I've finally arrived!
...Well, sort of.
I made it through our technical training, a pretty anticlimactic experience considering the phone call I received from the agriculture agent (see "Something Lighter"). He turned out to be one of the nicest men I've ever met, wholly concerned with our well-being and happiness in Senegal. Despite this (haha) I learned about double digging, zai holes, demi lunes, tree grafting, and don't ask me how to do them because I've already forgotten. It's going to be a steep learning curve, but gardening and I are going to be great friends by the end of my two years here.
At approximately six-thirty am yesterday morning, I bid farewell to my fellow volunteers and hopped in a rental "sept-place" (seven seat station wagon) to drive seven hours to my new site. The city is dusty, hot as all hell and full of garbage, but also graced with a large amount of character and potential. I unloaded my baggage, met my new work-partner and biked immediately to the demonstration garden where I will spend the majority of my time here. The garden is right next to the town dump and infused with the most rocks I've ever seen not in a gravel driveway, and so it presents its challenges. However, the volunteer I am now teaming up with has made huge headway and I'm excited to get started.
The garden is used to host gardening classes and introduce new techniques, hence a significant amount of pressure on the volunteers to keep everything growing healthily and strong. In a plot of land with more rocks than soil, this is no mean feat. I'll keep you posted on our developments and insh'allah report some future successes.
My particular situation is a little tricky given that we (Niger transferees) are being installed in a non-traditional manner. In any other case, I would not be working alongside a volunteer in my exact sector, and so figuring out the division of labor and where I fit into projects already underway is a bit difficult. I haven't met my host family yet or moved in fully, because Peace Corps screwed up - what else is new? - and didn't give us any money to buy beds, mattresses, food, etc. I am currently bunking at the regional house until tomorrow when the offices open and I can access my funds. I can't tell you how excited I am to not be living out of a suitcase. One more day...one more day and I'll have a real home! Fingers crossed I'll live here for more than eight days. Maybe set up some pictures. Or have a real bed. Never discount the importance of simple pleasures...or necessities!
My host family is very small by even American standards; a young couple and one daughter. I am lucky to have running water (yes, we're definitely not in Niger anymore) and electricity. Essentially, I have landed in the lap of luxury, so I don't know that I'll be able to claim the classic "rough" Peace Corps experience. My host family even has a computer, allegedly. But don't worry - it's still 120 degrees!
<3 Phoebe
...Well, sort of.
I made it through our technical training, a pretty anticlimactic experience considering the phone call I received from the agriculture agent (see "Something Lighter"). He turned out to be one of the nicest men I've ever met, wholly concerned with our well-being and happiness in Senegal. Despite this (haha) I learned about double digging, zai holes, demi lunes, tree grafting, and don't ask me how to do them because I've already forgotten. It's going to be a steep learning curve, but gardening and I are going to be great friends by the end of my two years here.
At approximately six-thirty am yesterday morning, I bid farewell to my fellow volunteers and hopped in a rental "sept-place" (seven seat station wagon) to drive seven hours to my new site. The city is dusty, hot as all hell and full of garbage, but also graced with a large amount of character and potential. I unloaded my baggage, met my new work-partner and biked immediately to the demonstration garden where I will spend the majority of my time here. The garden is right next to the town dump and infused with the most rocks I've ever seen not in a gravel driveway, and so it presents its challenges. However, the volunteer I am now teaming up with has made huge headway and I'm excited to get started.
The garden is used to host gardening classes and introduce new techniques, hence a significant amount of pressure on the volunteers to keep everything growing healthily and strong. In a plot of land with more rocks than soil, this is no mean feat. I'll keep you posted on our developments and insh'allah report some future successes.
My particular situation is a little tricky given that we (Niger transferees) are being installed in a non-traditional manner. In any other case, I would not be working alongside a volunteer in my exact sector, and so figuring out the division of labor and where I fit into projects already underway is a bit difficult. I haven't met my host family yet or moved in fully, because Peace Corps screwed up - what else is new? - and didn't give us any money to buy beds, mattresses, food, etc. I am currently bunking at the regional house until tomorrow when the offices open and I can access my funds. I can't tell you how excited I am to not be living out of a suitcase. One more day...one more day and I'll have a real home! Fingers crossed I'll live here for more than eight days. Maybe set up some pictures. Or have a real bed. Never discount the importance of simple pleasures...or necessities!
My host family is very small by even American standards; a young couple and one daughter. I am lucky to have running water (yes, we're definitely not in Niger anymore) and electricity. Essentially, I have landed in the lap of luxury, so I don't know that I'll be able to claim the classic "rough" Peace Corps experience. My host family even has a computer, allegedly. But don't worry - it's still 120 degrees!
<3 Phoebe
