Land HO...AMERICANS!!

March 15, 2011

It’s only been 2 days without another American around me and someone to speak with in English but it was enough to make me feel crazy and alone. The Peace Corps rep who came for a site visit came with 2 other volunteers that have been here for 8 months already. He came to meet the local elders, including but not limited to the dugutigi and to make sure the house was up to PC standards and there wasn’t repairs or anything that needed to be made. They are good at doing this too. I would feel bad saying well it’s nice that you built this new house and bathroom but why isn’t the gua up yet?? They have no hesitation. So he looked around the house, him and the american chicks agreed that it was nice and new and they loved my nyegen. He asked why the gua wasn’t finished yet and they said it should be done by Saturday. He wanted to know why since the foundation is up it should only be a couple of hours job. I asked about the opening in the roof and showed him the part of the paperwork that said there is a bat and rat issue in this area. He said that nothing should get in as is but they would plug up these openings when they finished the stucco (cement) on the outside...which frankly I didn’t even notice wasn’t done. Then we all went over to meet with the elders and dugutigi again. Me and this guy should be great friends anytime now. That went well...blessings and greetings all around. They discussed what my job here is and they are to insure my safety and well being. There is a family that is in charge of making sure I have what I need or to leave me alone if that is what I desire. That would include the young, kind of weird girl with the little baby that has been getting me my water twice a day. She is 19, her baby is about 6 months and her husband is currently out of town for another week.

We finished our meeting and the PC staff was ready to leave. Both American girls were staying though. One girl is just waiting for the bus to take her to Bougouni (my banking town 32k from here) and the other was going to spend the day and night with me. Krystal is amazing. She has been here 8 months and is what appears to be fluent in Bambara. I’m not sure if this inspired me or causes me more anxiety. Will I be able to be that good in such a short period of time. I don’t think so. The other girl that was with her says that her skill are crazy good and no one else in their group has picked the language up like that. So...there you go...hearing her just causes me anxiety. We spent the day talking with my homologue and the matrone and now I’m sure they’ll be expecting me to speak as well any day now. This matrone is so excited to have me here and is the one that went to the PC to ask for a volunteer to begin with and went through all the processes. I don’t want to disappoint her. And having the skills to communicate and get things done is going to be key to everything. I’m definitely feeling anxious. Krystal assured me that I will pick up good bambara skills quickly, as I don’t have much french and no one...NO ONE...speaks English. I have no choice but the learn...and quickly.

Krystal and I had a great day and night. It was nice getting to know her and absorbing so much information from her. She’s awesome.

The goals for me for the first 5-6 months are simple ones. Spend the first 10 weeks at homestay learning the language (almost done). Once I get to my permanent site (which I am at now just for 5 days to check it out) the first 3 months I will spend immersing myself in the community, working on language and assessing what the community needs. I am not supposed to do any work during this time period. Sorry...that’s not going to happen. I can’t just sit around, yala yala ing (walking around), baroking (chatting it up with the peeps) and not working. I told the matrone that I want to spend whatever days she is at the maternity (clinic) there with her. I won’t do anything but observe and learn some technical language skills. Getting to know the women and children that come in there and them getting to know me. That’s immersing, right? Also, I just found out that they don’t do babying weighing here because they don’t have a scale. It is my understanding that each health volunteer will get a scale to bring to their home site. I will keep mine at the clinic. DONE!!

I already spoke to Miriam about the bashi jiri ni (moringa tree). I told her I was going to get some seeds and we can plant this tree all over the village. They grow fast and their nutritional value is not to be replaced or duplicated by anything else they could do or eat. And it grows so simply and quick. She is very excited to get these trees started. And what better time to start them then just as we are moving into rainy season. Although they don’t need a lot of water to sustain themselves, they do need water to get a good start. Perfect timing. There is also the Mali tree that the leaves mixed with hot peppers and oil make a natural mosquito repellent. Project #2. I am very excited. I have read other PCVs blogs in where they really didn’t do anything for months after they got here. Both of these things have to be able to be turned into income generators. Whether it’s selling the finished products or starting a nursery of these trees that the villagers can buy and plant in their own compounds so after the initial expense is spent they will always have access to these products. If Miriam is willing she could start the trees herself and the income that she generates could go towards the needs of the clinic. They need a refrigerator. Project #3 just took care of itself.

These may be little things but they will mean so much...especially the moringa tree. Although malnutrition doesn’t seem to be a problem here, at this time, Miriam has told me that it is an issue during rainy season...when the local gardening floods, when the women can’t get to the next town 7k to get supplies and food. All they eat is toh (flour), rice and beans. Not enough to make healthy adults or children. Being able to add the pounded or fresh leaves of the moringa tree to these staples will be an irreplaceable supplement to their diets. Truly a miracle tree.

We (Krystal, Miriam and Soleymani and myself) walked over to the school today. It is across the main road and then about ½ mile down the dirt road to what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. There are no other buildings or homes along the way. It seemed like a far walk...maybe because it’s 105 degrees. I don’t know, I’m just saying. Anyway the school goes from 1st grade to 6th. That’s it. There are no other schools in the area. To continue past 6th grade these kids would have to take the bus to another village. I’m assuming that doesn’t happen as these families do not have the money to pay for the bus. They school yard was neat and clean (they certainly do not have the trash all over this village like my homestay site...for this I am very grateful). They had flowers growing around the school yard. But this is a difficult task for them. The only pump for water on this side of the main road was up by the main road...1/2 mile away. The kids have old soda and water bottles with them. They will walk up the to the road, fill their bottles with water and walk back to water the plants. OMG...that’s crazy. So during this conversation it became apparent what Project #4 is. They need a well at the school. For so many reasons. One...they should have water so the kids can wash their hands after using the nyegen. We as health volunteers emphasize the necessity of hand washing and here is a school that doesn’t have access to water. No wonder they are always sick. They shouldn’t drink well water, it would probably kill us, but it is a better option than going all day without water. Also, they could be growing a garden to teach these kids how to raise vegetables for food for their families and to show them how to generate income in their futures (especially since school only goes to 6th grade...what else are they going to do). Then of course to continue to grow their flowers. A well...it is simple and doesn’t cost that much. Just more than this village has. There are NGOs in the area that work on building or improving schools. I believe this village has already worked with them in the past. But they don’t have the groups together, the format of community members, to put their wants and ideas into comprehensible thoughts and requests and then go for them...with blazing guns until they get what they need.

PC does not give out money and does not build things for villages...without village contributions...ie, funding, labor...so it is possible with labor from the village PC could also help. They give them the means by which to figure it out and do it for themselves. Our goal is to make sure they are able to sustain any life style changes we have helped them with long after we are gone. So PC does not GIVE things to these communities. They give them the resources they need to do it themselves. This communities resource is me. I can help them put this format together to move forward to these NGOs and get the help and funding they need to build a well. I can go with them to get the seeds to start and plant the moringa trees and the Mali trees. They can grow them on their own, but they don’t even know these trees exist. I hope I can do PC proud and I can do my village the privilege in helping their quality of life to the extent that they will never forget me and the small knowledge I brought to their lives. For the first time since being in Africa I am truly excited. Even without language skills I think all of the things mentioned above could be done within the first 6 months of being here. I hope I’m not being to over anxious...and I heard there is a lot of red tape to do things in this country but each of these is so small...

The older man, my host families dad, that always comes to talk to me came over this evening to baroke with both myself and Krystal. He said he would work on the gua and hopefully it would be done before I get back in three weeks. She told him it took the men in her village 4 hours to put up her gua. LOL!! Gotta love these young girls with balls. Then he talked to us about my fence. Each PCV is supposed to have a fence around their compound for privacy. There are bricks still around outside which has now been made clear will be my fence that will surround the front area of my house including my nyegen. Which is nice to know. I hate when the whole surrounding neighbors know when I’m going to the bathroom...and insist and greeting you on the way. Really?! Right now you want to greet. I’m going to the bathroom. Anyway, he mentioned how he was intending on putting it. Almost so that it would include the home of the young girl next door and their house. So she told him no, and that it needed to go around the other way. He is in agreement. She is awesome.