Life as a PCVL, a photo essay

My apologies for the blogging hiatus.  My transition to Dakar has left me without the colorful stories of village life to inspire posts.  It hasn't all been days spent on the computer at my office, though! I present my final photo essay in Senegal, detailing the more exciting moments of the last five months.  

Nearly three years ago, when I stepped off the plane into the oppressive heat of the Senegalese morning my first thoughts were "Dear god this is hot" and "I don't know if I can do this."  The heat hasn't changed, but I did.  Not only did I complete the twenty six months of my Peace Corps service, I seemed to have missed my exit cue and have stayed an extra six months.    

I packed up, said my goodbyes, and moved out of my village.  I lined up with the Peace Corps staff at the airport almost exactly two years after I arrived to welcome the next generation of agriculture volunteers.  And suddenly I was the Peace Corps Volunteer Leader, the 'mentor' for the new volunteers in my sector.  I would spend the next several months training the new volunteers about Senegalese culture, learning to integrate, and basic agriculture skills.  

Family and friends stateside wondered why I delayed my return, but the answer was simple.  Peace Corps was such a growing experience for myself and my peers that I wanted to help new volunteers prepare to be the ready to jump into a new culture.  To embrace the unknown.  To learn a new language.  New skills.  A new way of life.  And learn the struggles, successes, and priorities of their host country. 

I remembered the fears and uncertainties I'd had during my training, and I wanted to help new volunteers with theirs.  I'm not sure if I did, but I seemed to answer a lot of questions about living in a village, dealing with homesickness, and how to use a "bush toilet."

After two months of training, the 2015-2017 Agriculture and Agroforestry stage donned their new Senegalese garb and celebrated being sworn in as fully-trained volunteers.  Their eagerness and excitement made saying goodbye to my peers who had arrived in Senegal with me, who were now returning home, less bittersweet.  It was an honor to serve with my peers, but perhaps a greater honor to help this new generation begin their service.  

Before my family thought I'd abandoned them altogether, I returned home for a brief respite over the
holidays.  Extended family, holiday festivities, and cool December weather welcomed
 me.  I was startled by two moments of reverse culture shock (common to recently returned
Peace Corps Volunteers); the first when I learned people would stand in line for
over an hour to pay $15 to watch "Star Wars" at 10:30 in the morning, the second when I was
overwhelmed by the amount of people and merchandise during a trip to Costco.    

By February, the group of volunteers I'd helped train had lived in their Senegalese communities for over two months and were ready for their "In Service Training." We spent two weeks discussing advanced agriculture practices, Peace Corps' initiatives, and how to increase food security in Senegal.  Seeing these volunteers I had trained feeling comfortable in Senegal and eager to return to their host communities with their new advanced knowledge was one of my proudest moments as PCVL,  

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I joined the Peace Corps, not out of interest in agriculture or international development, but out of a strong belief in the importance of international cultural exchange.  The moment that most embodied how Peace Corps Volunteers encourage this exchange took place during our two weeks of 'IST,'

After a day out in the field, we volunteers clustered under a tree in the blinding mid-afternoon heat and waited for the bus.  We were dirty.  Dehydrated.  Sweating.  But instead of falling into a poor-tempered lethargy, a couple of volunteers took a wooden handle out of a pickax and started hitting a rock around with it.  Volunteers leaped out of the shade to place outfield, the bases, and shortstop.  And before we knew it, a full-fledged game of American baseball had begun.  The local children edged closer as volunteers took turns at the plate, until we encouraged them to try their hand at our game.  My favorite moment is captured below, when our beloved Agriculture staff member Youssoupha, was cheered up to the plate.  He turned to us all and said "I am afraid I'll suck" (his English vocabulary strongly influenced by the young volunteers he's taught over the past fifteen years), but with a loud CRACK! the ax handle hit the rock. We burst into cheers and with lots of frantic pointing explained the importance of running to first base.

Changing behaviors takes time, and many times we volunteers are unable to see the communities we work with adopt the techniques and skills over the long term.  For some, this may make Peace Corps seem insignificant.  But two years if full of endless moments of cultural exchange.  And the cheers, laughs, and camaraderie of learning a new language, games, way to cook, or tell a joke make the Peace Corps the opposite of insignificant.  Just like that moment we all shared playing baseball.       

One of the best parts of my new position is visiting Peace Corps Volunteers out in the field, like I did during a tour of Northern Senegal in March.  Northern Senegal, known as the "Fouta," is vastly different from the rest of the country.  It is a semi-arid region along the edge of the Sahel desert mostly populated by Pulaars, a traditionally nomadic herder ethnic group.  The landscape, language, culture, and mannerisms were vastly different from what I had experienced in my service.    

Most of our agricultural volunteers in the Fouta are in communities clustered along the Senegal River, which forms the border with Mauritania.  I was amazed by the irrigation systems and agriculture yields found in the middle of the desert.  It was wonderful to see the volunteers I had helped train interacting with their Senegalese work partners, bantering in their local languages, and starting ambitious work.  I had been invited to join other members of Peace Corps' Agriculture staff to visit volunteers' villages, examine work projects, and observe several trainings at Master Farms.    

Photos (clockwise from top): frozen, fresh yogurt from Pulaar cow herds, a camel for traversing the desert, Peace Corps Volunteers enjoying lunch at a training (in local dress and eating with only their right hands), a view of the dirt roads from the air-conditioned Peace Corps car (an enormous improvement from public transportation), and an agro-forestry volunteer teaching how to make a tree nursery.  Below: Myself with volunteers at a 'Master Farm' training.   

My remaining vacation days were devoted to a whirlwind tour of the UK, Ireland, and Paris with a friend from college.  We were awed by the Scottish countryside.  Enjoyed the centennial celebrations for Dublin's Easter Rising.  Fell in love with fish and chips.  And braved the rain to explore Paris, where I found Senegalese souvenir peddlers and surprised them with a conversation in their 'home tongue,' Wolof.   

And so the final month of my service begins.  It will mean innumerous farewells and cherished last moments- like this moment stopping for fried dough with meat and onion sauce during my last trip to the market in Thies.  May they all be this delicious!   

Final Lessons from a Small Village

Two years ago I watched the Peace Corps car drive away and leave me in my minute village in the middle of Senegal.  Over the ensuing 24 months I learned a variety of lessons, from how to butcher my own chicken and substitute a hole in the ground for a toilet, to how to organize youth camps for over 60 participants.  These are some of the lessons I am particularly proud of…

How to… CARRY WATER.

Life in my community revolves around the well.  Since there are no faucets or spigots, all water for cooking, washing, cleaning, and agriculture comes from this single source.  Pulling groundwater up 75 feet by hand and then carrying 50 lbs of it at a time on your head creates an acute awareness of how much water you use. 

 

 How to… USE SENEGALESE TRANSPORT.

I learned how to flag down buses, hop on horse-drawn carts, bargain for the best seats in 1960’s era station wagons, and perch in precarious bush taxis.  Perhaps more importantly, traveling in Senegal taught me patience.  I live along an infrequently traveled dirt road; waiting anywhere from 2 to 12 hours for a passing car is the norm.  Traveling from my regional capital back to my village is an all-day affair, taking 12 hours to travel just over 50 miles.  While the cars go significantly slower than in the States, it’s waiting at transport hubs that eats up time.  You have to wait until are all the seats are filled in a car before leaving.  I’m usually one of the first to show up for my 20-seater bush taxi, but instead of despairing I tend to get absorbed in a long book and delicious street food.

How to… ENJOY BREAKFAST SANDWICHES.

The ubiquitous breakfast food, if you’re dining out, is a breakfast sandwich.  Made by ladies in curtained stalls at large markets, big cities, or in public transportation garages there are my favorite Senegalese street food.  Dealing with impatient, pushy customers every morning; these indomitable ladies are the true entrepreneurs of Senegal. 

In my area the bread is a heavy mix of flour and ground millet filled with beans or an oily onion sauce.  A trip to larger cities enlarges the menu to include peas, hard boiled eggs, fried eggs, fries, fish sauce, vegetables, French baguettes, or stale ‘machine’ bread all to be garnered with pepper, hot pepper, or fresh mayonnaise.  My village doesn’t have a breakfast sandwich lady so I have spent many days, especially during ‘starving season,’ fantasizing about which sandwich combination I’ll order the next time I travel.

 

How to… SCARE CHILDREN.          

There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when you enter a room and over half the children under 10 start sobbing and reaching for their mothers.  Especially frustrating moments ensue when babies you’ve known their whole life develop good enough eyesight to actually see you and then have this reaction.  Seriously?  I was at your naming ceremony! 

I would like it on the record that there are currently no children afraid of my in my community, but there’s a month-old baby my replacement will have to contend with.

How to… DANCE.

Turn over your metal lunch bowl and start drumming a beat and my feet will start pounding and my arms flailing.  My teenage sisters have taught me each Senegalese song’s corresponding dance moves.  I can cup my hands and twist my shoulders, throw my elbows in the air, sashay, or hold up my skirt’s hem to pound my feet.  Women and men do not mix, which is a small blessing because having to dance in a circle of sixty on looking ladies is enough intimidation for me!  Still, it’s quite the rush of adrenaline to hear a song, yell ‘I know this one!’ and jump into the circle for a moment in the limelight.

  

How to… MAKE TIME TO READ.

With no electronics or television, reading was my only distraction at site.  During stifling afternoons in hot season and long days of travel, I devoured dozens of books.  A full list (and recommendations) is on their way.

How to… SIT.

No television and high illiteracy rates means that my community members spend their down time sitting.  On individual wooden benches and plastic mats we napped, cracked peanuts, made hundreds of rounds of tea, and talked. 

Or did nothing at all.

When I first attempted to spend an hour sitting at a neighbor’s compound, the equivalent of a social call, time dragged interminably.  But now I can spend an entire afternoon perched on my mat, mindlessly cracking peanuts or sorting beans in total bliss. 

How to… BIKE IN THE BUSH.

Public transportation doesn’t connect my village with my neighboring Peace Corps Volunteers.  So we slather on sunscreen and bike to one another’s communities on a fairly regular basis.  Some of my favorite moments have been on a bike on the peaceful dirt paths.  I’ve become such a proficient that I often augment my time on my bike with lengthy phone calls or by enjoying street food. 

 

How to… GARDEN.

When I came to Senegal I was not a trained agronomist.  I had never grown my own garden.  Ironically, it was in a country facing desertification and food insecurity I learned to grow my own eclectic mix of vegetables, cereals, flowers, and trees.  My piece de resistances are the much needed shade trees in my backyard that have grown over 20 ft tall in less than 18 months.

How to… USE A MORTAR AND PESTLE. 

In a kitchen without food processors, whisks, electric mixers, coffee grinders, or bags of processed flour, the mortar and pestle reign supreme.  I wake every morning to the muffled thuds of each household pounding their coffee beans for breakfast.  Daily, millet grains are pounded into flour for the evening’s millet ‘cous-cous.’  Harvesting millet, sorghum, or corn?  Throw the dried candle, head, or ear in and pound the edible portion off. 

Pounding can be done by one, two, or three women surrounding the mortar.  To keep the rhythm0 of multiple pestles quickly pounding, the women clap their hands on the upswing.  With pestles weighing about 15 lbs, the force needed with each throw, and the pound-per-second rate it can be an exhausting experience.  All the pre-teen girls have more developed muscles from pounding grains every day than most light-weight boxers.  It took me two months for me to build the muscles and callouses needed to pound for over five minutes and throw in a few claps.  The village women still are wary of my clapping and make sure to stand back as I throw my heavy projectile in the air, clap, and protest that I haven’t hit anyone with the pestle in over a year. 

Now there’s a good story.

 

How to… BE SICK.

While my friends have gotten a more exotic mix of ringworm, shistomiasis, and mango flies; I’ve contracted my own share of Senegal’s delights.  Blister beetles, staph, multiple bouts of giardia, endless diarrhea, an eye infection, and Hepatitis A have made me acutely aware of the water and general sanitation problems facing sub-Saharan Africa.       

How to… LIVE IN A SMALL COMMUNITY.

I’ve lived in some pretty small towns before, but with a population of roughly 100, my community is definitely the smallest.  The population actually ranges from 95 in the non-agricultural season when young men leave for jobs in larger cities to 110 when they return to work in the fields.  The pros of such a small community include knowing every one by name and greeting each individual every morning.  I know everyone’s background, they all feel fiercely protective of me when visitors in my village tease me, and we all share everything.  This communal sharing is evident at meal times, when each household saves a portion of its lunch to be delivered to a neighboring house.  Since each house does this, and rotates which family house it gives to, each family receives an extra bowl of a neighbor’s lunch to supplement their own meager meals.      

The downside of such a small community is that everyone knows everyone else’s business.  Even my most private moments are part of the community.  My backyard abuts the ‘village square’ (the tree between our five houses) and on multiple occasions those sitting just on the other side of my flimsy, millet-stalk fence will comment ‘Yacine, you have diarrhea!’ and I, in a compromised and slightly embarrassed position yell back, “Yep, I have diarrhea.”

These lessons were mine alone and many volunteers who live in larger cities with running water and electricity are often not given as much credit as I.  Which is grossly unfair.  Many of these urban volunteers face different challenges than I, such as harassment from a larger and less protective community or all-night chanting over the neighboring Mosque’s speakers.  We have all had our individual triumphs, challenges and lessons learned. 

It has been a pleasure to train and serve with you all, the AG/CED 2013 stage.  While most of my peers return home or embark on post-Peace Corps trips, I will remain in Senegal.  I’m extending my service by six months to finish training the new generation of volunteers.  Thankfully, this will give me the opportunity to visit my community again.

To them I say; you’ve given me such gifts, knowledge and confidence.  I will never forget you.  Thank you.

Sama dekk, sawaral na ma.  Yeen y’eep jox ngeen ma yu bari.  Duma leen fate.  Jerageenjeff.

Xam sa bopp. Fonk sa bopp. Gem sa bopp. 6th Annual Kaolack Girls' Leadership and Empowerment Camp

To celebrate international youth day, Peace Corps Volunteers in the larger Kaolack-Kaffrine-Fatick region gathered with thirty-nine Senegalese female teenagers for the 6th Annual Kaolack Girls' Leadership and Empowerment Camp.  The sixteen volunteers were joined by four Senegalese women passionate about girls' rights who volunteered their time and talents at the camp.  Girls were chosen throughout the three regions by Peace Corps Volunteers and local educators, seeking out high performing girls in danger of being taken out of school or dis-empowered in other ways.  The five days focused on self-identity, female health, environment, gender, and future goal setting education.  

The goals of the camp were to introduce new knowledge, increase individual self-esteem, encourage critical thinking, and create a peer support network from the group of girls.  Our mantra throughout the camp was "know yourself, respect yourself, believe in yourself."

Xam sa bopp.  Fonk sa bopp.  Gem sa bopp.  

From those of us on the planning team, we'd like to extend our many thanks to those involved.  From the generous donors to the courageous girls to our guest speakers to those goofy, hard working Peace Corps Volunteers, you all create a wonderful camp for us all. 

*Photo credits to Rita Argus, Angela Khong, and Tina Verrilli 

TALENT SHOW

To 'break the ice' at camp, we start off with a PC volunteer talent show.
The girls were amazed and alarmed by Angela's flexibility,

An annual favorite, speaking Wolof upside down with googly eyes on your chin.  Some of us had more difficulties with keeping they eyes on than others (hint hint, you with the facial hair).  The girls and Senegalese counselors whipped out their phones to film the entire skit.

From a culture of dancing, the girls were huge fans of Denise'e traditional Mexican dancing.
Though we strongly suspect the girls were equally impressed by the skirt!

The infamous spaghetti eating contest.  The girls are always slightly confused but we volunteers
think it's the highlight of the evening.  There was some flagrant cheating and a lot of laughs.   

YOGA and TEAM BUILDING

Each morning we split the girls into one of two sessions.  An hour of yoga or an hour of team
building activities.  Yoga is not a well known sport in Senegal, especially in rural areas
that most of our attendees come from.  The first session was full of trepidation, but after the first
couple of minutes the girls got into the rhythm of breathing deeply and stretching.   

Leadership games were a huge hit because the students don't have any structured games or time to
just play.  It's something we take for granted back home, but here there is no
recess and no fun games in PE class.  The games were meant to make the girls more comfortable with
\one another, make friends, and generally have fun.

The blindfolded obstacle course was full of perils, only to be avoided if you and your team had good communication.    

The human knot.  Since these students have never been exposed to basic ice breakers before they thought
this was such a novel game.  Never underestimate the competitive streak of teenagers!

Trust falls with the Safie, one of the Senegalese counselor's daughters and the mascot of the camp.

Another game (which are of course the most photogenic moments).  Over the head water cup racing.
Each team grabs a cup of water from the pan in the center and passes it back down the line by pouring
the water over their heads into the cup of the person behind.  The final person pours their water into
the bucket at the end of the line.  Which ever team has the most water in their bucket at the end of five
minutes wins.  There were a lot of wet heads and competitive kids!

Musical chairs was more of a success than we planned.  We didn't have music available so
we took turns singing American and Senegalese hits.  The icing on the cake was that one of the most quiet,
shy girls at camp won the game to the cheers of her peers!  

MORNING SESSIONS

After yoga and team games, each morning was devoted to the information based sessions of the camp.
We brought all the girls together to discuss identity, health, environment, gender, and future/ goal setting sessions.  

After discussing what identity entails and 'knowing your self,' the girls made individual Baobab trees.
Just like the strong, beautiful, unique Baobab trees that fill the landscape, each of the girls has her own important identity.
In Diatou's example, she lists her age, nationality, family members, goals, music preferences, favorite dance move, etc.

We then discussed how individual identities combine to create larger group identities.  Like how the girls at the camp represented the strong, women of Senegal.  On different colored papers the girls wrote "I am important," "I am a woman," "My goals" and drew the corresponding information underneath.  We then created a 'Senegal identity quilt' by mixing up all the different papers and taping them on the classroom wall.  Below one of the girls explains her "I am important" quilt piece.  

On environment day, we discussed how humans interact the natural environment.  When we first asked the students to explain their environment, they only listed buildings in the village.  We slowly drew out all the parts of a natural habitat like trees, animals, water, ground water, etc.  We then discussed how human interact with the environment through wells, farming, buildings, roads, etc.
The girls drew the environments in their communities, notice how Fatou's drawing includes man-made structures including a water tower, wells, buildings, roads, and farms as well as the natural elements like rain, dirt, ground water, and animals.

We ended the session by discussing how ecosystems can change and how we can respect the environment.  

At the end of each session we had the students journal about what they had learned. 
By pausing to reflect on what we'd discussed, the students internalized the lessons 
and created mementos for them to look back on them.

On gender day, Peace Corp's Sidi Toure discussed domestic violence, the importance of education,
and how this generation is part of a revolution for gender equality.
"Two hands are used to put on a skirt, two hands are used to put on pants.  They are equal."

We also led a debate about the role of women in Senegal.  We asked questions like;
\"Do you want the same life as your mother?", "Should your parents choose your husband, or should you?",
 "If you see forced early childhood marriage in your community should you go to the police and report it
 (since it's illegal), or should you respect the tradition?"  For each question there were girls who
believed in both sides and vigorous debate ensued.  

Our goal for the debate was to encourage critical thinking, both in the moment and in the future.  

On future/ goal setting day, we brought in the CED (community economic development) Peace Corps
staff to discuss how income generation works and play the BEST game.  The girls were split
into teams, given businesses via a loan program and had to generate enough income to
eventually pay the loan back.  It was a great learning experience, the girls got very competitive, and
they were able to articulate all the lessons from the game before staff did the debrief at the end.  

The teams planning out their loan payment.

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

In the afternoons, we split the girls into rotations to do activities that corresponded with the day's theme.
We did pre- and post- tests to see what information they retained from our morning sessions, art,
social geography, skits, and various other sessions.  

On environment day, we made reusable bags from colorful Senegalese fabric.
 In the next year, Senegal will start charging for the use of the currently free ubiquitous, black, plastic bags.   

In our social geography sessions we discussed how the day's theme is different around the world.
Denise and I discussed the various challenges to eating nutritious meals including how the environment
affects each country's ability to grow food, proximity to water (for fish and exports), national GDP,
average family size, and (most importantly) choice.  

On health day, the girls drew what they need to choose to make a nutritionally sound lunch.
Most of them chose to draw a healthy version of the national dish "cheeb u jen" (fish and rice),
laden with vegetables and a limited amount of oil and MSG.  

A general first-aid session.

On future/ goal setting day, our CED volunteers talked to the girls about career planning.  After listing three things they wanted to achieve in the next 10 years, the volunteers helped the girls think out the step-by-step process of achieving them.  For example, if a girl wanted to start a family, become a doctor, and graduate from school, what order would those come in and what additional steps are needed to become a doctor?  Extra schooling or training?  What languages will you need to speak, etc.  It was an excellent session as the girls started mapping out the steps to achieving their dreams.  

SPORTS

No matter the activity, the girls loved to play.  Water balloons were a huge hit!  (Especially when the girls started aiming at PC Volunteers!)

Most girls have never swam, so getting wet in the mangroves was one of the
highlights of many of their experience.  

Our final sports activity was an enormous game of capture the flag with water balloons.
Over forty participants, several hundred balloons, and almost a hectare of playing space equals a lot of fun.   

the PEOPLE involved

Goofy PC volunteer camp counselors, who said we were fit to be in charge of all these kids.  

Behind the scenes prep and planning.

Some of us try to work hard, but those Peace Corps drivers just love to tease us.

A huge thanks to all those volunteers we worked to the point of exhaustion.

Sidi sharing a moment with our Senegalese camp counselors.   

 GIRLS TALENT SHOW

The final night the girls put on their own talent show.  They made their own skits, dances, and
songs to surprise us PC Volunteers. This was a lengthy skit about how to address early marriage
in your communities, including a respectful inclusion of community leaders and parents.

Below, each of us PC Volunteers was imitated by one of the girls or Senegalese counselors.
They were surprisingly astute, capturing our mannerisms, favorite word choices, and dance moves.
Favorite props were glasses and the outfits we used at our dance night. 

The girls singing Celine Dion's "Mother and the Child."

DANCING

The most successful event was our 'Sabaar' or night of Senegalese dancing.
We brought in a local drumming troupe, sat the girls in an enormous circle, and danced until exhaustion.
Above is one of our Senegalese counselors showing off her moves.

Some of the girls were more shy than others, so I would come and have them join me in the circle.

And she seemed to enjoy it!

Look at all those beautiful dance moves and dresses!

Us volunteers showing off our best moves.  

Thank you everybody for an excellent camp!  What an excellent capstone to my service!