Hello from Orrisogea!!
The last couple of days I have been
in the regional house preparing to be installed into my permanent site. I
install December 4 and then I will be at site for 5 weeks. I will have no
internet, no electricity (except for one solar panel that lights the compound
and can charge my old school cell phone), and limited language. Should be an
adventure! I can’t wait to stop living out of a suitcase and gets some roots in
the ground! While in Orrisogea awaiting install I have acquired some things for
my permanent site. I got some Senegalese clothes made; I got a tea pot and mug,
some paint for my walls, some cleaning supplies and some food!!! Another
misconception I had about coming to Africa: I thought I would be eating a lot
less, but I haven’t found that to be true at all! I have eaten sooo much since
being here! The main difference being that all the meals are heavy in carbs, so
they say male volunteers lose weight while female volunteers gain weight.
Anyways since my last post so much
has happened! I was sworn in as an official volunteer! That was pretty cool. We
all got dressed up and there was a buffet (which I didn’t get any of because
there wasn’t enough food, but that’s alright) and our host families from CBT
were there. Lots of pictures were taken and hugs and farewells were had.
Overall it was so very lovely! There was an awesome Senegalese band there and
lots of great dancing occurred!
After swear-in we went to the beach
for Thanksgiving! That was absolutely amazing! We partied all day and night!
Woke up early Thanksgiving day and butchered and cleaned 2 turkeys on the beach
with tail feathers in our hair while dancing around! The turkeys were roasted
over a bed of coals. After cleaning the turkey, I spent all day at the beach,
playing in the waves and building our version of the 7 wonders of the world in the sand and then we battle
royaled over our creations as if we were Godzilla and Mothra. Dinner was
absolutely phenomenal! We had squash soup for starters then stuffing, veggies,
potatoes and the amazing turkey! It was soooo delicious! It was served in big
bowls Senegalese style and we ate with our hands, it was pretty awesome! We all
sat around our bowls and said what we were thankful for and it was a powerful
moment. I have never felt so much happiness in a room. Two months before none
of us had known each other, but we had made it through training, through the
struggles of tech exams, language acquisition, and cultural integration. We had
supported each other through the loneliness of missing home and being scared of
what was to come next. We had all been sworn in and then were/are about to
start the next part of our journey. It was a great place to be. And this
Thanksgiving might have been the best I have ever had!
The day after Thanksgiving we were
taken back to the training center for the night. We had one last hurrah
together and now we’re all off on our own. Some of the best friends I made
during training are scattered in other places across the country. Hopefully I
will get to visit them at some point! Now just to focus on my site and getting
better at the language and earning the trust, respect, and love of the people
of my village. I need to learn what they want and need and how it is that I can
aid them in attaining their goals. It will be a challenge. But I know I can do
it if I keep getting the wonderful support from my friends and family back home
and in country! Thank you to all of you! I enjoy your letters and packages and
phone calls! They brighten my day and make all of this easier! I love you! Hope
you are well!!
Love,
Heather McGettigan aka Aissata Sen
Some highlights/crazy stories:
- Women invited us to see her garden. And we got to practice our Pulaar and give her some technical advice. And it absolutely made her day!
- When every one in my CBT group passed all our exams, our LCF (language teacher Oumar Tall) had the pleasure of telling us we passed. He was so proud of us because everyone only had positive stuff to say about us. He was so proud he cried and then we all cried (except Justin) and group hugged and it was so beautiful!
- Pooped for the first time in 10 days!!
- Cooked for myself!
- Had an icecream like substance! It was delicious!
- Got packages from the family with lots of amazing stuff in it! Ate all of the reeses in about 10 minutes!
- Had a dance party with my CBT little sisters on the roof under the stars!
- Climbed the water tower in the training center! Could see everything!
- Recipe I learned in country: Fresh peanut butter, soy sauce, lime, sugar, bell pepper, and onions sautéed! Soooo delicious!
<3
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