Hello friends and family! I thought I would write a little bit of a newsier blog post letting y’all know what I have been up to lately. Things are really picking up here now, and a lot has happened within the last month. Here’s what October and the beginning of November looked like for me:
At Work
Most of my office was out during the month of October, which meant things were pretty quiet for a while. It was difficult figuring out my role here at first, but overtime I created my own sense of structure until my supervisor returned from her vacation. I switched between working with the Agricultural and Environmental project coordinators at my office, offering help when needed. On a few occasions I travelled to the project gardens in Mbassis and Mbellane with the Agricultural coordinator Jean-Baptiste. I really enjoyed these outings because of the fresh air and the opportunity to talk with the men and women my program works with on how they were working towards building sustainable agricultural practices in their communities. I also travelled with the Environmental coordinator Jeannette to Soum (the village next door), attending her community meetings focused on recycling and compost. Her passion for this work with local women has been inspiring and I can not wait to see how her projects develop throughout the year.
When things were especially quiet at the office, I was able to practice my Wolof with the office guards who are more than happy to help me. The three guards also have been teaching me how to properly make attaya (Senegalese green tea), which is actually kind of difficult! Hopefully by the end of the year I will have mastered the art form to bring back to the US. I also began teaching english classes at my office for my coworkers. My supervisor returned this week, and we have been working on more projects together, establishing a new routine. Things are slowly picking up!
At Home
Life at home has been busier too. The Senegalese school year started at the beginning of October, so many of my host family and neighbors returned to Foundiougne after their summer break. Having more kiddos around the house and neighborhood has been fun, there is always someone to play and hang out with. I have been teaching one of my neighbor kids to play volleyball and the local girls are teaching me the hand-clapping games they play with their friends (think patty-cake).
Making friends is becoming easier as well. I have been meeting with a friend of the family, Tapha, once a week to exchange Wolof and English. I also connected with the Peace Corps Volunteer placed here in town. Djeneba (as she’s known in Senegal) has been a godsend! Not only is she a great person to talk to about being an American in Senegal, but she has loaned me some of her language learning materials which is truly incredible.
In November, I was blessed by a visit from some of my American family. My relative Felipe and his wife Hannah happened to be in Senegal for work and were able to make a short stop to see me on their way through to Foundiougne. The two of them had lived and worked in the country for many years and are fluent in Wolof (the language I am learning). It was so cool to see them communicate with my host family in the local language and gave me courage to keep practicing and speaking. Although the visit wasn’t long it felt great to have a taste of home and see my worlds collide.
Speaking of language, I finally started my Wolof lessons! My tutor is an english teacher at the local school. He has been super helpful answering all of my language and cultural questions. I have been learning a lot!
During the first weekend of November, I used public transportation by myself for the first time to travel to Fatick (the town across the river). Not going to lie, it was slightly frightening: being taken to different lines for the ferry, being placed on a bus, and hoping that bus was going to my destination. However, I successfully made it to town and have more confidence for my next journey.
I was in Fatick for the Lutheran Church of Senegal’s Youth Weekend, an opportunity for the different parishes across the country to come together and be in community. For me, it was a chance to see my fellow YAGM for the first time in two months. It was refreshing to be with them and was exactly what I needed to be emotionally recharged.
In other news, my family visited our neighbor Aminta and her new baby at the hospital this week. She gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy and everyone was so excited to share in this celebration of new life. It filled me with such joy to see this new life welcomed into the world with so much love. Later this month the baby will receive their name at their baptism ceremony.
Upcoming Plans
November will continue to be a busy month. I have my first site visit with my country coordinator which is an opportunity for her to check in how I am doing so far and visit my work and home placements. Also, at the end of the month, my YAGM cohort and I have our first retreat. I am looking forward to spending a week catching up with my YAGM friends, it should be a great time!
That’s a lot of information, I know, but trying to wrap up everything that this experience is into just one blog post can be quite the challenge! I am grateful the time I have had here so far. Stay tuned for more updates in the future:)
Remember, be kind to yourself and be kind to others. Peace!