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
Sunday, November 21, 2010
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)