Guest Blogger: Amanda comes to Senegal

My good friend Amanda just finished her two years of Peace Corps service as a high school science teacher in Sierra Leone (I visited with Amber about 8 months ago). She was kind enough to stop by and visit on her way back to the states and I managed to bully her into a blog post, enjoy:

We’ll start the story about a year and a half ago, with me in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, about 1 year into Peace Corps service.  I’m doing what so many Sierra Leone Volunteers do during our oh so rare trips to the capital: wasting all my time on facebook rather than going to the absolutely beautiful local beaches.  Anyway that day I was in for a surprise: a good friend of mine from college (Lisa if you aren’t with me yet) was accepted into the Peace Corps and was headed out to Senegal, only 2 countries away!  I made up my mind pretty quickly that I had to visit her.  I mean, what are the odds of ending up so close to each other?  Actually once I remembered she speaks French, I realized what I should have been thinking are what are the odds of her ending up anywhere else besides West Africa.  It’s actually much more surprising that I ended up out there.

Fast forward maybe 6 months or so and Lisa (along with Amber, another part of the UCLA crew) came to visit me in Sierra Leone for a week.  I loved hosting them in my country and in my village.  It was awesome but maybe a bit embarrassing that Lisa came into my village, found the local Fula community, and started dominating the language (we say Fula in Sierra Leone, they say Pular in Senegal).   Everybody kept telling me how her Fula was so much better than my Mende (the majority tribe in my village and the language I wish I knew better), which I would promptly make worse by saying “yeah, and she’s been in country a year less than I have”.  I think I became a much less impressive person in my community once they saw you.  Yeah, thanks for that…

Another 8 months later the time came for me to say goodbye to my new home, my country of service, my community, my life.  It was extremely difficult to leave the place that had become my home and the people that had become my family, but it was definitely helpful to know I was headed to Senegal first for 2 ½ weeks.  It was comforting that at least I wasn’t leaving West Africa.

So what did we do in Senegal?  We got to be tourists in Dakar, where I marveled at how big the city is compared to Freetown and the fact that when you call a taxi you just go.  That’s right, you don’t have to wait for the taxi to fill (read overload) like you do in Sierra Leone.  The two of us would just get in and go.  Seriously I don’t think that ever stopped blowing my mind.  Highlights in Dakar: shopping at the local market (and maybe a detour into higher class stores), eating foods that I never saw anywhere in Sierra Leone…actually the 2 things I was most excited to eat were wheat bread and yogurt.  Shows you what happens after 2 years in the Peace Corps.  Feed me Ethiopian food?  That’s awesome!  Give me a loaf of wheat bread?  I think I savored every bite of that in a way that can’t even be explained in words.  We went to some other touristy destinations – I especially liked our trip to Goree Island, and of course getting to meet Senegal Volunteers.  One interesting thing about being in Senegal was there are so many volunteers that not everybody knows everybody (like we do in Sierra Leone), so half the time I would just pretend to be one of them!  That is until somebody spoke something in a local language, then I was pretty easily exposed.

Then it was off to the South!  Down to the greener side of the country, which I was extremely grateful for, having left my tropical paradise of a home.  We headed down to Kolda and went through the usual extreme change from capital city to anywhere else in a West African country.  And on top of that it was the end of Ramadan.  Everyone and everything is quiet during this time of the year, and life moves especially slowly.  We have a mix of Muslims and Christians in Sierra Leone, so I’ve always been aware of Ramadan each time it comes around, but it was a different experience in Senegal.  Being in a Pular community where Islam is such a majority, and where strong family is valued in a very different way than in Sierra Leone, was a striking change.

The week there was exactly what it should have been in a village in West Africa.  Walking around and visiting friends and colleagues; just sitting with people and talking.  Spending time with other Peace Corps Volunteers.  Getting our hair done and our clothes sewn in time for prayday.  And let me be very clear, we spent about 6 hours getting our hair braided.  6 often painful hours where we weren’t eating or drinking because it was Ramadan and we were being respectful to those around us.  Either that or we just didn’t plan ourselves well.  Then I think my poor pitiful starving face made Lisa lose her better cultural judgment and send for food.  I wasn’t complaining, I got to eat rice!  Then prayday came, a day after Mecca celebrated, and we ate!  We ate fantastic food at home, then started making rounds to greet everybody on Lisa’s list.  If you’ve never tried biking around a West African town wearing full African clothes, hair braided extremely tight, at night on poorly lit streets that you still don’t know well, I’ll tell you it isn’t easy…but seriously what a great couple of days (and a night out)!  I’m so glad I was still in West Africa for prayday.  It wouldn’t have felt right starting Ramadan in Sierra Leone and ending it in America, probably not seeing any signs that it was a special day unless I worked real hard to go find it.

There were a few more days hanging out in Kolda, trying to get people to like me even though I couldn’t speak any language.  They’d be like Pular? No.  Wolof? No.  Well then at least French right? No.  Then what do you speak?  English, which most people couldn’t, Krio (and no not the Guinea-Bissau version coming from Portuguese), and a little bit of Mende (no, not Mandinka), which they had never heard of.  So I had to find other ways to be charming!  As difficult as it was to deal with the fact that I couldn’t really talk to anybody, especially after being fluent in Krio in Sierra Leone, I was just continually impressed with the diversity in West Africa.  Those of you out there who know more should check this, but I think West Africa is one of the most diverse areas in the world in terms of tribes and languages, and in such a small area.  And I had the unreal opportunity to meet people from so many tribes and hear so many languages.  Examples off the top of my head from both Sierra Leone and Senegal of people I’ve met and languages I’ve heard: Mende, Timne, Krio, Loko, Gissi, Susu, Limba, Ibo (a Nigerian woman living in Sierra Leone), Fula (Pular), Mandingo (Mandinka), Kono, Jola, Wolof, and I’m sure others I didn’t even realize I was hearing (not to mention others still from my trip to Ghana).  Seriously how many people have the opportunity to experience that…

Then it was off again.  We were on the road from then on out.  We stopped in Tamba for a night, then were off to Toubakouta for mangrove reforestation with an army of other Peace Corps Volunteers.  I can’t even begin to explain how beautiful the delta region is.  Sitting with good people, swimming in the most refreshing water, and watching the sunset over the delta is something I can’t even describe.  After one last stop in a beautiful beach town it was back to the wonders of Dakar and then a sad goodbye to West Africa.

Ramadan round 2

amadan is upon is! Tomorrow or the day after starts a 29 or 30 day fast (depends on the moon) where you don't eat or drink from sunrise to sunset.

Typical fasting day: wake up before the sun, eat a breakfast of bread, porridge or fruit, go back to sleep. Work in the morning, nap in the afternoon and finally at sunset, come together with the whole family to break fast first with a date something hot like tea or coffee and then the evening prayer. Afterwards, everyone takes the time to eat a sort of second breakfast of bread spread with the preferred topping and tea/coffee. A few hours late everyone eats dinner (read 11pm).

The purpose of fasting is multifacted. Its a time to of reflection and worship through purity of thoughts and actions, as well as participation in acts of charity, and asking for and giving forgiveness. Work slows down a bit as everyone is usually pretty exhausted in the evening time so I'm a little nervous about some new projects I want to start - women's entrepreneur network and an apprentis program. Hopefully they won't get too held up.


This will be my second Ramadan in country, but the first time I've been with a family for the entirety of the fast. Luckily my grandma is excused from fasting as she's older, so my host mom will be making lunch every day so I'll have a mid-day meal ready for me. Although, I may fast a day or two in solidarity if I'm feeling ambitious. The days I don't fast I have to be very discrete about food and especially drink - no one likes to see you drinking a Sprite at 4 in the afternoon when its about 95 degrees outside and the breaking of the fast is about 3 hours away.

P.S. the blog Daily Drop Cap is the source of that cute R up there, check out how they help pretty up posts.

2nd Annual Kolda Fair, a little bit late

 I should have written this about two months ago, but after filling out many grant reports and looking through survey answers I could not make myself write about the fair anymore. Then the Peace Corps newsletter wheedled another article out of me, so finally I can say I posted a run-down of the Kolda Regional Ag Fair

Castration!

Beneath the blazing late April sun, myself and 3 fellow Peace Corps volunteers along with work partners and collaborators USAID Wula Nafaa and Catholic Relief Services put together

 the second edition of the Kolda agricultural fair. 

Artisans, projects and individuals from throughout Senegal came to either present their projects and products or sample the assorted offerings of the regional Fair. The three-day expo featured over 75 local organizations and individual expositors, including artisanal food producers, NGO's, credit unions, artists, women's groups, and agricultural producers.

The weekend was a mixture of a county fair back in the states and a large networking event. People were showing off their large animals, musical performances took place every couple of hours at the ‘center stage’, and almost every little kid had sticky hands (except this was because of beignets and not cotton candy). But while people wandered about the booths and tents buying anything from peanut butter to solar panels they also exchanging ideas and contact information with one another. There were honey makers, peanut butter cookies, artisnal soap makers, batik artisans, a cheese and yogurt producer, painters and wood carvers, confiture sellers, juice makers, fence makers, urban gardening experts, and many other groups. Many PCVs from throughout the country came to support the project and display their work, including solar fruit drying, seramine production, livestock banding, and grain-grinding technology.

Adjoint gov. checking out local peanut butter

Kolda is Senegal's second-largest agricultural producer, yet is one of the poorest regions in the country. There are many entrepreneurs in Kolda who specialize in value-added agricultural products, such as moringa powder, dried coconut, and delicious yogurts and cheeses, but there is no strong network for these people to expand their businesses. These passionate and hard working artisan groups and collectives in Kolda have little opportunity to attract new customers. Further, banks, credit unions, and NGO assistance are available to small producers in the region, yet not enough people understand or take advantage of these opportunities. Besides showcasing the ‘Richesse du Fouladou,’ this year’s fair expanded beyond the region of Kolda to welcome innovators from around the country in the hopes of further inspiring new ideas in Kolda and expanding the networks of clients and partnerships for local producers.

Peace Corps foire team

The fair began last year in the hopes of showing not only the potential of the region, but how people were making that potential a profitable reality. The fair continued in 2012 holding to this spirit of innovation and sharing this year by providing a venue for public exposure for artisans and entrepreneurs, inspire collaboration and innovation-sharing between vendors, stimulate economic activity and celebrate pride in the region. Building on the efforts of the 2011 fair, PCVs Marcie Todd (Urban Agriculture, 2010-2012), Lisa Riggs (Community Enterprise Development, 2011-2013), Jordan Levinson (Urban Agriculture, 2011-2013) and Alex Howard (Health, 2011-2013) along with their work partners from the Association pour la Valorisation de Gombo du Fouladou (AVGF), Catholic Relief Services and USAID Wula Nafaa held a three-day fair at the Conseil Regional in Kolda. But our team was not limited to PCVs and work partners. The fair would not have been possible without the hardwork and beaming smiles of 20 young Koldois who served as security and hostesses for the fair. Hostessses guided attendees around the fairgrounds, served lunch to presenters and staff all three days. The traditional dishes cooked on-site by a team of local women featured funyo on day one followed on day two by USAID’s new Riz Nerica variety and finished with a classic ceeb u jen.

Our team was not the only thing that grew in 2012. We managed to expand on the guest list from last year with almost 300 expositors in attendance this year. Another 300-400 members of the public passed through the fairgrounds over the duration of the event. Participants were not limited to just wandering the many booths and tents, but were able to connect through more formal exchanges. The main tent was active all day, with panel discussions, demonstrations, performances, and a daily installment of the youth talent contest. Music, both live and electronic, played throughout both days, and MC’s provided constant ‘animation.’  Attendees were encouraged to attend demonstrations such as alternative castration techniques or moringa beignets as well as panel discussions. In the hopes of improving the community building and sharing aspects of the fair, the team included panels on natural resource management, community microfinance and the role of youth in development that featured local projects and government leaders.

Another improvement upon the work of 2011 was the inclusion of Kolda’s youth in the fair. We wanted to encourage participation beyond the usual sampling, like my host brother who came to snack on peanut butter cookies and creamy yogurt only. This was done by visiting the local schools and encouraging participants in a city wide talent contest. A preliminary talent contest was held the month before the fair in collaboration with the local youth center, which helped start generating buzz around the fair. Finalists then competed during the three-day fair for prizes as well as bragging rights among their friends.

 

Overall, participants and team members agreed that the second edition was even more impressive than the first. The fair team itself was greatly expanded, incorporating more Senegalese partners and PCVs. This was an asset to creative planning and division of labor. The fair generated a great deal of community ‘buzz’ both in Kolda and surrounding areas, and the expanded program and longer duration were both hailed as successful. Participants reported overall that they were very satisfied with the fair, though they did not sell as much as they had hoped to. However, we don’t have it quite right yet. The team made many improvements over the 2011 fair, but also noted further changes to make in following years. Firstly we need to schedule the fair at the beginning of the month, when community members have more disposable income available. Consider scheduling the fair earlier in the year, rather than at the peak of hot season when the Kolda sun can be plain brutal.

Community members are excited and planning for next year’s fair, and that this event is becoming a fixture of Fouladou pride.


For more photos check out the Facebook album, you don't need an account to access.

Half way there

As its midway through 2012 and I'm almost midway through my service, it feels like the time to re-evaluate and see what I may need more of or less of in my future.

In these second halves, I want to

• attend the hard wednesday volleyball practice that I almost never go to
• paint my nails more often, helps me feel girly even when I'm sweaty and dusty
• bake a pie every now and then, its such a mood booster
• spend some time on my pulaar vocabulary, let's say a word a day on my blackboard
• study for the GRE
• visit a village for more than a day (after the scorpion sightings decrease, that is)
• blog at least once a month
• more fruits/veggies
• go to baptisms/weddings/celebrations and actually dance
• write more letters
• create an awesome curriculum for Jordan's ag class that will make accounting seem almost as fun as lectures on orchard spacing
• make and respect deadlines, less 'sometime next week'
• visit my counterpart more often, just to chat

Many thanks to LosAngelista for inspiring some reflection on the midway point with her halfway point post.

Recess

Most afternoons, when the weather gets a little cooler, I put on my well worn sneakers, say goodbye to my host grandma at the compound gate (she makes the best gestures when I tell her where I am going)  and head to the local middle school for what is often my favorite part of the day, volleyball.

The games are good not only for a workout to burn some oily rice calories, but also for brushing up on pulaar/wolof phrases such as: "try harder", "get the ball", and "where did you leave your game cause you sure as hell didn't bring it today".  That last one may be a loose translation, it comes across more in the tone/gestures.

When we're not ripping on each other, we sometimes play against other teams such as the police force, firefighters and other youth volleyball associations in Kolda. Below is a very happy set of kids after crushing the local firefighters 2 sets to 1.

After beating the local firefighters

Guest Blogger and Bestie

In her own words my bestie and guest blogger Amber, aka 'gee-low', shares her experience in Senegal.  A big thank you to her for being a wonderful visitor: patient, willing to eat anything, and always ready to laugh at whatever situation in which we found ourselves!

Being a PCV for a Month

What does a twenty-something do when they suddenly find themselves with an abundance of free time? Well, I decided to take a four week trip to West Africa to visit my best friend, Lisa. As Lisa mentioned in her post, she and I went to UCLA together and we’ve become very close friends in the years since. Lisa was wonderful enough to host me in Senegal and share some of the awesome things she’s experiencing as a PCV, which now I’ll try to pass on to you.

After spending a week in Sierra Leone, we were back in Dakar to experience Senegal. We jumped in an 8-seater station wagon to our next destination, the delta in Toubacouta. Lisa and I were in the eco-tourism side of Senegal which included mangrove walks, morning kayak trips and luxurious bars with a view.  It was beautiful and a lot of fun to see a wilder side to West Africa. The mangroves were a wonderful example of the diversity of types of ecosystems present on Earth and the unique ways nature will adapt and utilize it. During our short time there we saw mangrove crabs, oysters, monkeys, pelicans and dolphins, but it wasn’t all glamorous because being by the delta meant more mosquitoes. Fun fact: Africa is itchy. If you’re not being eaten alive by mosquitoes or spiders, the humidity will turn you into a hot chafing mess. Itchiness aside, the delta was a perfect start to my time in Senegal.

Following the vacation within the vacation, Lisa took me to Kolda to immerse myself in her everyday life. Being on the road so long on our scenic route out of Dakar makes you appreciate the comforts of sharing a meal with a welcoming family, even if it’s not your family. The Diallos were very kind and eager to open their home to me and patient with my small repertoire of phrases in French, Pulaar, and Wolof, which included key phrases like “I know very little Pulaar,” “I only speak English,” “That was delicious,” “I’m full,” and “No, really, I can’t eat any more.” When we weren’t being fed delicious cheb (rice) by Lisa’s family, we would bike around Kolda, browse the local market or swing by the regional house to meet other volunteers. We even spent one afternoon making lunch, including fresh salsa, homemade tortillas and beans! It was sad to have to leave Kolda; I felt that I had found another family, but it’s neat to talk to Lisa now and be able to picture the people and places that make up her life.

The last leg of the journey was back where it began, in Dakar. After spending three weeks in village settings, the city known as the “Paris of Africa” was a huge treat. I mean Wifi AND hot water – now this is living! Lisa hasn’t spent much time in Dakar and didn’t have any set plans, so we mostly just ate our way through the capital with brief touristy distractions, which was fine by me! Being in the big city together reminded me of the fun times Lisa and I had with our UCLA family exploring the urban expanses of Los Angeles. It was very sad to leave and I almost didn’t; my flight was cancelled due to reduced visibility from the dust storms but my adventure had to come to an end. 

Lisa told me one reason she wanted to be a PCV was for her own self improvement. After my short four weeks in West Africa, I felt I’ve changed and grown in a small way. I can only imagine how Lisa’s Peace Corps experience will shape her or where it will take her, but I’ll be sure to visit so I can live vicariously through her again.

 

Putting it all together on a Sunday afternoon

 


Puzzles time has always been a fun distraction for me and my family stateside. Sunday, I brought out a Christmas care package goody of a 300 puzzle to see if puzzle time would be fun for my family in Senegal too.

My host bros have never 'played' puzzle, but they caught on fairly quickly and we're good sports about helping out despite the diabolical level of this puzzle that was basically only two colors and had way too many trees.   Although, there was some grumbling that this was the hardest 'game' they've ever played.  The best part of the whole day was finishing, not just because we managed to finish in less than a day, but also due to the playful fighting over who could put in the last piece - just like back home.

Sweet Salone

After a whirlwind couple of weeks of intense info sessions (In-Service Training, my sector summit, All-Volunteer Conference, and the West Africa International Softball Tournament) my BFF Amber and I went to Sierra Leone to visit our mutual friend and fellow UCLA grad, Amanda, serving in the PC there as a science teacher.

Down south the hills are greener, the food a little oilier and the language a bit easier to pick up.

Highlights include:

• Massive consumption of palm oil and rice. Unfortunately, palm oil is my least favorite type of oil, but at least there were usually some beans too. Hurray protein.
• Salone volunteers live in their own houses, which gives a great deal of independence, but it also means they must cook for themselves, buy food or find a neighbor family to adopt them. While I don't mind Amanda's usual breakfast of wheatabix and powdered milk, I was very happy her neighbor, Auntie Ami, made Amber and I breakfast every day we were there such as the plaintains and omelette pictured at right.
• Palm Wine, also known as God's gift to man, is easily available out in the Eastern Province.  Men scurry up palm trees, tap them and then we all enjoy large glasses of fizzy, white 'wine' at some long benches in the shade.
• Amanda introduced me to a pulaar man at her site who makes attaya and cafe touba - I'd been missing sugary caffeinated beverages, even just after a few days.

Many thanks to the girls for being great travel buddies. Hopefully, we'll get to stuff ourselves into the back of a taxi/poda-poda/ferry again sometime soon.

Happy 2012

Happy 2012!  Sorry its a little belated.

In order to celebrate the start of what will hopefully be an incredible year in senegal, I came to the capital, Dakar to spend some quality time with most of my stage and my older host siblings.  It was a fun weekend just before the start of a lot of trainings complete with yummy Dakar food and some beach time.

Resolutions:

1. Learn pulaar. My current language level is embarrassing, especially with the new Aggie training stage installed and speaking better pulaar - they got here three months after me!

2. Paint something in my hut. The wall, the door, my desk - something needs a splash of color.

3. Take more pictures.

4. Start a cashew co-op.

5. Snail mail more often with friends and family back home.

If you want to help complete any of these tasks, let me know!