(pics: dindafello the highest waterfall in senegal, creek hike to segou waterfall, the 4 following are rapelling and hiking around the spires at Dande the village at the source of dindafello waterfall, next two are above and inside a grotto at Dande, Dan Braiden and I excited by the sunset, the fields in Khossanto, Khossanto sunset after a storm, circumcision ceremony in my compound, dead monitor lizard)
Well I wrote this post last week before leaving Kedougou but was having trouble getting it online. Anyway I am currently in Thies being thouroughly overwhelmed by the traffic, people, food, and class. Not to say that this city is anything like the US but, the slight reverse culture shock coming from a life somewhat simpler down south is definitely real and makes me think of the shocker it will be to be in the developing world again whenever that time may come. But despite the intensity life here is good, the food is indeed DELiCIOUS (see below) and it is wonderful to see so many friends from my stage and hear about there experiences. It is also great to jump into some technical training, from gardening to fruite tree grafting to various facilitiation techniques, I feel as though I will be in a very good place to begin work once I return. Anyway enjoy the pics and what not and I'll be in touch soon si alla jabbi.
These days the rains are getting into full swing down in these parts and thats means two things: working in the fields all day and the end of the food stores that were saved from last years crop. All throughout the Kedougou department peanuts are just about done (the main staple protein for pretty much everyone here including yours truly). In my village we're out of millet and just about out of corn and the 50 kg of rice my family bought with my rent money is what we've been eating for the last couple weeks. Personally, as I have taken to making my own breakfast (bread, onions, and vache qui rit, oh delicious processed cheese), and have been otherwise supplementing my diet, I haven't been suffering too much, but to be honest this isn't a bad time to head up to Thies for another three weeks of training and DELICIOUS food. On the positive side with all the rain have come some really crazy fruit I'd never seen before. What they call kaba in Malinke, a fruit that you crack open and whos seeds you suck on, it's pretty tart and can benefit from a little sugar dusting if avaiable, but man they're goof.
Also with rain comes the mosquitos and inevitably the malaria. While I've been good about taking my meds, that is obviously a luxury the villagers do not have (not that it woud be healthy to take it continually, I think Larium for two years straight is probably even pushing it) there have been a number of cases in my village including one of my little sisters. If people recognize the symptoms early, a skill at which people seem to have gotten fairly adept, it is a simple process of going to the health post and getting a series of injections. As a result I don't know of any deaths specifically as a result of malaria in my village, although there have been several of both young and old people in nearby villages. There has been a big recent push by both local NGOs and the government to supply cheap impregnated mosquito nets to the region and it's encouraging to begin to see villagers responding postively. At the same time its not only just a question of having a mosquito net but using it, and using it properly. They are hotter to sleep under and present minimal complications when it comes to getting under them and keeping them tucked in. As a result even people who spend the hundred CFA to get them might not use them. Like everything else these problems are solved by a slow process of education, trial, and error, and there are several different groups working in the region on the educat ion piece. It is simply difficult to change hundreds of years of habit.
As for my life these days I've been working sowing rice with my host mom and sisters and have also been working on my own corn crop, along with some ochre and watermelon in my backyard. It's been some hard work but has been a great learning experience for me and has really boosted my status in the village. People are so genuinely appreciative that I spend time cultivating with them ( while in comparison I am a horrible farmer, they get twice as much done in half as much time and work four times longer than I do), and not only does that do great things for my reputation but I feel as though I am finally making at least a small contribution to my family and village in general.
My two brothers and one of their friends, all between 6 and 8, were circumcised a couple weeks ago and it resulted in a big celebration in my compound not to mention an eye openning experience for me. My host father who works at the health post was the one who performed the surgery and he tried to rope me in as his assistant at the last minute.... I respectfully declined. I'm not gonna lie, there was part of me that wanted to help and have that experience but I wasn't sure I had the stomach for it. And as my helping would've entailed holding down a screaming child as he has this very painful procedure perfomed on him with no anithestic, while the women outside the room are banging drums and singing wildly for purposes of celebration, but also to drownout the screams, I was pleased by my decision. As one might expect the kids were pretty whipped when it was all said and done, and despite my very stingy nature in the village ( to avoid the gift giving reputaion of the toubab) I hooked them all up with some chocolate cookies. It was very interesting though and for their week of recovery the kids were dressed in toga like outfits and lead around by older children begging for money and food in the community, part of the coming of age trial.
My extremely excentric host father, Niama, was very proud of himself when the whole thing was over and as I sat with him afterward he looks over at me with a smile and says in French "Farmara, when I'm hot, I can do 100 cricumcisions a day." I thought that was quote worthy.
The bad news is that we have lost the first volunteers from my Stage in Kedougou. Our dear friends Whitney and Darcy Connors have headed home due to family complications and while all of us down here are wishing them the best of luck it's pretty devastating to loose them. The family like atmosphere that has begun to develop between us all here has really been rocked by this sad turn of events, and is something we'll all have to come to terms with in our own way. Whit and Darce if you're reading this much love and we miss you.
Anyway I'm heading up to Thies here in pretty soon for the month. As I said I can't wait to eat such things as ice cream, pizza,and crepes, and it'll be pretty great to catch up with all of the others in my stage and see how there first three months went. Chances are I'll be online a little more frequently this next month and will hopefully get a good crop of pictures up soon. I do hope all are well thanks again for all your kind words and support,
These days the rains are getting into full swing down in these parts and thats means two things: working in the fields all day and the end of the food stores that were saved from last years crop. All throughout the Kedougou department peanuts are just about done (the main staple protein for pretty much everyone here including yours truly). In my village we're out of millet and just about out of corn and the 50 kg of rice my family bought with my rent money is what we've been eating for the last couple weeks. Personally, as I have taken to making my own breakfast (bread, onions, and vache qui rit, oh delicious processed cheese), and have been otherwise supplementing my diet, I haven't been suffering too much, but to be honest this isn't a bad time to head up to Thies for another three weeks of training and DELICIOUS food. On the positive side with all the rain have come some really crazy fruit I'd never seen before. What they call kaba in Malinke, a fruit that you crack open and whos seeds you suck on, it's pretty tart and can benefit from a little sugar dusting if avaiable, but man they're goof.
Also with rain comes the mosquitos and inevitably the malaria. While I've been good about taking my meds, that is obviously a luxury the villagers do not have (not that it woud be healthy to take it continually, I think Larium for two years straight is probably even pushing it) there have been a number of cases in my village including one of my little sisters. If people recognize the symptoms early, a skill at which people seem to have gotten fairly adept, it is a simple process of going to the health post and getting a series of injections. As a result I don't know of any deaths specifically as a result of malaria in my village, although there have been several of both young and old people in nearby villages. There has been a big recent push by both local NGOs and the government to supply cheap impregnated mosquito nets to the region and it's encouraging to begin to see villagers responding postively. At the same time its not only just a question of having a mosquito net but using it, and using it properly. They are hotter to sleep under and present minimal complications when it comes to getting under them and keeping them tucked in. As a result even people who spend the hundred CFA to get them might not use them. Like everything else these problems are solved by a slow process of education, trial, and error, and there are several different groups working in the region on the educat ion piece. It is simply difficult to change hundreds of years of habit.
As for my life these days I've been working sowing rice with my host mom and sisters and have also been working on my own corn crop, along with some ochre and watermelon in my backyard. It's been some hard work but has been a great learning experience for me and has really boosted my status in the village. People are so genuinely appreciative that I spend time cultivating with them ( while in comparison I am a horrible farmer, they get twice as much done in half as much time and work four times longer than I do), and not only does that do great things for my reputation but I feel as though I am finally making at least a small contribution to my family and village in general.
My two brothers and one of their friends, all between 6 and 8, were circumcised a couple weeks ago and it resulted in a big celebration in my compound not to mention an eye openning experience for me. My host father who works at the health post was the one who performed the surgery and he tried to rope me in as his assistant at the last minute.... I respectfully declined. I'm not gonna lie, there was part of me that wanted to help and have that experience but I wasn't sure I had the stomach for it. And as my helping would've entailed holding down a screaming child as he has this very painful procedure perfomed on him with no anithestic, while the women outside the room are banging drums and singing wildly for purposes of celebration, but also to drownout the screams, I was pleased by my decision. As one might expect the kids were pretty whipped when it was all said and done, and despite my very stingy nature in the village ( to avoid the gift giving reputaion of the toubab) I hooked them all up with some chocolate cookies. It was very interesting though and for their week of recovery the kids were dressed in toga like outfits and lead around by older children begging for money and food in the community, part of the coming of age trial.
My extremely excentric host father, Niama, was very proud of himself when the whole thing was over and as I sat with him afterward he looks over at me with a smile and says in French "Farmara, when I'm hot, I can do 100 cricumcisions a day." I thought that was quote worthy.
The bad news is that we have lost the first volunteers from my Stage in Kedougou. Our dear friends Whitney and Darcy Connors have headed home due to family complications and while all of us down here are wishing them the best of luck it's pretty devastating to loose them. The family like atmosphere that has begun to develop between us all here has really been rocked by this sad turn of events, and is something we'll all have to come to terms with in our own way. Whit and Darce if you're reading this much love and we miss you.
Anyway I'm heading up to Thies here in pretty soon for the month. As I said I can't wait to eat such things as ice cream, pizza,and crepes, and it'll be pretty great to catch up with all of the others in my stage and see how there first three months went. Chances are I'll be online a little more frequently this next month and will hopefully get a good crop of pictures up soon. I do hope all are well thanks again for all your kind words and support,
