Happy Father's Day

Family (American, that is)

I'll be really honest with you, the hardest part about being here, is being so far away from friends and family and feeling like you may be missing out on things back home. Especially on a day like today (it's Father's Day, in case you missed the title of this blog post). As I am still in Dakar (ugh!), I was luckily able to speak with my family this morning. Skyped my Mom and Dad in New Jersey and my Grandfather in Florida. It just isn't the same though. Especially since I remember Father's Days in the past with much fondness. Usually it would begin with a brunch (bagels and cream cheese anyone?) and then be followed by an outing in NYC (to a play or museum), followed by a lovely dinner to round out the day. But it's not the activities I miss so much as it is the company. Yes, that's right, you heard it here first, I am an almost 25 year-old that misses her mommy and daddy. But I'm not ashamed to admit that, especially since they have both been my main supporters, not just over the past 4 months, or the application process leading up to getting here, but for as far back as I can remember. So I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you parents, and Happy Father's Day Dad. 

Asalaa maalekum,

Rachel

P.S. I feel like it would be appropriate to take this opportunity to reflect on the different roles a Father plays in Senegal, at least in comparison to America (That's what a really good, informative blog would do, right?). I'll have to get back to you on that one, I've been out of village for a while, and it's kind of hard to remember right now. 
P.P.S. A Peace Corps Father's Day Tribute

Evil Incarnate

A pretty intense blog title don't you think? And what could I be talking about you ask? Mosquitos. In the 3 and 1/2 months since I've been in Senegal I've come to decide that they are the enemy, the ultimate enemy. Forget serial killers and terrorists, kidnappers and Republicans (oops, did I say that last one out loud?), Mosquitos are the physical manifestation of all that is evil in the world. 

Doesn't that just look evil? And trust me, this is not something that I am rushing to conclusions on, I've had 3 and 1/2 months to logically and practically think this one through (Maddie and SWK, aren't you proud? Practical and logical.). It's something in the eyes I think. You know how in animated movies (Disney, Pixar, etc.) you can always tell who the evil character is by the mean, beady, shifty eyes? Same deal here. For additional evidence to prove my point, please see below. 

Beady eyes (Jafar from Aladdin)

Mean eyes (Stinky Pete from Toy Story 2)

Shifty eyes (Randall from Monsters Inc.)

But on a more serious note, Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in West Africa. According to the World Health Organizations, each year, there are more than 225 million cases of Malaria worldwide, killing around 781,000 people each year. In fact, 2.25% of deaths worldwide are attributable to Malaria and ninety percent of malaria-related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. 


As a Preventative Health Educator in Senegal, one of my primary project will revolve around Malaria prevention. I'm hoping to do mosquito net distributions, Malaria causeries and Neem lotion demonstration (the Neem tree is prevalent in Senegal, and its leaves can be combined with soap and oil to make a lotion that repels mosquitos). I'm also hoping to tap into larger-scale projects that will benefit the country at large as opposed to just in my own village and the small area surrounding it. In April, the Peace Corps announced a partnership with the President's Malaria Initive (PMI) that will expand Malaria prevention activities throughout Africa. 


In fact, Peace Corps Senegal just hosted the first "Stomping Out Malaria in Africa" boot camp at our training center in Thies. For 2 weeks, Peace Corps volunteers from the Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia took part in training activities dealing with educating and sharing the best practices on Malaria prevention. During boot camp, volunteers visited a home-based care unit and met with representatives from the Senegalese National Ministry of Health, the U.S. Agency for International Development, IntraHealth, ChildFund, and Roll Back Malaria. From this training, more comprehensive techniques for dealing with Malaria prevention have been developed and are now just waiting to be shared with the rest of the world. 


For now, I will do my best to prevent Malaria, both in myself and in my local community (although this daily anti-malaria medication is definitely not my favorite). And don't worry Mom, while my bites may be many, I'm not scratching. 


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

Little America

Do you know that song that starts out "one of these things is not like the others"? That's pretty much what I've come to realize Dakar is. At least in relation to the rest of the country of Senegal. Dakar is more like a little America. For example, from the Peace Corps office I am within walking distance of an actual supermarket. I'm not talking about a "toubab" store that you might find in a regional capital, this supermarket (Casino) is a magical place. An aisle full of different cereals, another that is stocked with cheese, yogurt, milk and miraculously, ice cream, even Ben and Jerrys. In Tamba we are lucky to find ice cream at all, and our choice of cheese is limited to laughing cow which I'm not sure counts as it doesn't have to be refrigerated. 

Did I also mention that in Dakar there is such a thing as take-out? And sushi? At least so I've been told, I've only seen the menu for the sushi restaurant, not the place itself, but for now, I'll remain a believer. It's almost like being in New York again. Well...ok...maybe that's a stretch. But it is closer then I've been used to since getting here 3 and 1/2 months ago. 

Saturday, 2 of the other volunteers and I went to an actual shopping mall. Complete with a food court, bowling alley and an Apple Store. I was so excited to see it until I actually got there. Not only did I feel as though it was sort of a tease (It was like you're so close to America and then you realize that you're still just as far away as you were before), it also made me stop and think about what my villagers would say if they ever saw such a thing. I'm honestly not sure that they would even be able to comprehend the idea of a mall. Many of the women in my village haven't ever left the surrounding area of Sare Alaji, and some have never even left the village itself. I could also imagine the look of the children's faces when they passed the merry-go-round. Eyes wide with disbelief. It's odd to me that a mall such as this exists in Senegal when the majority of the population not only will never see it, but also most likely would not be able to afford 90% of what was offered inside. These are just the things that pass through my head as I sit in the med hut and wait to be cured. 

Asalaa maalekum,

Rachel