9 November 2011
4:29pm
My house
4:29pm
My house
First off, I want to say that I feel as though I’ve turned a
corner. I was hesitant to write another post until I was sure I could be
positive, but today is definitely the day for it. Thanks for those of you who
sent me some words of encouragement during the last six weeks or so. I’m
feeling much better about my site, about being here, and I’m healthier in
general. All good things.
So, what changed? Well, first of all, I finally took
Fasigyne, which is an ass-kicking anti-parasitic that made me feel MUCH better.
It’s amazing how little things seem colossal when you’ve had diarrhea, nausea and
loss of appetite for a month. The only good thing that came of my prolonged illness
was my loss of about eight to ten pounds of weight I’d put on since I came to
Mali. So that’s good. I also spent a lot of time talking to my fellow PCVs. I
know I’ve said this before, but my friends here are absolutely wonderful
people. I feel so very lucky to be around such a diverse and supportive network
of friends. So many of my friends spent time listening, hashing out details and
empathizing, and I’m grateful. It’s easy to forget that PCVs, no matter where
they are in Mali (or in the world, for that matter) go through nearly all of
the same issues, emotions, and problems as other PCVs. Our sites, regardless of
location, size or ethnic group can be terribly isolating. While each of our
services is different, we share a common bond and understanding that’s
impossible to replicate. Judge me all you want for the drama I’ve described, my
whining, pouting, or gross bodily-function talk, but you just don’t know unless
you’ve done it. “It” being Peace Corps. Talking it over with my friends and
getting fresh perspective has made all the different in my attitude and outlook
these past few weeks.
I realize saying that those outside of PC don’t get it makes
me sound exclusive, possibly haughty, but it’s not like that. It’s just hard
for any PCV to fully explain what’s bothering them, what’s going on with their
site, how things affect them, etc. And unless you’ve lived in a developing
nation at the level of locals speaking their native language and trying to
figure out how to best help them help themselves, I imagine that some of the
stuff I talk about even in this blog makes me sound like I’m on another planet.
Peace Corps wasn’t kidding when they said this was the toughest job you’ll ever
love. It’s tough, and most days, I don’t love it. But recently, I’ve had more
days of loving it and fewer days feeling runover by a sotrema. So that’s also a
good thing.
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| Sock |
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| Sock Head |
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| Sock Nap |
My puppy, Scout, is an endless source of wonder, frustration
and happiness. Puppies rock. Seriously. She’s just so cute that I can’t help
but coo at her when I should probably be popping her on the snout for one thing
or another. I’m focusing a lot of energy right now on making her come when
she’s called both so I can show off how awesome of a dog trainer I am and also
so she stays safe and out of trouble. She can sit pretty well, and almost knows
lay down when I tell her to. She has really taken an interest in my laying
hens, Dolly, Tammy, and Loretta Lynn. Two have recently starting laying eggs,
and Scout usually finds them before I do. She hasn’t broken any yet, so fingers
crossed she doesn’t discover how. Scout just likes to trot around the yard with
them in her mouth, as if they were just another stick or bone. It’s kind of
comical and she looks genuinely sad when I gently pull one from her mouth.
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| Fatoumata and her friend |
I’ve started outsourcing my water-fetching to the
shopkeeper’s two daughters, Sumba and Fatoumata. Fatoumata is the five (maybe
six?) year old who precociously threw a buck of her own poop over my concession
wall after I yelled at her for being in my yard without my permission or
presence. This was several months ago, and she’s warmed up to me quite a bit
since then, especially since I’ve stopped giving her the evil eye. I have a
feeling she got a good thrashing when her dad found out about her poop tactics,
and she was very afraid of me for awhile. She’s one of the few children in this
village who understands Bambara (her parents are affluent by village standards,
and therefore are educated and speak Bambara). They also own a radio and a TV
they hook up to a solar panel, so Fatoumata and Sumba are exposed to lots of
Bambara and even some French. Lucky girls. Anyways, I bribe them with candy or
Kool-Aid (from drink packets) sent from America in exchange for a bucket or two
of water a day. As an added bonus, I can practice my Bambara without being made
fun of as well as virtually ensure that no more shit appears where it shouldn’t.
It’s a win-win.
I’ve made some progress with work, too. Today I had a
meeting with my men and women about reinstating the adult literacy classes, as
well as how they want to raise money to repair their two broken pumps and
possibly get another pump with Peace Corps help. One of my friends, Mamu (a
total rockstar, also accompanying me as my village representative to the second
half of the Shea Business Boot Camp shortly after Thanksgiving) made a list of
the women who want to attend the classes. We’re working on setting up a meeting
time with them and the teacher so we can make sure we find good times to hold
classes for maximum attendance. I’m very hopeful.
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| Me and Mamu dressed up for Seliba |
The men, after listening to me talk about the money they’d have
to raise to get a new pump, have decided to take up a monthly tax. This money
will be used in the immediate to fix the two broken pumps and then to save up
for their mandatory (for PC funding) 35% community contribution for a new pump.
They proposed collecting 500 CFA (~1 USD) per family, per month. If they do
this, it will take them about seven to eight months to raise the required
amount (about $4,000 of the project’s estimated $12,000 total). Five hundred
CFA a month is a lot of money, so I’m a little wary of the plan, but I
appreciate the enthusiasm. Just to put it in perspective, in Sikasso, I can buy
a meal (a plate of beans, plantains, and two hard-boiled eggs) for 250-350 CFA.
In Bamako, I can take a ten to fifteen minute taxi ride across town for 500 CFA.
In my market, I can purchase a kilogram of the best rice available, a pile of
tomatoes, and three heads of cabbage for 500 CFA. In my village, I can buy two
Cokes and a cup of sugar for the same amount.
I am in the process
of talking to the Water/Sanitation Program Assistant, Adama, to get estimates
and get the ball rolling. He is planning on coming to my village in early
December to talk to my villagers about details. We are not the first Peace
Corps village to seek a pump, so I want him to talk about what it will take and
realistically if this tax will work. No sense in reinventing the wheel if
something else has worked better in the past. In the long run, I’m hoping that
I can turn the pump project into a sanitation project and continue the tax for
future pump repair as well as soak pit and hand-washing station construction. My
women asked me to talk about cleanliness at next week’s meeting, so I’m going
to talk about hand washing and getting kids in the habit of going to the
latrine (instead of out in the open). Again, I’m hopeful, but I’m not promising
myself (or my village) anything until I can gauge their commitment to the
project.
On a more personal note, I’m getting really excited for
Thanksgiving. Every year, certain cities in Mali host the Peace Corps
get-togethers. Christmas is always in Dogon Country, St. Patrick’s Day is in
San (San Patrick’s Day, get it?),
Fourth of July is in Manantali, Halloween was in Bougouni this past week
(BOOOgouni! Ah we’re so clever) and Thanksgiving is always in Sikasso. It
makes the most sense, since Sikasso is the agricultural center of Mali. If it’s
grown in Mali, you can find it in Sikasso, and often for much longer than in other
cities’ markets. Our close borders to Burkina Faso and Côte D’Ivoire give a steady
influx of awesome things, like pineapples and avocados. In short, if you like
to eat fruits and veggies, Sikasso is the place for you. We’re anticipating
about 70 volunteers this year, so we’ve been planning and asking for essential
supplies for months now. My friend Lauren and I are in charge of making the
stuffing and fruit salad. I’m really excited to see everyone and relax and have
a good ole American holiday. The day after Thanksgiving we have a Mexican food
day by the pool. Sadly, I won’t be able to enjoy a margarita, but we will have
queso. If Kraft Foods, Inc. knew how much Velveeta we asked to be sent over, we
maybe could have gotten a deal straight from corporate. I’ll keep it in mind for
next year. But yea. Queso. Mmm. If someone nine months ago told me I would be
looking forward to eating Velveeta for weeks, I would have called them crazy. But it’s true. It’s the little things
like imitation cheese that make us really happy.
And even MORE exciting than celebrating a national day of
gluttony is my impending trip to ROME! I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned this
before, but I’m going to meet my boyfriend, Matt, in Rome for ten days,
including Christmas. I’m beyond excited. I am fairly certain my friends in PC
know the countdown as well as I do (41 days as of this writing) because I talk
about it so damn much. They probably actually want to revoke my speaking
privileges I talk about it so much. I can’t help it, and I’m not even sorry.
It’ll be my first vacation since joining PC and my first time seeing Matt since
he walked me to my terminal in Nashville on January 31st of this
year (but who’s counting?). Speaking of gluttony, Thanksgiving is just going to
be a warm-up for the damage I intend to do in Rome. I’m looking forward to eating
my weight in gelato/pasta/tiramisu and pickling myself in good wine and
espresso. I am also very excited to use hot, running water, wear cold weather
clothes, celebrate the end of Matt’s first semester of law school, and most of
all, make new memories with the man I love. His parents are also going to be
there to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. I can’t wait to cook
and go sight-seeing together. And it’s coming up so soon!
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| The Mall in DC, last August |
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| Oumar, remudding my walls |
Miss Mali
