Introducting Fama Ndiaye

The sweetest, helpful, considerate girl I know. Fama Ndiaye. 14 years old. She is pictured here with my brother when he came to visit.

Not uncommon in Senegalese culture, her mother gave her away to another family member to live with her (my host mother,mother of 10 herself, grandmother of who knows how many). So Fama lives with us and helps out in countless ways around the house. 2 of the 3 other girls who live in the house are daughters of my host mothers sons, whose wives live here in the compound. They are much better off- new clothes, basic school supplies, not to mention parental love and guidance.

There are about 12 kids that live in my house ( i say about because it fluctuates during vacation periods) and I love them all dearly and equally. (ok there is one devilish 3 year old boy...) But Fama stands out as kind and patient, as I experienced, most noticeably when I was new.

We got to become good friends. Last August I convinced my host mom to start her in school. Well to let me start her in school. She skipped a grade almost immediately being such a quick learner. She has such a thirst for knowledge. And of course I want to make sure that thirst is always quenched and then some.

I help her with the basics- school fees, bookbag,supplies, a few clothes.

As a Peace Corps volunteer I have limited funds. I just want more for her. I promised her already I will help her through highschool. No problem! But wouldnt it be amazing to encourage her further? Books, a bookbag that doesnt fall apart a week after buying it, a new shirt or two.

Oh, i forgot to mention the whole reason I started writing this post. i am beaming with joy (as is she) that she scored 3rd in her class again this semester! That is out of 60 students. She was so excited to tell me though as she scored 3rd in the fall we hoped for 1st or second. The saddest thing is she cannot share this joy with most of the older girls and adults in the family.

We must encourage her! She also needs glasses which I will take care of this week. Let me know if you want to help my angel! $10 is a lot for her. Clothes, school supplies, everything, SO WELCOME.

merci :)

You obviously know the value of a computer

http://www.worldcomputerexchange.org/Senegal

Since you are currently using a computer, reading my blog, you have had the extraordinary chance in life to be educated. You can find answers to all of the questions you have and the skills and creativity to create new ideas. Change the world.

Let's give kids here a chance to do the same.

There is a middle school here I have started collaborating with. on various projects. The Principal, a woman, works tirelessly to educate the youth of Senegal. She really does. As she put it, she never stops talking. Always pushing the government to serve its people, its youth.

Well, they have everything they need at the school (a room, a teacher) to teach computer classes! All they need are computers.

HOW EXCITING. if we could help bring it to all of these students. Make a lasting impact on their lives. So many students. Let's do it!

Let me know if you are interested in donating. Do not donate yet as I have not completely set everything up. I am prematurely posting this to gauge interest.

This organization I put the link to, World Computer exchange helps bring used computers to developing countries. Look how inexpensive! wont you sponsor a computer and thus a new life for a lot of adorable kids?

Sponsored P3 Sets = US$56 delivered to Dakar

Sponsored P2 Sets = US$42 delivered to Dakar

Sponsored P1 Sets = US$29 delivered to Dakar

P4 sets = US$114 delivered to Dakar


let me know how we can work together to change some great students lives. They deserve it.

update

Its been a long time since I updated.

Everything is okay here. Having fun, trying to get stuff done. So lets see here…

Work Projects:

Thank GOD for the availability of grants. I would be lost as to how to do projects without ANY money. So, one grant me and Jeremiah wrote for a big school garden in a primary school is in progress. The purpose of it is to provide income for the school, who is rather poor. There is no electricity, not enough classrooms, and students who come to school hungry and without a pen and paper.

So at the same time, the hope is to pass along practical skills to kids. I am really pushing for using trash cans and other environmental education lessons. If you know of any good teaching tools for this sort of education, it is welcomed! Coloring pages, activities, etc. Getting the teachers to fully utilize the garden’s teaching potential is crazy hard. A lot of the teachers are motivated by money, sadly not as much for opening minds.

Jeremiah has done a lot of work there making the garden, etc. But they rely on him too much and we are trying to pass responsibility onto the teachers, but organization is proving to be difficult. Its never planned ahead. So, we are working on that and I am working on not being frustrated.

Then there’s a internet project going on in Geuoul, a town 15 kilometers south of Louga. I am/will be helping as much as possible there, too. There was a Peace Corps Volunteer who lived there around 1995 I believe. Anyways, she and I have been in contact for many months about this project and for the last 2 months she has been in Senegal so we have had some meetings, etc. She lives in Denver, is a retired attorney. She started an NGO (Non governmental organization) called Friends of Gueoul, which you can read more about here. http://friendsofgueoul.org/
They fund scholarships for young girls. The other day I went there for a meeting with a French Rotary who is partnering with the project, as well as the Senegalese committee members of the project. Great thing is there is not yet Internet in this town and this project is bringing it there with the hopes of having classes for the students there and providing a few jobs, too. People in America have donated computers and the rotary will as well. So, the other day, there was the annual scholarship distribution ceremony. It was really interesting. Small town (5,000), but still not a village. But there is a village feel, everyone knows each other and they all came out to watch the ceremony. It was great to see the girls, many dressed traditionally, have the spotlight on them. It was a big deal and a lot of fun to go to, and even be recognized a few times. Had some kids chanting my name but mostly chanting “Jerejef Jo Jo” which means thanks and Judy’s name there is JoJo. There were a lot of “jerejef Amerik, jerejef Amerik” chants.
So, we are waiting until all of the applications come in for the manager of the cyber (internet connecting place) to do interviews and find the right person for the job. That’s so crucial in the project. So, this project will unfold and I will help where I can. I can pose questions and forsee things through an American mindset but also understanding how things really work in Senegal. Its too bad transportation is so annoying in this country. Just to go there, a 10 minute ride in a regular car, I go to the garage in Louga (via horse and cart), where all of the cars are and get in a bush taxi, which is like a peugot bus with benches in the back and after the benches are full, a bench in the middle of the people. Its super crammed and there is no departure time-just whenever it fills. Sometimes its so tempting to pay for the extra places and just go, but I never will unless maybe I am sick.

I have worked on a few other projects with people in Louga for which I wrote proposals for through various funding sources provided to us through Peace Corps Senegal. One is for a big education/womens needs and rights awareness campaign tied in with AIDS trainings for 30 of the brightest middle schools girls in Louga. A Senegalese woman, a really great woman, will facilitate these formal trainings. The American Corner in Louga is one of the main partners in the project, so they have donated conference rooms for the 6 week training. Then, it will result in many spectacles, murals in schools, etc etc. Waiting to get the word on when and if the financing will come through. It takes a lot of planning and it it goes through will require much more.

Then there is the girls leadership camp. I am getting tired of typing so I will write another entry about that. Because it will require the good people from America to fund it, available online through the Peace Corps website. I will show ya that in a day or two when its online. Keeping girls in school is what we have to do. Empowering them helps ensure this.

So….other news—my brother is coming over in 3 weeks! I cant believe it! I am really excited, thinking of all the things I will show him. But at the same time I plan to do it organically, just a week in Senegal. Oh and we are going to the Gambia! Cant wait. Visit some PCV friends, travel with Jer, Adrien, and the bro.

Cool.

Last weekend was WAIST-W. African Intl Softball Tournament. It’s a bunch of Peace Corps volunteers from countries in W. Africa and other expats getting together for a bunch of ridiculous softball (many rules broken), partying, eating well, etc. It was a lot of fun, more than last year because I got to see a bunch of volunteers I never see because they are so far away.

Anyways, have a good week!

Yeeaaaa.....

I will spare you all of the buying shoes for kids without, bananas for the hungry sort of spheal.

Fact is, I, too, am broke as a joke!

Damn those volunteers with endless American funding!! And damn all of that money Bush wasted on other things!

The electricity company wont believe it when the American comes in and is like, soooo can we do installments? haha. but anyways I will manage either way. I just remember being in America and thinking I was broke, but always could at least get some taco bell. So if you wanna scrap one of those tacos this time around (or package it up and mail it...)and drop a penny in my bucket, you will make a small Senegalese baby smile. Thats because I will buy her a 10 cent lollipop with every donation I get. Now thats change we can believe in!

NY Times #10 Place to go in 2009. What are you waiting for??

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/11/travel/20090111_DESTINATIONS.html?scp=1&sq=44%20places%20in%202009&st=cse

merry christmas

HoHoHo.


Well I mean except for the fact that I am conscious of the fact that the date is Dec 21, I do not have much of the traditional Christmas, well.. anything around me here. There is a sandwich stand, a prêt-a-porter (ready to wear) clothing store, and a gasoline stand with a string of Christmas lights. Not much considering Louga is pretty big. I am going to try to sniff a string out for my room tomorrow. Yes! I used to always do that in my apartments.

Our big holiday here happened about 2 weeks ago. Tabaski its called. Its celebrated in all Muslim countries. All of the men who have wives should buy a sheep to be slaughtered and eaten. My family had 6. I have a big family even by Senegalese standards. 30ish people eat here every day. So, everyone comes home from Dakar and many people from abroad to celebrate. Everyone (the women especially) buys new outfits (the women in my family changed at least 3 times a day). They totally showed me up in my one Senegalese (cheap fabric, at that) outfit. But for the first time ever (I held out as long as possible) I wore traditional garb.

(huge outbreak of children crying in my house right now with a bunch of men telling them to stop)

It is the biggest day (3 days) ever for them and I will hear about it until next year. For how much they hype it up, the day is surprisingly calm. But, I knew what to expect. People sit around, eat a bunch of sheep (so many all meat meals for the 3 days), drink soda, and eat fruit. Since I am not a married man (plus would rather eat rice, fish, and VEGETABLES any day over a bunch of sheep) I did not spring the 80-100 bucks for a sheep. I bought a bunch of cold sodas though.

Regular old lunch is like delicious as it is, so I would much rather eat that. A little carrot, little sweet potato, eggplant, cabbage, fish and rice. Delicious. I eat a variation of that every day and still look forward to it somehow.

When I got home from working out tonight I saw a plate of fried rice with carrots (and all the meat eaten out). I was like score, plopped down on the dirty ground with 2 little rugrats getting rice all over their faces, clothes, and ground and munched some spoonfuls. Rice still tastes good.

So, things are pretty good here. Work is well. I love education and have become so passionate about it.

I will spend Christmas here in my hometown, Louga. You should be where you know, where you love on the holiday. So, suitably so, Jeremiah and I will get dinner (we preordered lasagne because that’s the only way to get it) at the hotel. First we will do like wine and cheese at my house, go to dinner, go to his house for dessert/fake champagne) and go out to the nightclub. The schools are shut for Christmas and Muslims celebrate Christian holidays and visa versa here, so it should be pretty packed. Club Millionaire (the best nightclub in Senegal and only one in Louga) has had some pretty packed nights lately with so many people home from Europe. Louga is the city in Senegal that has the most people living abroad.

We had a lil party for Katie’s birthday last weekend. Also on the same day, I hosted a film premiere at the Cultural Center of the film I put up on here a few posts back (She Works, She Lives) in Louga and had a great turnout- estimate of 100 people. After there was about 2 hours of discussion about gender roles/education. A bunch of people from my family came! I was so happy they came to show their support for something they don’t really know about. It was downtown, too. They only leave the house to buy fabric to take to tailor to make clothes, buy food, go to baptisms, funerals, weddings. But they came because I asked them to. Alxumdo.

Then I went to Thies to participate in Operation Smile. Do you know about this organization? They do great work- you should check it out. I translated into Wolof and it was very rewarding to be there for these families. Everyone was yelling my name in the Post-Op room because I was the only one who understood their questions, etc. Unfortunately I got the flu or the equivalent the second day so I was dead for a few days in Thies before coming back to Louga and feeling sick for a few more. Public transportation when you are sick is amazing. Crunched up in the back, windows don’t roll down, car full of diesel smoke, going through potholes.

But anyways, I am really looking forward to me and Jer’s Xmas and New Years Eve in St. Louis. Last year was a hoot.

I wish all of you, wherever you are, Happy Holidays. Eat some holiday food and drink some holiday drinks for me.

By the way, I am looking into Korea and Japan as options for teaching English after Senegal. If you know any programs or people who have any info, I would love it.

Cheers and have a great holiday and nothing but the best in the year 2009.

photos

gift from america! neighborhood girls with their candy necklaces. their shrieking reaction was priceless. kids in the house looking at their photo albums, which are constantly being pulled out to this day. and then theres jeremiah teaching kids at a primary school how to plant vegetables- the beginning of a huge income generating garden project-inchallah.