June 18- Doing what I can

So I’m staying near the capital area again, and I’m near internet and computers-both of which are fast and free to use-so why not post up some info. Um, the rains have finally come, its rained a few times the past week. The first downpour came during the morning, I was walking to my house from the local shop and it started…every one was running into their houses…I, however, did not, I kept walking to my house and was completely soaked in 20 seconds= it was amazing! Now that the rain is here, the temp has cooled but that brings along the humidity, and the men are out plowing/prepping the fields. They have asked me to help…so I walk out to the fields and stand behind a ‘machine’, which is a basic plowing device which also places/covers seeds into the ground as it is being pulled behind some sort of an animal-donkey or cattle…one or two depending. So here’s this white guy in this huge field behind a donkey walking white two hands on the plow and walking back and forth…it was good times. This would have never happened in the states…but just imagine in your head that I, Travis, was, but hand-basically, plowing fields…work of which no one back home would ever dream of doing. I had to laugh while doing it, and a little afterwards.

I was asked to be apart of a Community Driven Development project-which is basically the State got some funding and were required to implement some standards on choosing specific villages in each region of the county that the funding would go towards. The criteria was based upon the size of the village and poverty level. The project is to bring funding to assist chosen villages to help locals in ‘helping themselves’ in a project that would benefit them, working with them to solve an issue/problem (sorry if that doesn’t make sense, i’ve been out of college for a year exactly, no laughing). So we had our initial meetings with each of the four villages that my committee is assigned to work with…the committee is comprised of local head of varying depts. that live/stay in my village-the nurse, women’s farmers head, the weatherman (yes we have a weatherman in my village..I laughed at the idea too…like what is the guy going to report “oh its blazing hot today” or “oh, it really raining outside”…I don’t know, ha). My job is to be a consultant; the cool thing is that i have background in the type of work…i took a few classes in college pertaining to just this…so score. This means more meetings and more traveling. So, I am officially a Health and Community Development volunteer; so volunteers in my sector are either or, but i work with the nurse and go to cling and now i’m involved with this comm. Delep. Project…so i guess i have a ‘job’ now, as opposed to just doing some activities around my village for two years. Its nothing major.

Other things: i cut my hair and shaved the sides of my face but left the goatee. Reasons: here in the Gambia there is a sub-culture of rosta/wanna-be jamacias…mostly men who are creepy and really want to get a visa to the US or Europe. I told myself that if i grew out my hair again, i would get dreads…i mean, why not, i have the time and i’m not here to impress any one. But if i got dreads, then i would be associated with the rosta culture and my work would be shot to hell (but that’s of my opinion). AND, me speaking pulaar, thus i am a fula, there are these fula hats that look like little beanies and they look bad-ace…and having long hair doesn’t work with these types of hats. So i got a fellow pcv to cut it short. Shaving: the sides of my face didn’t grow in very well…and i thought i looked like crap and only old men here have facial hair…so i got a crazy idea one day to shave. What an event…having to first cut the long hair with scissors, and then shave the rest. It took awhile but i managed. I look completely different. Now that the hair on my cheeks are gone, i can tell that i lost weight...but i'll post pics and you can decide that for yourselves. So here's some info for you, i'll post some more if i have time later before i leave back to site. love and miss you all

I am alive and well, dont worry

Hi all. Long time, I know sorry but not my fault…the internet at the nearest hospital was not paid for so I could not go on, go figure. I know you are all dying for information so Ill do what I can. I am currently in Basse, look at a map, visiting friends and we found an internet café…run by a huge generator, ha. So, lets try this out. I am just hanging out in my village as much as possible…although I go into Bansang or go and visit friends on weekends to see them and get supplies…I try to cook my own dinners but really what it comes downs to is just a tuna meal and then I eat some dinner with my host family. I, again, am trying to integrate and learn the language…good times, good times. These first three months are just really me trying to assess what the village needs, their resources, and what they are interested in. I will make a garden in my backyard soon soon…the rains will hit mid july…in fact the other morning it rained in Basse and apparently no where else in The Gambia, and it was amazing. All the locals ran into their houses and my PC friends and I just stood outside and took a free bath, ha. The PCs in my area just had a meeting regarding the worldwide impending food crisis, that will affect my area….thus people that I live amongst will be hungry…so im doing what I can do make sure we can construct gardens and have people save money…but time will tell. It is still 120 degrees F but, again, with the rains coming soon…it will cool down equals YES. So I am just figuring out my place in the village and area to see what work I will or be doing for the next two years. Stories….Battery Project. I had this idea when I was in training…people buy and used small batteries for their radios often here…but there is no garbage can or area to throw your waste…so it goes on the ground. Then kids will end up playing with the batteries…long story short…bad news bears. SO, I told a few kids in my village to bring me batteries and ill give them one minty, or candy, for one battery. Sounds like a good idea right, give the kids candy so they wont play with the used batteries. Well…I went thru 3 bags of candy my mom sent over from America and then I bought 2 bags of candy from the local shops in my village…thus showing my wealth as a white person in my village equal not good. And the kids were coming to me with their hands and cloths filthy. So I ran out of candy but had the kids wash their hands with soap as they came with their batteries. I currently have 2,000 D size batteries in my backyard, waiting to be put in my pit latrine. Ill have pics for it soon soon. Its an overall good story to tell, one of many moments that a PC had a great idea but it back fired. 2nd story...Bush Pig. So I live in a country that mainly practices Islam, thus they cannot eat pig. People througout the country now are clearing land for farming for the rainy season that is fast approaching. Also, hunters go out every sunday to rid the area of sqirrels, rabbits, monkeys, baboons and bush pig...because these animals will ruin their crops...sounds bad i know but its africa. so i tell the hunters, when you kill a pig, cut a leg off and bring it to me, because you cant eat it BUT i CAN. so finally one night my host brother brings me a pig leg at like 10pm the other night. i bring the leg to my backyard, really in amazment that i actually got the leg. i cut a few pieces off that night and fried it up...very good. the next morning i cut up half the leg and boiled it and had meat the entire day...i was very full and i got enough protein for a bit. the meat went bad later that night so i tossed it into the woods by my compound later that night. This is just one of man surreal african moments that ill experience while i am here.

I am alive and well, dont worry

Hi all. Long time, I know sorry but not my fault…the internet at the nearest hospital was not paid for so I could not go on, go figure. I know you are all dying for information so Ill do what I can. I am currently in Basse, look at a map, visiting friends and we found an internet café…run by a huge generator, ha. So, lets try this out. I am just hanging out in my village as much as possible…although I go into Bansang or go and visit friends on weekends to see them and get supplies…I try to cook my own dinners but really what it comes downs to is just a tuna meal and then I eat some dinner with my host family. I, again, am trying to integrate and learn the language…good times, good times. These first three months are just really me trying to assess what the village needs, their resources, and what they are interested in. I will make a garden in my backyard soon soon…the rains will hit mid july…in fact the other morning it rained in Basse and apparently no where else in The Gambia, and it was amazing. All the locals ran into their houses and my PC friends and I just stood outside and took a free bath, ha. The PCs in my area just had a meeting regarding the worldwide impending food crisis, that will affect my area….thus people that I live amongst will be hungry…so im doing what I can do make sure we can construct gardens and have people save money…but time will tell. It is still 120 degrees F but, again, with the rains coming soon…it will cool down equals YES. So I am just figuring out my place in the village and area to see what work I will or be doing for the next two years. Stories….Battery Project. I had this idea when I was in training…people buy and used small batteries for their radios often here…but there is no garbage can or area to throw your waste…so it goes on the ground. Then kids will end up playing with the batteries…long story short…bad news bears. SO, I told a few kids in my village to bring me batteries and ill give them one minty, or candy, for one battery. Sounds like a good idea right, give the kids candy so they wont play with the used batteries. Well…I went thru 3 bags of candy my mom sent over from America and then I bought 2 bags of candy from the local shops in my village…thus showing my wealth as a white person in my village equal not good. And the kids were coming to me with their hands and cloths filthy. So I ran out of candy but had the kids wash their hands with soap as they came with their batteries. I currently have 2,000 D size batteries in my backyard, waiting to be put in my pit latrine. Ill have pics for it soon soon. Its an overall good story to tell, one of many moments that a PC had a great idea but it back fired. 2nd story...Bush Pig. So I live in a country that mainly practices Islam, thus they cannot eat pig. People througout the country now are clearing land for farming for the rainy season that is fast approaching. Also, hunters go out every sunday to rid the area of sqirrels, rabbits, monkeys, baboons and bush pig...because these animals will ruin their crops...sounds bad i know but its africa. so i tell the hunters, when you kill a pig, cut a leg off and bring it to me, because you cant eat it BUT i CAN. so finally one night my host brother brings me a pig leg at like 10pm the other night. i bring the leg to my backyard, really in amazment that i actually got the leg. i cut a few pieces off that night and fried it up...very good. the next morning i cut up half the leg and boiled it and had meat the entire day...i was very full and i got enough protein for a bit. the meat went bad later that night so i tossed it into the woods by my compound later that night. This is just one of man surreal african moments that ill experience while i am here.