TEAM ZINDER!

Me, no longer afraid of small children!

I have been assigned a post! I will be spending the next two years in the region of Zinder! Assuming all goes well, I'll be swearing in on December 29th (the same day I will be wishing Cristina Aldrich a very happy 21st birthday) and then moving out to my post on January 1st.

The village I'll be living in is located in the southwest corner of the Zinder region, pretty close to the border with Nigeria. I have a new mailing address which is located on my facebook page so send letters anytime.

My Stage

Stage is the name Peace Corps Niger gives each group of new trainees when they come into country. All of us are training to become either CHA or FARM volunteers. Forty-three of us arrived in Niger on October 22^nd. Two months in, there are forty-one of us which I think is pretty normal for Peace Corps standards.

I feel incredibly lucky to be part of such an enthusiastic and diverse group of people. Many of us are coming straight from undergrad, some have spent a few years working, there are three married couples among us, one past the age of retirement… so if you’ve ever thought about joining the Peace Corps: it’s never too late! There are people from California, from Idaho, and several from Pennsylvania too. One of my stage mates actually just finished Peace Corps Nicaragua and decided to repeat the experience all over again in Niger.

My awesome roommate Shelly has a blog, which I recommend reading (especially when my poor grammar gets to you. Shelly was a Journalism major at University of Wisconsin and worked in Communications at Habitat for Humanity before coming to Peace Corps Niger).

Cornell in Niger! (Michael Beyman, I expect this picture in the next Alumni Magazine).

For all the Cornellians reading this, I also recommend fellow Class of 2010 Shelby’s blog. We’ve had a lot of fun comparing weather patterns in Niger to those in Ithaca, and owning up to the Andy Bernard reputation together.

A good friend and fellow trainee here, Jacob, has uploaded small bios of each of us on his blog, I’d encourage you to visit if you’re interested in Peace Corps in general, development, or who I spend all my time with these days. 

Additional blog plugs: my good friend Ben Cole (another Cornell ‘10er), is working for Google Africa this year, so I’d encourage his blog. Finally, my Dad’s blog is pretty cool, so feel free to check that one out too.

Dabobi (Animals in Niger)

So a lot of friends and family have been asking me questions about animals. No I have not seen any zebras, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, or hippos. Chances are I will not see most of these animals, with the exception of giraffes—Niger has some of the last wild herds of giraffes in the world.  (Please take this link as an invitation to come visit me and the giraffes in Niger).

I have seen a lot of animals here that I would not expect to see. Most notably, and recently: hedgehogs.

Yesterday morning I was getting dressed in my hut and I thought I heard a scuffle behind the dresser. I figured it was probably a lizard, because “they’re like squirrels here!” PC Niger Country Director Valier told us on the first day. But, after some snooping, I realized in fact there was a small prickly animal curled in a ball.

I ran out to tell Shelly, but when I brought her back to the spot where I had seen our new friend, he was gone. Figuring the issue was resolved, we went about our day. Later in the afternoon, I picked up my backpack and low and behold: the hedgehog was back! This time I screamed. I’m not sure why. I know hedgehogs are harmless, I know there are much more terrifying animals in Niger. Still, I screamed and ran.

My neighbor sister Namnouri laughed hysterically and within three minutes had picked the hedgehog up, posed for pictures with it, and moved it to perhaps a more welcoming environment (aka the street). 

Other animals I see on a regular basis in Niger: donkeys, horses, goats, sheep (these two are surprisingly difficult to tell apart), chickens, roosters (very annoying), guinea foul, and lots of cows. In case you were wondering, I really like Niger.

Thanksgiving in Niger

Here in West Africa, we celebrated the first feast of Native Americans and pilgrims in North America with a Nigerien ethnic fashion show.

Pictures here I think are better than words, so below are a couple pictures from the show. After posing for prom pictures, we all sat down for a feast under the stars. Special guests included Peace Corps Niger Country Director, Valerie, and three Niger RPCVs, one from the early 1970’s! 

Ellie, Jacob, and me. Thanks Alison, Joseph, and Ashley for the background scenery!

Sam, Max, and Jorie

Shelly & Me rocking our host family's dress clothes

With the wonderful Na-ome!

Brian, resident gardener and cheerleader

Thanksgiving Letter

This is me being a little sappy for Thanksgiving...

Querida Familia,

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thinking of you very much, and the idea of you all sitting together enjoying Thanksgiving dinner in Virginia is making me feel great. Here in Hamdallaye, we will also be having a mini-Thanksgiving feast, and I am on the cooking committee so hopefully I will be able to make some sort of cole slaw for the Niger feast!

I’ve been in Niger not even a month but I’ve had quite a bit of time to reflect on a number of issues. I feel like I’ve been gone for years and been here only a few days… time is a bizarre concept!

If my memory is correct, at some point during dinner you’re going to go around and let everyone say what they’re thankful for this year. As usual, I have a lot to say. Since I’m not around to share it with you in person, I wanted to give you a letter to let you know what I feel thankful for this year, which is a lot.

Of course, this will be in list form:

§  My Health. I am overall, very healthy, and incredibly thankful for it. When I am not healthy, I am so thankful for the access I have to western medicine. To knowledgeable doctors and nurses, and the prescriptions they can provide me. This year I am particularly thankful for Cipro (but don’t worry Mama, yogurt is still my first go-to in times of pain).

§  Food. I am thankful for it’s availability and abundance, and the privilege I have to know that I will never be hungry (incha Allah).

§  My Job. I am thankful for the fact that I have a job (and that is no longer being server at the Green Room). I am so thankful for the particular job that I have-- one that allows me the privilege of traveling across the world to enjoy new cultures, new languages, and new people.

§  The Stars. No matter how difficult of a day I have, I know that I will go to bed under a sky of beautiful, shining stars, and I am tremendously grateful for that.

§  Laughter. It is truly the universal language. While I cannot always communicate my thoughts or desires (in fact, I can rarely communicate these) I can always share a laugh.

§  Most importantly, I am thankful for my friends and my family. Everyday that passes I am more aware of how luck we are to have such an incredible family. I would not be where I am today without you. Thank you so much for being exactly the way you are, and making me the way I am. I love you all so much!

Now I also have some things I want you to be especially thankful for this year because I cannot be. (These are meant to be comic reflief because I know Mama and Cristina are probably a little teary eyed right now)

§  Running Water. Especially the plumbing system. Next time you’re on the toilet, please sit on it an extra few minutes for me. Please appreciate how awesome it is to be able to read the newspaper while pooping. It’s awesome. Be thankful. Also the fact that you can turn on a sink to wash your hands after.

§  Electricity. Particularly the power it has to make refrigerators/freezers/all climate control appliances work.

§  Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. Actually, all ice creams. And the pie you’re having for desert.

§  Morning cup of coffee. Starbucks. French Roast. New York Times on the computer at the same time. Savor it.

§  Animal Poop Etiquette. I know sometimes you get annoyed that someone on Walnut Street has not scooped up all their dog’s poop, but I promise it’s not that bad.  Imagine donkey poop on the sidewalk. A lot of it. Be thankful it’s not there.

So, I think that’s all I have to say about Thanksgiving for now. I’m sorry I can’t be there with you, but know that I am thinking of you constantly and I love you very much!

Besos y amor,

Alma

Public Transportation in Niger

There are many, many forms of transportation in Niger. The only general statement I can make about all of them combined is that I think the New York City Public Transit Authorities could probably learn a bit from Nigeriens: they know how to cram people into small spaces here.

Mota Allah. Literal translation: God’s car. Most Nigeriens use their feet to get most places. Usually walking anywhere also involves carrying various items on your head, and a baby on your back.

Bisa Dabobi. Riding animals! People here ride camels, horses, donkeys, and apparently cows. I have yet to see someone actually ride a cow, but as soon as I do I plan to get a ride.

Almalanke. Cart is one of the many words in Hausa that includes my name in it. Donkeys generally pull almalankes although ox, horses, and small children also pull them. This form of travel is most popular in and around villages that are not accessible by paved road: most of the country.

Moto. There are lots of motorcycles in Niger. I get the impression they’re very valuable because people keep plastic bubble wrap around parts of the motor. Very manly Nigerien men who sit on pink fuzzy seats drive them.

Mota/Taxi. When in Niamey, my fellow trainees and I generally take taxis. These white cars with red roves are generally early 90’s-ish Geoprism/Toyota Corola looking cars with tape players. Usually the taxi driver will continue picking up passengers, regardless of their destination, until he has four or five in the back seat plus two in the front.

Taxi drivers are notoriously chatty in Niamey. On a recent trip, my driver inquired first about my age, my phone number, and my martial status. Once I informed the driver about my dowry price (incase you were wondering, Mark Aldrich wants 600 cows for his eldest), he gave me a very sympathetic look and told me my father was crazy and would spend his life having to take care of me. No one in the world has 600 cows!  

Kar/Bus. Greyhound bus circa 1980’s. People take these buses mainly to cross the country. The seats are incredibly uncomfortable BUT they give you free yogurt!

Bush Taxi. Probably my favorite method of transportation in Niger. Guaranteed entertainment and sore ass at the end of your trip. Think of the 1970’s VW hippy vans, except instead of being packed with tie-dye sheets and lava lamps they carry upwards of 30 passengers inside and several hundreds of pounds of luggage, produce, and livestock.

This is the goat that lay beneath my seat on a recent bush taxi ride. I made the person sitting next to me take a picture of the goat’s head so I could be sure what I was feeling at my feet was in fact the goat’s hooves and not its teeth.

Bush Truck. I’ve heard this method of transportation called open truck, van, bus. The first time I saw a bush truck I was horrified. Images of refugee camps came into my head: people being stuffed into and out of trucks as if they were sardines. Then I rode in a bush truck, and it was awesome. It has all the entertainment of a bush taxi (multiplied by five because that’s how much more stuff/people are stuffed in) but none of the smells because it’s open top. Basically a bush taxi convertible.

  

Back of the Bush Truck!

Abinci (Food in Niger)

First things first: for those of you who spent sleepless nights worried about me not being able to eat donuts for the next two years, I truly appreciate your sympathy. But, you can sleep in peace! I have found Niger’s version of donuts: they’re called farimassa and they are delicious. Plain and simple deep fried dough. I get my own serving of munchkins every morning for twenty cents… it’s possible I’ll never come home.

As a fried food aficionado, I feel like Niger is the prefect country for me although I have a feeling my cholesterol level probably says otherwise. In addition to farimassa, you can also find tsala (deep fried millet balls), kekena (deep fried bean balls), and masa (less deep fried, but still fried, mini millet pancakes).

My only complaint about the food in Niger is that there is not much variety. Breakfast is generally one of the above, unless I’m really lucky and the village store has electricity—then I can buy yogurt. For lunch and dinner I usually have some combination of rice, potatoes, beans, macaroni and spicy red sauce.

As for fruits and vegetables, there are a lot of onions available in Niger and they are particularly strong. Kara Park—the onion cutting goggles we looked into last year would be awesome here! Also in the market on a good day you can find an assortment of tomatoes, eggplants, cabbage, and lettuce. As for fruits: bananas, coconuts, oranges, and watermelon show up sporadically in the market too.

I miss dairy products quite a bit, but being able to eat deep fried foods at all times and not feel guilty about it is pretty awesome. 

Yours truly, eating a fried cricket.

Tabaski

 Tabaski is the two-day Islamic holiday that occurs each year 70 days after the feast of Ramadan. This year it was November 17 & 18. It celebrates the biblical story of Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his only son, Ishmael to God. Seconds before Abraham lowered his knife, God turned Ishmael into a golden rod and thus Ishmael’s life was spared. On Tabaski, Muslim families who can afford it slaughter a sheep to commemorate the sacrifice Abraham was willing to make as a symbol of faith.

My Tabaski experience in Niger was sort of like a combination of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all in one. The morning started early, as usual, but with an unusual amount of hustle and bustle. Everyone greeted each other, “Barka da Salla!”, happy holiday!

Sharifa and several of her cousins were around in the morning, showing off their new outfits and hair braids (a mixture of western and traditional Niger styles) to each other and to Shelly and me. When kids say “barka da salla” it works as a sort of “trick or treat”—you’re supposed to give money or candy. Naturally, Sharifa wished us happy holidays several times throughout the day.

 My friend and fellow PCT Jorie Aldrich, with several kids on Tabaski

Around 8:30AM Sharifa and some other neighborhood girls lead us to the place of prayer outside the village. Shelly and I found the other anasaras (what Nigeriens call all white people) and lingered in the back. The atmosphere and interactions between people reminded me a lot of what Christmas mass is like in the States. Tons of people gathered together for religious worship and also socialization. You can sense everyone checking out their neighbor’s new clothes, greeting distant relatives who are in for the holiday, and making mental notes of all the cooking that needs to happen once the service is over.

After the morning prayer, people hurried home to slaughter their sheep and begin cooking. Unfortunately, my family was too poor to afford a sheep. However, this did not stop us from constantly being offered meat! The Koran dictates that families who can afford to slaughter a sheep should eat one third, give another third to friends, and share the other third with those who are too poor to afford their own.

Roommate Shelly and me, dressed up for Tabaski

I did not have a chance to witness the sheep slaughtering or cook preparation, but everything I tasted was delicious. The first day of Tabaski is dedicated mostly to eating the insides, which are often prepared in a stew or fried (obviously I loved this). The body of the sheep is placed near an open fire and smoked for several hours. Amazing. 

  Tabaski sheep being cooked

Foreign Languages

Speaking a second language in the United States is an accomplishment. In the rest of the world it is norm. I cannot emphasize how important I think it is for everyone to work on learning another language. 

My Hausa language trainers speak to each other in a hilarious mix of Hausa/French/Zarma/English… sometimes with some Fulani and other West African languages mixed in. The fluidness with which they speak is beautiful and inspires me to continue learning more languages.

Most Nigeriens speak either Hausa or Zarma (in cities most adults I run into speak both, and then some). Anyone who attends school also learns French, the official language. For those who reach eighth grade, English is also mandatory.

When I walk down the street, I am constantly greeted by children who yell, “Fofo!” (the standard Zarma greeting). After I respond, “Fofo!” they continue “Comment tu t’appelles?”. After exchanging names in French, some of the older kids will ask me, in English, “How are you?”. The conversation generally ends in Hausa, “sai anjima!” – see you later! 

Most of my stage is pretty sick of this back and forth that occurs every time we're on the street, but I continue to find it hilarious. Plus, I feel like a celebrity walking through town now because all the kids now my name!  

Demyst

Demystification, a.k.a. demyst, is the first chance trainees get to leave the PC training site and see what it’s like to be a real volunteer. Current PCVs host trainees at his/her site for three or four days and allow the newbees to observe daily activities and ask all the questions we were too nervous to ask in the formal training sessions. 

My demyst host, Rachel, is an MCD volunteer and has been in country a little over a year. She was a great host: incredibly accommodating and patient, as well as a great cook!

Rachel and me on the back of a truck headed for the regional capital.

The drive out to Rachel’s village allowed me the opportunity to observe some of Niger’s landscape. During the last two hours of our drive (all on dirt road) were really fun. I saw a ton of mango trees, millet fields, and a lot of other beautiful flora I could not identify. I also caught glimpses of large herds of sheep, goats, and cows, mostly lead by boys that looked about six. 

My favorite: cow stampede! 

My favorite part of the drive was seeing a man driving his motorcycle with two enormous tires around his torso. When Sayni, the PC driver, saw me staring wide-eyed at the spectacle he laughed and said, “Welcome to Africa!”

I also got to spend the last night of demyst in one of the PC hostels and meet and socialize with other current PCV’s as well.  

Peace Corps Community Health Agents

My favorite parts of training so far are the technical sessions on health and the health system in Niger. Souleyman, the Community Health Associate Peace Corps Director (APCD) and my boss, leads most of the sessions where I get to learn about prenatal consultations in rural villages, the educational background (or in most cases, lack) of health workers, and what types of projects volunteers work on.

Currently, I think there are around 50 Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Niger. When my stage is sworn in we’ll be almost 100. Volunteers serve in 4 sectors: Community and Youth Education (CYE); Municipal and Community Development (MCD); Forestry, Agriculture and Resource Management (FARM); and Community Health (CHA). There are currently only 2 CHA Volunteers in country—both of which have extended for a third year, so the work is certainly cut out for me!

CHA Volunteers work on a wide variety of issues within their communities although the priorities lie mostly in infant and maternal health. My role will be one of health education and advocacy. CHA volunteers encourage their communities to practice good health through vaccination campaigns, the use of mosquito nets, good hygiene, safe sex, etc. 

 

CSI in the village where I am training.

During one of our technical sessions, I had the opportunity to visit a Centre de Santé Integre (CSI). CSI’s are government supported health facilities where Nigeriens can receive medical attention. Hospitals in Niger are few and far betweenOutside the major cities, if a person wants western medical attention, and they can afford it, the CSI is where they go even though there are generally no doctors at a CSI (the highest position is the majeur, or the equivalent of a nurse in the U.S.).

I was particularly impressed with the record keeping at the CSI I visited. Last year, while writing my thesis on women’s health in sub-Saharan Africa I categorized African countries in my head based on data availability. Niger was on my least favorite list.

In the small consultation room at the CSI stood a large cabinet full of notebooks, which the stage femme (trained mid-wife) informed me contained records for every patient visit since 2004. In theory, every CSI in the country reports back to the Ministry of Health and the National Hospital in Niamey with annual reports and statistics, which can be studied to implement new and/or improved public health strategies by the government, the UN, and other non-profits. Unfortunately, my research experience has taught me that this is far from reality.

I know it will be quite some time before I have the language and cultural skills to start mobilizing people and working on projects here, but seeing the possibilities that exists is really encouraging and exciting!

Emails, Letters, Packages!

So here’s the deal with sending me stuff: you are welcome and encouraged to do so! My mailing address is on my facebook page and also available through any of my family members. I really, really love receiving letters. It makes my day. Please send me letters! Even emails are great!

Packages are a little trickier. They can be expensive for you, and are also expensive for me since the post office here charges you to pick up packages. The post office in Niamey also opens all packages, and sometimes the postal workers help themselves to the contents. So far they seem to really like my cliff bars… If you are sending me anything valuable it’s a good idea to put it in a Tampon box. 

I don’t need anything. If you would like to send a package, things I enjoy receiving include:

Newspaper articles; Pictures; Any and all dried fruits; Peanut M&Ms; Candy (but no chocolate bars please, they melt); Protein/Nutrient Bars; Construction Paper/Pens/Markers/Blow up balls/Card games/Puzzles and anything else you think kids between 2-11 yrs and I might enjoy doing together; Soft Toilet Paper; Music; Crossword Puzzles/Sudoku; Books… an AC unit.

But in all seriousness, letters are great and make my day. If you want to include interesting news articles with your letters that would also make me very happy, I very much miss the New York Times. Also please send me pictures! I love looking at them and the Nigerien kids love them even more.

 

Gidan Haoua Siddo

Haoua Siddo

My uwa, host mother, is Haoua Siddo and she is one incredible woman. Her age is unclear. In the States I would guess given her wrinkles and decaying teeth that she is well past 60. Given that the life expectancy for the average Nigerian is around 51, and knowing now first hand how hard the sun hits your skin, my guess is she’s actually somewhere in her mid or late 40’s.

Haoua works in the market selling hura, the traditional millet and milk drink that I unfortunately cannot drink (something about possibly contracting TB from the unpasteurized milk…). She is divorced and has three grown children, two of whom I have met. Two of her granddaughters, Hadija (19) and Sharifa (11), live with her and help her with household and market chores.

The hard work accomplished by women in Niger on a daily basis constantly amazes me. I can’t tell you what time they start or finish because work has always started before I wake up and continues past my bedtime. I never see them rest.

Sharifa, my 11-year-old kanwa, is the most astonishing to me. Now before I continue I want to make perfectly clear that most days, Sharifa drives me crazy. She is a bossy brat who bullies a lot of the other kids and does not know how to share. Sharifa loves to climb all over me when I feel most exhausted and mocks my slow and broken Hausa when I feel most discouraged. Still, she is an incredible girl.

 

Rakia, our neighbor, and Sharifa

Awake before the sun goes up, Sharifa starts her day by cleaning the house. Next she goes to fetch water from the pump two blocks away. She carries several gallons back home before going to the market to help sell breakfast. Most of the day she’s either at the market selling food, running around town delivering food, or at home pounding millet to make more food. None of these tasks are easy. Being 11 years old and doing them in 115ºF weather does not make them any easier.

I hear Haoua yell at Sharifa all the time: to fetch more water, to clean more dishes… the list is endless. I’ve also seen Haoua hit Sharifa several times (corporal punishment is very widely used in Niger to discipline children). Despite all of this, Sharifa is always up for a dance party, seldom complains about any of the work she has to do, and never loses the smile on her face...except when yelling at other kids who want to take my attention away from her.

Sharifa has never been to school, does not know her exact age, and will probably be married with children before she is twenty. This is true of the majority of girls and women in Niger.

 

Meeting the Chef du Canton

On our second full day in Niger, I had the privilege of meeting the Chef du Canton. This is the Chief of the village I am staying in and the surrounding smaller hamlets. Every village has an elected mayor (marie) and a mayor’s office that works directly with the district, regional, and national government. The Chef position is (I think) more symbolic than anything else. While the Chef himself informed us that the position is a democratically elected one, he also explained he was eligible to run because his family was one of past Chefs. His duty is to listen to disputes within the area and resolve them as best he can.

Meeting the Chef du Canton was a pretty surreal experience and so far one of my favorites since arriving in Niger. All the trainees sat on mats in front of the Chef, who sat in a chair, with an aide on each side and a guard behind him. The scene was both splendid and incredibly intimidating. The guard was carrying a sword and dressed in traditional Tuareg attire completely covering his whole body. The only parts of his body not covered by clothing were the eyes-- which were hidden behind aviator sunglasses. It was awesome.

The Chef and his aides spoken French fluently and in addition to welcoming us to the village and offering their assistance with anything they could, told us a little bit about themselves. One of the Chef’s aides told us he had studied in the U.S., in the former USSR, and also mentioned he had just gotten back from a trip to Spain!

When the Chef remarked how interesting it was that the US does not have chefs or a monarchy, his aid remarked in French: “America is a mosaic of immigrants”. I realize this is a ridiculously broad statement and you could analyze this a million different ways. When I first heard it though, I it made me think a lot about my role as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and the mission of the Peace Corps to not only train men and women in developing countries meet basic needs, but also encourage cross-cultural exchange. I am really proud to be working for the Peace Corps and hope to further all three facets of this mission.

Peace Corps Training

Technically, I’m not a Peace Corps Volunteer. Incha Allah, I will be sworn in and officially become a PCV on December 30^th. For now I am a Peace Corps Trainee (PCT). During these first nine weeks I’m learning how to become a successful volunteer through sessions on language, culture, personal health, safety and security, and technical skills.

There are a total of 42 of us PCTs, all training to become Community Health Agents (CHA) or Forestry, Agriculture and Resource Management (FARM) volunteers. The first two nights in Niger we all stayed on the training site, which looks a lot like the site of a summer camp in the US. There’s a cafeteria, an infirmary, and a volleyball court. There are also several buildings that could hold beds if you wanted, but here in Niger we sleep outside :-)

After two days at Camp Peace Corps, we were introduced to our host families and moved into our Community Based Training (CBT) sites. Most of the trainees (myself included) are learning Hausa, so we all live in the same village. Trainees learning Zarma live in several surrounding villages. 

Peace Corps Training is intensive. On a typical day, my family’s rooster wakes me up around 6 AM, and I’m under my bed net by 10 PM.

Language classes begin at 8 AM and are generally conducted at my house. Every week, Ashley (another fellow trainee) and I have a different language instructor. All the language instructors are young Nigeriens hired by the Peace Corps to train us in either Hausa or Zarma. These instructors are some of the most intelligent and patient people I have ever met. Language lessons generally go from 8 AM to noon, with a half hour break in between. After our hour-long lunch break we generally go back for another two and a half hours of language, followed by another half hour break. The last session of the day is typically a cultural or technical session. So far we’ve covered topics that range from the role of Islam in Niger to the importance of Moringa Trees in both agriculture and health.

Once or twice a week we have “core” days. On core days all the training sessions are conducted on the Peace Corps Training site. These days are less language intensive. Peace Corps Niger staff instructs the entire group on safety & security, health, and culture in Niger. Core days are a nice break because they allow a little bit of a break from the intensive village life—we eat lunch with utensils instead of hands and sit at tables instead of on mats, and the food is more geared toward American tastes... the break is much appreciated.

By 6 PM everyone is generally exhausted. After watering my garden plots (my transplanted tomato and lettuce plants died pretty quickly, but I’m holding out for my green pepper and eggplant seeds) it’s back home for dinner with my host family. Shelly (roommate and fellow trainee) and I generally hang out with our younger sisters after dinner on the tabarma (mat) for a couple hours.

We laugh a lot, sometimes we talk a broken mix of French/Hausa/English, sometimes we dance, and sometimes I try to study more Hausa… Most of the time we lay and stare at the stars, and this is definitely my favorite part of the day.

Arrival in Niger!

On October 22^nd I arrived in Niger along with 42 other Peace Corps Trainees. The trip was pretty long. We left Philadelphia on October 21^st en route to JFK (why our bus driver decided to go through Manhattan via 39^th St. on a Thursday afternoon is beyond me). Both flights (JFK-Paris; Paris-Niamey) were pretty uneventful, and I slept through almost everything… surprise, surprise!

This is the ground about a block from my house.

My initial impressions of Niger as a country were formed while still on the plane. I was not lucky enough to get a window seat, but the personal TVs were showing live images of the ground from the camera on the plane’s tail. Mini, the fellow trainee sitting next to me, accurately remarked:  “It looks like Mars!” 

Niger is very rural, and most of the country is desert. I saw this from the plane, and have continued to observe since. The ground here resembles the images of dry skin in a Neutrogena commercial: very dry and cracked.

My first thoughts as I stepped off the plane: HOT, HOT, HOT. In case you were wondering, it’s really hot in Niger. October and November are mini-hot season, so the days get as hot as 119ºF!

Our group got through baggage and security smoothly. Outside the airport we were met by Peace Corps Niger staff and taken in PC vans to the training site a little bit outside Niamey, the capital. Had I not been sitting next to a current PCV in the van I would have never known it was Niamey we were driving through. I saw mostly thatch huts, dirt roads, goats, and lots of trash.

It's quite overwhelming to see the poverty that exists in Niger. I'm here as a Community Health volunteer but when I walk through the streets I wonder, is it useful to stock up the medicine cabinet of a health hut when the roads that lead you to the hut are all dirt and filled with trash? Should a mother's first priority be buying her children bednets or breakfast? There is certainly a lot of work and learning for me to do here...

I'm going to Africa!

If you’ve been anywhere near me the last five or six months, you’ve probably heard me utter this phrase, which has become a sort of life philosophy, my own carpe diem… the excuse I used for everything, especially the excessive donut eating.

Well, the time has FINALLY come and I am actually going to Africa. I am currently in Philadelphia, completing Peace Corps Staging before heading off. So far I just feel like the nerdy kid on the first day of school: way too excited about everything, including the fact that Peace Corps Niger is known as “Hardcore Peace Corps” because it’s one of the hardest countries to serve in—so cool!!

I want to provide some context for people reading this blog before I get to Niger. A lot of people I’ve talked to had some common questions, so here are the answers:

(In advance, I apologize for the length.)

Why Peace Corps? I actually can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t want to be a Peace Corps Volunteer (from now on PCV). At some point during middle school or early high school my Uncle Peter, who served as a PCV in the Philippines, told me about his experience and I guess the impression stuck pretty hard. Having grown up in a bilingual, international household I’ve grown up attracted to travel and learning about other cultures. Doing this while also being able to help those in need has always seemed like the perfect job for me.

As I began my senior year at Cornell last fall, however, I had second thoughts about the idea of committing to two years abroad immediately after graduation. I applied to several graduate programs in Public Health, with the intention of completing a Master’s International. I also applied to lots of other jobs in the non-profit and private sectors to keep my options open.

But by the time April rolled around, and I finished my honors thesis on women’s healthcare and women’s power in sub-Saharan Africa, it became clear that the time to be in the field was now. I am confident that this experience will have a tremendously positive effect on my life now and in the future, and I hope that it will also be that way for everyone I come into contact with along the way.

If you’ve spoken to me since April, you know Peace Corps has given me a bit of the run around…first telling me I would be leaving “probably” in September, then not until February, and finally I was informed mid-September that my start date would be October 20^th (I am told this is rather common). While frustrating, the process only further assured me that this is exactly where I want to be.

Niger... do you mean Nigeria? No. Niger is a country. Among other things, it ranks 182 out of 182 on the United Nations Human Development Index.

What will you do in the Peace Corps? The overall mission of the Peace Corps is to “promote world peace and friendship”. The Peace Corps is a twenty-seven month commitment, and you do get (very, very modestly) paid.

I will be working as a Community Health Agent. The impression I get is that my job will be mostly one of education and advocacy, working with women and children on issues that involve mainly nutrition and reproductive health. But don’t be surprised if six months from now my blog says I’m starting a community garden… it’s going to be a little bit of everything.

Where will you be living? The first three months I’m in Niger are training with the other 43 Community Health and FARM (Forestry, Agriculture and Resource Management) volunteers. I will be living in a village outside the capital, Niamey. During this time I will have a host family that speaks either Hausa or Zarma. If and when I complete training successfully, I will be assigned to a village somewhere else in Niger. The chances of running water and electricity are slim to none. I will most likely have my own hut near a local family, but you’ll have to check back with me in three months for specifics! 

How will you communicate? PLEASE SEND ME LETTERS/PACKAGES! I don’t want to post my mailing address on this open blog for security reasons, but you can email my parents or me to get it, it’s also on my facebook page (I realize the irony of my internet security concerns, but it makes sense in my head).  Once I am settled in, I will have a cell phone and that number will also be available via my parents or facebook. My internet access will be sporadic—at this point I’m hoping for once a month. So please send me emails, but don’t expect immediate responses.

During staging Peace Corps staff stressed the importance of positive communication with friends and family back home… I hope you will all keep in touch and let me know everything that’s going on in your lives even if it does take me a while to get back to you!

Can you come home? The Peace Corps provides you a total of 42 vacation days to do whatever you want with. I am hoping to travel around West Africa and explore, I am also hoping to make it back to the States for Cristina’s graduation from Cornell next May. Also, visits are welcome and highly encouraged so start planning!

Are you scared? Not really. Of course I am anxious about learning a new language, being accepted in a completely different culture, and yes a little bit nervous about the insects/lack of flushing toilets… but these are all things I am confident that with hard work I will adapt to. 

What do your parents think? I am so incredibly lucky to have a tremendously supportive group of friends and family, particularly my parents and my sisters (Daniela came up with the blog’s name!), and I would not be here without their love and support. I could not have asked for a more encouraging network around me these last few months. Without getting too sentimental, I really want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all the encouragement, it means the world.   

Stay tuned...