Still Playing 'Save the World"

So Ramadan was good. I fasted for a total of 20 days-ish, while the entirety of it was like 31 days. I figured I’d fast to be more accepted into the culture, also it would be being asked if I was fast, saying ‘no’, and then having them ask me why. I thought fasting would just make the whole thing easy on all of us, right? No. So I was asked if I was fasting…I said ‘yes’, expecting that the conversation would turn positive and/or end…no. Then I was asked “are you praying”, I would say “no”, then they ask “why”, I say “because I am Christian”…and then they laugh and say to fast and not pray is pointless and doesn’t make any sense. Give me a break, I am trying my best to integrate. I guess it goes with religious intolerance, in general and with most big religions, that are told to get others to convert and/or show other ‘non-believers’ that their religion is the ‘correct’ one. I just had to smile and go with it, nothing much I can do without getting totally frustrated with the whole situation. I was healthy the entire time I was fasting, but really really tired after a long bike ride for meetings and such. The day that Ramadan ended is called Koriteh, which is based upon if people can see the new moon the night before. So I was in Basse the night before, and I saw no moon. But people in Kombo, and Dakar, and Mali sad they saw the moon. I don’t get it, how can a few people ‘see’ the moon and the rest cannot? I guess what happens is people in Mecca that see the moon call governments in West Africa and tell people that Koriteh (day of prayer) is the following day. So on Koriteh, we prayed = ate ALL day! Oh man it was amazing. People were laughing and playing music and dancing. People say here that a hungry man is an angry man, which is true because when we all ate, we were all overjoyed!
FYI I posted some more pictures on my Picasa account, so go to the ‘pic’ link from a few postings ago and you can view ‘em. I haven’t been able to take very many pictures with my camera due to the fact that I fried my AA battery charger and the batteries I can buy in my village wont ever turn on my camera. But now I have a charger so hope to take more soon!
During Ramadan not much work happened, due to the fact that no one had to energy to do much of anything. Then the month after Ramada, people were recouping from fasting for so long. I wanted to make sure that all the moms went to clinic to make sure their children were all still ‘healthy’ and not too much under weight. I attempted to tell pregnant mothers not to fast because the Koran states that then can opt to eat for the sake of their unborn child but they have to make up for the missed fasting days after the birth. But people like eating, even in The Gambia, and to fast while others are eating freely at a later day is difficult and ‘not sweet’ as they say here. So thus I could not sway any mothers. So yeah, during the recouping stage after Ramadan, I felt like my “getting to fully understand my place/job here” fall to the curb. I didn’t know what to do. There has been, since I swore it and was at site, an ongoing battle in my head, involving questions. These questions will run around in my brain throughout the day. Questions such as: How is my language skills? Should they be better? Am I working hard enough? Should I be out chatting/socializing more? Why I am here? I am really making a difference? I am wasting my time? Should I be doing the same kinda work as other volunteers? Etc. It’s a constant battle in my head, everyday. Some days are better then others. One thing I have to get myself to do is to become content with being content with my service here, and fully coming to grips with the fact that development work, especially in West Africa, is slow and that I will not see the benefits of my work…because it will most likely affect future generations.
This past week the Community Drive Development Project had another round of meetings, the first in like 2 months. So I was busy showing my face there. The committee I am working with oversee four villages in the area, but I only see two due to the traveling distance. I am still trying to figure out my place with this project. The meeting with these two specific villages are spoken in Mandinka and Wollof, but there usually a few Fulas around to talk to. (I guess overall I am still trying to find myself here, and what I am (supposed)to be doing.) The villagers figured out how much money they get to work with on their projects and were overjoyed (about $12,000 USD each). Attempting to say the big numbers converted into dalasi (D350,000) was difficult for even native speakers; when the languages were developed many many moons ago I’m not sure they had a need for big numbers like that. So the four villages now have selected problem areas within their village, and how to put the money towards solving those issue- -sense most of their problems stem more lack of funds. I hope this project is sustainable.
I recently figured out that my 12 year old host sister, Fatou, who is in grade 6 cannot read. This is most likely her fault for, as they say, ‘not serious’ and ‘foolish/not wise, and not her fault for being the youngest child and the fault of the school system here. I have spoken with her teacher at the local school in my village and he says that many of his students are at the same level as she. He wants to keep this students after school to make them study and do their assignments. The students after school will play up until, mostly for the girls, it is core time. So I have been asked to help with this after school program. I told the teacher that I am not a teacher by trade but can assist where I can. During the evenings, after dinner, my sisters will come to my house because I can a table and a candle and they study…well Mariama (age 17 grade 9) studies while Fatou wants to color and not study. Other kids come to my house to study as well; I have a chalk board and chalk and we got over math problems and how to spell specific words. We have little study nights, its fun. I make juice for them and/or give them candy for studying hard. Students can only come if they are to study, no fooling around because that will distract other students, it’s a rule. Its good to see students eager to learn, especially for the boys who have to pay full price for their schooling.
So either then that life is going well. I am still getting AMAZING packages from people. My ongoing support system is still grand!!! I am still living day by day, still playing ‘save the world’. My host sister’s goat had a baby and she gave it to me, so now I have a goat. I named him TJ. Yes has a goat. Fatou found the black finger polish sent from home and she painted my left hand fingernails…so that’s interesting. Not sure what else to write here….maybe I’ll think of some more later before I go back to site. I love and miss you all. Cheers!
ps- wish list is current. :)