The Sky is Worth Two Years

This has been an experience like I never could have imagined, I tried not to give myself ideas about what it would be like before I came here, so as not to disappoint myself whenever I was to see what I was given. I have found that even the small things I thought about don’t even live up to what it is actually like here. I am starting writing this particular post 18 days after living in my village. I have set up somewhat of a routine in my day to day life, but everyday seems to end up different than the last. I do some essential things each day, teeth brushing, twice daily…my mom would be proud to finally hear that, it took coming to Africa to make that a habit…I sweep out my house each morning, if I don’t than the dust and sand gets to be unbearable. I read a couple of thought for the Day books that I have, and write something, anything in chalk, on my mud brick walls, to which I have also tacked up pictures and letters from friends and family, always reminding me of the support I have from you all back home. I take some vitamin supplements as lack of dietary nutrition is very prevalent here in Niger. I run or take bush walks three or four times a week and the other days I do some exercises in my hut, which is also like a sauna so that’s working out nicely. There is a shago(store), and by store I mean a guy with a table…who sells coffee with milk in the morning for about the equivalent of 15 cents, its delicious, and I start my mornings off with him, his name is Mamman, and we talk about anything from religion, to why we only have one wife in America, my favorite answer is, more wives…more problems…anywho…I spend the mornings wondering around…having different talks with different people, I eat some street food, which is really unexplainable so I wont try..I play soccer with the kids around my house from 11-12…I eat lunch, nap, read, and listen to music in my hammock from 12-2 when its ridiculously hot…at 2 I come out of my house to have tea with my Fada (mens group) which has included such topics of discussion thus far as how to get from here to America, the concept that you fly over water is really unimaginable to them, and I try my best to explain…something really cool about Nigeriens is that they are totally at peace with just sitting in silence, which is something we don’t ever do in America and I am learning to become more comfortable in it here. So we talk, I read, we drink tea for a couple of hours, I run or practice my guitar before Dinner, which I was cooking myself until my gas ran out, then it was back to street food….I shower each night as kind of a cool down…although its getting to be cold season, so sometimes I get more than I bargained for…oh and by shower I mean I use a cup to take water out of a bucket and pour it on myself. Although I bucket bath everyday…I am never clean here…the dirt kind of embeds into your skin, sometimes I’ll start rubbing my skin and the dirt will peel off of me. I gave up on the thought of ever being truly clean out in the bush, I didn’t shave for the month and my beard came in as patchy as ever. When I got into the city yesterday I took a shower and had a shave, its an amazing feeling. So I live in a village of about 3000-3500 hundred people in East Niger, Every one of them know my name, there are two schools, a Koranic school, a small hospital(a stretch for the word hospital), and a mayor’s office, all of these buildings are wired with lights and fans but there is no electricity to power them, oh Africa. Thursday is market day where people come from the bush to my village, Thursdays are fun cause usually a neighboring volunteer comes in and we get to drink cold drinks brought down from a neighboring village that has electricity, which means ice, woohoo. The people in my village are nice, for the most part, there are exceptions, those who talk at you instead of to you and I just stay clear of them as I would in America, but I know that there are some that I will remember forever after this is done. There is a lot of kokari(effort) in my village, a lot of people who are looking to better their community, and whom I look forward to working with in the future. The days pass slowly, but the months have gone by so quickly. I have days where I am on the edge of giving up and going home, the boredom, lack of mental stimulation gets to me a lot. Then there are the days where I have experiences that make me think I could stay forever. My family has kept in great contact, whether its more for their benefit or mine, I am not quite sure but I know that I love that they do, that they want to share in this with me is so incredibly awesome and I want them to know that I love them very much, and thanks again. Thanks also to those of my friends who have called to…and those who haven’t, I love you too anyways. When I lay down to sleep on my cot, underneath my mosquito net, I have this amazing feeling wash over me as I stare out into this GIGANTIC sky full of stars that is most amazing…The sky Is worth two years.

So Now what???: so I am now free to move within the Maradi Region of East Niger, visit other volunteers, see what projects are being worked on and after two months the people I arrived here with will have a second training where we will learn about how to apply for money for projects that we want to do in our perspective villages...I will probably be in and out of this city about every month or so, maybe more depening on whats going on, we are celelbrating thanksgiving on the 21st of november so that we can all be in our villages for a local celebration called Tabaski, which is just like a huge BBQ...so i will post a new blog around then...Then we have a new group of volunteers who landed here on the twentieth of october who will do their Live in on the fourth of December, and on the third we will say goodbye to some really cool volunteers who are ending thier time here in Niger, one of whom is going to come to dallas, and I expect you all to take her out and show her a good time...more info soon to come on that...Then I will be back in for christmas and New years to do it up right in Niger. So thats kind of when you can expect some more updadtes...I am usually in a village with phone reception on sundays and really enjoy hearing from you guys. Thanks so much for all the interest and support.


So some specific things that have crossed my mind over the past thirty days….

My dear friends Alexa and Rebekah wrote a book about their travels through spain go here.. http://www.authorhouse.com/Bookstore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=63147 ..and buy it.

Congrats Ivy and Rebecca on your soon to be new addition to your family...Cant wait to come back to the new one year old!!! Congrats Grandma Aunt Ann :)

I have read a lot of books over this past month

Drish: Perks of being a wallflower..awesome..I’m planning on reading it twice more.

Ater: Confederacy of Dunces …hilarious..South Paw references galore

Anyone: The Ugly American..just read it

Dominic..you called from kazachstan…WTF??? And Happy Birthday

Jamal…congrats again on your house and starting your job..thats awesome..decorate my room so I have a place to stay when I come home.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!

Sincerly,

Ousmane

Will - On Line This Weekend

Will's first 30 days on the post are completed this weekend. This gives him flexibility to travel to more metropolitan areas. His plan is to be on line by Friday of this week and to post his own thoughts to his own blog. Stay tuned. Meanwhile he is remarkably integrated into his community. Reports his trees are growing but he has had to drape the mosquito netting over the trees to keep the lizards from devouring the leaves. This is the season to try to plant a garden so he has picked up the droppings from the animals on his plantation and is working the soil in an attempt to produce some sort of a crop. He has just finished reading "The Ugly American" and is deep in thought trying to figure something that could improve the standard of living for his community. He has his Dad reading about how to make charcoal from refuse in his village. Evidently most folks cook using charcoal and if his village people could produce the charcoal they could sell it and not have to depend on the rain ( that seldom comes ) for their lively hood. Because his role is to be neutral he does not have much to say about the election except that everyone came to his city to vote and then one man stood outside with the total vote written on a piece of paper for someone to come by and pick up.

Meanwhile Will reports letters (94 cents/letter or card ) and calls from the States keep him in balance....he thanks you and we thank you very much.

The Parents

The Drum Beats Slowly

Will shares the news from Niger. It is election time across Niger. His role is to encourage his village people to get out and vote, but his political stance is neutral. His village will elect a new mayor, Niger may elect a new president. There is unrest in many of the large cities. We must hope for a peaceful election process.

It is winter in Niger and Will reports the noon time heat is not nearly as oppressive and that the evenings and early mornings are glorious. Evidently the night skies in Niger are outstanding. He reports he has learned to cook using the coleman type burner this past week, but then his burner broke and he will not be able to replace it until the end of the month when he will journey to Maradi. Meanwhile he dines on the "meat on the street".

His accomplishments thus far include: running a hand washing education program for the children where after they demonstrated correct hand washing each child got soap and candy; establishing the jogging track for himself and the neighborhood children who along with their parents and grandparents are amazed to see a big white guy run; and being successful in having the children ask politely if it is time for a soccer game, using the 3 balls that Will has in his house.

His 30 days in the village ends at the end of the month and he promises he will journey to the city and post a big blog of his own. Meanwhile he wraps his arms around all of you and appreciates so very much your good wishes and prayers for the people of Niger, which includes him.



The Parents

Will has been "at home" - 1 Week

Good Evening
Will got up this morning and walked to the road, waited 3 hours for the bush taxi and rode to Mayhai(our spelling is not right) where he could share the day with his friend Anna and have good phone reception. He sounds very well, but very aware that the days ahead of him hold totally new adventures. This is what he shared.

He is living on a big rectangle of land. On one side of the rectangle lives the landowner, the middle part is for the goats and he lives on the other third. He reports his house is in direct sun and he goes back and forth about windows or simply adding another door. His project this week was to construct a shade structure. He reports he enlisted two of the villagers to help him. The structure is of cement bags, poles and cloth. Evidently the villagers are proud of the addition to the house, Will reports it still needs some adjustments. His big purchase this week is a "jar or pot" that holds his water and keeps it cool for the day. He reports this is a huge improvement from the warm water that he imagined. He reports his day runs like this. He wakes up and visits the "man on the street" for a bean or yogurt breakfast and then from 9-12 he plans on being with the mayor of the village and will take many of his assignments from him. Then from 12:00 until 2:00 everyone has lunch and naps. Then at 4:00 he reports all of the men of the village gather to chat it up, discussing the issues of the day. Dinner follows and he reports he has started jogging and then at 8:30 he freaks a bit as there is not a whole lot more to do other than to go to bed. Stupid us we thought about reading or writing or teaching games to the villagers but the bugs come out with the lights, so the evenings are pretty quiet for the big guy. His mission for the next 3 months at least is to simply integrate himself into the village and to determine the needs of the villagers. He was adamant today that electricity was the answer and he had the plan to bring it forward tomorrow, however reality struck and he knows that change will be slow and that he must be patient.

He speaks strongly of the community of Peace Corp Volunteers that journeyed with him to Niger, but requests that we send his best, and his love and his laugh to each of you.

The Parents



PS: The pictures are not here yet. We will post them as soon as they arrive.