Now that training is almost over I will reflect a bit on the positives and negatives of being a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal! I will swear in as an official volunteer on November 30th (after hopefully passing a Language Proficiency Exam and Agroforestry Technical Exam)!
The major
challenges so far:
- The heat - always sweaty, all the time. Enough said.
- Doing laundry by hand - is extremely difficult and time consuming, the women here literally spend hours upon hours almost everyday washing clothing, which brings me to ...
- Gender roles and Women's Rights - it s often difficult and disheartening to witness the role of women in the Senegalese community. Most girls are forced to drop out of school before the High School level, or never allowed to go to school because their place is in the home doing chores. My 6 year old host sister sweeps the floor, does the dishes, helps cook lunch and dinner, deals with the trash, and obediently serves her father, brother, and guests. He two older brothers have never been seen helping with chores, while my sister is constantly yelled at to clean faster and better (again, she is 6!).
I feel no animosity at all toward my brothers who get to drink tea and play soccer all day and get to go to school. They have been raised to play and relax while their sisters and mothers work all day. Every other family they know functions the same way.
- Packs of children - especially the young boys who have too much free time, chasing after me and yelling Toubab. Yesterday, a kid threw a large rock at me and it hit me in the back of the shoulder. It hurt my pride more than anything. An older girl was standing there next to him and did not scold him. Also, when we were pulling water from the well, a young boy spit on Sam.
- Language barrier - there are many languages spoken in Senegal, and I currently speak none of them well. It is difficult to gain the respect and friendship of community members when communication is such a frustrating struggle!
- Pre-service training - is hard and the days at the center are jam packed with information and void of free time. Days start promptly at 8:15am and last for 10 straight hours. Sessions range from Integrated Pest Management Theory to The Role of the Volunteer in Development, from Sexual Assault Awareness to The Ecology of Senegal. At the end of the 10th hour, it is hard to stay awake with the heat!
Despite these challenges, I am feeling more and more sure that I am doing the right thing and that my work here will be meaningful and fulfilling.
There are many
positives, and so far, they outweigh the negatives:
- I will move to my village on December 1st! - so many things to look forward to - the privacy of my own toilet and backyard to shower in - finally unpacking my suitcases after two months of lugging them back and forth between the training center and my homestay - a small community that will get to know me by name and will learn to not call me Toubab or throw rocks at me - freedom to cook for myself and get nutrients I am lacking eating white rice for every meal.
- Forever a student - the amount of new knowledge I am gaining and the pace at which I am obtaining it is energizing. Learning a new language is difficult but rewarding, and makes me feel productive. I am lucky to be learning Mandinka, and not many people in the world have to opportunity to learn it the way I am!
I know lightyears more about agriculture, land management, agroforestry, and gardens and field crops than I did two months ago (probably because I came in with about nothing!). I can now identify over 30 of Senegal's local tree species by their Latin names. My profession in Mandinka is "yiri tutu la", literally, planter of trees. I like it :)
- Opportunity for change - Senegal is definitely a developing country, and there is much room for growth. I am very interested in getting involved with the Peace Corps' SENEGAD (Senegal Gender and Development) program, working with young girls on changing gender roles and increasing equality of opportunity through girls camps, school clubs, scholarships, and seminars!
- Taranga - is the Senegalese concept of hospitality. They really take to heart the idea of loving thy neighbor, or anyone else for that matter, as a brother or sister. I could walk into basically any family compound in Senegal and be offered a meal and a place to sleep, no matter how little food or space is available.
- Peace Corps/Senegal - the organization in Senegal is especially well-run and effective. We have over 250 volunteers in country and the way the program is run and connected through staff, trainings, safety and security, healthcare, summits, transportation, etc. blows my mind! The amount of time, money, and hard work that goes into operating the organization is enormous. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about development and make sure that we are producing tangible results. I feel very blessed to be placed here because Peace Corps programs can vary drastically by country.
- Support - I went into this with the feeling that my two years here in Senegal would be a daunting solitary journey. I know now that I was wrong. I feel supported on all sides from friends, family, coworkers, and Peace Corps staff here in Senegal and back at home (and in Argentina and Australia!). I have already made some great friends in my Ag stage who are really the glue keeping this whole process together. I feel connections with my language trainer, the Peace Corps medical officers, my host family, and current volunteers in my region. There are no lack of friendly and supportive peers to chat, laugh, and vent with. I have applied to be part of the volunteer-run Peer Support Network and act as a counselor to other PCVs - I hope I get it!
After two months of training, all I know for sure is... this isn't going to be easy, but it will be stimulating and rewarding - and I'm in it for the long haul!
