Reflections on a Year in Country

I have officially now been in country a year! Craziness! A year is a long time but also relatively short. It’s difficult to reflect on this experience as a whole because it has been so varied and so intense. I’ve learned much about myself, my village, other Volunteers, and Senegalese culture in this year. I’ve also become more fluent in Puulu Fuuta, increased my knowledge of tree planting techniques, and made some very close friendships, both with fellow Volunteers and with members of my village. 

Some of my favorite aspects of this past year have been the way I’ve been able to integrate and get involved in my village and community. While it has taken some time, I now feel like I can comfortably go to new villages, get to know people, and also to gauge their interest in doing tree work with me (as that is my specific job here). I have enjoyed staying busy at site, meeting new people outside of my 150 person village and finding new projects in another village. Just a week ago, I visited a village I had never been to before, only about 6 kilometers from me, Missira Panjo, and met a women’s group who is motivated to plant cashew trees in an orchard! They are excited to work with me, and, from what I can tell, have not worked with another Peace Corps Volunteer yet. It was very motivating to meet these women who all showed up to the meeting a village member called and listened and were engaged throughout.

Another favorite part of living in Senegal has been the amazing Peace Corps friends I’ve made here! Just recently, for my 24th birthday, two of my best friends here, Caitlin and Corinne, made me quiches and peach pie using local ingredients. Until you’ve lived here, you can’t understand how much harder it is to find such ingredients and do what might seem like a fairly basic task. Let me tell you, it was glorious; Caitlin, the expert baker and chef, even created a beautiful lattice on the pie that would put Martha Stewart to shame. Now tell me this pie doesn't deserve to be in Good Housekeeping!! : 

Thirdly, I’ve loved the very close relationships I’ve been able to create in my village, namely with my host Mom, Binta Balde, and my Village Work Counterpart, Diang Boye Coulibaly. They are some of the most understanding, supportive, and kind people I know, and I am blessed to be able to interact with them on a daily basis. I truly feel lucky. Just yesterday, I went to my Counterpart’s compound to discuss a potential training idea on mango grafting, as he is an expert, and we got to chatting. We ending up planting three flamboyant trees in his front yard that he had sitting in his tree pepinier. Flamboyants are great shade trees, and his shade structure was recently destroyed by heavy wind and rain. We will now get the pleasure of watching those three trees grow over the next year and, when I leave country,  they will hopefully survive, thrive, and provide shade for years to come. Just as I was about to leave, my Counterpart remembered that I was interested in having one of his extra cashew trees that was in his pepinier. He gave me one to take home, and later that evening, my host sister, Fatoumata, my host brother, Amadou and I planted and protected the tree. It was the cutest and nicest sight to witness- Amadou went to find wood to put around the little tree to protect it from goats while Fatoumata went to fetch cloth that we could use to attach the sticks together and I went to get thorny branches to put between the sticks. There’s now a cashew tree that will not provide fruit in the next year that I have here but will hopefully survive to bear fruit in its third year and for many seasons to come!

Finally, a few weeks ago, I had the amazing chance to take part in the Velingara Youth Camp, held in a larger city near my village. We had 20 volunteers and 28 local youth come! We put on sessions on subjects from tree planting to container gardening to financial planning to proper hygiene to an Olympics! The kids especially loved participating in the athletic events and the Talent Show we had the second to last night. My group learned the Cotton Eyed Joe, and we performed it in front of everyone. It was quite a night! Other groups rapped, sang, and danced. Here some of my favorite pictures from the camp! : 

Aaaand, recently I got to travel to Fatick, Senegal to participate in a mangrove reforestation initiative there! We woke up before 5am to head to the island to plant before the tide came it. Foundiougne, the city where we stayed, was quite spectacular: 

There are many things I am excited for in the coming months. First off, next week I will participate in an awesome girls soccer tournament in a friends’ village. We will teach them classes in the morning with local Village Counterparts and then play soccer with them in the late afternoons/evenings! Getting the girls involved in athletic activities has been something I’ve looked forward to since I arrived here, so I’m happy to finally be able to do it! 

Additionally, in November, December, and January, I will be hosting moringa trainings in 10 different villages with local Volunteers and community members. Ten community members will be invited to each training in the hope that having a smaller number of participants will make it easier to follow-up with and support each person. Moringa is a magical leaf that has many different important vitamins, in addition to protein, and can greatly supplement the nutrient-deficient diet that many Senegalese people, especially in the villages, have. 

To wrap this up, I’ll be coming hope to celebrate Christmas in New Jersey this year! While last Christmas in Tambacounda, Senegal, with the wonderful community of fellow Volunteers, was amazing, I cannot wait to spend the holiday with friends and family back home. Until next time, ajaraama nani! (Thanks, ya hear?!)