powdered milk, pineapple or mango juice, and bananas, or Orange Soda.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">10:30 pm: Snack, tea. I am usually in bed by this time, either reading or doing stuff on the computer, but when I am not we roast corn over the fire.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">So that’s that. It is rough not to drink during the day, and I am not going to lie, but I have cheated on the water thing a lot. I hate the feeling of dehydration, but my body has gotten really used to the food thing. I was grateful to get the care packages my parents sent, because it allowed me to eat AFTER dinner too, and stuff that was yummy like fig newtons and chocolate. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">I think Ramadan wouldn’t be all bad, but I have a few qualms with the idea that people here do it because everyone else does regardless of their religious convictions (kind of like Christmas for Americans). The time is meant to reflect more deeply on your spirituality, and get closer to God…unfortunately it is not practiced as that here, since most people have never even read the Koran. But my biggest problem, comes down to the women and children. The Koran specifies that women who are pregnant, nursing, and menstruating should not fast. The same goes for children below puberty. I have talked myself in a circle of this fact, since the kids and mothers are typically malnourished to begin with, it often makes the situation worse. Of course people here say “you’re not Muslim, how do you know it’s bad”, so I say “can you read the Koran, do you know what it says?” This confrontation is usually between myself and a teenage to 20 something male, so it’s OK for me to be a bit snarky.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">I was rather upset at my very pregnant sister who was fasting, and my sister who is breastfeeding. They just told me I didn’t “understand”. Despite all of it, my sister has stopped producing enough milk and my other one has a bad bad respertory infection (along with all the kids who eat mainly stale bread and old rice all day). I think what bothers me is that they ask me for advice, medicine, money, but as soon as I have something useful to offer, something that is important for health and wellbeing, they ignore it. Oh Senegal.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">SO; after 1 month of not leaving the village, after fasting the whole time, after no beer or wine, after killing and plucking chickens all by myself, after a rain storm knocked down one of the huts in my compound, after a giant rat attacked a goat and we ate the rat for dinner, after both schizophrenic adults in my village came to my hut…I headed to my regional house, where I currently have a beer in my hand, and an abundance of food. (note: I still have 1 week or so of Ramadan when I head back).</span></span>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-87364572643887123072010-09-03T01:08:00.000-07:002010-09-03T01:08:53.793-07:00We came, We saw, We trained<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IST finally drew to a close. In addition to the things I listed in my last blog post, we also did sessions on tree outplanting, how to hold HIV/AIDS trainings, effective strategies for doing causeries (demonstrations of technical information to the public) and a NGO fair that introduced us to some of the other aid organizations working in Senegal, and basically what they did. For the most part the second week was pretty lack-luster. I did however enjoy the beekeeping field trip we went on! The man who we toured with was very knowledgeable about the type of problems we might face in the village with our communities, and also offered practical advice and alternatives to the traditional box style hives used in the west. The Gambia Peace Corps program has a fairly established project going on for keeping bees, and also a training. I would love to get involved with this as side project, since I live in an area with numerous tree pepineres and community gardens.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7bYoBmvkwUyUkMUtosAp_ZweoP4SwdoNg6sozoLG5SrhhB4cVLHHkejj2yR0_SVN5uVCbnJ-qFXrxOZMCoSi9e3-DamfvcsnvmHT6U0bCZHQcgZ_nXYBMSsFsqAEv6av_uVW8Vek-q2B/s1600/Month+4+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7bYoBmvkwUyUkMUtosAp_ZweoP4SwdoNg6sozoLG5SrhhB4cVLHHkejj2yR0_SVN5uVCbnJ-qFXrxOZMCoSi9e3-DamfvcsnvmHT6U0bCZHQcgZ_nXYBMSsFsqAEv6av_uVW8Vek-q2B/s320/Month+4+008.JPG" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After IST, we spent another lovely weekend at the beach, and then I was off to Dakar. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dakar is a wonderful place ( I say this in the context that I live in a village and therefore think ANY city is nice.) But it really does have most of the things you want in a city: food, music, clubs, and a beach! As PC volunteers we get free admission into the American Club (a country club with volley ball courts, pool, tennis court, and of course drink specials and food). I was in Dakar a week before our IST started, and then again for a few days afterward. I got to eat REAL cheese and REAL ice cream and the best authentic Chinese food I have ever had (thank goodness we had a native Mandarin speaker with us). For a bit I was able to forget that I was in developing West Africa, and just do somewhat normal things any 20-something would be doing in a large city. I guess that’s the problem with the developing world, all of the money is centered around metropolis areas where a fraction of the population is able to live and work, leaving the rural areas forgotten. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say, I was ready to head out of the city and back to my hut!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I arrived back in my village, to my utter dismay, my garden had not been watered, and there had been only 2 seasonal rains the entire month. My plants were almost dead, and my watermelon was very dead. I was not a happy camper with my host sister who had watered my garden previously, and she offered to me no explanation to why she didn’t. After a week and a half of coaxing, they are all nearly back to normal, just a few weeks behind in maturation. I have 3 cucumbers that will be ready for picking very soon!!! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was able to participate in a Universal Nut Sheller demonstration. The UNS is a simple concrete and metal machine that, with the help of a hand crank, shells nuts, most notably peanuts. Since I live in the peanut basin of Senegal, this technology is well received. If you have good dry nuts, it shells peanuts 40 times faster than women can do it by hand. I personally have the calluses to prove that 40 hours of shelling peanuts SUCKS! The cost is minimal (about $75 US) and is a great investment by a woman’s group, or co-op. Hopefully, the women we showed it to connected the labor and time trade-off, a connection that is hard to put across in a country where time is not valued, and is not related to how much money you can make. As one person put it “ what will I do with all that extra time during harvest season?”. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.thefullbellyproject.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.thefullbellyproject.org/</span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other news, my 12 year old sister is “takked’ the Wolof equivalent of engaged. While I have been uncomfortable in many cultural situations in this Muslim country, this is by far the one where I want to scream EWWW at the top of my lungs but cannot. I have never been one to much hold my tongue, so watching all of this occur in my compound in front of my own eyes is disturbing. Yet, I do what I can by saying that she has to finish school before they get married. The marriage isn’t planned for 5 years, which is some relief, but since she began menstruating last month, she was old enough to be promised to someone. He is close to me in age.</span><br />
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</span>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-51137696331880715692010-07-26T13:39:00.000-07:002010-07-26T13:39:45.476-07:00My bike all packed an ready to go!<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/pqac" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right;margin-bottom:1em;margin-left:1em"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiM7kRbUJ06f6rqtHEJBMJj97_xBU-FPc3gN3kmHZPYZmt4ecoc5wHOCrjaMio2iqWVFc0fFk2AV8BI8mgVIBSk3eQ8Yg9h9smV7SxLgqwKhuUyfJOjUP1F9OQl56tnQCE8oK2GN-8uSB/s512/DSC01269.JPG" /></a>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-29241769095359503452010-07-26T13:38:00.000-07:002010-07-26T13:38:12.749-07:00In the mangroves<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/8Htp" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right;margin-bottom:1em;margin-left:1em"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SuO_CVBVfsWU4N0GiVNcQEO_H5bFiDAKh4vm4MDyf2f-atCsMGn7z0KUeEPFWtsl01Ekx-nkrTBh8pnnolheXbtEOxkPyUGdou40TygRLbvMJzHQ4ZSgaD2knJKJ-MhytjS5AvBBeAFw/s512/DSC01258.JPG" /></a>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-82686091529812661562010-07-26T13:36:00.000-07:002010-07-26T13:36:31.449-07:00At the shade structure!<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/ysdN" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right;margin-bottom:1em;margin-left:1em"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUufnw8fbbi7bTO_JEAV7noCTXHOBEF2U5WAzp4gljdiia7LYCiDNV5uqSzrGiURz4mubFg-R78uq1Y2suW8F_TI8FHtBHUtrb8NleFLDa8Vk7ttrGYaEZnK7VsWVKQ2BUC8qhyebUVwP/s512/DSC01267.JPG" /></a>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-9156473627246118332010-07-26T13:35:00.000-07:002010-07-26T13:35:13.630-07:00Peace Corps Month 4 pics<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/Lwb5" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right;margin-bottom:1em;margin-left:1em"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpyX2d4exHqnhmbJxZ7chpBk-HrH_euGmwkSuAzkSEwpi3Tracpo3y41Oy4bJVJsBfXVsyLuLACxmBKbZvYj9Z7h8CsvkaT370voU6-mPTQ69FO0QuHFaGol-c1wEpUwMqeMPxp5eoXAR/s512/DSC01210.JPG" /></a>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-59477590123033714942010-07-26T12:25:00.000-07:002010-07-26T13:31:10.210-07:00" Nothing happens unless someone wills it to happen.” William S. Burroughs<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Well, it was long road to hoe this last month, but I finally made it to my In Service Training! During IST, we are back together in our original training group from March, and are constantly barraged by technical information. The format is same as training, but we have significantly more freedom, and a little more liberty in choosing if we go to a particular session or not. During week one I learned how to run a radio show, and use the software Audacity. We made sample Public Service Announcements, about things like AIDS, nutrition, and basic sanitation practices... we also did some funny PSA's. We spent 2 whole days on Permaculture....I love gardening, and as you will see below, my garden is doing quite well! Here are some relevant links on Permaculture models and practices; if you garden DO IT!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Obama is listening…are you? Radio jingle</b>. <embed height="27" src="http://www.google.com/reader/ui/3523697345-audio-player.swf?audioUrl=http://www.pcsenegal.org/radio/docs/jingles/tambacoundajingle.mp3 " type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="320" wmode="transparent"></embed></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Right about now you're probably wondering what I have been doing with my life the last month? Beside the typical every day book reading (so far I have read 20), gardening, and talking with my family heres a better idea of what I have been up too...</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">Girls Camp</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">: In my last post I mentioned a girl's camp I was getting ready to attend, in which I was put on the activities committee. The camp was held in Sokone, and organized as a regional project by volunteers in Kaolack. The venue was BEAUTIFUL. It sat on the edge of the water in a protected park of mangroves and monkeys! The camp was directed to girls who are finishing "sixieme", which in theory are girls around the age of 12, but in Senegal, lying about or not knowing you're age is common, and if you do not pass you're exams, you cannot enter the next grade level, thus our 27 girls ranged in age form 10-18 (the educational system is a whole other story). Each day was organized by a theme (environemtn, health, careers, etc.), and each day was broken down into sessions and activites; like an American summer camp. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">I inherited responsibility for the day on Health. We did a demonstration on hygeine in the compound (strategies to reduce the oral-fecal cycle among children and dirty sand), a nutrition session (food groups), a personal fitness session, and an open discussion about sex and women’s health. Of all the times I have spent here, the 2 hours where the girls were open and honest about sexual health was the biggest “win” for me. The girls were craving knowledge about sex and sexual health…”how do I get birth control and where?”; “How do I avoid AIDS?” “How do I treat a yeast infection?” etc. etc. They were so happy for the knowledge and just being able to talk about these things; topics that are typically taboo in Senegalese culture.On my Picasaweb account are a few pics of me starting my discussion and leading the household hygiene session.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Epic bike trip and 4th of July</span></b>:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">While everyone in America was preparing for BBQ's, playing with fireworks, and sitting on lawn chairs celebrating the great country of freedom, I was packing 5 days worth of belongings onto the back of a bike with elastic bands made of old tire tubes. Along with 4 other Peace Corps Volunteers and 1 employee from an American NGO, we readied ourselves for a 4-ish day and 200 Kilometer bike ride through Senega'ls Niokolo Park, with our destination being in the far Southeast of the country where our Peace Corps 4th of July party would take place. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Tambacounda,+Senegal&daddr=K%C3%A9dougou,+Kedougou,+Senegal&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=22.511228,56.865234&ie=UTF8&ll=13.154376,-12.919922&spn=6.885624,14.216309&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=Tambacounda,+Senegal&daddr=K%C3%A9dougou,+Kedougou,+Senegal&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=22.511228,56.865234&ie=UTF8&ll=13.154376,-12.919922&spn=6.885624,14.216309" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">When we headed out of town we looked like a band of homeless people, all of our possessions strapped onto narrow bike platforms and covered with pieces of blue tarp.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">The first day was fairly leisurely, about 70K all before we started into the park, we stopped after the first 2 hours when we saw a group of other volunteers on the side of the road eating sandwiches. Another 40K later, not 30 as we had planned, and with the 12:30 sun beating down, we made it to our first resting place; a beautiful campemant on the Gambia River. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"> We were all really tired after the first 85-ish K that day, and lounged in hammocks watching hippos swim for the rest of the afternoon. That night, we stayed in a friends village, and as per usual, the village food was not filling or very nutritious, plus we were all exhausted. We ended up not having enough mosquito nets and 3 to a bed. Needless to say we barely slept.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">In the morning, we headed off at 6 am, and after calculating the pace we had been going the day before, figured we would be at our first resting place inside the park by 12. It was 25K before the park entrance, and we checked in with the park rangers, where they explained we would not have access to any food or water until a station 80K into the park...not a problem as we had planned accordingly.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">After the first 70k, we stopped to rest, as we had thought we would reach a checkpoint or guard station in the park, but had not. Another hour of biking later, we came to the realization we were not near a guard station, and all had less than a liter of water each; one person had ducked into the shade and taken off all his clothes because he felt himself beginning to overheat, and had stopped sweating. Another person was so heat exhausted, that she blacked out and was vomiting on the side of the road incoherently. All I could think of was wanting rain, too cool us off, and for a car to drive by.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">While we were resting we were approached by a group of rather angry baboons, who began to threaten us by whooping loudly and throwing sticks...the head male was enormous, and decided he wanted to come over to check us out. I did not want to be involved, so I grabbed all of my stuff and headed as far out of the forest I could get. Right after I left, a group of warthogs came traipsing through our makeshift camp, looking rather unhappy. Just as we were finding a new spot, the world decided to end, and the sky opened up and began lightening and thundering, and raining harder than I have ever seen in my whole life. We went from all being overheated, to nearly freezing in dripping wet clothes, and at a temperature of about 65 degrees. We decided to take the opportunity to collect rainwater for our bottles...the rain lasted about 2 hours; for that time we mainly just huddled under a tree and shared the 2 rain jackets that I and another girl had packed.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">When the rain finally did stop, soaking wet, out of food (we ate mostly power bars and bread the whole day) and had no idea how far we had to go. After another 60k of biking, we stayed at a campemant that served us a hot meal and cold beer, offered us showers and comfortable beds. It was such a relief. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">We woke up on the third day all sore and tired, but willing to ride the last hilly 30k to Kedegou. After washing our bikes of the caked on mud, and refilling 30 water bottles...the sun was already blistering hot. A group decision was made to strap our bikes to a vehicle and just catch a ride, one of the best decisions I ever made!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">The 4th of July party was amazing! A hotel with a pool, 3 roasted pigs, coleslaw, Gissap (Gin and Bissap juice), fireworks, and 100 or so volunteers. A great end to my adventure.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Baseline Survey:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"> After returning from Kedegou, I wanted to start my household survey. The purpose of this type of survey is to gauge community wants and needs. Since I live in a larger village (about 3000 people), the baseline assessment like this is a little more difficult to do than a village of 300 people. Since my village is large, I am using a mix of sampling (where I chose a randomized number of households to interview), observation of behaviors and structures, and talking to village leaders. The questions range from “number of compounds in village” to “number of pregnant women”. So far I have interviewed the president of the health committee, the village health worker, and the head midwife. From what I have gathered, there is a need for maternal and child health care education, as well as nutrition education. After In Service Training, I plan on finishing my interviews, and starting a food security assessment.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The UN website has a great introduction on household surveys <a href="http://www.blogger.com/:http://unstats.un.org/unsd/hhsurveys/">here</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>So that’s what I have been up too! Hopefully will post some more info after IST about the trainings that were the most useful and interesting.</b></span><br />
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</div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-76674428927962556932010-06-13T05:43:00.000-07:002010-06-13T05:43:17.951-07:00Finding My Place<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Well, I have been in my village about a month. My life here is very different than the somewhat hectic life of training. I spend a lot of time trying to create a routine, in order to salvage my sanity, a routine has proved key. The first couple of months in your new site, is simply for learning. I must learn a new dialect of the language I was taught during training, I am learning the names of all my neighbors, learning about my new town, surroundings, environment, directions...all of it new. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">The exciting news is that the first rain storm of the season came last night! It was WILD, hours of dry lightening and thunder before a torrential downpour... I realized that I am now living in a perpetual sauna.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">I have a hut in a family compound, and behind it is what they describe in Senegal as a "yard", or a place where your toilet facility is and a fenced in area for showering. I created some raised garden beds in my yard area, and established a small compost pile. I also started to paint the front of my hut, and make some amendments to the inside, like adding a chalkboard and having a desk made. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">It was a series of ups and downs until I was settled, but now, I feel really good about the life I am establishing in this village. At night when I am sitting with my family watching a poorly dubbed movie, I think about how much I really like Africa, and that after this stint, I could see myself working here semi-permanently.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Pace of life is SLOW. I spend most parts of most days, sitting and talking to people, or trying to find people and materials for small projects. I am still unsure what my role will be in the health center, but intend to have an office there if possible.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">I am really liking my family, and living situation. My host brother works for an NGO, and I am very close to other volunteers. I really didn't get into the swing of things until this last week, and started on a few little projects with other volunteers in my area.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">The Peace Corps has an initiative to increase Food Security, and has started some pilot farmer initiatives in my area. I traveled down the road to see a pilot farmer training, and also to deliver tools and supplies for an irrigation project last week. I will likely be involved with this project as it is ongoing, and will be a good foundation for teaching nutrition lessons to women's groups, and farmer's and their families. I attended a meeting about a girl's leadership camp to be held the last week in June, and will be teaching personal hygiene and doing a Moringa doughnut demonstration! A perk is that the camp is being held on the beach in a campemant and we get to go on a ride through thee mangroves!!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">I also had my fortune told last week by a "see-er". Basically he is a dude who walks around and yells stuff in Arabic, but my sisters says that he can "See" things that Allah tells him, so they gave him some $ to tell me my fortune. He took is his finger and scribbled a half circle in the dirt, and then put 25 finger prints in it, he started talking to him self with his eyes rolled into his head, and writing stuff in Arabic in the ground. In poor French he said to me " Madame, you will have tri-colored children; they will have skin colored three ways". Okay.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Starting next week I have a language seminar in my village, for 4 days, before heading to my Leadership Camp, then it's the 4th of July, a huge celebration for PCV's. Check out my new pictures on my PICASA account!</span>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-22472324661168868012010-05-15T14:28:00.000-07:002010-05-15T14:28:30.701-07:00Officially a PCV!!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">I just wanted everyone to know I am officially a PCV! I had swear-in at the American Embassy...got my first paycheck and on my way to moving to my permanent site!!!</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-83389422025600326332010-05-13T03:17:00.000-07:002010-06-06T03:43:34.421-07:00“Jamono Dafa Sopeku”: Life Changes<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">*Please read the post’s below to catch up on my activities. I also now have a Picasa account linked to my blog so you can see more pictures and the pictures my friends take!</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mud stove creation</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- using clay, sand, and manure, we made an imporved mud stove that cuts the cost of wood in half. The family we made it for uses it for every meal, and decreased cooking time by one hour per meal. My language group also tested it out ourselves by baking a dutch oven coconut cake on it I the last night of our home stay, sooooo good (I wonder who’s idea that was ??). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here is the link to the mud stove info: </span><a href="http://www.thisisdiversity.com/articles/all/4280/mud-stoves-for-gender-equality/">http://www.thisisdiversity.com/articles/all/4280/mud-stoves-for-gender-equality/</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhQMqp-hEQYgT_UI-KudhSt0aO69tO-crc54DKqTqk1wr44oRugLfpOcA-Tp-017C_KhUaMtJ-Gl540dqMA-zKeHz0rLSDIsSk98DZXonRQI4d7UeQqr1VJKN0Q8DGU_vg46GsCrn8Ktt/s1600/PC+month+2+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhQMqp-hEQYgT_UI-KudhSt0aO69tO-crc54DKqTqk1wr44oRugLfpOcA-Tp-017C_KhUaMtJ-Gl540dqMA-zKeHz0rLSDIsSk98DZXonRQI4d7UeQqr1VJKN0Q8DGU_vg46GsCrn8Ktt/s320/PC+month+2+008.JPG" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Moringa Beignets</b>- Basically doughnuts that are fortified with the highly nutritious Moringa leaf powder. I made these on my village visit with my hosts family. Many women sell these beignets in the markets, and by adding moringa powder, you increase the nutritional value without altering the flavor. I am thinking this could be a good area of research for my Master’s program. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Link:</span><a href="http://www.treesforlife.org/documents/moringa/moringa_brochure_2up_a4.pdf">http://www.treesforlife.org/documents/moringa/moringa_brochure_2up_a4.pdf</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Neem lotion</b>- The leaves of the neem tree are a natural pesticide, and when boiled then combined with basic soap and vegetable oil create a potent lotion that repells mosquitos that carry Malaria (the anopheles). Half litre bag is enough for an entire family (5 ppl) for a mosquito season. Neem trees are prevalent throughout Senegal, so making the lotion is of little expense. We demonstrated this to a few women in my compound, and then one of the women showed her women’s group and introduced it as a income generating activity. (note that is women’s group is particularily motivated and has requested it’s own Peace Corps volunteer for next year). Neem info:</span><a href="http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/neem-tree.html">http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/neem-tree.html</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Funny Disney Video on malaria transmission: <object height="405" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/y68F8YwLWdg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/y68F8YwLWdg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Baseline survey</b>- Practiced collecting data using the household survey method in our local language. The survey, with the use of popular aid mehcnasim PACA tools, gives a way for volunteers to gauge community need and desires for projects. </span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Nutritional Porridges and the Hearth Mode</b>l- The Hearth model is a specific teaching tool to combat child malnutrition, usually for children under age 5. There is huge success in holding 12 day wokshops where women make nutrient dense porridge for their weaned children, particularly important during the starving season. By combining bananas, peanut butter, sugar, and millet flour, you have a tasty meal addition or substitute high in calories (it mocks Plumpy Nut, a nourishment substitute given out by food aid organizations). The women already sell porridge in the markets, so selling the cheap nutrition dense porridges could be lucrative. I ran out of time to practice this in my homestay, but cannot wait to try turning this into an income generating activity in my new home town! Plumpy nut and Hearth model links: </span><a href="http://www.ccih.org/forum/0105-03.htm">http://www.ccih.org/forum/0105-03.htm</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Garden update</b>- Our garden is thriving, and we have since convinced the school guard, where the garden is located, to take ownership over it, so we handed him extra seeds and tools and let him go to work. After we were gone for a week, there was 4 new beds of Bissap (Hibiscus) planted , a bed of mint, and 2 beds lined for Mango and Lemon trees!! Yay go school gardens!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvasC662qhe92UO_fQi62F4OVKzfz8pSFM3CSiwAd8dCY6jp_6Ra2rzXg0VbOsCkenRl-lAGxEh5dThkSiiKmTM1qE6Rk9uNmMpgsmsjO5R8IFhsvoRXnAFTCcdxzl8YZOSEZO0xHI5tYw/s1600/PC+month+2+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvasC662qhe92UO_fQi62F4OVKzfz8pSFM3CSiwAd8dCY6jp_6Ra2rzXg0VbOsCkenRl-lAGxEh5dThkSiiKmTM1qE6Rk9uNmMpgsmsjO5R8IFhsvoRXnAFTCcdxzl8YZOSEZO0xHI5tYw/s320/PC+month+2+004.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am officially finished with my home stay. I will miss my routine, and family here, but I am glad to be moving on as I have more exciting adventure ahead of me. Not to mention the day I have been waiting for is finally nearing arrival in the next week…Swear-In, where I become an official Peace Corps Volunteer. In the last 3 weeks, I have been particularly busy, as I spent most weekends travelling and the weeks in-between practicing my technical skills and language. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In mid-April, the group travelled to Dakar to visit the American Embassy and the Peace Corps HQ. We went over the beurocratic aspects of being a volunteer, such as travel restrictins, payment schedules, and general rules and regulations. You can definitely see the influence of Western aid organizations in Dakar…there is a place called the American Club that is basically a country club on the beach. Despite what I had heard, I actually enjoyed Dakar, it was a refreshing taste of metropolitan lifestyle…I ate Lebanese food and had Gelato!! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The pinnacle of stress as a trainee also occurred in the last week and a half: the Counter Part Workshop. There were 80+ Senegalese people staying at our training center for 3 days, and life was just generally hectic. However the workshop itself was farely productive, and I learned a lot more about my activites in the coming months.</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My two counter parts (partners in my community I work with) are awesome men! They are so motivated to try projects, and plan on doing their best to help me determine the needs of Ngodiba. Arona is the secretary of the Communite Rurale (local gov’t structure) and as well he works with health and urban ag folks and my new host dad on collaborative projects, yay! Malick is the president of the health post, and he spends 3 days a week doing baby weighings and malaria surveys in Ngodiba and surrounding villages, and the rest of the time works at the hospital in Kaffrine as a Community Health Worker. We outlined some of our goals in my 2 months before my In-Serivice Training in July, and they mainly include my integration into the community and doing research on community needs. They also plan to secure me a Wolof tutor and a French teacher in Kaffrine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I will give more details on my Month to Month Action Plan after I install on May 14</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We capped the week off with an amazingly hodge-podge soccer game, and then our entire training group rented a house on the beach in a French tourist town Popenguine. All I have to say is that the place was beautiful, and enough mayhem ensued among 41 people that most of it should not be shared on the web (In fact, I am the one who organized the weekend, I recognized a need of MY community, and that need was fun!).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMqtne2YHTNQFY7cl7FGy81qnvSNo8_DSz2KK0LrVwN58wTz5yTp9ymDMuZlhoaBdiE_G_xfKNZxtXrNBQOTYBkUBl15KhM8mlbPbzqMDzeElFlxr6bKGp_eMm8WmzJ_KEpCoPOme4q1a/s1600/DSC01080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMqtne2YHTNQFY7cl7FGy81qnvSNo8_DSz2KK0LrVwN58wTz5yTp9ymDMuZlhoaBdiE_G_xfKNZxtXrNBQOTYBkUBl15KhM8mlbPbzqMDzeElFlxr6bKGp_eMm8WmzJ_KEpCoPOme4q1a/s320/DSC01080.JPG" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pic of the Beach!</span></div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-31008306682404417572010-05-10T07:13:00.000-07:002010-05-10T07:13:33.626-07:00Race to the finish: The end of PST draws closer<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <b> </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>I was sick for the first time in Senegal…fever, chills, typical flu symptoms no big deal. However, I had to go to see my new home for the first time, and to shadow a current volunteer. I had terrible diahrreah the whole visit, but I perservered and the rewards were sweet indeed…</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"> The volunteer I visited is a Small Enterprise Development volunteer, so her work involves working with the local womens’ groups mainly. Her large project is a juice business, where the women use local ingerediants to make 100% natural juices (no added artificial colors or flavors), a rare thing in Senegal. We talked about using my knowledge of cooperatives to hopefully collaborate on a Co-Op project when I install in my site in May. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">I received my Peace Corps issued bike before I left, and discovered on my volunteer visit I am truly going to appreciate having it. Kaffrine is a city, and a </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">department</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"> in Senegal. The newly paved and bike lane lined national road runs right through the city, and as long as it is daylight, biking is relatively safe. It amazed me that some cities in America don’t have bike lanes but that they have them here! (Shout out to Eugene and Portland who took the #5 and #2 spost for most bike friendly cities).</span></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"> I had the pleasure of visitng Ngodbia, my new permanent home for 2 years. I have a cement hut with a thatch roof, electricity, and a personal restroom (Turkish style pit douche ). My host family has quite a bit of money, a difference from my training village for sure! My father, Omar Ndaw, has had 2 volunteers before, both AgroForestry. Those volunteers actually started their own NGO , Tree’s For the Future, that focuses on re-forestation in developing countries. My host dad is the national rep and just an all around amazing dude who is commited to experimenting with cross-sector collaboration and Peace Corps initiatives.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.treesftf.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">http://www.treesftf.org/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"> <img alt="Trees Logo" src="http://www.treesftf.org/graphics/logo2.gif" /></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">I was also able to visit the local health post, a small center that doesn’t do much but administer aspirin, oral rehydration, and write prescriptions. The close proximity to the regional hospital (a 25 cent donkey cart ride away) has made the health services here nearly obsolete, but it does function as a point of contact for relais (local health volunteers), mid-wives, and rural doctors. I toured the rest of my town, and noticed an absured number of gardens. They call my town “the place of salad” since most of the women have large gardens that generate income in Kaffrine… I couldn’t be happier! I even saw improved technologies such as drip irrigation being used, an indication that my village is progressive and accepts changes easily.</span></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> The rest of my visit was spend essentially following around my volunteer and meeting people who I will never remember. I have 2 neighboors within 15 minutes in Kaffrine. I also have 3 or 4 other neighbors between 25 and 40 kilometers down my road, all in the Agro-Forestry sector. In Kaolack,the large city where my regional house is located, I got to see a number of volunteers in my region, across all sectors, and also have a taste of little America. The house has wi-fi, a movie projector, a computer lab, extensive personal and reference library, and refrigerators!! The regional house is usually populated on the weekends, and is a good place to hold meetings and other functions. My region is responsible for hosting Thanksgiving holiday and St. Patricks day for the entire country.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am finally feeling like this place is my home!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-44716175839051009172010-05-09T13:31:00.000-07:002010-05-09T13:31:30.113-07:00The Day, it Walks<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> I know it has been a while since I posted last, but being in Pre Service Training is kind of like going to a very intense Summer camp…you have a hard time keeping track of time. Every day is so full of information that 3 or 4 days go by without even realizing it, other than the feeling of sleep deprivation. Here is a look at my typical host village and technical training days to give you an idea:</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">6:00 am – Call to Prayer…this means loud loud yelling over a loudspeaker next to the mosque. The whole village wakes, including all the animals and myself.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>7:15- I reluctantly get out of bed. (note that my family has been awake and sweeping/crying/praying since 5:30 or 6)</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>8:15- 9:15 Garden time. Watering, pulling weeds, bed maintenance, etc.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>9:30- 1:30 Language class. We typically spend this time doing actual lessons on grammar, structure, and pronunciation</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:30-2:30 Lunch with the family; typically I help my host mom finish the meal.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>2:30- 4:00- This is reserved for “noppalu” (rest time). In the hot season, this is the hottest part of the day, and the inside of concrete compounds can reach 135 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer, so actually sleeping is difficult. I usually do homework or listen to NPR podcasts.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>4- 6:30/7 Language class/ Technically directed activities. This is typically discussion based class, either in my teachers compound or the community. Involves drinking lots of super sweet shots of tea and usually eating beignets. </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>7:00-9 Gardening again, Shower time, help my mother cook dinner, hang with the family, play with kids, etc.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>After 9:00 pm- Dinner occurs before 10 pm, well usually. This is when the television is brought out and the neighbors come over to chat/ watch terribly dubbed Spanish, Indian, French, and if I am luck American shows. My compound typically sleeps after about 11:00/11:30. Depending on the day of the week, my dad stays up and chants with the Mourides (religious leaders). I would say “sleep” is a loose definition of what I do before my day begins again.</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">As you can see, the day is LONG, and remember that during hot season it is upwards of 120 outside, and that I am consuming ¼ of the food I usually eat at home, thank god for vitamins! The last few months before rainy season are also called “starving season” because money, agriculture, and food supplies in general run low, this means meals get smaller and less nutritious. For lunch, the big meal of the day, this means spicy tomato rice, 2 or 3 small fish, and maybe 1 or 2 heart vegetables like cabbage, carrot, or sweet potato. This is shared with 5-9 people. Dinner is usually plain rice with an MSG cube and oil, a handful of cowpeas, and if we are lucky, half of a dried fish, shared between 9-12 people. So you can understand why people here feel so tired during the day. I try to supplement my diet by eating fish beignets, and fingering peanut butter into my mouth at any possible moment. On holidays and at the beginning of each month we typically eat larger meals or have “snacks” like bean sandwiches or millet with milk.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;">While life in the training villages is rough, it’s a good preparation for what we could face in our villages/towns for 2 years. Life at the center is much different; but has it’s own challenges. My days at the training center usually follow the following schedule:</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">6:00 Call to prayer</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">7:30-8:00 Breakfast, shower, avoiding mosquitoes</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">8:15-12:30 Technical trainings (nutrition, medical, gardening, etc.)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">12:45-2:30 Lunch/rest time/ errand time</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">2:30- 5ish Cultural trainings, language lessons, medical consults, etc.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">5:30-7:30 “Down” time…basically everyone showers again, plays volleyball, and goes into town to buy things or have a beer before dinner. Internet usage during this period is highly prized.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">7:30-9 Dinner. The kitchen staff tries to make us American comfort foods like pizza and spaghetti, and we ALWAYS have salad, a nice treat. Note: my intake of sketchy meat has increased significantly since living here, since I live in a life of feast or famine, I take what I can get when I can get it, my intestinal tract pays the price.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">After 9:00 This is when we partake in typical activities that people in their 20’s partake in; going to the bar dominates here but it also includes gossiping, dancing, lots of laughing, posting on our blogs, and playing Mafia.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">By 3 am Most people are in bed.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I liken training center schedule to that of a college campus. There are between 40 and 50 under 30’s in a concentrated area for days at a time, and general debauchery ensues. While we tend to be out to all hours, we still maintain a relatively professional sense of focus and alertness during our “learning hours”.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>So that’s it! My life for the last 2 months in a nutshell…please read the above posts for more info about my specific activities and more pictures!</b></span></div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-17350869678293164812010-04-08T06:11:00.000-07:002010-04-08T07:00:19.489-07:00S%!*t Just Got Real: Site Selection<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/africa/senegal/map_of_senegal.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 466px; height: 350px;" src="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/africa/senegal/map_of_senegal.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">So I have been back at the center since March 31st. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Last Sunday and Monday a myriad of holidays converged upon Senegal, including the Easter Weekend (very important time for the few Catholics to imbibe heavily in public and for long stretches of time) and the Senegalese Independence Day, celebrating 50 years <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;">For my "holiday" I celebrated in part the Catholic way and in part the Seneglese way... napped, had beers, watched some movies, etc. There were about 20 people here in Thies, so it was very calm, and a wonderful break from the village life.. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Along with donkey races, parades, riots, and general chaos when everything is closed, there was the unvailing of a very controversial statue in Dakar (somehow North Korea is involved)...read about it below:</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#990000;"><a href="http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/monument-of-african-renaissance-inaugurated-in-dakar-2010040547121.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/monument-of-african-renaissance-inaugurated-in-dakar-2010040547121.html</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The most important parts of my training thus far has happened in the last 2 days;</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We took our first language proficiency exams and also found out our Sites!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">My home for 2 years: NGODIBA, SENEGAL. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Ngodiba is around 5,000 people large, on the road and at the heart of Senegalse Peanut Basin in the region of Kaolack.. I am 5 k from the regional capital city Kaffrine, 40 K from Kaolack City and only 20 K from the Gambia! My home has no health volunteers, but volunteers from the Agroforestry, Agriculture, and Environmental sectors. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I am nestled between the Sine Saloum delta and the Sine Saloum Nature Reserve. Because Ngodiba is so close to Kaffrine, and Kaffrine wasn't created until 2008, it gets lumped into the information about Kaolack. Click on the following links for more info, and check out the attached map!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#009900;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/senegal">http://www.lonelyplanet.com/senegal</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#009900;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';color:#990000;"><a href="http://pcsenegal.org/kaolack.html">http://pcsenegal.org/kaolack.html</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>I will have more information about Kaolack region and my town in the coming 2 weeks. Off to my village for more language training and then headed to visit a volunteer stationed in Kaolack!</div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-11726416121305812282010-04-02T15:18:00.001-07:002010-04-04T07:24:02.731-07:00"Where there is no water"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcskE1SQnfJM15yhX8oB0hneeQUYA2mkYtapbEfdLJl2apiT6X1q2rb5gnSQQ4yz4xFA9vck3HjooWm4ojnPO6CDHi80LYNw5CTwzdYQVLAQ5Ka6GULxuadXYT8P8ywWOPkR4nxtreKY0/s1600/garden+006.JPG"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3Z9rjEfEwdU-LWOfQokr35LjGRm6AGeKFde-7t-19eINTGX1Fs-cP4DjCEiVHe8JdQ_2-UtBdikW8n4KmJ9wIIbNB2PGH6FC3-AhuKLn6SuiGWjes2RFq_3gX-YY1ZNGCGwDGejRNGYL/s1600/garden+007.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3Z9rjEfEwdU-LWOfQokr35LjGRm6AGeKFde-7t-19eINTGX1Fs-cP4DjCEiVHe8JdQ_2-UtBdikW8n4KmJ9wIIbNB2PGH6FC3-AhuKLn6SuiGWjes2RFq_3gX-YY1ZNGCGwDGejRNGYL/s320/garden+007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456001919300828722" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKVV18MKWum0ik4nRlWhKF2iDB_GmDtTiIG-oWMZPKI0UiwmTvaW8sHJ02tXe7iCuG5xmVu07NDWhUw1sWLtoby0A_XS3rduhM98hyphenhyphen2fMk-ko1pw7Hnv8CZmBXYV_eJzBhVlBlbcCSlSh/s1600/garden+003.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKVV18MKWum0ik4nRlWhKF2iDB_GmDtTiIG-oWMZPKI0UiwmTvaW8sHJ02tXe7iCuG5xmVu07NDWhUw1sWLtoby0A_XS3rduhM98hyphenhyphen2fMk-ko1pw7Hnv8CZmBXYV_eJzBhVlBlbcCSlSh/s320/garden+003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456001853330693922" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDZoRuPefCAjiRBbsoprMRMWL1Ruh2g2qNd2LOg-DmKjJdGw7HJXbrBExDIqgpWZYlQV8rVSvqfotcwVo48hOWDhC0FuiLZrMG4OgaJTFjWp6fhN1OT8Hnauc7WaVbMr_1rZQKzb1Vjl8/s1600/garden+001.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDZoRuPefCAjiRBbsoprMRMWL1Ruh2g2qNd2LOg-DmKjJdGw7HJXbrBExDIqgpWZYlQV8rVSvqfotcwVo48hOWDhC0FuiLZrMG4OgaJTFjWp6fhN1OT8Hnauc7WaVbMr_1rZQKzb1Vjl8/s320/garden+001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456001819811218706" /></a><br /><img width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQv3Zz3yQ7quPNuoA1HTS2zpp_Y-OEcVWXfCPegv2bOP_2zRJ3-7rhrosra5fB3QujR2p12ovDYQbua0w_yerpa7HD9tBbT5etJiHAZIv6E_0Lbj7wXT9WstqxYHHqRXJmIle0js3tmFeS/" /><br /><i><a target="_blank" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=14.76455,-16.79479">GeoTagged, [N14.76455, E16.79479]</a></i><br /><br /><br />So the last 3 weeks have been going really well. Tomorrow I am headed back to the training center for language testing, tech activities and a good ole American Easter celebration! Here is an update of what has gone down since my first post:<br /><br />My New Language- While the educational system in Senegal is conducted in French, all people speak variations of tribal languages. I am learning Wolof, which is spoken by app. 75% of Senegalese people. There are 10 other people learning my language, 12 Pular of the North, 6 Pulafuta, and the remaining 23 learning small minority dialects. I have attached a link to a language map of Senegal<br /><br />http://www.ethnologue.com/show_map.asp?name=SN&seq=10<br /><br />Homestay- My family is wonderful, the first few days were rough and tiresome because of language barriers but everyday I am able to communicate more and more and my little brothers and sisters help a lot! My Senegalese name is Ami Fye... Pretty lucky compared to of the others I have heard :)<br />I am in a town called Thieneba Gare app. 15 kilo east away from Thies where the training center is, but about 30 degrees hotter... Which means the daily average during the hot, dry season averages 110-125. The towns people are conservative Muslims, which means I am pretty desperate for a beer most of the time. I have language classes and other activities with 2 other people who have homes in my town, and by now everyone knows us!<br />We all live in concrete housing blocks called compounds that typically house several families or family members. I have 3 families in my compound. Our classes occur at my language instructors compound 2 times a day, so I spend most parts of the day away from home.<br /><br />Activities- The Senegalise people sit... A LOT. Not so true for a Peace Corps Volunteer! I typically have a mid day break that lasts 2-3 hours during the hottest part of the day, similar to the ciestas I hated so much in Italy. Our training is structured to give us technical skills training, and then opportunities to practice these skills in "technically directed activities" or TDA's. So far my language group of 3 has completed a mural on the importance of nutrition at our local health post, maintnenced and planted a school garden, attended a womens group meeting and baby weighing, created a community map, and unsuccessfully built a mud stove (details to come next week on attempt 2). See the pics at then end of the post!<br /><br />Thieneba am naa jafe jafe (Thieneba you have problems)- as my post title indicates, my towns water pump has been broken for the majority of my homestay thus far. All of our TDAs have been increasingly difficult with a non existant water supply not to mention our toll on personal hygiene. Thankfully Peace Corps occassionally swoops in with their white Land Rovers to deliver water supplies for our us and our garden but not our host families ( I hope everyone appreciates the irony here).<br />With any luck this situation is not going to last the next month until our training is over.Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305032039373319575.post-74699181296951460802010-03-10T08:53:00.000-08:002010-03-10T09:08:19.821-08:00My new homeSo I made it!<div><br /></div><div>After my very intense 2 day orientation in DC, where we went over flight logistics and other Peace Corps relevant info, I have finally arrived in Senegal. The town I am in is Thies (pronounced Ches), which is about an 1 1/2 hours from Dakar, so there is no ocean breeze. It was very hot this afternoon, and my morning nap was not refreshing. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was interviewed all afternoon so the staff can help decide on a permanent placement for me. I hope to be doing either urban agriculture or nutrition/food work, and it sounds like thats where I will end up! The lush tropics in the south and east of the country are much better livability wise because of the climate...where the north is very dry and sandy. </div><div><br /></div><div>We are all placed in rooms of 3 with little beds with mosquito nets, and have several communal areas with shade. The food was spicy and delicious, but the beef looked a little funky so I stayed away from it for now. So far it is everything I expected, but I am anxious to be placed in my home stay next week.</div><div><br /></div><div>* SIDE NOTE: The trainers at our center have decided to turn off the internet access beginning tomorrow, since apparently it has been abused by other volunteers in the past. I don't really support this idea, because I think it is important for us to have a transition period. I will be checking emails every couple days.</div>Kourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236136283072795580noreply@blogger.com0