Three months of adventures with friends

Why hello there!!

This blog update is way overdue! I have so much to talk about, I don’t even know how to start. Lordy lordy… How about from where we left off 3 months ago. Some highlights over the last 3 months include, but are certainly not limited to:

·      Bought my chickens

o   I bought 4 baby chicks, named Red, Cornelius, Bandit, and Sugar. Two have since died. It was a heart break. Bandit and Sugar are big and vivacious now !! I love them!

·      Language Seminar in Ouro Soggui

o   A week of fun delicious merriment! Matthew, Taylor, Justin and I (4 of the 6 Pulaar du Nord speakers from my ag stage) spent every day with the amazing Fatimata Djaw (our language teacher) and every night we cooked some amazing American dish.

o   Learned grafting, started grafting ziziphus in my master farm. Two of my 6 grafts worked. Once raining season starts I will try grafting with the improved variety of Pomme du Sahel.

·      WAIST

o   Three days in the capital of Senegal, Dakar! I stayed with an amazing couple and they spoiled my friend, Devon, and me! We had Mexican, had gentlemen’s jack, Valentine’s Day cakes, I took multiple bubble baths, used toilet paper!! It was amazing! I got to catch up/meet so many Peace Corps Volunteers and staff, as well as US Embassy workers. We had a field day and played soft ball, kick ball, and volleyball. We partied with some US Marines posted in Senegal. Then us newer Peace Corps Volunteers got rushed of to our tech training.

·      Tech training

o   Two intense weeks of classes all day, every day, except Sunday (Sunday we had off and a lot of us went to see our CBT families, my family was wonderful! And they complimented my language). I learned so much. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. It was great seeing everyone again. The trainers, the other volunteers. After this we are ready for our real work!

·      St. Louis

o   Dropped in on St. Louis on my trip back home! So beautiful. Went to the beach.

·      Moving Regional Houses

o   We moved because there was no water… There is still no water… All the stress… Barely a reward…

·      In village

o   Master Farm- working every day. Pruning back the live fence. Moving banana shoots. Setting up demo plots for an open field day (where we will invite members of the community out and teach them about improved farming practices). Working on record keeping and budgeting.

o   Women’s Garden- Pruning up zizaphus for grafting later and FMR. Starting a tree pepinar for a live fence.

o   The College- Starting a 4H club. Holding debates with the English club. Potentially painting a mural of the world.

·      Festival du Sahel

o   Concert in the desert. Saw so many amazing people and danced danced danced!

·      Talibe soccer tournament

o   Talibe children are the kids who are sent to study the Quran with a Therno. Usually in a city. They are very impoverished, underdressed, malnourished, under loved… So we had a big field day for them. I painted kids hands with their favorite soccer team emblem. I also painted birds on them! Put a bird on it #Portlandia.

o   While there I had my first experience being robbed. I lost money, my shoes, and my headscarf… On my birthday… But my wonderful friends made me feel better. And I had an amazing birthday dinner!!

·      Visited Richard Tholl

o   A beautiful site of one of my fellow volunteers. He works with a hospital garden and with the farmers along the canal. His family consists of 4 or 5 people. It’s just amazing how different every Peace corps experience is even within the same country.

·      Grant writing…

o   A pain in the tokus. So tedious… But I finished my first one!!

·      Saying goodbye

o   3 health volunteers are leaving us. They have finished their 2 years and are going home!! I will miss them so fondly. But we will be getting new volunteers soon! I can’t wait to meet new friends!!

Anyways that is the basics! Ask questions and I will elaborate on anything you want to know about! Overall, Peace corps is an amazing experience. I have learned so much, met so many amazing people. Every day my language is better and I’m stronger and healthier. I’ve started making real friends in village who don’t just want money and things from me, but they like actually talking to me. With technology, I keep in pretty great contact with all the people back home! It’s wonderful!Anyways, I love you all! I hope all is well and every one is healthy and happy!
Love!
Heather McG