Counterpart Workshop

Over the next two days I will be working with my counterparts to determine what I will be doing for the first three months at my site. One counterpart is a teacher at a nearby school and the other is what is known as a community aunt, and older woman who acts as a mentor to young girls. I briefly met with both of them this morning and they seem very nice and enthusiastic, though the language barrier will be a problem, at least for a while.

Pictures...

Minor setback, I haven't been able to charge my laptop. although I have a power adapter it only accommodates plugs with two prongs and my computer's has three. I'll have this sorted out soon. In the mean time here's a link to another volunteer's blog with photos of the Kedogou volunteers and a video of us interacting with some of the wild life. The scene in the video isn't any kind of set-up, we made a pit stop on our way  back to Thies and these curious monkeys just showed up. Really an amazing experience. Also, I'll be living in a hut exactly like the ones in these photos when I get to my site.

Back from Kedougou

I've actually been back from Kedogou for about two weeks but I've spent the bulk of that time in Sangalkam and haven't had internet access. My visit to my future site was amazing. My village is about 90- minutes away from the regional capital by mountain bike and involves crossing a river by rope ferry.The village has a population of 300 and is close to the Guinean border. The scenery and the wildlife are incredible, I'll post some pictures tomorrow. I came face to face with monkeys and a warthog and woke up to a four foot snake entering my hut through the roof. It was a bit scary to say the least. This weekend I'll be meeting my counterparts, a teacher and a women's group leader, who I will be working with when I install. I'm a bit nervous about the language barrier but I've been told the teacher speaks French so we should be able to communicate reasonably well. I'll be staying in Thies for a little while so I'll update my blog as frequently as I can while I have internet. Check back tomorrow for pictures.

I'm going to Kédougou!

I found out this afternoon that I'll be serving for two years in the South-Eastern region of Kédougou, known for its wildlife, waterfalls and and abundant vegetation. I'll be working in a small village of 300 people and living in a one room hut with a thatched roof. All I know about my living space so far is that it is located near, but separate from, a family compound. I won't have electricity, or plumbing. I am going to be the first volunteer ever to serve in this particular town so I have no idea what type of project I'll be doing. Tomorrow morning I will be leaving for Kédougou to spend a week with a volunteer currently stationed there and visit my host village. The ride takes between 8 and 14 hours ( I asked several people and got different answers) and goes through a national park which I've herd has some impressive wildlife. I'll be sure to post some pictures as soon as I get back.

In Thies again

I'm back at the Peace Corps center in Thies after two weeks with my host family in Sangalkam. I'm sorry to report that my camera ran out of battery power the same day I arrived at my host family's site so I don't have any new pictures. I'll be sure to post pictures of my host family and my new Senegalese clothes in the near future. Since I returned I tested novice-high in Pular Fuuta which means I'm right where I should be with my language. I'll be learning the location of my permanent site on Tuesday and leaving the next day to visit it for a week. I suspect I'll be located somewhere in the south near Guinea. I was very excited to learn that this region has wild baboons and avocados. I'm also excited for Easter, it will be my first day off in over a month. I'm going to bed now but I'll be sure to post again tomorrow or the next day. Take care.