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

Med hut...round 2

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I am back in the med hut in Dakar yet again. I've been here since Wednesday night. The PC doctor seems confident that I will be alright in the near future, so I'm hoping to catch a ride back to Tamba with another volunteer on Thursday. 


It was nice to get back to site, I think my family did miss me while I was gone. Especially the little kids, I got a really nice big greeting from all of them upon my return. Unfortunately, I got sick the second day that I was back in village and I think I must have looked really sick too. My family kept telling me to lie down, and they kept moving my location in the compound based on where the most shade was. On Tuesday night they even made me a special dinner of macaroni (which was delicious, although made with a ton of oil. Even so, I ate every bite). I hope that when I get back, they'll teach me how to make the macaroni their way. It was pretty intense watching the cooking, which was done over a fire in a big steel pot. I hope that cooking is a skill I'll be able to bring back to America with me, I'll have to make sure that wherever I end up living has enough room for a fire pit out back. 


In case you were wondering, I did indeed have a bed waiting for me when I got back to my village and it does make all the difference. I'm hopeful that soon I'll even have 2 beds. When I left for Dakar there were the beginnings of a cement bed in my backyard. Once that is completed I'll be able to sleep outside at night, it should be much cooler and more comfortable. There has also been discussion of a fence around my shower/bathroom, as well as a shade structure over it. Once done, it will be a pretty sweet setup. I'll make sure to post pictures soon. 


I've really been enjoying the children in my family. One of my favorites, Mehta, is about 3 years old and she is just adorable. She does this thing where she holds out her right hand to me so that I can shake it. Sometimes she'll just sit next to me and do this 4 or 5 times in a row. Very cute. Fatou, who is about 5 is also quite delightful. She likes to sweep my hut for me, she doesn't think that I do it correctly. How hard can it be to sweep? But apparently I really am worse then a small child in my village right now. They tell me that I need help with everything and right now the only thing I can do is smile, accept and say "thank you." I really am grateful for all the help, this would be way harder if they thought I was all set to go right from the beginning. I am hoping that I'll be coming back to America much more self-sufficient, even if there is no where in the states that I'll have to pull my own water and then carry it back on my head. How do you like that picture?


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel

Top 5

I have been released from med and am finally back in my regional capital. I have stayed the last two nights at my regional house and this afternoon I will return (equipped with a stick bed AND a bag of cement for a outdoor cement bed. Celebration? I think so.) to my site. In the meantime, I've had a lot of time to think and I give to you all now, my top five favorite things about Senegal.


1. Fabric
Who said that I wouldn't be able to get my shop on in Senegal? The fabric choices here range from the ridiculous to the sublime and I could literally spend hours at a fabric stall in my local market pillaging the stacks upon stacks of fabric. Just this morning I picked up a fantastic purple, pink and yellow tie-dyed dress, complete with a beaded hem. I for sure will be turning heads when I get back to my village.


2. Egg Sandwiches
Never before in my life have I craved eggs as much as I do in Senegal. Hard-boiled, fried, scrambled, etc. Luckily for me, getting an egg sandwich here is a simple feat. You can buy them on the street or make them in the comfort of your own home (or hut...I guess). Just last night I had a delicious sandwich of two hard-boiled eggs, mayo, hot sauce, salt and fresh ground pepper. And at night in Tamba, they make amazing breakfast sandwiches, with egg, onion and potato. Just add some ketchup or hot sauce and you're golden. I have a feeling that eggs are about to become a main staple of my diet, seeing as how the only thing I really trust myself to do on my little gas stove (please see previous post for further explanation) is boiling water. I hope I don't start to resemble a hard-boiled egg, well, at least not any more then I already do now. 


3. Illegal Downloads
Did you know that there are no downloading laws in Senegal? Say hello to all the crappy television shows and movies that I have been dying to see for the past several years. Of course, the internet is on the slow side, yesterday it took me seven hours to download one episode of "Make it or Break it." No big deal, PCVs have plenty of free time. 


4. Communal Napping
In Senegal, as long as you are visible to other people, that is considered being social. I often fall asleep on one of my family's cement beds in the late morning, as well as in the evening twilight before dinner. Often, I will wake up to little children sleeping next to me (or possibly just sitting and staring at me). Pretty sweet deal if I do say so myself. 


5. Ataya!
Ataya is the word for tea in Senegal. You drink it out of really small cups and it is made with foam on top. The more foam, the better (at least according to the Senegalese). I love it when people in my compound just hand me cup after cup of tea. You would think that drinking hot tea on a hot day would be unbearable, but surprisingly, I find it rather refreshing. 


Hopefully my list of "tops" in Senegal will only continue to grow. But for right now, five seemed like a good round number to me. Like I said before, back to site this afternoon. I'll check back in at the regional house in a few days, but until then, I'm signing off. 


Asalaa maalekum,
Rachel