Hey guys, I just got out of the bush for a while so I wanted to let you all know what’s been going on in the village for the last couple of months. Well, I successfully made it through hot season- some of those days I wasn’t sure if I could handle the heat but I pulled through thanks to a little patience and some cold water from a clay water pot I bought. I keep it in the corner of my hut and it keeps the water surprisingly cool. The temperature some days was almost unbearable- 110°F inside my hut and hovering around 130°F outside in the sun in the afternoon. All I could do was sit in the shade and sweat as I daydreamed of a swimming pool.
Our first rains arrived in the village close to two weeks ago and we were all grateful for it, especially the villagers. The rains came about three weeks later this year than last so villagers were beginning to get anxious.
The rainy season has definitely begun though- we have had three or four heavy rains, allowing my villagers to plant their millet. I went out with one of my villagers and his children to plant one morning which was pretty neat. A few men walked lines up and down the fields with their hoe, digging holes about every three feet or so. A group of us walked behind them barefooted, dropping a pinch of millet seed and fertilizer in each hold and covering up each hole by pushing the loose dirt over with our feet. After a couple hours I figured out a routine that went pretty quick- drop the seed, cover, walk two steps, repeat. The men will begin heading to the fields daily to work them- resting is over for the next six months.
I have a cat now, not sure if everyone knew about that. His name is Damien and he’s still a kitten. A friend came up with the name because this kitten was feral when we picked it up from another volunteer. It’s definitely calmed down now and is nice to have around the place. It has begun hunting the lizards that frequent my place and lately I haven’t seen any rat poop around so that’s another plus. The only downside is that the cat is active at night and is definitely wound up by the time I set my bed up and am ready for sleep. Whether Damien is running laps around my bed, sleeping not next to me but on my head, or wrestling with bush cats in the middle of the night, he definitely keeps me busy.
My concession just got remodeled which I’m definitely relieved about. My hut’s thatched roof was in dire need of repair before the rains arrived but that didn’t get done until just the other day. It was quite a night inside my leaky hut when the first rains came through- I had quite a bit of water rushing into my place but luckily nothing was damaged. I arranged a “bogu”, or community work where the men came over and all worked on my roof together. They tore down my old one, beat all of the dust off of the frame and wrapped it with new hay and brush to make it water proof. With the help of a couple villagers I also tore down my old shade hanger and put up a bigger, stronger and better one in the corner of my yard so that the main area of my yard can now be used for a rainy season garden. I just bought two chairs and a table to go under my shade hanger so I am really living the good life now!
I’ve been working on my school project for the last month or so and it is coming along very well. I finally received funding for a classroom renovation project for the primary school in my village along with a world map project. So far I have repainted all of the blackboards, repainted the teachers’ desk and chairs, and begun repainting the classroom walls. With the help of a couple other volunteers who came and stayed at my place for a few days, we painted a huge world map on one of the school walls. It took a good while but looks great! I just finished a large map of Africa on another wall that also turned out really well. Now, I just have to paint the map of Niger and then I will begin teaching world geography lessons, in the local language, to the students. I will then finish painting the walls and hopefully have enough paint leftover for the students’ desks. We will also re-cement the floor of the classroom and repair the holes in the roof. I also bought all new school supplies for the classroom and students which they were all very excited about. The headmaster of the school and I plan on going home to home and speak to the parents about the importance of their children, especially girls, attending school in hopes of increasing enrollment for the next school year.
I have also been playing soccer with the school kids every afternoon and they get a kick out of it! I just recently finished a soccer net for one of the goals at the school yard field. I learned how to make rope out of weaving old plastic bags together. I made several ropes and then weaved them together into a “net” for the goal. I’ll continue to make ropes until I have enough rope for the second net. Now we just need grass for the field…don’t think that will be happening though!
Well I guess that’s about all for now. Hope this brings you guys up to date on my life here in Niger. Take care and keep in touch. Much love, James
Our first rains arrived in the village close to two weeks ago and we were all grateful for it, especially the villagers. The rains came about three weeks later this year than last so villagers were beginning to get anxious.
The rainy season has definitely begun though- we have had three or four heavy rains, allowing my villagers to plant their millet. I went out with one of my villagers and his children to plant one morning which was pretty neat. A few men walked lines up and down the fields with their hoe, digging holes about every three feet or so. A group of us walked behind them barefooted, dropping a pinch of millet seed and fertilizer in each hold and covering up each hole by pushing the loose dirt over with our feet. After a couple hours I figured out a routine that went pretty quick- drop the seed, cover, walk two steps, repeat. The men will begin heading to the fields daily to work them- resting is over for the next six months.I have a cat now, not sure if everyone knew about that. His name is Damien and he’s still a kitten. A friend came up with the name because this kitten was feral when we picked it up from another volunteer. It’s definitely calmed down now and is nice to have around the place. It has begun hunting the lizards that frequent my place and lately I haven’t seen any rat poop around so that’s another plus. The only downside is that the cat is active at night and is definitely wound up by the time I set my bed up and am ready for sleep. Whether Damien is running laps around my bed, sleeping not next to me but on my head, or wrestling with bush cats in the middle of the night, he definitely keeps me busy.
My concession just got remodeled which I’m definitely relieved about. My hut’s thatched roof was in dire need of repair before the rains arrived but that didn’t get done until just the other day. It was quite a night inside my leaky hut when the first rains came through- I had quite a bit of water rushing into my place but luckily nothing was damaged. I arranged a “bogu”, or community work where the men came over and all worked on my roof together. They tore down my old one, beat all of the dust off of the frame and wrapped it with new hay and brush to make it water proof. With the help of a couple villagers I also tore down my old shade hanger and put up a bigger, stronger and better one in the corner of my yard so that the main area of my yard can now be used for a rainy season garden. I just bought two chairs and a table to go under my shade hanger so I am really living the good life now!
I’ve been working on my school project for the last month or so and it is coming along very well. I finally received funding for a classroom renovation project for the primary school in my village along with a world map project. So far I have repainted all of the blackboards, repainted the teachers’ desk and chairs, and begun repainting the classroom walls. With the help of a couple other volunteers who came and stayed at my place for a few days, we painted a huge world map on one of the school walls. It took a good while but looks great! I just finished a large map of Africa on another wall that also turned out really well. Now, I just have to paint the map of Niger and then I will begin teaching world geography lessons, in the local language, to the students. I will then finish painting the walls and hopefully have enough paint leftover for the students’ desks. We will also re-cement the floor of the classroom and repair the holes in the roof. I also bought all new school supplies for the classroom and students which they were all very excited about. The headmaster of the school and I plan on going home to home and speak to the parents about the importance of their children, especially girls, attending school in hopes of increasing enrollment for the next school year.I have also been playing soccer with the school kids every afternoon and they get a kick out of it! I just recently finished a soccer net for one of the goals at the school yard field. I learned how to make rope out of weaving old plastic bags together. I made several ropes and then weaved them together into a “net” for the goal. I’ll continue to make ropes until I have enough rope for the second net. Now we just need grass for the field…don’t think that will be happening though!
Well I guess that’s about all for now. Hope this brings you guys up to date on my life here in Niger. Take care and keep in touch. Much love, James
