its as easy as riding a bike.

{ April 19, 2010 @ 8:10 pm } · { Uncategorized }

So. I saw a real volunteer at a real site AND I saw my own site that I will be moving to in a month! During training, each trainee goes on a “volunteer visit” or a “demystification” where we shadow a volunteer that we are either replacing or will be placed near.

First, about my site! My village is called Nafadji (google map it!).  I am going to be the first volunteer in my village and I am going to be the farthest east a volunteer has ever been placed, as Chris Hedrick, the PC Senegal director said today, I am very isolated, but apparently that makes me “badass.”  It is a village of about 750 people and is at the end of the region of Kedougou right near the border of Mali.  I am going to be living with the chief of the village in my very own hut and am right next to the school and the health post.  From what I hear, they are really interested in having a volunteer work on maternal child health issues, specifically working on preventing home births and prenatal care. (we all know I love babies, this is basically perfect).

So, after about a 12 hour busride from Thies, we arrived at the regional house in Kedougou, which is, according to Meera, like a “pirate ship.” But in actuality, looks like a campground with a very full library and really fun and nice new friends.  We were given a warm welcome by the current volunteers of Kedougou.  The next morning, we headed to Saraya, where the volunteer I stayed with, Chris, is placed.  He is also my closest neighbor, about 30 kilometers away.  And was the best host ever, and set up my entire site.

That day, he showed me around his town, saw the health post, met people who worked there, hung out with his family, experienced the real heat of Senegal, which is my gosh, hot as balls (excuse my language).  I also began to get heart palpitations at the thought of switching languages from Mandinka to Malinke, which is what they speak in Nafadji and the surrounding area.  Now, they say Mandinka and Malinke are cousins, but when the greetings are different, and simple words like yes and no and mom and dad are different, is when I get a bit skeptical.  We’ll see how this one turns out….

The next day, we biked the 30k to Nafadji.

**Now, during the rest of this blog entry, calculate how much I biked and then remember the time where I learned how to ride a bike less than a year ago.  And remember that my bike experience is mostly with Nealon and techno music in spinning classes at the Washington Sports Clubs and that one time I biked in San Francisco on paved roads with Liza and Sergio.**

With sweat dripping everywhere, we arrived in Nafadji and received a warm welcome.  I met my new host father, the chief (no this doesn’t make me a princess contrary to popular belief.)  I met a bunch of kids and some women who I have yet to figure out how they fit in the family but they were all very nice.  They also renamed me Bamussa Demba.  Now, this name could also mean many things.  The Mussa means woman (after Musso).  The word baa, we have learned in Mandinka has meant things like big, goat, sea, old.  So my name could mean big woman, goat  woman, old woman, sea woman.  Take your pick.  But really, I was just named after the chief’s mother.  So really it could just mean nothing.  We had a great lunch, which is a good indication of how I will be eating seeing as we came unannounced so we know they didn’t prepare anything extra special for my arrival.  So this could be good news…maybe…

After a lot of sitting, we mentally prepared ourselves to bike back in the heat.  I think it was good that I did not spend too much time in my village without knowing the language, and seeing it made Peace Corps so real.  During training we have basically been spoon fed like 6 year olds, told when to eat and when to shower and literally how to wipe our asses, which I have needed but it was exciting to imagine my independence and to see that I will actually be doing some work.

Then we biked another 30k back to Saraya (so now we are at 60).  I drew some pictures of latrines and wells while Chris worked on a report of bednet distributions in Kedougou, which is also something I will get to work on after install which is exciting too.

The next morning, Chris taught me how to take public transport to Kedougou from Saraya on a sept place (like a minibus) which is very useful.  We hung out at the regional house and then in the afternoon headed out on a 35k bike ride to Dindefelo, and in the first 5k I promptly fell into a pile of ash and my whole left side became black.  And this bike ride happened to be with David in my language group who does “adventure races” for fun, another David who led bike tours in France and Chris and Matt who are just real good bikers. And little ol’ me.  I felt bad for them.  But I am determined to become the next Senegalese Lance Armstrong.  It will happen.   I will beat their asses in a bike race… (well, maybe just keep up with them on a bike ride).

We arrived in the early evening, showered but still had reminisce of ash on my legs and met up with other Kedougou volunteers.  The next morning we headed on a short hike to a gorgeous waterfall! It was such a fun treat and the coldest I have ever felt in Senegal!  I will post photos when I have patience to upload.

We began our bike ride back oh at the hottest time of day, greatest time for a bike ride.  I was feeling so much more comfortable on my bike, pretending I was in an adventure biking video game until womp womp I fell on a rock.  Got a gash in my knee and sprained my elbow, which I cant bend or straighten all the way.  Luckily, Chris played pediatrician and bandaged up my knee and then I was put in the back of a covered pick up truck with my bike and some random Senegalese people in on of the more terrifying car rides of my life.  So that bike ride ended up more oh about 25k.  So in totale: over 100k: 4 bruises, one sprained elbow, one knee gash.  Learning how to bike in Senegal: priceless.