The New Year is upon us and it doesn't seem possible that we've been here over 2 months--it seems like a life time. The New Year is often a time of reflection, resolutions, and sometimes remorse. Given that Nigeriens are nothing if not resilient, is there a plausable reason to be hopeful--certainly not optimistic. (It's hard to be optimistic when the population is expected to increase by over 200% in a few years, but again hopeful is doable.) And it's more likely to be doable by Peace Corps than by NGO's. NGO's spend millions on big important projects but they don't follow through with consistent management. An example, we recently spent 2 weeks in a rural village where Luxembourg spent a small fortune on a solar powered pump, well and latrine for a primary school with one hundred students. The water didn't work for the lack of a seat for the faucet, a $5 or $6 item. No one from the NGO bothers to check on their project. No one has looked for a part in the capital city of Niger and most internet companies won't ship to Niger--smart move. (I'll pick one up in Europe this summer.) The Peace Corps at least has people who speak the local language and stay in the area for follow-up. One of Peace Corps' major draw backs is no money for development. We can manage but we can't initiate. The US budget deficit means fewer dollars for government which, in my opinion, is not bad. Peace Corps volunteers use their own money--using our own money means a more careful evaluation of small scale projects. And because Niger is so down and out, small scale works. Sixty percent of the population makes less than a dollar a day. Here $2 a day is meaningful.In Niger there are projects that can be managed, implemented, and audited that hit that number. The country continues circling the drain but some people can reach escape velocity. Perhaps. Maybe I'll know in a couple of years. Stay tuned.
"We were the fools who could not rest,
In the dull earth we left behind,
But burned with a passion for the South,
Drank strange frenzy from its wind.
The world where wise men sit at ease,
Fades in our unregretful eyes,
And thus, across uncharted seas we stagger
On our own enterprise."
Sir Ernest Shackelton Dave
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
46 in Niger
The very idea of spending our 46th wedding anniversary in Niger, Africa was probably the furthest thought from our minds when Dave and I got married in December, 1964. In fact, just getting through the ice and snow which fell on our wedding day, then driving to Gatlinburg for our honeymoon was a major challenge. I doubt that we even knew there WAS a Niger, West Africa. But……46 years later, here we are, spending our wedding anniversary with 40 other Peace Corps trainees, most of whom are in their 20’s, and we are loving it. True, we think of previous anniversary celebrations with family and friends or those we privately shared in special places. But this year, we are in Niger and our new “family” helped us to celebrate an event they only heard about and for the most part, have no way of understanding the significance of those 46 years we have shared.
How did we celebrate an anniversary in a foreign land where the life expectancy is 47 and a man may have 4 wives? How would he keep up with all of his anniversaries and make them special? How would multiple wives feel as their co-wife was the special one for the day? Dave and I did not have to worry about that! We just wanted to share the time with our newly made friends and Peace Corps colleagues. With the help of the Training Director at our site, we ordered a cake big enough to serve all trainees, Peace Corps staff and site employees. It was a HUGE cake, beautifully iced, banana flavored and COLD. Our cake was made by a restaurant in the Niger capital city where Peace Corps folks gravitate due to its excellent food, sodas, ice cream, pizza and beautiful desserts. It is also air conditioned and offers free Wi-fi. Such luxuries are all of these items, and our cake was too. Delivered especially at a time when refrigeration was available at our site, the party began when the amazing cake appeared. Chocolate icing, personal inscriptions, multiple layers of cake—what better way to celebrate. And we did party!! And so did our Niger Country Director and other staff who attended.
We gave ourselves a beautiful hand-made leather photo frame made by a local African ethnic group, the Taureg’s and the other older married couple presented us with a lovely round leather jewelry box made by the same African people. Memories are made of this…………………….and we danced to the voices of 20 year olds who were curious about whether we could actually dance! We’re old, you know!! But yes, we can dance! That impromptu performance has led to another trainee with teaching experience being asked to teach swing dance at a future training session.
Thinking this was THE celebration, we ended that day feeling great. Then the next day, our fellow trainees presented a program in our honor, spoofing our training objectives and inserting information about us into a group game( thanks to several inquisitive young people who found out lots of details about our life, family, backgrounds, etc)...all in fun and celebration of our 46th. Topping off this day was a card signed by all of our new friends, wishing us well and even wishing us “46 more “---I doubt that will happen!
Never give up on the youth of today nor should we think they are not approachable on an adult level. They are awesome and made us feel very special, even though we are old enough to be many of their grandparents. Cheers! to the Peace Corps Niger October 2010 trainees. They are the best.
Judy and Dave
How did we celebrate an anniversary in a foreign land where the life expectancy is 47 and a man may have 4 wives? How would he keep up with all of his anniversaries and make them special? How would multiple wives feel as their co-wife was the special one for the day? Dave and I did not have to worry about that! We just wanted to share the time with our newly made friends and Peace Corps colleagues. With the help of the Training Director at our site, we ordered a cake big enough to serve all trainees, Peace Corps staff and site employees. It was a HUGE cake, beautifully iced, banana flavored and COLD. Our cake was made by a restaurant in the Niger capital city where Peace Corps folks gravitate due to its excellent food, sodas, ice cream, pizza and beautiful desserts. It is also air conditioned and offers free Wi-fi. Such luxuries are all of these items, and our cake was too. Delivered especially at a time when refrigeration was available at our site, the party began when the amazing cake appeared. Chocolate icing, personal inscriptions, multiple layers of cake—what better way to celebrate. And we did party!! And so did our Niger Country Director and other staff who attended.
We gave ourselves a beautiful hand-made leather photo frame made by a local African ethnic group, the Taureg’s and the other older married couple presented us with a lovely round leather jewelry box made by the same African people. Memories are made of this…………………….and we danced to the voices of 20 year olds who were curious about whether we could actually dance! We’re old, you know!! But yes, we can dance! That impromptu performance has led to another trainee with teaching experience being asked to teach swing dance at a future training session.
Thinking this was THE celebration, we ended that day feeling great. Then the next day, our fellow trainees presented a program in our honor, spoofing our training objectives and inserting information about us into a group game( thanks to several inquisitive young people who found out lots of details about our life, family, backgrounds, etc)...all in fun and celebration of our 46th. Topping off this day was a card signed by all of our new friends, wishing us well and even wishing us “46 more “---I doubt that will happen!
Never give up on the youth of today nor should we think they are not approachable on an adult level. They are awesome and made us feel very special, even though we are old enough to be many of their grandparents. Cheers! to the Peace Corps Niger October 2010 trainees. They are the best.
Judy and Dave
Saturday, December 11, 2010
SURVIVAL
We experienced the Stone Age again today. During a refreshingly cool morning walk through the African bush, we came upon a lake we'd visited earlier in the week. Today though, the scene was different. It was an exercise in survival for local bush dwellers and also for the fish who lived in the lake. 3 local boys were busy lighting a small fire in the sandy soil beside the lake, manure clods around them. Wet clothes barely clung to their thin, muscular bodies which were glistening with moisture from the lake. Once the fire started, the boys laid a still wiggling cat fish directly onto sticks in the flames. Smoke arose, the boys smiled, the fish died--finally. It's struggle had begun before our arrival when the boys entered the lake and caught the fish with their bare hands as it thrashed around on a primitive hook and line in the water. Still in the lake was an older boy casting a spear into the water from place to place, stalking fish along the lake's bottom where fish were trying to escape the cool morning water above as well as the spear about to take their lives.
The older boy gradually moved through the water and shouted to the others on the bank as he triumphantly raised a fish over his head, spear in the opposite hand. As he made his way back to shore in the thigh high water, the younger boys were already eating their fish, straight from the fire and with their hands. Their search for food this morning sustained them for another day in the bush while the fish gave its life for that purpose.
The older boy returned and proudly showed his catch, after which he returned to the lake and with his strong muscular arms began ripping out water lilies which were growing in the lake. Handful after handful, he tore the large white blooms and glossy leaves from their environment.To us, these African water lilies are treasures greatly appreciated by gardeners. But here these botanical beauties are detrimental to man's survival because they prevent fish from frequenting an area where they grow. People trying to survive by eating fish have no way of being cognizant of a water lily's value and beauty. They only want to eat and survive.
And the only thing which negates this Stone Age experience is the sight of the older boy lighting up a cigarette as he awaits his fish's turn on the fire. Judy and Dave
The older boy gradually moved through the water and shouted to the others on the bank as he triumphantly raised a fish over his head, spear in the opposite hand. As he made his way back to shore in the thigh high water, the younger boys were already eating their fish, straight from the fire and with their hands. Their search for food this morning sustained them for another day in the bush while the fish gave its life for that purpose.
The older boy returned and proudly showed his catch, after which he returned to the lake and with his strong muscular arms began ripping out water lilies which were growing in the lake. Handful after handful, he tore the large white blooms and glossy leaves from their environment.To us, these African water lilies are treasures greatly appreciated by gardeners. But here these botanical beauties are detrimental to man's survival because they prevent fish from frequenting an area where they grow. People trying to survive by eating fish have no way of being cognizant of a water lily's value and beauty. They only want to eat and survive.
And the only thing which negates this Stone Age experience is the sight of the older boy lighting up a cigarette as he awaits his fish's turn on the fire. Judy and Dave
Women's Work is Never Done----in Rural Niger
Often it starts before sunrise. The stars still shine in the sky above. We lie awake and listen. The roosters crow, the donkeys bray, the children have not begun to stir. There is activity at the well behind our hut. Local village women are chatting, laughing, banging their buckets about, as they await the container with precious water which is being pulled from the well by one of them
The sun is just now rising. A woman’s work is never done in rural Niger.
Her day ‘s calendar starts with sweeping the floor of her concession or family’s area. She then cooks breakfast which she might have started when the open fire was burning the night before. Next is pulling water from the well, which means dropping a 10 gallon bideaun into the well and pulling it up sixty to sixty-five feet with 80 pounds of water. The women pour the water into open buckets, lift it to their head and walk to their huts with perfect, erect posture. A baby is frequently on the woman’s back as she takes the water to her family for use in drinking, bathing, cooking and washing clothes by hand. (Based on Nigerien culture, only women pull water from the well so when Dave tried to pull a bucket for us to use, the women became agitated and upset. I tried to pull the water up, but it was so heavy I was almost pulled into the well! Peace Corps now pays a village woman to pull water for all the trainees. It makes me feel guilty, however, we are told that the women need the money and Peace Corps pays well. I hope that is true.)
The women must then pound millet for part of the family’s meal. Rice is too expensive so millet is used in most daily meals. (The only reason Dave and I get rice is because the Peace Corps pays for it.) Fire wood must be gathered for cooking and during this season, many women also work in the millet fields harvesting the end-of-season crop and chopping left-over stalks which are used for fencing. They may also plant winter gardens as well as make crafts or foods for sale at local markets. If lucky, a pause will occur during the hottest part of the day for women and children to rest or fulanzam.
Women’s work is all of the above without mentioning the care of their children. The average number of children per Nigerien woman is 7.5, so again, the woman’s work is never done. Child care is often shared among wives of a husband, but the children’s needs are countless—just as in the U.S. When a Nigerien woman is asked “mante farga”? or “how is your tiredness?” in the Zarma language, she generally answers “farga si no:, or “no tiredness”. What woman in the U.S. would ever reply in this way after such a day?
And the day starts over…………………a woman’s work is never done in rural Niger.
Our hope is to bring some idea or small improvement to the life of even one woman in Niger, to make her life a bit easier. These women are strong physically but are humans just as are. Our first effort was to give work gloves to one woman to use and share as she pulled water from the well or pounded millet. During both of these tasks the women’s hands become heavily callused and sore from the friction of the ropes and pounding sticks. We never saw the gloves used and believe the recipient sold them, needing the money more than protection for her hands. Dave also built 2 mud cook stoves for a large family in hopes of reducing the amount of fire wood needed for cooking. The family used the stoves to prepare food for a wedding so we know they appreciated the effort.
Count your blessings and be thankful for the life you now live. As the Nigeriens say frequently,
Alhamdulilahi or “thanks be to God”. Judy
The sun is just now rising. A woman’s work is never done in rural Niger.
Her day ‘s calendar starts with sweeping the floor of her concession or family’s area. She then cooks breakfast which she might have started when the open fire was burning the night before. Next is pulling water from the well, which means dropping a 10 gallon bideaun into the well and pulling it up sixty to sixty-five feet with 80 pounds of water. The women pour the water into open buckets, lift it to their head and walk to their huts with perfect, erect posture. A baby is frequently on the woman’s back as she takes the water to her family for use in drinking, bathing, cooking and washing clothes by hand. (Based on Nigerien culture, only women pull water from the well so when Dave tried to pull a bucket for us to use, the women became agitated and upset. I tried to pull the water up, but it was so heavy I was almost pulled into the well! Peace Corps now pays a village woman to pull water for all the trainees. It makes me feel guilty, however, we are told that the women need the money and Peace Corps pays well. I hope that is true.)
The women must then pound millet for part of the family’s meal. Rice is too expensive so millet is used in most daily meals. (The only reason Dave and I get rice is because the Peace Corps pays for it.) Fire wood must be gathered for cooking and during this season, many women also work in the millet fields harvesting the end-of-season crop and chopping left-over stalks which are used for fencing. They may also plant winter gardens as well as make crafts or foods for sale at local markets. If lucky, a pause will occur during the hottest part of the day for women and children to rest or fulanzam.
Women’s work is all of the above without mentioning the care of their children. The average number of children per Nigerien woman is 7.5, so again, the woman’s work is never done. Child care is often shared among wives of a husband, but the children’s needs are countless—just as in the U.S. When a Nigerien woman is asked “mante farga”? or “how is your tiredness?” in the Zarma language, she generally answers “farga si no:, or “no tiredness”. What woman in the U.S. would ever reply in this way after such a day?
And the day starts over…………………a woman’s work is never done in rural Niger.
Our hope is to bring some idea or small improvement to the life of even one woman in Niger, to make her life a bit easier. These women are strong physically but are humans just as are. Our first effort was to give work gloves to one woman to use and share as she pulled water from the well or pounded millet. During both of these tasks the women’s hands become heavily callused and sore from the friction of the ropes and pounding sticks. We never saw the gloves used and believe the recipient sold them, needing the money more than protection for her hands. Dave also built 2 mud cook stoves for a large family in hopes of reducing the amount of fire wood needed for cooking. The family used the stoves to prepare food for a wedding so we know they appreciated the effort.
Count your blessings and be thankful for the life you now live. As the Nigeriens say frequently,
Alhamdulilahi or “thanks be to God”. Judy
There's no Christmas in Niger---just a Christmas Wish List
As December progresses and the holiday season approaches, we think of where we were last year at this time. Planning trips to visit family, shopping for gifts, attending parties and musical performances, decorating the house—all of the normal activities associated with Christmas and December.
This year in mid-December, we are in rural Niger nearing the end of our training period for the Peace Corps. If all goes well, our swearing in as official volunteers will be on December 30 with placement in our own village soon to follow. That is all very exciting and even though the training has been rough in many ways, we do not regret having the experience. We value the cultural exchange we have been able to participate in and look forward to actually starting meaningful projects in 2011.
There is, however, the longing for the holiday which is definitely not celebrated here. Our location and time have not allowed us to send Christmas cards or gifts, but we do think of what others might enjoy and then ----what might be on our wish list for Santa.
You might be surprised! The items we wish for are not what you’d expect, but they are small luxuries which would make our life in Niger a bit more comfortable.
Our Wish List
Peanut M & M’s---the only chocolate which does not melt in transit or in the heat of Niger
AAA batteries—we live with no electricity so have headlamps and flashlights which require batteries not readily available here
Hand wipes or hand sanitizer— dust, grease and disease-causing germs are rampant here
Zip Lock bags of all sizes—again, dust is prevalent, so everything we own gets dirty if not enclosed
Protein bars, granola or Luna bars—there is rare protein aside from beans in our diet. We have had meat only on very selected occasions or when eating at the Peace Corps site
Dried fruit or nuts (not candied fruit)—fresh fruit is almost non-existent in the rural bush villages
Toilet tissue or Kleenex—cheaper the better. Don’t even think of what happens when we can’t get it!
Scouring pads, brillo pads, etc— peanut oil in most rice and bean dishes leaves everything greasy .
Most of all we wish for our family and friends to have the best Christmas, holiday season, and New Year ever. We miss you, think of you and wish you health and happiness during this season of love and light. Love, Judy and Dave
If Santa reads this list, he/she should only send small packages due to the cost of mailing both in the US and in Africa. Also, packages are frequently opened and pilfered before they are delivered. Some packages do not ever arrive even though postal charges are high at the local post office in Niger.
This year in mid-December, we are in rural Niger nearing the end of our training period for the Peace Corps. If all goes well, our swearing in as official volunteers will be on December 30 with placement in our own village soon to follow. That is all very exciting and even though the training has been rough in many ways, we do not regret having the experience. We value the cultural exchange we have been able to participate in and look forward to actually starting meaningful projects in 2011.
There is, however, the longing for the holiday which is definitely not celebrated here. Our location and time have not allowed us to send Christmas cards or gifts, but we do think of what others might enjoy and then ----what might be on our wish list for Santa.
You might be surprised! The items we wish for are not what you’d expect, but they are small luxuries which would make our life in Niger a bit more comfortable.
Our Wish List
Peanut M & M’s---the only chocolate which does not melt in transit or in the heat of Niger
AAA batteries—we live with no electricity so have headlamps and flashlights which require batteries not readily available here
Hand wipes or hand sanitizer— dust, grease and disease-causing germs are rampant here
Zip Lock bags of all sizes—again, dust is prevalent, so everything we own gets dirty if not enclosed
Protein bars, granola or Luna bars—there is rare protein aside from beans in our diet. We have had meat only on very selected occasions or when eating at the Peace Corps site
Dried fruit or nuts (not candied fruit)—fresh fruit is almost non-existent in the rural bush villages
Toilet tissue or Kleenex—cheaper the better. Don’t even think of what happens when we can’t get it!
Scouring pads, brillo pads, etc— peanut oil in most rice and bean dishes leaves everything greasy .
Most of all we wish for our family and friends to have the best Christmas, holiday season, and New Year ever. We miss you, think of you and wish you health and happiness during this season of love and light. Love, Judy and Dave
If Santa reads this list, he/she should only send small packages due to the cost of mailing both in the US and in Africa. Also, packages are frequently opened and pilfered before they are delivered. Some packages do not ever arrive even though postal charges are high at the local post office in Niger.
There's No Christmas in Niger----just a Wish List
As December progresses and the holiday season approaches, we think of where we were last year at this time. Planning trips to visit family, shopping for gifts, attending parties and musical performances, decorating the house—all of the normal activities associated with Christmas and December.
This year in mid-December, we are in rural Niger nearing the end of our training period for the Peace Corps. If all goes well, our swearing in as official volunteers will be on December 30 with placement in our own village soon to follow. That is all very exciting and even though the training has been rough in many ways, we do not regret having the experience. We value the cultural exchange we have been able to participate in and look forward to actually starting meaningful projects in 2011.
There is, however, the longing for the holiday which is definitely not celebrated here. Our location and time have not allowed us to send Christmas cards or gifts, but we do think of what others might enjoy and then ----what might be on our wish list for Santa.
You might be surprised! The items we wish for are not what you’d expect, but they are small luxuries which would make our life in Niger a bit more comfortable.
Our Wish List
Peanut M & M’s---the only chocolate which does not melt in transit or in the heat of Niger
AAA batteries—we live with no electricity so have headlamps and flashlights which require batteries not readily available here
Hand wipes or hand sanitizer— dust, grease and disease-causing germs are rampant here
Zip Lock bags of all sizes—again, dust is prevalent, so everything we own gets dirty if not enclosed
Protein bars, granola or Luna bars—there is rare protein aside from beans in our diet. We have had meat only on very selected occasions or when eating at the Peace Corps site
Dried fruit or nuts (not candied fruit)—fresh fruit is almost non-existent in the rural bush villages
Toilet tissue or Kleenex—cheaper the better. Don’t even think of what happens when we can’t get it!
Scouring pads, brillo pads, etc— peanut oil in most rice and bean dishes leaves everything greasy .
Most of all we wish for our family and friends to have the best Christmas, holiday season, and New Year ever. We miss you, think of you and wish you health and happiness during this season of love and light. Love, Judy and Dave
If Santa reads this list, he/she should only send small packages due to the cost of mailing both in the US and in Africa. Also, packages are frequently opened and pilfered before they are delivered. Some packages do not ever arrive even though postal charges are high at the local post office in Niger.
There’s No Christmas in Niger----just a Wish List
As December progresses and the holiday season approaches, we think of where we were last year at this time. Planning trips to visit family, shopping for gifts, attending parties and musical performances, decorating the house—all of the normal activities associated with Christmas and December.
This year in mid-December, we are in rural Niger nearing the end of our training period for the Peace Corps. If all goes well, our swearing in as official volunteers will be on December 30 with placement in our own village soon to follow. That is all very exciting and even though the training has been rough in many ways, we do not regret having the experience. We value the cultural exchange we have been able to participate in and look forward to actually starting meaningful projects in 2011.
There is, however, the longing for the holiday which is definitely not celebrated here. Our location and time have not allowed us to send Christmas cards or gifts, but we do think of what others might enjoy and then ----what might be on our wish list for Santa.
You might be surprised! The items we wish for are not what you’d expect, but they are small luxuries which would make our life in Niger a bit more comfortable.
Our Wish List
Peanut M & M’s---the only chocolate which does not melt in transit or in the heat of Niger
AAA batteries—we live with no electricity so have headlamps and flashlights which require batteries not readily available here
Hand wipes or hand sanitizer— dust, grease and disease-causing germs are rampant here
Zip Lock bags of all sizes—again, dust is prevalent, so everything we own gets dirty if not enclosed
Protein bars, granola or Luna bars—there is rare protein aside from beans in our diet. We have had meat only on very selected occasions or when eating at the Peace Corps site
Dried fruit or nuts (not candied fruit)—fresh fruit is almost non-existent in the rural bush villages
Toilet tissue or Kleenex—cheaper the better. Don’t even think of what happens when we can’t get it!
Scouring pads, brillo pads, etc— peanut oil in most rice and bean dishes leaves everything greasy .
Most of all we wish for our family and friends to have the best Christmas, holiday season, and New Year ever. We miss you, think of you and wish you health and happiness during this season of love and light. Love, Judy and Dave
If Santa reads this list, he/she should only send small packages due to the cost of mailing both in the US and in Africa. Also, packages are frequently opened and pilfered before they are delivered. Some packages do not ever arrive even though postal charges are high at the local post office in Niger.
There’s No Christmas in Niger----just a Wish List
As December progresses and the holiday season approaches, we think of where we were last year at this time. Planning trips to visit family, shopping for gifts, attending parties and musical performances, decorating the house—all of the normal activities associated with Christmas and December.
This year in mid-December, we are in rural Niger nearing the end of our training period for the Peace Corps. If all goes well, our swearing in as official volunteers will be on December 30 with placement in our own village soon to follow. That is all very exciting and even though the training has been rough in many ways, we do not regret having the experience. We value the cultural exchange we have been able to participate in and look forward to actually starting meaningful projects in 2011.
There is, however, the longing for the holiday which is definitely not celebrated here. Our location and time have not allowed us to send Christmas cards or gifts, but we do think of what others might enjoy and then ----what might be on our wish list for Santa.
You might be surprised! The items we wish for are not what you’d expect, but they are small luxuries which would make our life in Niger a bit more comfortable.
Our Wish List
Peanut M & M’s---the only chocolate which does not melt in transit or in the heat of Niger
AAA batteries—we live with no electricity so have headlamps and flashlights which require batteries not readily available here
Hand wipes or hand sanitizer— dust, grease and disease-causing germs are rampant here
Zip Lock bags of all sizes—again, dust is prevalent, so everything we own gets dirty if not enclosed
Protein bars, granola or Luna bars—there is rare protein aside from beans in our diet. We have had meat only on very selected occasions or when eating at the Peace Corps site
Dried fruit or nuts (not candied fruit)—fresh fruit is almost non-existent in the rural bush villages
Toilet tissue or Kleenex—cheaper the better. Don’t even think of what happens when we can’t get it!
Scouring pads, brillo pads, etc— peanut oil in most rice and bean dishes leaves everything greasy .
Most of all we wish for our family and friends to have the best Christmas, holiday season, and New Year ever. We miss you, think of you and wish you health and happiness during this season of love and light. Love, Judy and Dave
If Santa reads this list, he/she should only send small packages due to the cost of mailing both in the US and in Africa. Also, packages are frequently opened and pilfered before they are delivered. Some packages do not ever arrive even though postal charges are high at the local post office in Niger.
This year in mid-December, we are in rural Niger nearing the end of our training period for the Peace Corps. If all goes well, our swearing in as official volunteers will be on December 30 with placement in our own village soon to follow. That is all very exciting and even though the training has been rough in many ways, we do not regret having the experience. We value the cultural exchange we have been able to participate in and look forward to actually starting meaningful projects in 2011.
There is, however, the longing for the holiday which is definitely not celebrated here. Our location and time have not allowed us to send Christmas cards or gifts, but we do think of what others might enjoy and then ----what might be on our wish list for Santa.
You might be surprised! The items we wish for are not what you’d expect, but they are small luxuries which would make our life in Niger a bit more comfortable.
Our Wish List
Peanut M & M’s---the only chocolate which does not melt in transit or in the heat of Niger
AAA batteries—we live with no electricity so have headlamps and flashlights which require batteries not readily available here
Hand wipes or hand sanitizer— dust, grease and disease-causing germs are rampant here
Zip Lock bags of all sizes—again, dust is prevalent, so everything we own gets dirty if not enclosed
Protein bars, granola or Luna bars—there is rare protein aside from beans in our diet. We have had meat only on very selected occasions or when eating at the Peace Corps site
Dried fruit or nuts (not candied fruit)—fresh fruit is almost non-existent in the rural bush villages
Toilet tissue or Kleenex—cheaper the better. Don’t even think of what happens when we can’t get it!
Scouring pads, brillo pads, etc— peanut oil in most rice and bean dishes leaves everything greasy .
Most of all we wish for our family and friends to have the best Christmas, holiday season, and New Year ever. We miss you, think of you and wish you health and happiness during this season of love and light. Love, Judy and Dave
If Santa reads this list, he/she should only send small packages due to the cost of mailing both in the US and in Africa. Also, packages are frequently opened and pilfered before they are delivered. Some packages do not ever arrive even though postal charges are high at the local post office in Niger.
There’s No Christmas in Niger----just a Wish List
As December progresses and the holiday season approaches, we think of where we were last year at this time. Planning trips to visit family, shopping for gifts, attending parties and musical performances, decorating the house—all of the normal activities associated with Christmas and December.
This year in mid-December, we are in rural Niger nearing the end of our training period for the Peace Corps. If all goes well, our swearing in as official volunteers will be on December 30 with placement in our own village soon to follow. That is all very exciting and even though the training has been rough in many ways, we do not regret having the experience. We value the cultural exchange we have been able to participate in and look forward to actually starting meaningful projects in 2011.
There is, however, the longing for the holiday which is definitely not celebrated here. Our location and time have not allowed us to send Christmas cards or gifts, but we do think of what others might enjoy and then ----what might be on our wish list for Santa.
You might be surprised! The items we wish for are not what you’d expect, but they are small luxuries which would make our life in Niger a bit more comfortable.
Our Wish List
Peanut M & M’s---the only chocolate which does not melt in transit or in the heat of Niger
AAA batteries—we live with no electricity so have headlamps and flashlights which require batteries not readily available here
Hand wipes or hand sanitizer— dust, grease and disease-causing germs are rampant here
Zip Lock bags of all sizes—again, dust is prevalent, so everything we own gets dirty if not enclosed
Protein bars, granola or Luna bars—there is rare protein aside from beans in our diet. We have had meat only on very selected occasions or when eating at the Peace Corps site
Dried fruit or nuts (not candied fruit)—fresh fruit is almost non-existent in the rural bush villages
Toilet tissue or Kleenex—cheaper the better. Don’t even think of what happens when we can’t get it!
Scouring pads, brillo pads, etc— peanut oil in most rice and bean dishes leaves everything greasy .
Most of all we wish for our family and friends to have the best Christmas, holiday season, and New Year ever. We miss you, think of you and wish you health and happiness during this season of love and light. Love, Judy and Dave
If Santa reads this list, he/she should only send small packages due to the cost of mailing both in the US and in Africa. Also, packages are frequently opened and pilfered before they are delivered. Some packages do not ever arrive even though postal charges are high at the local post office in Niger.
There’s No Christmas in Niger----just a Wish List
As December progresses and the holiday season approaches, we think of where we were last year at this time. Planning trips to visit family, shopping for gifts, attending parties and musical performances, decorating the house—all of the normal activities associated with Christmas and December.
This year in mid-December, we are in rural Niger nearing the end of our training period for the Peace Corps. If all goes well, our swearing in as official volunteers will be on December 30 with placement in our own village soon to follow. That is all very exciting and even though the training has been rough in many ways, we do not regret having the experience. We value the cultural exchange we have been able to participate in and look forward to actually starting meaningful projects in 2011.
There is, however, the longing for the holiday which is definitely not celebrated here. Our location and time have not allowed us to send Christmas cards or gifts, but we do think of what others might enjoy and then ----what might be on our wish list for Santa.
You might be surprised! The items we wish for are not what you’d expect, but they are small luxuries which would make our life in Niger a bit more comfortable.
Our Wish List
Peanut M & M’s---the only chocolate which does not melt in transit or in the heat of Niger
AAA batteries—we live with no electricity so have headlamps and flashlights which require batteries not readily available here
Hand wipes or hand sanitizer— dust, grease and disease-causing germs are rampant here
Zip Lock bags of all sizes—again, dust is prevalent, so everything we own gets dirty if not enclosed
Protein bars, granola or Luna bars—there is rare protein aside from beans in our diet. We have had meat only on very selected occasions or when eating at the Peace Corps site
Dried fruit or nuts (not candied fruit)—fresh fruit is almost non-existent in the rural bush villages
Toilet tissue or Kleenex—cheaper the better. Don’t even think of what happens when we can’t get it!
Scouring pads, brillo pads, etc— peanut oil in most rice and bean dishes leaves everything greasy .
Most of all we wish for our family and friends to have the best Christmas, holiday season, and New Year ever. We miss you, think of you and wish you health and happiness during this season of love and light. Love, Judy and Dave
If Santa reads this list, he/she should only send small packages due to the cost of mailing both in the US and in Africa. Also, packages are frequently opened and pilfered before they are delivered. Some packages do not ever arrive even though postal charges are high at the local post office in Niger.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
West Africa on a Friday Night
Nassirou and Sherifa are our names in Niger. We were given these names by our host family when we arrived in the village for our pre-service training. All Peace Corps volunteers have a Nigerien name which enhances the idea of immersing into a different culture. I actually like my name, Sherifa. Its meaning is unknown to me, however, it seems to be popular in my village. Nassirou means “lucky”. I hope that proves to be true.
Last Friday night after a day of language classes, visiting a new baby in a neighboring village, touring 2 local health huts, and planting a small vegetable garden, Nassirou and I just wanted to sit for a bit, relax or fulanzam(rest) and cool off before dinner. Nassirou’s lucky failed because 3 village children appeared immediately at our door saying “salum alakaim”, “salum alakaim”. We had to respond—“Amin Alakum salum”, I said, and in they came to our small space. One boy, Moumuni, reminds us of Jared, our grandson. The other 2 children tag along with him most nights. They long for attention from someone.
The children sit on the dirt floor, quiet, just watching us. Our language skills are still so lacking that we did the same—it did not seem to matter. The children just like to look at us. We don’t have anymore Peanut M&M’s to share, but they don’t seem to care.
Finally, not being able to stand the silence, I got our playing cards from inside our hut and began shuffling them for a game of Battle. Moumuni dealt them to Nassirou, Sherifa, and himself and did so quite aptly, I’d say. Even though this African bush child speaks his local language, Zarma, he is learning French and Arabic in school and knows his numbers in English. With limited ability to explain the game, we just started playing, laying our cards out face up with Moumuni doing the same. We’d then indicate the high card as the round’s winner. Moumuni and his friends who were, quickly caught on and began pointing to the winner of each hand. No verbal exchange was needed but plenty of laughter ensued as we sat with these children playing cards by flashlight and by starlight.
When Hamsu, one of our host family wives, brought our dinner, the children scattered and returned to their own fu (home). They were well trained. Hamsu had brought her sleeping baby with her. She said, “ay sinda bani” (meaning sick), pointing to the child and indicating I should touch him. I placed my hand on his small body—it was hot with fever and the child coughed as he began to stir on the Mother’s back where he rested. As Hamsu uncovered the bowl of rice and beans which was our dinner, I lost my appetite. I just couldn’t eat. Was it because I felt badly about not being able to help this sick baby or was I afraid of Nassirou and Sherifa getting sick? I asked Hamsu if she was planning to take the baby to the local health hut and she said, “suba” (tomorrow). I looked up words in our Zarma dictionary for sponge bath and tried to explain the comfort measure for the baby. It is difficult to speak with Hamsu since she knows no English, but I felt that she understood what I was trying to tell her. We walked Hamsu and her baby across the concession to her home.
After taking bucket baths by moonlight, Nassirou and Sherifa were in bed by 8:30 pm, protected by mosquito nets and overcome with exhaustion. It was too warm to immediately fall asleep so we lay quietly thinking about the busy day we’d had in West Africa and about all that was planned for the next day..
Nassirou’s name means lucky. We’ll find out if it’s good luck or bad luck as time goes by.
Judy
Post script: Nassirou experienced some bad luck soon after that Friday night. He caught an upper respiratory infection from one of the village children. Don’t worry though, he recovered quickly.
Last Friday night after a day of language classes, visiting a new baby in a neighboring village, touring 2 local health huts, and planting a small vegetable garden, Nassirou and I just wanted to sit for a bit, relax or fulanzam(rest) and cool off before dinner. Nassirou’s lucky failed because 3 village children appeared immediately at our door saying “salum alakaim”, “salum alakaim”. We had to respond—“Amin Alakum salum”, I said, and in they came to our small space. One boy, Moumuni, reminds us of Jared, our grandson. The other 2 children tag along with him most nights. They long for attention from someone.
The children sit on the dirt floor, quiet, just watching us. Our language skills are still so lacking that we did the same—it did not seem to matter. The children just like to look at us. We don’t have anymore Peanut M&M’s to share, but they don’t seem to care.
Finally, not being able to stand the silence, I got our playing cards from inside our hut and began shuffling them for a game of Battle. Moumuni dealt them to Nassirou, Sherifa, and himself and did so quite aptly, I’d say. Even though this African bush child speaks his local language, Zarma, he is learning French and Arabic in school and knows his numbers in English. With limited ability to explain the game, we just started playing, laying our cards out face up with Moumuni doing the same. We’d then indicate the high card as the round’s winner. Moumuni and his friends who were, quickly caught on and began pointing to the winner of each hand. No verbal exchange was needed but plenty of laughter ensued as we sat with these children playing cards by flashlight and by starlight.
When Hamsu, one of our host family wives, brought our dinner, the children scattered and returned to their own fu (home). They were well trained. Hamsu had brought her sleeping baby with her. She said, “ay sinda bani” (meaning sick), pointing to the child and indicating I should touch him. I placed my hand on his small body—it was hot with fever and the child coughed as he began to stir on the Mother’s back where he rested. As Hamsu uncovered the bowl of rice and beans which was our dinner, I lost my appetite. I just couldn’t eat. Was it because I felt badly about not being able to help this sick baby or was I afraid of Nassirou and Sherifa getting sick? I asked Hamsu if she was planning to take the baby to the local health hut and she said, “suba” (tomorrow). I looked up words in our Zarma dictionary for sponge bath and tried to explain the comfort measure for the baby. It is difficult to speak with Hamsu since she knows no English, but I felt that she understood what I was trying to tell her. We walked Hamsu and her baby across the concession to her home.
After taking bucket baths by moonlight, Nassirou and Sherifa were in bed by 8:30 pm, protected by mosquito nets and overcome with exhaustion. It was too warm to immediately fall asleep so we lay quietly thinking about the busy day we’d had in West Africa and about all that was planned for the next day..
Nassirou’s name means lucky. We’ll find out if it’s good luck or bad luck as time goes by.
Judy
Post script: Nassirou experienced some bad luck soon after that Friday night. He caught an upper respiratory infection from one of the village children. Don’t worry though, he recovered quickly.
Thanksgiving Day 2010
Thanksgiving 2010
The walls are cracked. Paint chips are missing everywhere. The bathroom light fixture hangs by 1 screw but the light works because there is electricity, something not available in the bush of Africa. The bed has hand cranks to raise and lower the occupant and is covered with clean but stained sheets. A basic cabinet stands against a wall with a rectangular wooden table beside it. The cabinet is empty. There is nothing on the table. There are no towels or soap. Drinking water in a sealed bottle awaits the thirsty taker.
Large windows are open, facing the Niger River and a breeze is felt wafting in. There are cracks in one window panel and a small hole is visible in the screen. Wonder if any mosquitoes which frequent this country have found the hole. Through the window one can see a beautiful garden filled with lush plants, trees and grass. It is an oasis from the dry, hot, air of the bush. Birds can be heard singing and butterflies flit from flower to flower as the African sun begins to set. Beyond the garden lies an expanse of agricultural fields where vegetables are being grown—cabbage plants can be seen with others in the background. It is a large expanse and one man will spend his day irrigating the plants with 2 hand-watering cans. His source of water is the Niger River which is in its cleanest state during this season but still not drinkable.
This hospital in Niger’s capital city was built by the French in the late 50’s. It is where Dave was brought by the Peace Corps medical officer due to his raging fever, dehydration and gastrointestinal infection. I was allowed to accompany Dave to the hospital although my problem was less severe and easily treated without need for hospitalization.
It was in this stark place that Dave and Judy spent the 2 days prior to and part of Thanksgiving Day, 2010 as Peace Corps volunteers. How did this happen?
Two evenings before, what had been a pleasant evening at a seemingly good restaurant in Niamey, Niger, turned into Dave’s illness and hospitalization because we ordered and ate a salad with our meal. There is no conclusive proof, but since one other person who shared the salad with us also was violently sick and had to go to this hospital, the restaurant’s likelihood of being part of the causative factor is fairl y certain. We miss salads and fruits so much here. When our training group was taken out to dinner and salad appeared on the menu, all knowledge of the risks of eating fresh vegetables escaped our minds and we ordered the forbidden. Firm, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and shredded carrots and cabbage filled a generous salad plate for Dave and me. We shared with our fellow volunteer, not knowing we would also share illness and Thanksgiving in a foreign country’s hospital with her too.
Unfortunately, the 3 of us became ill because we mistakenly assumed that local restaurants who offered salads on their menus also took care to clean the vegetables of the disease-causing organisms so commonly found here. Broad assumptions can prove to be erroneous but this one was definitely wrong. It is a lesson we’ll take to heart. We’ll also share a lifelong bond with Carolyn, the young Peace Corps volunteer with whom we shared our salad and the Thanksgiving hospital stay.
Now on Thanksgiving morning, along with most other Americans, we give thanks --- for family and friends, for each other, for the opportunity to experience life in so many diverse ways. Most especially on this Thanksgiving Day, 2010, we give thanks for excellent medical care first by the Peace Corps medical staff, then by the medical staff at the hospital in Niger’s capital. Though the structure is old and run down, the staff is young, educated, well trained, and highly competent. With their excellent diagnosis and treatment Dave was ready for discharge l within forty- eight hours. It was indeed a Thanksgiving Day to remember.
Irikoy ma saabu tonton (Zarma language). May God increase your thankfulness. Judy and Dave
The walls are cracked. Paint chips are missing everywhere. The bathroom light fixture hangs by 1 screw but the light works because there is electricity, something not available in the bush of Africa. The bed has hand cranks to raise and lower the occupant and is covered with clean but stained sheets. A basic cabinet stands against a wall with a rectangular wooden table beside it. The cabinet is empty. There is nothing on the table. There are no towels or soap. Drinking water in a sealed bottle awaits the thirsty taker.
Large windows are open, facing the Niger River and a breeze is felt wafting in. There are cracks in one window panel and a small hole is visible in the screen. Wonder if any mosquitoes which frequent this country have found the hole. Through the window one can see a beautiful garden filled with lush plants, trees and grass. It is an oasis from the dry, hot, air of the bush. Birds can be heard singing and butterflies flit from flower to flower as the African sun begins to set. Beyond the garden lies an expanse of agricultural fields where vegetables are being grown—cabbage plants can be seen with others in the background. It is a large expanse and one man will spend his day irrigating the plants with 2 hand-watering cans. His source of water is the Niger River which is in its cleanest state during this season but still not drinkable.
This hospital in Niger’s capital city was built by the French in the late 50’s. It is where Dave was brought by the Peace Corps medical officer due to his raging fever, dehydration and gastrointestinal infection. I was allowed to accompany Dave to the hospital although my problem was less severe and easily treated without need for hospitalization.
It was in this stark place that Dave and Judy spent the 2 days prior to and part of Thanksgiving Day, 2010 as Peace Corps volunteers. How did this happen?
Two evenings before, what had been a pleasant evening at a seemingly good restaurant in Niamey, Niger, turned into Dave’s illness and hospitalization because we ordered and ate a salad with our meal. There is no conclusive proof, but since one other person who shared the salad with us also was violently sick and had to go to this hospital, the restaurant’s likelihood of being part of the causative factor is fairl y certain. We miss salads and fruits so much here. When our training group was taken out to dinner and salad appeared on the menu, all knowledge of the risks of eating fresh vegetables escaped our minds and we ordered the forbidden. Firm, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and shredded carrots and cabbage filled a generous salad plate for Dave and me. We shared with our fellow volunteer, not knowing we would also share illness and Thanksgiving in a foreign country’s hospital with her too.
Unfortunately, the 3 of us became ill because we mistakenly assumed that local restaurants who offered salads on their menus also took care to clean the vegetables of the disease-causing organisms so commonly found here. Broad assumptions can prove to be erroneous but this one was definitely wrong. It is a lesson we’ll take to heart. We’ll also share a lifelong bond with Carolyn, the young Peace Corps volunteer with whom we shared our salad and the Thanksgiving hospital stay.
Now on Thanksgiving morning, along with most other Americans, we give thanks --- for family and friends, for each other, for the opportunity to experience life in so many diverse ways. Most especially on this Thanksgiving Day, 2010, we give thanks for excellent medical care first by the Peace Corps medical staff, then by the medical staff at the hospital in Niger’s capital. Though the structure is old and run down, the staff is young, educated, well trained, and highly competent. With their excellent diagnosis and treatment Dave was ready for discharge l within forty- eight hours. It was indeed a Thanksgiving Day to remember.
Irikoy ma saabu tonton (Zarma language). May God increase your thankfulness. Judy and Dave
Sunday, November 21, 2010
SOUNDS FROM NIGER
I awaken early in our outdoor mosquito-netted bed. Dave is still asleep. Stars still shine above. A rooster crows—another answers, and the early morning conversation begins. Overhead , one bird is singing in the Neem tree near our hut. It seems to be the same bird every morning but I’ve never been able to see it. A cow moos, a sheep baas, and a donkey brays. The donkey does not say “hee-haw” as the books say, but he gives a series of high- pitched choking sounds followed by a loud outcry. There are a total of 5 donkeys in our small rural village and they, too, seem to talk to each other—especially at night and early in the morning.
A baby cries in the distance. The cry continues and mimics other cries heard during the previous night. What are these children crying about? Are they hungry, hurting, frightened, lonely? Sometimes the children in the village, scantily dressed and wandering around, also just cry. Why? Who will answer their cries? Their Mothers must be exhausted from the repeated , never ending days of hard physical labor which is expected of them. The fathers are often away from home, working in the fields or in the city. Who answers these cries?
I lie awake quietly listening to the sounds of our village in Niger as it awakens to another day. I hear the thump ,thump, thump rhythmic sounds of the women pounding millet for the morning’s breakfast. Soon the Islam Call to Prayer by the local Imam is heard. This means there will soon be more activity near us as the village women come to the well located behind our hut. They come with babies resting on their backs and leave with buckets of water added atop their heads. They are laughing, talking, smiling. Why is their countenance and behavior so positive when their lives are so harsh? Where do they get the strength to carry on? Do they answer the children’s cries, or do they even hear them?
When one Peace Corps activity involved listing the work of women in Niger, child care was not even on the list. Why??? The average number of children per Nigerien women is 8. And child care is not on the list of responsibilities they assume?? As we see toddlers wandering near our hut, now more comfortable with us ANASARAS , we are beginning to understand that the children take care of each other and that the work the mothers do actually does go towards their care, though indirectly. The children grow up to work and support their family. When they are young, they cry and are heard in the night. But no one answers. Maybe the baby is Niger. Judy
A baby cries in the distance. The cry continues and mimics other cries heard during the previous night. What are these children crying about? Are they hungry, hurting, frightened, lonely? Sometimes the children in the village, scantily dressed and wandering around, also just cry. Why? Who will answer their cries? Their Mothers must be exhausted from the repeated , never ending days of hard physical labor which is expected of them. The fathers are often away from home, working in the fields or in the city. Who answers these cries?
I lie awake quietly listening to the sounds of our village in Niger as it awakens to another day. I hear the thump ,thump, thump rhythmic sounds of the women pounding millet for the morning’s breakfast. Soon the Islam Call to Prayer by the local Imam is heard. This means there will soon be more activity near us as the village women come to the well located behind our hut. They come with babies resting on their backs and leave with buckets of water added atop their heads. They are laughing, talking, smiling. Why is their countenance and behavior so positive when their lives are so harsh? Where do they get the strength to carry on? Do they answer the children’s cries, or do they even hear them?
When one Peace Corps activity involved listing the work of women in Niger, child care was not even on the list. Why??? The average number of children per Nigerien women is 8. And child care is not on the list of responsibilities they assume?? As we see toddlers wandering near our hut, now more comfortable with us ANASARAS , we are beginning to understand that the children take care of each other and that the work the mothers do actually does go towards their care, though indirectly. The children grow up to work and support their family. When they are young, they cry and are heard in the night. But no one answers. Maybe the baby is Niger. Judy
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Niger, Here We Come!
Hi, to all blog readers:
Sorry for the lapse in posts but this is the first time we’ve had internet access since departing the US on October 22.
The energy of the group was palpable—44 new Peace Corps trainees arriving in a foreign land’s airport. Niamey, Niger. After a 12 hour total flight from Philadelphia to Paris to Niamey on October 22 , our flight e We amade its approach from the sky with views of desert, patches of green and the muddy Niger River. And the sun was beaming down producing heat of around 100 degrees. The rainy season in Niger just finished andnow the temperatures are more moderate—mini hot—to be followed by the cold season and then the hot season. We arrived at the best time to acclimate to a new climate and place to live.
Meeting us at the airport was Tondi, a tall, smiling, friendly and bold voiced Nigerien who is the Training Manager for the Peace Corps training site in Niger. He ushered all 44 of us through baggage claim ( NO lost bags—unbelievable!), security, and customs and then into 2 waiting vans. Each van would have 4 layers of luggage roped to the top as we all piled inside, hot, exhausted but elated at finally being in our new country. Off we went, 44 official Peace Corps trainees all with the hope of meeting the tough standards required for being sworn in as official volunteers on December 30. Most of the trainees are in their 20’s, Dave and I are the oldest .One other couple from India is our age. So far everyone is congenial as the honeymoon season is still in effect. One girl left 3 days after arriving in Niger for unannounced reasons. Language instruction 6 hours per day mixed with technical, cultural, safety and health training was ahead. Niger is a country with many health and safety challenges so these topics are carefully addressed with us. Understanding and adapting to a totally new culture is on-going as we are all immersed in small villages near the training center. Dave and my family includes a husband , 2 wives (1 pregnant) ,and 6 children. There is a large extended family also. We don’t know yet exactly what all the relationships are. Our village is without electricity or running water. Well water is available and we’ve learned to treat our water with chlorine to assure safety for drinking. We also installed a hand washing device invented by Jock Brandis at the Full Belly Project in Wilmington, NC so that we can wash our hands frequently and easily. We will soon run out of hand sanitizer and hand wipes. Hopefully, others in our village will try this idea, wash their hands more often and have fewer diseases caused by hand to mouth contamination.
We eat dinner and some lunches with our family. Rice is served at both meals. Fruits and vegetables are almost non-existent as are calcium containing foods. Peace Corps provides multi-vitamins and calcium tablets. We all try to find fruit at village stands but oranges and bananas are about all we can find and not every day. Due to the heat , drinking plenty of water is crucial. Never having been a water drinker, this has been a challenge but with temperatures in the upper 90’s and lower 100’s, it is not hard to change bad habits and drink a lot of water.
Dave and I and many of the Peace Corps trainees have discovered a small street store near the training site where we can buy orange soft drinks that are actually COLD. That is our daily treat after our classes and other activities. It has replaced a daily glass of wine which, strangely, we have not really missed.
How are Dave and Judy doing? We are fine or “bani samay walla” in the Zarma language we are studying and struggling to learn. We aim to pass the language test at the end of the training period. We have a forty minute walk to the Peace Corps training site, warm in the morning and hot in the evening. Bucket baths are amazingly refreshing but do not come close to the luxury of a good shower.
What brightens a hot day as we return to our mud hut , our heads filled with new materials and languages, are the beautiful smiles on the faces of the Nigerien people as we walk through the trash strewn streets. There is no such thing as recycling or garbage pick-up so people just throw their trash in the street In the small villages.
We feel as if we’ve ducked into a rabbit hole and emerged in the Middle Ages. We’ll keep you, our dear family and friends posted on what happens next, whenever we have computer access. We wish you well. "Alhamdulilahi” or Thanks be to God, in any language and in any culture. Judy
Sorry for the lapse in posts but this is the first time we’ve had internet access since departing the US on October 22.
The energy of the group was palpable—44 new Peace Corps trainees arriving in a foreign land’s airport. Niamey, Niger. After a 12 hour total flight from Philadelphia to Paris to Niamey on October 22 , our flight e We amade its approach from the sky with views of desert, patches of green and the muddy Niger River. And the sun was beaming down producing heat of around 100 degrees. The rainy season in Niger just finished andnow the temperatures are more moderate—mini hot—to be followed by the cold season and then the hot season. We arrived at the best time to acclimate to a new climate and place to live.
Meeting us at the airport was Tondi, a tall, smiling, friendly and bold voiced Nigerien who is the Training Manager for the Peace Corps training site in Niger. He ushered all 44 of us through baggage claim ( NO lost bags—unbelievable!), security, and customs and then into 2 waiting vans. Each van would have 4 layers of luggage roped to the top as we all piled inside, hot, exhausted but elated at finally being in our new country. Off we went, 44 official Peace Corps trainees all with the hope of meeting the tough standards required for being sworn in as official volunteers on December 30. Most of the trainees are in their 20’s, Dave and I are the oldest .One other couple from India is our age. So far everyone is congenial as the honeymoon season is still in effect. One girl left 3 days after arriving in Niger for unannounced reasons. Language instruction 6 hours per day mixed with technical, cultural, safety and health training was ahead. Niger is a country with many health and safety challenges so these topics are carefully addressed with us. Understanding and adapting to a totally new culture is on-going as we are all immersed in small villages near the training center. Dave and my family includes a husband , 2 wives (1 pregnant) ,and 6 children. There is a large extended family also. We don’t know yet exactly what all the relationships are. Our village is without electricity or running water. Well water is available and we’ve learned to treat our water with chlorine to assure safety for drinking. We also installed a hand washing device invented by Jock Brandis at the Full Belly Project in Wilmington, NC so that we can wash our hands frequently and easily. We will soon run out of hand sanitizer and hand wipes. Hopefully, others in our village will try this idea, wash their hands more often and have fewer diseases caused by hand to mouth contamination.
We eat dinner and some lunches with our family. Rice is served at both meals. Fruits and vegetables are almost non-existent as are calcium containing foods. Peace Corps provides multi-vitamins and calcium tablets. We all try to find fruit at village stands but oranges and bananas are about all we can find and not every day. Due to the heat , drinking plenty of water is crucial. Never having been a water drinker, this has been a challenge but with temperatures in the upper 90’s and lower 100’s, it is not hard to change bad habits and drink a lot of water.
Dave and I and many of the Peace Corps trainees have discovered a small street store near the training site where we can buy orange soft drinks that are actually COLD. That is our daily treat after our classes and other activities. It has replaced a daily glass of wine which, strangely, we have not really missed.
How are Dave and Judy doing? We are fine or “bani samay walla” in the Zarma language we are studying and struggling to learn. We aim to pass the language test at the end of the training period. We have a forty minute walk to the Peace Corps training site, warm in the morning and hot in the evening. Bucket baths are amazingly refreshing but do not come close to the luxury of a good shower.
What brightens a hot day as we return to our mud hut , our heads filled with new materials and languages, are the beautiful smiles on the faces of the Nigerien people as we walk through the trash strewn streets. There is no such thing as recycling or garbage pick-up so people just throw their trash in the street In the small villages.
We feel as if we’ve ducked into a rabbit hole and emerged in the Middle Ages. We’ll keep you, our dear family and friends posted on what happens next, whenever we have computer access. We wish you well. "Alhamdulilahi” or Thanks be to God, in any language and in any culture. Judy
Niger Here We Come!
We deplane in the capital, Niamey, the heat is intense –over 100 degrees F and this is the beginning of the cold season. The sunlight is searing, but nothing compared to the overwhelming sight of sewage and garbage in the streets. People have lived continuously in this area for over ten thousand years and no one seems to care for the land. Erosion, overgrazing , exploding population , water shortage, food scarcity, and a milieu of universal complacency. Niger is a story where I can see only one possible ending. The unknown is the rate of decline. Am I surprised? I expected to be without running water, electricity, plumbing, or refrigeration and to have a hut with dirt floors and walls. I didn’t expect the bright smiles, children who sing while playing , the enormous amount of physical labor energy that are required for a subsistence living. The long hours of hard work that every woman puts in every single day of her life just to accomplish even the most mundane of tasks is daunting. Just gathering fire wood, grinding millet, and cooking is an hours-long process. When we landed in Niamey we landed in the Middle Ages. Peace Corps volunteers who come here for a forty year reunion said the country has regressed since their service. ( Interesting health statistic: for every one hundred Peace Corps volunteers in Niger, each year there are one hundred and fifty cases of acute diarrhea.)
Do I see an upside to this? Absolutely, it would take a miniscule change: a well, a pump, a fence, a garden, and a life would change. It is unlikely there is any place in the world where such a small input would yield such dramatic results. It’s also unlikely there’s any place in the world that takes so such effort to make the smallest difference. Can I do this—we’ll see. Right now my challenge is the language test. If either Judy or I don’t pass, we’re sent home. Stay tuned. Dave
Do I see an upside to this? Absolutely, it would take a miniscule change: a well, a pump, a fence, a garden, and a life would change. It is unlikely there is any place in the world where such a small input would yield such dramatic results. It’s also unlikely there’s any place in the world that takes so such effort to make the smallest difference. Can I do this—we’ll see. Right now my challenge is the language test. If either Judy or I don’t pass, we’re sent home. Stay tuned. Dave
Thursday, October 21, 2010
First Impressions
Long: infectious laughter, enthusiasm, education
Short: practical farming and health care experience; these are, of course, the two areas our group is responsible for.
We met our fellow travelers for the first time yesterday. Everyone seems eager but not arrogant; we're diverse but have common anxieties. Those of us who are fed up with the despicable behavior of our political parties and concerned about the country's balance sheet can certainly count as an asset these 42 young people--actually 40--there's another couple about our age.
We may not accoplish our primary work assignments , but rest assured, we will chuckle at our failures and we will make new friends! Dave
Short: practical farming and health care experience; these are, of course, the two areas our group is responsible for.
We met our fellow travelers for the first time yesterday. Everyone seems eager but not arrogant; we're diverse but have common anxieties. Those of us who are fed up with the despicable behavior of our political parties and concerned about the country's balance sheet can certainly count as an asset these 42 young people--actually 40--there's another couple about our age.
We may not accoplish our primary work assignments , but rest assured, we will chuckle at our failures and we will make new friends! Dave
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
I touched an EMMY!
I had not intended to post another blog entry until after we reached Niger, however, tonight's last fine meal in the US (not to say the dinner we'll have tomorrow night will not be good.....) , was at a historic restaurant in Philadelphia, City Tavern Restaurant on South 2nd Street. It was phenomenal. The food was excellent, the wait staff were dressed in authentic looking Colonial dress, but the diners were even more memorable. As a send off to ourselves, Dave and I chose to eat dinner in this historic place just because we could. (That is the same reason we are putting our lives on the line and going to Niger with the Peace Corps.) Anyway, tonight I touched the actual gold Emmy won by this restaurant as part of a television show featuring the restaurant and their noted Chef Walter Staib. The shiny gold statuette was being shown to a guest in the restaurant who was writing a book on 100 year old restaurants and the City Tavern Restaurant was one of them. The restaurant manager came to our table and let me TOUCH the gold Emmy! What a treat! We had already talked with the author about restaurants he had visited and found there was no 100 year old restaurant in Memphis and that he loved the Rondevous which was not quite old enough for his book. He also told us that his son was writing a screen play for Tom Hanks and that he was already dusting off his tux for the Academy Awards since he was sure his son's movie would be a winner! Then the City Tavern Restaurant manager appeared and proudly displayed his award. Also in the restaurant at the time were a young engaged couple in which the groom had just returned from Afghanistan, a grandfatherly appearing man with his two beautiful granddaughters, and 2 ladies of the academia type who were also intrigued with the impromptu show by the restaurant manager.
So what does this have to do with the life-changing event we face as we leave on Thursday for Niger? I think it demonstrates what we have here in the US that most people of the world would not even recognize----enough wealth and prosperity to get excited over an award for a t.v. show, enough financial resources to dine at an expensive historical restaurant and think about our forefathers who also ate here , and a last chance to enjoy a meal in a relaxed environment with friendly people we did not even know before departing for the unknown......or go down the rabbit hole...............Niger.
The people of Niger are experiencing a food crisis again. Many are starving to death, especially the young children. My hope is that I can detach from the frivolous, disconnect from the internet, recall but not dwell upon what life is like in the US, and do something to help the people of Niger. In some small way I hope that Dave and our fellow Peace Corps invitees will be sworn in as volunteers on December 30 and be able to improve the lives of those we encounter through our mutual projects and ideas. Stay tuned. There will be no Emmy Awards in Niger, but maybe there will be greater rewards to those whose paths we cross. I also hope for the same life changes in Rawanda, since seventy more Peace Corps invitees departed from our hotel today, reaching that country tomorrow. Salamu alaikum. (Peace be with you.) Judy
So what does this have to do with the life-changing event we face as we leave on Thursday for Niger? I think it demonstrates what we have here in the US that most people of the world would not even recognize----enough wealth and prosperity to get excited over an award for a t.v. show, enough financial resources to dine at an expensive historical restaurant and think about our forefathers who also ate here , and a last chance to enjoy a meal in a relaxed environment with friendly people we did not even know before departing for the unknown......or go down the rabbit hole...............Niger.
The people of Niger are experiencing a food crisis again. Many are starving to death, especially the young children. My hope is that I can detach from the frivolous, disconnect from the internet, recall but not dwell upon what life is like in the US, and do something to help the people of Niger. In some small way I hope that Dave and our fellow Peace Corps invitees will be sworn in as volunteers on December 30 and be able to improve the lives of those we encounter through our mutual projects and ideas. Stay tuned. There will be no Emmy Awards in Niger, but maybe there will be greater rewards to those whose paths we cross. I also hope for the same life changes in Rawanda, since seventy more Peace Corps invitees departed from our hotel today, reaching that country tomorrow. Salamu alaikum. (Peace be with you.) Judy
Monday, October 18, 2010
"Turn, turn, turn, turn"...........
A few days ago, as Dave and I were studying our Hausa language "to be" verbs, he looked at me and said, "Do you realize that in about a week we'll be in Niger?" I thought about the upcoming days and it hit me! The long awaited departure to Niger with the Peace Corps was just around the corner and it was a bit unsettling. Soon we'd be leaving our comfortable home near the coast of NC where the ocean has been a calming influence as well as a powerful threat. We'll miss our cups of coffee, reading the newspaper and watching the hummingbirds flit from feeder to feeder as they prepare for their own long journey. There'll be no more symphony concerts, opera, volunteer work, movies, or dinners with our friends. We'll be further away from our daughter in Wilmington, our son, other family and friends. Each activity of the past few days has become "the last time we will......." before leaving for Niger.
But, yes, soon we will be starting a different , stimulating life with new peple of all ages and soon we'll be meeting our welcoming Nigerien Host family .Wonder what they will be like? Will they like the small hostess gifts we are taking them, as encouraged by the Peace Corps? Doors will open to fresh experiences many people will never be have a chance to try, with opportunities to serve in a totally different manner. We are not turning our backs on our present life but are seeking to build upon our experience and enrich both our lives and those of other people in the world. As I think of embarking on this journey it makes me want to study harder to learn one of the local languages because if we can't communicate with local villagers, how can I educate people on healthier living practices or how can Dave teach others to grow more sustainable crops for their families in an arid village near the Sahara Desert?
After thinking about all these changes and turns in our lives, we proceeded with our fairly well planned steps to prepare to leave the country ,such as vacating our home, giving vehicles to adult children, registering to vote on-line for 2 years, dealing with mail issues and Visa payments. Then on October 11 my 91 year old Mother peacefully died in a nursing home in TN. Though not unexpected, this event too, was unsettling. Was this a sign for me NOT to continue with the Peace Corps commitment with Dave? What would Mother say? As we traveled to attend her memorial service we learned that a niece in New York had given birth to healthy twin daughters on Oct. 13. The seasons were turning----from death to life, just as fall turns to winter which turns to spring then to summer and starts all over again. The answer was there as if my Mother had said it---life goes on, things change, decisions are made based on pressing forward , taking things as they come and yes, enjoying the turns that occur. Yes, my Mother would want us to continue with our Peace Corps dream and relish in the fact that we'd be serving during the Peace Corps' 50th anniversary year. Many volunteers from the 60's have voiced amazement at the fact that the Peace Corps persists and is even stronger, larger and offering service to more countries than ever imagined when President John F. Kennedy initiated the idea and call to service.
Dave and I are in Philadelphia right now and will meet our fellow invitees to Niger in a couple of days. Keep an eye on our blog as Dave will describe our group and some of the happenings as we move to departure on Thursday. His perspective will be thought provoking and probably a bit humorous. To, sai anjime. Okay, see you later. Judy
But, yes, soon we will be starting a different , stimulating life with new peple of all ages and soon we'll be meeting our welcoming Nigerien Host family .Wonder what they will be like? Will they like the small hostess gifts we are taking them, as encouraged by the Peace Corps? Doors will open to fresh experiences many people will never be have a chance to try, with opportunities to serve in a totally different manner. We are not turning our backs on our present life but are seeking to build upon our experience and enrich both our lives and those of other people in the world. As I think of embarking on this journey it makes me want to study harder to learn one of the local languages because if we can't communicate with local villagers, how can I educate people on healthier living practices or how can Dave teach others to grow more sustainable crops for their families in an arid village near the Sahara Desert?
After thinking about all these changes and turns in our lives, we proceeded with our fairly well planned steps to prepare to leave the country ,such as vacating our home, giving vehicles to adult children, registering to vote on-line for 2 years, dealing with mail issues and Visa payments. Then on October 11 my 91 year old Mother peacefully died in a nursing home in TN. Though not unexpected, this event too, was unsettling. Was this a sign for me NOT to continue with the Peace Corps commitment with Dave? What would Mother say? As we traveled to attend her memorial service we learned that a niece in New York had given birth to healthy twin daughters on Oct. 13. The seasons were turning----from death to life, just as fall turns to winter which turns to spring then to summer and starts all over again. The answer was there as if my Mother had said it---life goes on, things change, decisions are made based on pressing forward , taking things as they come and yes, enjoying the turns that occur. Yes, my Mother would want us to continue with our Peace Corps dream and relish in the fact that we'd be serving during the Peace Corps' 50th anniversary year. Many volunteers from the 60's have voiced amazement at the fact that the Peace Corps persists and is even stronger, larger and offering service to more countries than ever imagined when President John F. Kennedy initiated the idea and call to service.
Dave and I are in Philadelphia right now and will meet our fellow invitees to Niger in a couple of days. Keep an eye on our blog as Dave will describe our group and some of the happenings as we move to departure on Thursday. His perspective will be thought provoking and probably a bit humorous. To, sai anjime. Okay, see you later. Judy
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Musings on Departure.........................
A few of the many things I'll miss: jogs around Greenfield Lake, the morning paper with coffee, crossword puzzles...even Monday is a challenge when you spell phonetically.... bourbon whiskey and a good steak, but mostly friends and family (I'd pay full retail for each and everyone of you, well, maybe NOT full retail---just kidding).
Some things I'm looking forward to: to see if I'm passed my "Good -if-Used -by Date", to see if people will change established practices to try something new when quite literally faced with starvation, being associated with bright young people, seeing and living in a totally different country but, mostly sharing the adventure of a lifetime with Judy!
At the very least, life will be challenging, interesting, and rewarding.
An optimistic cynic
Dave
Some things I'm looking forward to: to see if I'm passed my "Good -if-Used -by Date", to see if people will change established practices to try something new when quite literally faced with starvation, being associated with bright young people, seeing and living in a totally different country but, mostly sharing the adventure of a lifetime with Judy!
At the very least, life will be challenging, interesting, and rewarding.
An optimistic cynic
Dave
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sannu! Hello! The Niger Adventure Will Soon Begin
To our family, friends and curious readers: this is Dave and my initial blog. With the invitation we received from the Peace Corps came our need to stay in touch and let all of you know not only where we are but also some of what we will be doing for the next 27 months. We will each post updates periodically when we have internet access, so we invite you to check our site occasionally to see what's going on in another part of the world.
Ducking " down the rabbit hole" , as Alice in Wonderland did, is what Dave and I will be doing soon, as we depart for service in the Peace Corps in Niger, Africa. No, not Nigeria, but Niger, or nee jer, as the locals pronounce it. On October 21, 2010, we fly out of Philadelphia to Niamey, Niger with a brief stop in Paris. After almost 1 1/2 years of anticipation and planning, we will finally embark on our adventure with the Peace Corps. We will go "down the rabbit hole" and expect our lives to change.
So how did this all come about??? In the spring, 2009, we heard a Peace Corps recruiter speak at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He inspired us with his description of service in Jordan. He also mentioned that the Peace Corps was trying to recruit more volunteers over age fifty. Since we had wanted to do something like this for over 10 years, we decided to apply and see what would happen. In August, 2009, we completed on-line applications for the Peace Corps. (An accomplishment in itself!). We wrote essays, provided references, were finger printed and interviewed, and endured extensive medical, dental and vision exams. Even though we are older than the usual applicants,do not speak French or Spanish, and are a married couple with different skills, we were nominated, then invited to serve in Niger.
After locating Niger on the map of Africa, we began researching the country and found it to be one of, if not THE , poorest countries in the world. It ranks #182 out of 182 on the United Nations Human Development Scale. After a 3 month in-country training period where we will have extensive language, cultural, safety and technical training for our work, we will be posted to a village somewhere in rural Niger. There we will have no electricity, rely on well water, and have limited cell phone and internet access except when we travel to the capital city of Niamey or to the regional Peace Corps office. We expect to have a true Peace Corps experience as Dave works in an agriculture/forestry program and Judy, in health.
Why then, would we, as relatively reasonable people, decide to put our lives on hold to join the Peace Corps when the average volunteer's age is in the mid-20's? Our answer to WHY? we'd willingly go"down the rabbit hole" and turn our comfortable life upside down is----because we can! We've wanted to do this for years and although there is never a perfect time to voluntarily change one's life, we want to do something meaningful with our lives before we are too old. We can now afford to do it, we are healthy, and we have immense family support. In a word, life is short, make it count!
So, this is the beginning. Dave and I will both post our thoughts and experiences so that you'll read about our experiences from 2 quite different perspectives. We do agree on one point, however, and that is, we value our family, friends, and readers and do not want to lose contact with any of you. We also want to thank each of you for your interest (curiosity?), concern, and well wishes. We are most grateful for that support.
Until our next post, Salamu alaikum or peace be with you , in the local language of Hausa which we are now studying. Lahiya lau (in health), Judy
Ducking " down the rabbit hole" , as Alice in Wonderland did, is what Dave and I will be doing soon, as we depart for service in the Peace Corps in Niger, Africa. No, not Nigeria, but Niger, or nee jer, as the locals pronounce it. On October 21, 2010, we fly out of Philadelphia to Niamey, Niger with a brief stop in Paris. After almost 1 1/2 years of anticipation and planning, we will finally embark on our adventure with the Peace Corps. We will go "down the rabbit hole" and expect our lives to change.
So how did this all come about??? In the spring, 2009, we heard a Peace Corps recruiter speak at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He inspired us with his description of service in Jordan. He also mentioned that the Peace Corps was trying to recruit more volunteers over age fifty. Since we had wanted to do something like this for over 10 years, we decided to apply and see what would happen. In August, 2009, we completed on-line applications for the Peace Corps. (An accomplishment in itself!). We wrote essays, provided references, were finger printed and interviewed, and endured extensive medical, dental and vision exams. Even though we are older than the usual applicants,do not speak French or Spanish, and are a married couple with different skills, we were nominated, then invited to serve in Niger.
After locating Niger on the map of Africa, we began researching the country and found it to be one of, if not THE , poorest countries in the world. It ranks #182 out of 182 on the United Nations Human Development Scale. After a 3 month in-country training period where we will have extensive language, cultural, safety and technical training for our work, we will be posted to a village somewhere in rural Niger. There we will have no electricity, rely on well water, and have limited cell phone and internet access except when we travel to the capital city of Niamey or to the regional Peace Corps office. We expect to have a true Peace Corps experience as Dave works in an agriculture/forestry program and Judy, in health.
Why then, would we, as relatively reasonable people, decide to put our lives on hold to join the Peace Corps when the average volunteer's age is in the mid-20's? Our answer to WHY? we'd willingly go"down the rabbit hole" and turn our comfortable life upside down is----because we can! We've wanted to do this for years and although there is never a perfect time to voluntarily change one's life, we want to do something meaningful with our lives before we are too old. We can now afford to do it, we are healthy, and we have immense family support. In a word, life is short, make it count!
So, this is the beginning. Dave and I will both post our thoughts and experiences so that you'll read about our experiences from 2 quite different perspectives. We do agree on one point, however, and that is, we value our family, friends, and readers and do not want to lose contact with any of you. We also want to thank each of you for your interest (curiosity?), concern, and well wishes. We are most grateful for that support.
Until our next post, Salamu alaikum or peace be with you , in the local language of Hausa which we are now studying. Lahiya lau (in health), Judy
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