What did you say Yes or No to? Collaborative Blog Post #Tamba

It's been a 1 year and 6 months since we’ve become government-mandated friends. We may have seen each other during staging or pre-service training but didn’t really know each other until we found ourselves a mere 10K apart on the map of Tamba. Two volunteers living in two completely different sites: one urban and one rural. Different languages and different amenities but a shared desire to create community change.

Recently we both attended our mid-service conference back in Thies where we got to reconnect with far-flung friends and think about the next few months ahead.  We also got a chance to reflect on why we came here in the first place. To guide us into that mindset, one of the TTC staff Etienne posed 2 thought-provoking questions that kinda stuck with us. And they were: When you decided on Peace Corps, “What did you say yes to” and “What did you say no to”?

Together we came up with a list and individually we are writing blog posts to break it down further based on our separate experiences.

*At the end of the post click on the link here to Sophia’s post to compare our thoughts!*

Without further ado, below are the questions and answers that have been stuck in our brains since our Mid Service…

What did you say yes to?

• Pooping in a hole- Graphic, but that is my life here. I live in a very rural site compared to Sophia. She lives in town, and I have a more traditional village living situation. To be honest, when I was thinking about this… I didn’t actually say yes, I was forced into the situation. However, now it is normal… okay moving on.

• Learning a new language- This was a toughy for me back in my training stages. I said ‘yes’ to learning a new language at the age of 24 and it has probably been one of the harder things that I have done in this country. It has challenged my patience, my confidence, and my desire to work internationally due to language barriers that I have faced. However, it has built me up to where now I can walk down the street and greet people, joke around, teach classes, and stand up for myself when host country nationals didn’t think that I knew what they were talking about. I said yes to something that I had never done before until I came to Senegal.

• Sweating profusely- HAH. Forgot that we wrote this one. Sophia and I both live in Tambacounda which to us is one of the hottest places on Earth. I believe that a couple of days last May it got up to 47C or 117F. Really Senegal?! Although it is tough to live in such a dry climate in some parts of the year, we agreed to it and we are still here. We haven’t melted away just yet. The plus about sweating profusely, is that we can eat as much creme glace as we want (think of a Popsicle type of ice!).

• New friends- One of the best things that I have said ‘yes’ to in this country. I said yes to leaving my friends in America to form new friendships here with hopes that one day they will all come together and meet back in America. My friends here are some of the most unique, hard working, determined, group of humans. They are the most easiest to relate to at this point in my life because they have been there and know exactly what I am talking about.

• Getting out of your comfort zone- Another topic that has hit home for me during my service. I have tried to get out of my comfort zone everyday to experience new and different things to make my time here worth it. Whether it is me trying new Senegalese dishes, going to new locations, or even following a villager to an event, I want to make sure that I take every opportunity into my hands and get out of my comfort zone.

• The unknown- Before coming to Senegal, there is only so much that you can Google about a country. I didn’t have a full understanding of what it was like to live, work, and just be here in this country. I said yes to the unknown with hopes that it would be amazing... and it did.

• Learning new skills- I said YES to continuing my education and learning about different techniques that Peace Corps and my village have to offer. I love learning and trying out new things in groups or one on one. One of my favorite things I said yes to.

• Being adopted into a new family- I honestly don’t think that my service would be the same without the support of my host family in my community. My host family has helped me become the Bambara speaker that I am today, the hard worker in my community, and most importantly they helped me integrate successfully to make my service busy. With my host parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings, I already had a family when I arrived to my site.

• No electricity – starry nights- This point is where Sophia and I differ again. Due to the fact that I live in a village, I have no electricity hence the most beautiful stars that I have ever seen. I said yes to breathtaking views and countless shooting stars when I sleep outside on those hot summer nights.

• Carbs on carbs (spaghetti sandwiches)-Enough said. Who doesn’t like carbs on carbs to get you through a work day in the fields? I think this is one of Soph's favorite sandwiches....

What did you say no to?

• A personal bubble- Personal space is not a common idea here. If you see a space, fill it. In cars, lines at restaurants, eating around a bowl with my family, literally anything…. I had to get used to people constantly being near me. I said no and popped my personal bubble that I created in the States when I came to Senegal.

• Anonymity- A little obvious, but I said no to being anonymous in Senegal. How many days have you all had where you can just walk into a store or a class and no one notices you and you like it that way? Well imagine being the center of everyone’s attention everywhere you go. I know this may sound conceited, but it truly is what happens. You are a foreigner, that somehow speaks a Senegalese language, and you live in a hut as a villager does. I can’t blame people being curious…. it is pretty odd. I said no to being invisible.

• Job/career prospects- TWO. Years. I have said no to jobs and opportunities because of my job here. One of the most challenging things here is to think about your future. Sometimes the Wifi is out for weeks in areas, future employers or even graduate committees don’t understand what you do currently, and it is hard to get applications researched and applied to on time.

• Family and friends- One of the hardest things that I have said no to. I said no to not knowing anyone before coming in to Senegal and I was willing to strain my relationships for a selfish reason of coming here. I said no to birthday parties, weddings, anniversaries, and other celebrations when I decided to come to Senegal.

• 
  Steady income- In college, I thought that I was SO broke…. It is nothing compared to how broke I am here. Living on the salary as a villager, some months are harder than others when you have to travel around the country or want to eat a decent meal. I said no to having a comfortable life with money.

• Familiar daily comforts- Soft bed sheets, Netflix, A/C, COFFEE, feeling comfortable in clothes, these are few of my favorite things that I said no to…

• Independence- As mentioned above, my family is amazing and they have my back in any situation. However, living with them can sometimes be a little strenuous due to their desire to know where I am going and who I will be hanging out with every time I leave the compound. I miss being able to hop in a car and driving to where I want to go. I miss being alone in certain activities and at different parts of the day.

• Expressing your personal identity to the fullest- I said no to sharing who I am as an American to my family. Yes, they see photos, they see my friends and family, however I can’t share certain stories about who I am with them due to culture differences. I said no to expressing myself in order to protect myself and others that I know.

• Not being understood in what you say- There is only so much that Bambara can do to help you express your feelings or what you want. Whether I am mad, sad, upset, happy, joyous, my emotions are different from how other express themselves. And sometimes you just have those days where, as we say in Bambara, my brain has left and hasn't come back yet, your language skills are lacking and no one gets you.

These are just some of the common things that we came up with together when thinking about this blog post. The amazing thing though that came out of this was that we both had great conversations and were able to share how we are feeling.

Living here is no walk in the park, but with friends it makes the walk a little more enjoyable.

Don't forget to read Sophia's blog post here to compare and contrast what we each said.

Thanks for reading,

Olivia

A Year in Review #howiseepc #Sweet2Senegal

I cannot believe that I am typing this, but it has been ONE year living in Senegal. 

12 months, countless screaming donkeys at midnight, several agriculture formations and soap making lessons, countless upset stomachs which turn into not so fun poops, a couple of scorpion and cat rats siting's, and endless experiences to look back on. 

When looking at the year as a whole, some pretty cool things have happened. To sum it all up for you, here is what happened: 

September 25 2016: 
Wide eyed and scared to death, off I went to D.C. airport for my flight into Dakar, Senegal with over 70 new Agriculture and Agroforestry volunteers. My bags were so heavy, they were contemplating putting it into cargo. 

September 26 2016: Landed in Dakar at 4AM! So tired, literally sweating already, and dragging my luggage through the airport, I made it! After watching two men try to carry my bag we loaded up and headed to the Thies Training Center which is about like 2 hours away. As we were traveling, our bus broke down and we had to push it off the road. #welcome2Senegal 

Saw what a Senegalese Turkish Toilet looks like. Not thrilled to use my left hand as toilet paper. 

October 5 (?) 2016: First CBT stay in Keur Karamohobugu with my Bambara host family. Literally know 2 sayings, one is good morning and the other was peace only. My town is filled with sand and there is no water. WHY is there never any water? 

Octoberish 2016: Learned that I was going to the hottest region in Senegal which is Tambacounda. Super excited, but also super nervous. Bambara is getting better .... dooni dooni.

November 2016:
Celebrated my first real holiday away from my family, feeling a little homesick, and confused on what I am exactly doing in this country. CBT stays are getting longer and language is getting harder.

December 8 2016:
Move in day in Botou, Tambacounda! I was welcomed by a large group of people, speakers, and food with still limited amount of Bambara. Scared OUT of my mind. 

December 23 2016: Heading to Tambacounda regional house to spend time with other volunteers and celebrate Christmas. Site has been really hard and stressful and I feel as if I am going no where. Why am I here? This culture is confusing me, laundry is terrible to do, and I miss home. Also, peanut harvesting....so many nuts.

January 2017:
After falling to sleep at 8 PM on New Years, I needed to find some friends. My cultural integration was great because of past volunteers but I need to find my own friends and make my own relationships. Also, learned how to serve attaya to the family! 

February 2017:
Finally went back to the Thies Training Center to learn about more agriculture work and how to write grants. I feel as if I can actually start work now in village. I also started finding new work partners to create tree nurseries with to start creating live fences. 

March 2017:
Tree nurseries and a whole lot of sitting. My main work doesn't start till August....what do I do?! My Bambara learning has plateaued and I feel as if I am not learning anything anymore. 

Led my first formation about Soap Making with some young girls in town.

April 2017: 

IT IS SO HOT. Hot season has begun and I started sleeping outside. I take about 3 showers a day and I am still so hot. Also, planned out my vacation for next month to Ireland and England! 

May 2017: 
VACA here I come! Sophie and I headed out to Ireland and England for a full 8 days to get away from Senegal before Ramadan hits. After seeing the Cliffs of Moher, enjoying several beers, and seeing Soph's favorite, Harry Potter Studios, it was time to go back home. 

June 2017: 
Ramadan, sleeping, and fasting. I have never been more hot and hungry in my entire life. 

Brought some cashew tree seeds to a nearby village and extended them.

Taught another Soap Formation to my host moms women's group.

July 2017: 
Celebrated the 4th of July in Kedougou and got to see some beautiful water falls! I also received my seeds this month and I will be extending corn, millet, cow peas, and rice. 

Led a seed extension class in village. 

August 2017: 

All the seeds are planted and are doing okay. The rains had me a little worried in the beginning however my plants are popping up! Completed my first grant and made a connection with a local at a high school to support 13 girls this next year in school! Also, Happy Birthday to my little sis back home! 

September 26 2017: ONE FULL YEAR! Celebrated with some homemade tacos and good friends. 

September 28 2017: 
Mangroves! I went to Fatick to help plant over 16,000 mangrove propagules in the ground with hope of reforesting an area. 

Coming Up: 
Applying for one more grant to build a wall at a school, having a Soccer Formation with Ag Work for the young girls of Botou, and starting an environmental club with this new school year. 

And now here we are! October 2017, can you believe it?! I am excited to start harvesting some of my crops and see if there are any changes from last year to now when looking at the seed reports. And of course, I can't wait to go home for Christmas to see my amazing fam jam. 

Bring on the next 14 months! 

Alhamdulillah, Water is Here! #Sweet2Senegal

On September 1^st, (my birthday!!!), it started off as a rainy day. Usually when it rains I spend a little more time in my room because the village is quiet and I can have a slow start with coffee and I begin to chip away at the mountain of books that I have in my room. After the rain had stopped, my tree work partner knocked at my door and said, “Tiguida, the digging is done! We are ready to start building the faucet for the mosque!” With sleepy eyes, I woke up to the fact that these men pulled together in the rain and began the project that we planned together.

Background

Okay, lets back up here. In 2016, the volunteer living in my village before me piped the town of Botou (10k outside of Tambacounda), with a Water Charity Grant that was awarded to her. Most of the town was covered except for one area that is farther outside of town where a Mosque is located. The Mosque Iman had asked for assistance in a project of providing the raw materials to bring water to the Mosque. The families in the surrounding area even came together to pay for robinet (faucet) in the Mosque once a month which on average costs 2 mil CFA (4 US dollars) as well as provide community support of digging and laying the pipe to the Mosque.  They were determined and so was I to make this project happen in their area.

The Day!

After my friend told me the digging was done, it was time to get to work and lay the groundwork for the pipe. My amazing and talented uncle, Madou, is the local water tower worker and came to set up the piping. With the crazy amount of kids and adults coming to help, the work lasted about 2 hours. The digging and filling of the trench was all done by hand. Funny, or not so funny to the people who know me, they didn’t let me handle any of the tools.... As much as I tried, showed them my “large” muscles, the men insisted all day that I sit and watch since I got the money for them. I couldn’t be convinced so they let me pound the dirt down with my feet.

It is amazing to see what can be accomplished when everyone came together to get the work done. This is the first of hopefully a couple more grants that I wish to accomplish soon. Look out Botou, we got work to do!

Cooking with Seynabou: Macaroni Sauce #Sweet2Senegal

Okay, this is a late post about an amazing meal. I ate it everyday during Ramadan, it is still my favorite and deserves its own post. In Bambara, this meal is called, “Macaroni Sauce.” No joke.

This meal is only served by my host family during Ramadan when we broke the fast for our first dinner. Side note, if you missed my blog about Ramadan click here.

It was my favorite not only because I didn’t eat anything all day, but because it had fresh fish, macaroni and french fries....YUM! Now, don’t squirm away just yet...it is actually pretty good!

Wanna know how to make it? Read below:

What you need:

-          Macaroni

-          2 Fish

-          4 Onions

-          4 Potatoes

-          1 sache of cooking oil

-          2 Tapalapa bread loaves

-          2 packets of Adja seasons

Instructions:

1)     Start by making the fish meatballs by adding in chopped onions and rolling them  as balls on a plate.

2)     Create a fire (ovens work too...) and fry the fish meatballs in cooking oil. Once they are done and cooked, remove them from the pot into another bowl.

3)     With the oil still in there, add in the potatoes and onions together until they are done.

4)     With the potatoes and meat done, add them all in together and add in water and macaroni with the Adja seasoning. Let it boil until completed.

5)     Once the macaroni is cooked, serve the meal in a large bowl and add in the bread to the bowl.

6)     Enjoy!

Seynabou is an amazing host aunt and we laughed the entire time making this meal because she knows I love it! Although I have to wait until next Ramadan to eat this meal every day, my family agreed to make it for my birthday just because it is a special occasion! So on September 1st, you know what I will be eating for dinner.

Celebrating Ramadan in Botou #sweet2senegal

“Kong, Kong, Tiguida, Tiguida, I be kunnina wa?”

It is 4am, it is the middle of Ramadan and it is time for breakfast. Every day this month I have been waking up at 4am with my family to celebrate Ramadan and fast with them. Each morning I eat porridge, return to sleep, and will not eat or drink until sundown and we break the fast. Although some days I sneak a little water, I have kept true to my word and have fasted food with my family except when I am traveling around the country to different villages or I am at the regional house which is considered “little America”. Do I enjoy it? No. Am I learning a lot? Absolutely.  

                Ramadan is the Islamic holy month of fasting in which Muslims may not eat or drink during daylight hours. It is celebrated because it is said that this is the month in which the prophet Mohammed received the first ideas to create the Quran. The Quran is like the Bible for Muslims. Ramadan begins with the sighting of the new moon and continues until the end of the moon cycle. All day Muslims abstain from water and food until the end of the day when a break fast occurs. Around 7:30PM cold water and bread is shared, we all go to the Mosque to pray, and we come back and feast on dinner. A full month of reflection, fasting, and being with each other.

                Although you may be thinking, WHY ON EARTH would a non-Muslim participate in this... I honestly just wanted to see if I could do it. Every day is a constant struggle of wanting to sneak to my room and eat a little snack or not participate in the prayer at night, however I have been able to push myself mentally and believe it or not, spiritually, and do this with my host family. They pray 5 times a day and are truly fasting, how could I NOT give it a try? However, we are only half way through.

                Each village has their own way of celebrating Ramadan and their own traditions. My town is especially interesting. After 15 days of fasting, we just celebrated a day like the American holiday of Halloween. The kids of Botou covered themselves in wood ash, made silly hats, collected sticks, and carried around buckets to collect food from their neighbors. Although it wasn’t candy, I participated in the event and walked around with my 2 host sisters. To get food from neighbors you had to perform a song or do a little dance to then be rewarded with either, corn, peanuts, cowpeas, sorghum, or even money. My bucket was full at the end of the night and I have never had so many adults laugh in my village at the same time when I was dancing around singing, “ A salaam wali wali, A wali saalam!”

                As it is getting closer to June 25^th (14 more days!), we are going to start preparing for the end of Ramadan with the holiday called Korite. It will be the end of Ramadan and it is celebrated by slaughtering a goat and feasting on it until it is completely gone, usually takes about 3 days. The town dresses up and we feast (my kind of holiday!).

                So far, I haven’t passed out, died, or anything that my host family thought was going to happen. I get called a “janbar” on the regular which literally translates to warrior. Can I put that on a resume or nah? 

 I look forward to the remaining days of fasting and centralizing myself everyday with reflection with my family.

As always, thanks for reading and Herra Doron. 

It feels like Home. #Sweet2Senegal

50 days before I left for Senegal I was working in Philadelphia at the Penn State Center as a Community Schools intern. I was interviewing people in the city who were actively trying to engage the community to become responsible and to fight for their children’s public education reform. However now, it has been 50 days since I have been installed living in Botou. Can you guess where I am in my village? In the school of course!

Living at site, I was trying to find a purpose and direction on where I was headed as well as what projects I would want to start in the future. I honestly was lost. Until I thought about it, my home is the classroom. It is where I feel comfortable, where I can be myself (even act a little goofy), and I feel that I can set objectives and conquer them. Although the classrooms here are a little different because I have to speak a mixture of French and Bambara, I felt as if I got my courage back and life sprung back in me. So what did I do you may ask? We had ourselves a little competition in Botou!

In the Peace Corps we are encouraged to do mini projects to keep ourselves busy while our main projects are taking form or if we are waiting for grants to pass. It seems through a lot of Peace Corps projects murals have been very successful and a way to beatify an area. The only problem that I see is that the murals are never in the hands of the community and what they would like to see. Idea time! Why not have a healthy competition in the classrooms and have the students draw what they would want to see in their classroom! However there had to be rules like every good competition. The students would need to write what they were studying that year and then draw a design of what they thought would look good in their room. After talking with the students and the teachers (in very broken French!) the competition was off! The students, and of course myself maybe more than the kids, were so excited. For an entire week, students would come to my hut and ask my opinion or if they could borrow my colored pencils to add in a couple more designs. At the end of the week I went to each classroom and lined up all the designs and had the kids vote on which ones they liked the best and then we had the winners! Although some of the ideas may need slight adaptions because of what they are actually learning in school, I have never seen the kids so excited and proud of what they accomplished.

After I went home that night, I felt it. I felt the feeling I have been waiting to feel since I have been here. After being in the classroom I finally felt home.

Peace Only. 

Not the type of Roller Coaster I want to be on... #Sweet2Senegal

I have now been living in Botou for over 5 weeks now. 5 weeks of difficult language learning. 5 weeks of feeling as if I am on an emotional roller coaster that seems more on the down slope than the upward pull. 5 weeks of meeting my village of over 1,500 people and trying to figure out where I exactly belong in it. No day here has been perfect yet. I know there probably (in challah) will be one, but for now I have been trying to enjoy the upswing of my roller coaster and trying to avoid staying in the dips of the low points.

Here is the thing, I have been living in Senegal for over 110 days and honestly I still don’t know what my job is and what direction I am going in. Although I have not been changing the world every day during my service, I have been changing MY world and have been allowing myself to be selfish and just take time to figure things out.

I have been practicing sitting still. Crazy I know right? I never sit still unless I had a big bag of Doritos in my hand and I was binge watching Netflix under my fluffy blanket in America. This is a different type of still. I have been watching life pass me by and taking time to understand how things work. I watch my mother crack peanuts from when she wakes up till when she goes to bed. I watch and hold a flashlight in the dark so that my brothers and sisters can study just a little more French before they go to bed at night. I watch my aunt cook amazing food to feed our big compound. I also watch my dad plant in his garden and come over when he tells me I need to learn this new Senegalese farming technique. Every day I watch, listen, and just am still.

With all that time on my hands through observing and listening, my Bambara has slowly improved. I have noticed that through my own personal learning process I am reminded of my students that I taught in Philadelphia. My amazing students who all craved support and acknowledgement that said, “Hey, look at me I am doing it right this time!” I CRAVE IT! I don’t understand why right now in my life I need to feel that support and in the Senegalese culture they are not ones to point out the good things every day. They more point out the fact that I have a pimple on my face or I ate too much food that day that my stomach is getting bigger. Definitely not the support I was looking for. However, I have been enjoying my time and trying to remind myself that my community needs me just as much as I need it.

I know this is a lot to put in a blog post however I strive to be transparent with my friends and family back home. This job is one of the hardest things I have ever had to explain to them (just ask my mother… I am surprised she still takes my calls when I talk about culture problems with her!).

 My job is irritating, amazing, frustrating, and drives me insane all the time that the Malaria medication isn’t the only reason my hair is falling out.

I am simply ready for the upward pull of the roller coaster.

Herra Doron

 {Peace Only}

Welcome to Botou! #Sweet2Senegal

Sometimes words are not enough to express what I have been experiencing in Senegal. I call friends and family and try to explain however sometimes people just don't get it (a common feeling for travelers and Peace Corps volunteers). I have been covered in dirt, laughed or cried all day, had my FOMO moments from missing home, been forced to hold random babies or children while mothers just walk away, taught how to dance and cook, explored several bush paths in Tambacounda, and even got into an argument in a market over fabric prices even though in America the fabric would only be around 4 dollars.... it's the principle of it. 

More importantly, I have been having an amazing time in Senegal.  

To explain some of my experiences, here are  are some pictures to show what I have done or seen so far in Botou and other locations around Tambacounda! 

How do you travel around Senegal? In old Station Wagons
with friends! The car usually fits around 7 people
however Peace Corps bought the car for 3 of us and ALL
of our luggage. 

Swear in outfit with my Alma Mater 

Welcome Home!
My host father Bouna, my
counterpart Tening (holding my favorite
food that was just for me!), and my little sister
in front of my hut! 

The welcoming committee of women and children who
came to dance and welcome me to the village. 

School let out so the party grew! 

Speaking of school, one morning I was joined
by the local schools 3rd grade class who were learning
the French words for farm animals. What better
way to learn than by going on a field trip
to look at some?! 

According to my Senegalese sister, I am going to make a
fantastic wife. 

My beautiful sister and Tamba! Sokanah is always
patient with me and my terrible Bambara! 

My adorable brother and sister Fili and Tene (left to right).
They both love to constantly follow me everywhere
I go and always beg to be tickled. 

My daily dancing lessons in front of my hut. 

Meet Tamba! I was presented
with this cutie when I told my friends
counterpart that I loved dogs! 

Peanut harvest is always a long day.
My mom and sister work all
day shaking peanuts to separate the peanuts and
the plant material.  

First murals completed in Thiawor! My friends and I painted
the Case de Sante! 

My amazing counterpart Tening Konte. She
makes me my second breakfast everyday,
takes me on walks to meet
people in town, and always makes me feel at home
in Botou.

More pictures are to come but for now these are it! So many fun things and experiences are to come soon. 

As always, Herra Doron .