A New Life in Niger

Trekking Through Mali

2009-04-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

I just returned from an incredible vacation, trekking through the Dogon country in southern Mali. The views were amazing from the ground looking up at the massive mesas as were the views from the cliff edges looking out and beyond. Just as incredible were the ancient Telem mud and stone houses built in the cliffs during the 11th century. It was ridiculously hot hiking but on the plus side it wasn't tourist season so we hardly saw any foreigners at all.

I ended up traveling with a German volunteer who lives and works in the Dosso region of Niger. He is fluent in French so that definitely helped out along the way. I've traveled in West Africa a bit so my experience helped when bargaining or trying to catch rides. We took a bus from Niamey to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso since we could not take the direct route from Niger to Mali for security reasons (four foreigners were just kidnapped near the Niger-Mali border a couple of months ago). We were well on our way and only a few hours shy of Burkina's capital when our bus rear-ended another big bus. Luckily no one was hurt but the buses were pretty smashed up, especially the front end of ours. Thankfully another bus came by which had some empty seats so we were able to hop on and catch a ride to Ouaga.

We spent only a couple of days in Ouaga just hanging out. My buddy Michael met up with some other Germans while I hung out with some Burkina PCVs. We were able to check out a soccer match- Abidjan vs. Ouagadougou- which turned out to be a really competitive game and fun to watch.

On day 3 we woke up way too early and caught a 6am bus north to the city of Ouayigouya in northern Burkina. We hung out there for a while, waiting for a bush taxi to fill up then finally took off, heading north towards Koro, a village just over the border in Mali. It was a rough bush taxi ride for many reasons- first of all we were on a bench seat facing another bench seat so our legs were in between the other mens' legs and vice versa (just awkward and uncomfortable); secondly we were driving on a red dirt road with the windows open so you can imagine what we looked like after 6 hours of red dust hitting us in the face (looked like a bad tan, but worse). About half way there we stopped in a small road-side village because of a flat tire. After waiting for about 30 minutes, Michael and I decided to find the local bar. Luckily it was just down the road and we spent the remainder of our time there drinking mildly cold Brakina beers. We finally made it to Koro just before sunset so we ended up staying at an encampment there, just pitching our tents for the night.

The next morning we got up and out early, catching a better bush taxi on a nicer road to the town of Bankass, one of the starting points for Dogon country trips. Since it was market day we checked that out for a while, buying some cool turbans and getting some local food for lunch. Luckily we got hooked up with a really cool guide, Moumouni, who spoke English as well as French. The first thing he told us was that the trip wasn't about the money for him but for us to enjoy ourselves. Amazing. That afternoon once it cooled down a bit we took a bush taxi the 10km to the base of the escarpment, a massive mesa which stretches 200km to the northeast. We took a small hike and ended in the village of Teli where we would spend the night. That evening before dark we hiked up the cliff face and checked out the ancient Telem houses, said to have been inhabited by pygmies before the Dogon people came and drove the Telem out. It was amazing how these houses have been preserved for so many centuries, not only because the villagers protect the area, but also because the huts are sheilded from the elements.

We spent the next day hiking at the base of the mesa, staying the night at Moumouni's village, Ende. Not only were we able to check out some more Telem dwellings but late in the afternoon we hiked to the top of the mesa and checked out the view as the sun set behind us. Incredible.

Our 3rd day was spent hiking down at the base of the mesa then in the afternoon we again trekked to the top and ended up staying at a village built on top of the mesa, right on the cliff edge. The views both at sunset and sunrise were indescribable.

Our 4th day was spent trekking around the top and that night we ended up at another mesa-top village at a really small encampment owned by a man named Abraham. He was a great guy and very benevolent. After an amazing dinner he played us a tune on his handmade 2-string "banjo" made with a 5-liter tin and stick. He also did a skit for us including some traditional Dogon dancing and singing. Definitely one of my favorite spots of the trip.

Our last day left us in Dourou, a larger village, also on the top of the mesa. We stayed at a really nice encampment called the Oasis. Since it was market day we were able to stroll through and check it out. In the afternoon we climbed down the mesa and checked out a valley which was first covered in small sand dunes and as we decended we came upon a fertile valley with gardens of tobacco, eggplant, onion and lettuce along with massive mango trees.

The trip back was long and pretty uneventful. I ended up taking one bus for 11 hours and then making it to the bus station at 2am, stayed there until 7am for the second bus to leave, then another 10 hours back to Niamey. The second bus was awful since there were no windows that opened, only the tiny cracks for the emergency exits in the ceiling. On top of that many people bought fried fish to eat on the bus and one woman had a bucket of raw fish that she was bringing to Niger. The smell, well you get the picture. Ahh, gotta love traveling in Africa.

We were able to see the process for weaving the unique cotton blankets then dying them with indigo, the men carving the traditional Dogon masks, and men making traditional beaded necklaces. At each encampment we stayed on the roofs of the traditional Dogon rock huts, climbing hand-carved ladders to reach the top and then waking up each morning to catch the sunrise.

It was an amazing trip overall. Of all of the countries I've visited in West Africa, Dogon country in Mali was my favorite all around. Not only were the views amazing, but the Dogon people have a rich culture and the fact that they have preserved the ancient ruins was amazing.

Village Learns About AIDS

2009-04-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

I just recently got funding from a worldwide AIDS fund and decided to do a project in my village. Working with a local NGO (non-governmental organization) based out of Gaya called Marketing Sociale, I made arrangements to have a "sensibilisation" or a village meeting focused on AIDS education.

Three "animators" or presenters came to my village along with my buddy Jeremy, a PCV down in Gaya. They arrived early on in the afternoon in order to give us plenty of time to set up and work out a program for the presentation. We had quite a few technical difficulties trying to set up a bunch of old electrical equipment for the presentation- projector, speakers, DVD player and microphone- but by dark we had it all rigged up, well, kind of.

The female presenters talked to the women and girls asking about the basics concerning AIDS prevention while the men did a condom demonstration. Afterwards we showed the crowd- yes there were A LOT of villagers there, over 150 men, women and children- a couple of videos which talked about AIDS- modes of transmission, prevention methods, etc. We then had a question and answer session to see what all the villagers had learned and what questions they still had.

Once it was all over with we ended up playing Nigerien music videos for my villagers which they were ecstatic about. Most of my villagers never have any form of entertainment other than listening to the radio so being able to watch videos on a big screen was very special for them, especially the women who took a break from their daily (and nightly) grind to enjoy the films.

The next morning, with the help of the NGO, we had a meeting with the two shop-keepers in town and explained the importance of having condoms in the village. As a result both men have begun to sell condoms in their shops. For me that was the best part about the entire meeting. The fact that condoms are readily available in the village for those who decide to use them is extremely important. It was a very rewarding experience for me as a volunteer since not only were people educated but since the shop-keepers are now selling condoms, it will be sustainable.

"BRAKINA" FASO

2009-04-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I know it's been a while since I've written. I've been here and there bust mostly in the bush, chilling and enjoying the slow-paced village life. Last month I went to Burkina Faso and traveled around the country with a friend of mine who I went to UA with. Although Burkina and Niger compete for who's last on the United Nations Development Index (who's the poorest country in the world), after visiting Burkina I think Niger definitely wins.

There were several things that stood out to me in Burkina that were different than in Niger- many were not easily recognizable but since I've lived in Niger for almost two years I could easily point out differences. One of the most noticeable things was that women everywhere were riding bicycles. Now that may not seem like a big deal but I think it is huge especially when it comes to women's development. The fact that they have transportation to be able to run their errands and go to the market is extremely important. Other differences I noticed: better and more paved roads, many more people driving scooters rather than bigger motorcycles, a bigger variety of fruits and vegetables, electricity in more places, dive bars EVERYWHERE and so many more people educated. I was surprised to hear most everyone in the city, even children, speaking French to each other. Mind-opening.

I spent a couple of nights in the capital, Ouagadougou just checking out the city and eating a lot of frozen yogurt. From there I headed with my friend Melissa to her town, Koudougou where we checked out the market and ate a traditional Burkinabe dish called "achecke"-pounded and steamed cassava with onions, tomatoes and fried fish. I couldn't get enough of the avocado sandwiches either!

We spent one night in Bobo, checking out the big market, the grand mud mosque, and some really unique dive bars, one with some pinball and arcade games. In Africa?
From Bobo we took a bus southwest to the town of Banfora, in the southwestern corner of Burkina. We rode about 15km from town, past vast fields of sugar cane, and arrived at "the domes", a huge are filled with rocky cliffs and spires. Amazing. We also checked out some waterfalls, spending an entire day playing in the cold water and jumping off of the small falls. That night we rode to a near by village which had huts and an area to camp. Being cheap PC volunteers we opted to camp outdoors but ironically around midnight a big rain storm rolled through so we had to run inside one of the huts. I was completely blown away since the rains normally don't begin until May or June. Either way the "mango rain" was nice and the next morning it was really cool.

I had read that there was a train that ran from Abidjan, Ivory Coast all the way to Ouagadougou, Burkina, built during the colonization period, so I thought it would be a great way to travel back to the capital. It wasn't. We didn't leave Banfora until 6pm and it ended up being a 13 hour ride back to Ouaga in second class. We moved to first class and enjoyed the padded seats and AC for all of 15 minutes until we were kicked back to second class. It was hot, dirty and the seats were hard plastic. I couldn't get much sleep in so I stood in the doorway between cars and just tried to enjoy the breeze. It was quite an experience and I'm glad that I gave it a shot but I think I'll stick to buses from now on.

Back in the capital I was able to check out FESPACO, Burkina Faso's African film festival. It was a great time and I saw some really interesting films and documentaries. There was also a fairgrounds near downtown which had a variety of artisans along with food and drink. The theatres were exceptionally nice so many times I entered planning on watching the film but ended up sleeping, getting too comfortable sitting in the AC in comfortable chairs.
All in all it was a great trip, especially since it had been over a year since I had left Niger! By the time my trip was over I was ready to get back to the village and enjoy some time in the bush.

2009 AIDS Boat Tour!

2009-02-05T04:52:00.000-08:00

So it's 2009 and I just finished up a year and half here in Niger! Can't believe that I've been here for that long! The holidays went off with a bang- there were actually a few fireworks down in Gaya- and cold season was glorious, although it was extremely short this year. It's now back in the 100s and getting hotter. Cold season is officially over- sad to say.

On the good side, I just finished up the first ever AIDS boat tour in Niger, organized by a couple of PCVs along with some animators working with an AIDS NGO. Our 3-day tour began just south of the border with Mali and ended about 30km south of Niamey, a total of about 250km!

Our mode of transportation was a motorized pirogue (wooden boat with a small Yamaha engine), about 25 ft long and 4 ft wide, with a nice canopy built for shade. We had a bunch of life jackets so we used all of the extras for seat cushions and back rests- made for quite a comfortable ride! The boat had a few leaks so every so often- about every 15 minutes- someone had to bail the water out- it kept us busy though!

The boat ride began about 25km north of the city of Ayorou and worked its way south. The water was smooth as glass in most parts although we did see a few ripples and white water- nothing to be worried about though. I brought along an inflatable alligator and floated down the river a bit in the places we stopped to cool off as the days were really hot and the water was very cool.

The landscape was amazing, nothing like anywhere else that I've been in Niger. We saw so many species of birds and quite a few hippos as well! There were many villages along the river and even some villages on islands in the river. The sunsets were indescribable although early mornings on the water were just as tranquil and amazing.

We hit 3 villages per day but had to do a lot of guessing concerning the time as it was hard to judge distances on the river. The animators that came along with us rode in a truck and met us up at each village where we were to do the educational talks.

At each village we would begin our session by playing some loud music and dancing in order to draw a crowd- who wouldn't want to come and see a group of crazy foreigners dancing around?! From there we would either break into focus groups- men, women and children- then discuss AIDS, or we would perform a skit about AIDS. In the skit I played the guy who slept around without protection and contracted an STD. It was a fun role to play, especially since I got to show so much emotion, the crowd really got a kick out of the skits. We used the skit as an introduction to actually talking to them about modes of transmission as well as prevention methods.

The volunteers riding in the boat usually had to haul out after each skit and hop in the boat and keep cruising in order to make the last village by night fall. In the boat, we just hung out and relaxed, taking in the view and napping, as sometimes it could be over 5 hours in the boat in between villages.

The boat tour went finished without a single hitch and was an amazing journey. Not only were we able to travel down the Niger River, something only a few foreigners are ever able to experience, but we educated 9 villages and countless villagers about AIDS.

2008 AIDS Bike Ride

2009-01-23T00:20:00.000-08:00

At the end of November, after a couple of amazing Thanksgiving meals at the hostels, about 40 volunteers headed out to eastern Niger for the annual AIDS bike ride. We began the bike ride on World AIDS Day in the city of Dan Barto right on the border with Nigeria. For the next 5 days we rode our bikes the 160km to Zinder, the eastern capital, stopping in 20 villages along the way to talk to the villagers about AIDS- prevention and protection.

It was an amazing journey, both on and off the bikes. I had such a great time hanging out with all of the volunteers, most of them from my stage. The biking was really fun too since we had a lead car blaring music that we had picked! The bush out east is quite different from the southwest where I'm from so it was nice having a change of scenery.

We made most all of our meals and slept at random places along the way, mostly school yards. By now most of us are used to living the "bush life" so it wasn't a big deal throwing up a mosquito net and sleeping on a mat in the middle of nowhere.

Once at a village all of the villagers would obviously come crowd around the music truck to see what all of the "anasaras" or "foreigners" were doing. We then danced and danced and...danced with the villagers before beginning our presentations. We had a team of local animators that would either do a skit and then discuss AIDS or we would brake up into groups- men, women, young men and young women (4 groups) and have seperate talks with them concerning AIDS.

Since the language in eastern Niger is Hausa, and I am a Zarma speaker, I couldn't do much as far as talking to the villagers but I was on "kid crew" at just about each village. This involved gathering all of the younger children and running off somewhere with them to avoid them being a distraction. For the next 30 minutes or so we were responsible for keeping the kids entertained. This may sound easy but children quickly lose interest, even with the crazy white people. It was a riot playing "duck, duck, goose", "ring around the rosie" and the "hokie pokie" with all of these little kids, especially me trying to explain the rules in a different language. I love kids though and we had a blast playing with them.

Overall it was an unforgettable experience and I honestly feel like we touched the lives of many Nigerien villagers who otherwise would probably have never been educated about AIDS and prevention.

Life in the Vill...

2008-11-10T00:03:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you all know that bush life is great and I made it through mini hot season and am now enjoying the transition into cold season. It's still amazingly hot during the day, but early mornings and the evenings are perfect and late at night it has begun to get a bit chilly (upper 60s)! I never thought I would think that was cold but I'm so used to the heat here. Crazy.

I spend the majority of the last two months in my village, mostly spending time with my villagers, tending to my garden and trying to survive the post rainy season heat. It looks like my villagers had an excellent harvest this year as the rains came late but were plentiful. When I left my village, the men were harvesting beans, wild wheat, sorghoum, and hibiscus fruits. The women are harvesting peanuts and ground nuts along with all of the daily chores that keep them busy from early morning to late night- pounding millet, taking care of children, washing clothes, cleaning up the compound, getting water, etc.

Working with the headmaster of my school along with a local NGO I recently did a school enrollment project that turned out quite well. Last school year we only had two classes for the primary school in my village and 59 students, 42 boys and only 17 girls. With a village of approximately 1500 people, this is pretty pitiful, especially with the number of children in the village. Our goal was to increase the enrollment and ideally we wanted enough for a third classroom. I was able to get funding for an NGO to come to my village and hold a village meeting where they spoke to the village parents on the importance of children, especially girls, going to school. There are so many taboos and reasons why children aren't in school so these Nigeriens were able to explain things and answer questions on a level that my villagers could understand and relate to. The meeting went very well and we even went to the neighboring village to have a meeting there.

From there it was up to the headmaster, some parents and I to recruit the students. For several days we went from compound to compound asking parents to put at least one of their children in school. It was like pulling teeth as they had many excuses for not being able to send their children to school- not enough hands to do the field work or herd the animals, not enough help around the home, too young, sick, etc- but with patience and perserverence we slowly recruited one student after another.

In total we recruited 37 students at last count, but are not finished. We have 15 new girls and 22 new boys. With the help of some village men we built a third classroom, a millet stalk "shack" like the second one, but enough to keep out the sun and wind.

I was also able to get a new teacher for our new class. We now have three teachers and three classrooms, first, third and fifth grade. I am out at the school daily to see the children and observe class. I will soon begin to teach weekly health lessons as well as world geography lessons. I will also continue to coach soccer each afternoon once school is out.

After being in Niger for over a year, I have begun to realize a few things that are a necessity for development to occur and I firmly believe that education is of the most importance. It is sustainable and that is the type of work I'm trying to focus on in my second year here. God willing the children will stay in school through high school and then doors will open for them. There is not one villager other than the teachers that have more than a primary school education and I am determined to change that.

Hammock Camping in the Bush

2008-11-09T23:15:00.000-08:00

For those who haven't heard about my recent adventure or misadventure (however you want to look at it), in the bush, it was quite an experience...

About a month ago I decided to go camping out on a mesa not far from my market town. I biked out from my village on a Saturday about 15km to a beautiful mesa not far off of the main road. Arriving in late afternoon, I went searching for a good tree to set my hammock up in. Finding one that would serve me well, I made several trips carrying my belongings up the tree and set my hammock up on a limb about 20-25 ft above ground. I got all settled and watched the sun set from the comforts of my hammock. I went to sleep around 9pm, quite content to be there and enjoying the silence of the African bush.

Around 1am, the fun (or something like that) started...

I woke to strong winds and looking back to the East I saw a storm quickly approaching. Damn. There wasn't much I could do to prepare as I did not bring a tarp or any kind of rain gear. I decided I would brave the storm in the hammock, hoping it would quickly pass. As the storm got nearer, the winds were so strong that I was forced to hold on to the tree for fear of getting blown out of the hammock. Once the rain hit, all hell broke loose. I just curled into a ball in my hammock and tried to stay warm as the rain poured down for an hour and a half. By 2:30am, the storm had passed and only the cool wind remained, somthing that I am usually greatful for. As I was completly soaked and all of my gear was as well, I just covered myself with my wet sheets and shivvered myself into something resembling sleep.

By 4am I couldn't stand the cold any longer so I decided to climb down and try to start a fire. With a small box of Nigerien matches and just a few scraps of paper, I was unable to get a fire going with everything saturated. I gave up an hour later and climbed back up into my hammock, waiting for the sun to rise.

It wasn't until the sun came out and began to warm things up and dry my gear that I was able to get some real sleep. I woke to birds singing and a beautiful view, promises of a better day...

I definitely can't say that I regret going on my solo camping trip, it was just a combination of bad luck and me being unprepared. I got some great pictures and a good story out of the trip! Ironically, I was dripping in sweat on my ride back when just hours before I was miserably cold. So it goes in Niger. "Kala suuru" or "have patience" as they always say here...

July and August...in Niger

2008-08-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have been heading out to the neighboring Fulani village a lot recently. The Fulani are an ethnic group in Niger who normally live in small encampments out in the bush, far from a major road or town. They are semi-nomadic, herding sheep, goats, and cattle and selling milk and butter. There is a family out in the bush which I have befriended and I spend my time there just visiting with them and learning a bit of Fulfulde, their dialect. I recently began learning how to stitch the calabash covers which Fulani women make and sell. They use thin strands of palm fronds, some dyed red and black, and weave decorative designs to form a lid for the calabash which they use to store milk and grains.

Since it is rainy season I have been receiving eggs from my villagers on a regular basis which has been amazing. I have been making crepes, fried eggs, hard-boiled eggs, and omelets almost daily; a nice supplement to my limited Nigerien diet.

I began studying French not long ago and that’s been difficult but I’m slowly progressing. I have also begun teaching a couple villagers English so I tutor them every night after dinner. It’s amazing to think that there are grown adults who do not know how to read at all, even some who can’t read a digital clock. I guess for those who only farmed from the time they were children, it’s not so out of the ordinary.

The men are now out in the fields on a daily basis, usually from around 7am to 5pm, farming and weeding their fields. I have gone out on a couple of occasions, once to help thin the millet and once to actually farm. Both days I was out in the fields the entire day and I quickly realized how hard the work is, not to mention the extreme heat. I have such an appreciation for the effort that they have, especially during Ramadan when they are fasting the entire time that they are out in the fields. They planted two types of millet, one which is ready for harvest in three months and another which takes six months. The quick-harvest millet should be harvested very soon if the rains continue to be frequent. Once they begin to harvest, my villagers will be able to breathe easily again as they won’t have to worry about not having food from day to day.

I have been at the training site near the capital for the past couple of weeks helping to prepare the new group of education, health and decentralization trainees for life at post. It has been a lot of fun hanging out with this new group since they are so full of energy and ready to get out into the fields and work. It has been a refresher for me not only because I am eating amazing food on a daily basis (although the newbies probably think differently about the meals) but also because I have become really motivated again after hearing them get excited about post. It is also neat to see things from the flip side as I was in their shoes only one year ago. I can’t wait to head back to the bush and get some more projects under way.

I guess that about sums up my life for the past little while. Hope all is well back in the states and you all aren’t too sweaty and hot. Just remember no matter how hot you get, it’s just a little bit hotter and a whole lot sweatier out this way! Keep in touch.

Niger, kala suuru...

2008-08-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was greeting some villagers in their concession when I noticed a young mother holding a severely malnourished child. It was her son who is around 14 months old who has a severe form of malnutrition called kwashiorkor. I counseled the mother on the importance and urgency of taking the child to the health center but in the meantime making oral rehydration solution to stop the child’s diarrhea and a healthy weaning porridge to give the child much needed nutrients.
After a couple of days the mother had made neither so I had a meeting with the family and decided that I would escort the mother and child to the health clinic. That morning, another villager had the woman and child get on the back of his bicycle and I rode mine the 11km to the health hut in a neighboring village. I went in to see the doctor along with the mother but as soon as he saw the child he said that there was nothing he could do for him, that the child needed to be referred to a larger health facility that worked specifically with malnourishment.
The next step was another family meeting where I explained to the parents and grandparents that if they did not take the child to the Dosso hospital immediately than he would surely die. They gathered enough money for the bush taxi ride and the mother, grandfather and child left the next day.
For Nigeriens who live out in the bush, a hospital is something completely foreign to them. They normally give birth in the village and get their medicine from a traditional healer.
A week after they had left for Dosso, I traveled there to check up on the child. The mother was still very nervous and wary about being at the hospital and said that her son had not recovered at all. This was not the case as her son had completely stopped throwing up and having diarrhea. The hospital staff provided medicine for the child, food for the family and a place to sleep, all free of charge. I was able to get a doctor to come and explain to the mother the importance of being at the hospital for the child’s sake, even if it took six months for the child to recover which is normally the recovery time for severely malnourished children. I basically told the mother that the child would most certainly die, and soon, if she did not stay at the hospital. I headed back to the village but promised to return in a week to check up on the child again.
Six days later I was hanging out in the village when someone told me that Rabi, the mother, had returned with her child. I was completely distraught and could not believe that after only 13 days they returned to the village when the doctor told them that they would need to stay for several months. Once again I had a family meeting where the grandfather told me that they tried but the baby wasn’t recovering so they ended up going to a traditional healer. They received a certain tree bark which they were supposed to pound into a powder, mix it with water and have the child drink it and bathe with it; this was supposed to cure the child’s malady.
So it goes in the village and in Niger, but I have to have patience and effort and continue to encourage the mother to make healthy porridges for the child; not the recommended solution but better than millet alone. All I can do is hope and pray for the best for Issufu, the poor little boy.

2008-08-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I know it’s been a good while. I’ve been in my village for the better part of two months I think…it’s hard to keep track of time when you’re in the bush. I have been here for over a year now which is hard to believe! Just wanted to update you all on life in Niger…

I spend a few days in the village before heading down to Gaya for my 23rd birthday! Not the first birthday spent out of country but the first in Africa. At least I was able to spend it with some friends. Nothing crazy of course but I enjoyed myself. When you’ve been here for a while you really come to appreciate the blessings in your life, and another year is something to be grateful for.

Village life has had its ups and downs lately. I have recently spent time out of the school trying to finish up all of the painting before the school year begins. I was able to paint all of the windowsills as well as the doorframe. I also painted the exterior of all of the school windows (which are metal) as well as the door a royal blue so now it can be seen from a long way off. It looks great!

An NGO (non-governmental organization) sponsored by UNICEF and USAID came through my village recently to give out food aid to mothers with children aged 6-36 months. I was asked to be the liaison between the villagers and the NGO. The NGO was extremely unprepared for the distribution. Half of the volunteers were speaking to my village women in French, which of course they did not understand a bit. They had not separated the oil, sugar or flour into separate bags beforehand so it was not until after dark when they were actually ready to begin the distribution: one liter of palm oil, one kilo of sugar and 1/3 of a sack of an enriched corn/bean flour mixture per child. Somehow I was given the responsibility of holding the empty bags while they poured the oil into them. About 15 minutes in, a bag burst and an entire liter of oil spilled down my arm, shirt and pants all the way to my feet, but all I could do was grab another bag and keep on going. They rushed through the distribution and then left my village around 11pm, as soon as it was finished. The biggest problem was the fact that they never explained what the women were supposed to do with the food. In reality it was supposed to be used to make a nutritious weaning porridge for young children. The next day I had most of the women coming to ask me what to do with the flour since they had no clue that the flour, sugar and oil were to be used together to make a porridge. In effect, it was the children who suffered as the adults ate the sugar, oil and even flour. I did my best to teach my villagers to make a porridge but I saw many of them eating and feeding their kids the dry flour. It was a perfect example to me of how a potential life saving distribution of aid can be detrimental if the recipients are not educated in advance. “Kala suuru” or “have patience,” as they always say here.

On a positive note, I finally planted a rainy season garden and a few trees in my concession. I planted all sorts of vegetables including tomato, cucumber, basil, corn, hibiscus, beans, pumpkin and lima beans. I built a short fence around my garden in order to keep out goats, chickens and guinea fowls along with curious children. Most of the seeds have sprouted and are doing well. The eggplant that I planted last cold season has begun to bear fruit and I have already eaten a few!

Rainy season is going great and the millet and corn is growing taller and bigger everyday, which the villagers are very grateful for. It has been great for me too as the day after the rains are usually overcast and not hot and the nights are cool and comfortable. More to come very soon…take care, best wishes from Niger.

2008-07-04T04:45:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July everyone! I’m back in the city again for a little while. I’ll get you guys up to date with life in Niger…

I was in the capital a couple of weeks ago and was able to go and see Niger play Benin in a World Cup qualifying match. It wasn’t a great game as Niger lost 2-0, but we all had a good time and were definitely supporting “our country”. We just recently went back to the training site for our Mid Service Training. We’re almost at a year which hard to believe! We shared past projects as well as future project ideas and discussed which projects worked or didn’t work and why. I think it was a productive time but it was also great to see all of the volunteers from my group together again.

The rains finally have begun. They were very spotty at first but now we are really coming into rainy season. My villagers are very thankful that they’ve begun but that also means that the real work has started. The men normally head out to the fields before 7am and usually don’t return home until 5pm. Six days a week they farm from morning to night. I plan on having a bean field so we’ll see how that goes. I guess I need to get out there and work up a good sweat. I also plan on having a rainy season garden in my concession. I will be planting cucumber, soy beans, lima beans, basil, tomatoes, eggplant and a few other vegetables. It will take some effort but hopefully I’ll be eating well come August.

I recently went and visited a volunteer whose village is right on the Niger River. We went out to see the elephants again who have not yet migrated into the deep forest. We took a pirogue up river and after a twenty-minute ride we found them on the bank on the Benin side of the river. There were thirteen in total, seven in the water playing and bathing, and six on land grazing. We were able to dock the pirogue on some rocks in the river since the water is so low. From the rocks we were only about 40-50 feet away from the elephants. What an amazing site to see! We sat there for over an hour and watched them roll around in the water, play fight, and graze. It was definitely one of the most excited things I have ever been able to witness. We headed back just as the sun was setting.

The other day in our regional capital some of the volunteers got together for a duck feast! One of the volunteers bought four ducks of which three we killed, myself getting to do the honors for one of them. We split up tasks and I was part of the grilling team. We ended up oven roasting one, frying one and grilling one which we ate with mashed sweet potatoes and brown rice. It was an amazing feast and all three ducks tasted great of course I was partial to the grilled one! We’re talking about having a pig roast next!

The new group of volunteers are about to arrive in country and I was chosen to be one of the volunteers who train the newbies. I’m really excited about being to help them out as well as see things from the flip side after being here for nearly a year. We get to go to the airport to pick them up and see all of their frightened faces so it will be fun. I can still remember how overwhelmed I was stepping foot on Nigerien soil for the first time. There are 48 trainees coming in so we will have our work cut out for us but it will be a great time!

I guess that’s about all to report for now. The dreads are doing well, locking up slowly but surely. I’ll let y’all know if anything else crazy or exciting comes up soon. Take care and keep in touch. Zatara

Do a rain dance!

2008-06-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

What’s up guys, just got back from the bush and will soon be heading to our Mid Service Training. Pretty crazy. I can’t believe I’m in my 11th month in country! Time sure does fly- it seems like the days go by slowly but the weeks are gone just like that. A quick update on my life in Niger…

I was in the capital a couple of weeks ago for “Pangaea,” a music and dance festival put on by a few of the volunteers. This is the second year of the event and it turned out better than anyone had hoped it would. I was volunteering as a photographer which I was definitely excited about. The cultural exchange through music and dance was amazing- learning more about Nigerien music (traditional, rap, reggae, etc) and teaching locals about the origins of music from the states. My favorite part of the week were the daily “jam sessions” where a few guys would get together with a couple of guitars, djembe drums and some local instruments and just sing and jam out! There was a great turn out for the event, especially at the nightly concerts which were packed. We all had a good time.

Back in the village things have been great. It took my villagers a little while to get used to my dreadlocks but are fine with it now. They do offer to shave my head any time I would be willing but they know that’s not going to happen any time soon!

The first volunteer in my village, from ’99-’01, got in touch with me and came back to visit along with his wife and another volunteer who all served in Niger at the same time. It was a great reunion, all of the villagers were so excited to see Jason whom they hadn’t seen in seven years. It was also really cool being able to talk to him about the village and how things have changed in the time he’s been gone.

I have continued to work on the school maps, finishing up the map of Niger recently (now there is a world map, map of Africa and map of Niger). They all turned out great and the kids love them. I can’t wait to begin teaching geography lessons in the fall. I’ll also begin to teach weekly health lessons to the school children. We finally got a mason to come out to the school and in two days he along with many of the village men repaired the classroom’s roof, repaved one of the walls, and cemented the classroom floor. The classroom looks really good now and will look even better once I finish painting the walls white. Hopefully more kids will be encouraged to attend school now that it is so fresh and so clean!

Since the mason was in town working on the classroom, I had him come by and cement the interior walls of my hut. After having the sacks of cement sitting in my hut for three months waiting for the work to get done, I was so glad to finally get it taken care of. I plan on painting a mural on my wall, still deciding what to paint- maybe a beach scene.

Since school ended this week, I held a relay race for the primary school children and gave out prizes to the winners. We had a 100 yard dash, a potato sack race and a wheelbarrow race! It was so funny watching these kids do the latter two as they had never done those types of races before- they were hilarious! The kids all had such a great time- it was heartwarming to see the kids smiling, laughing and enjoying themselves. Among the prizes were t-shirts, notebooks, pencils and scratch-n-sniff stickers.

I’m currently working on getting funds to build a pulley system for each of the two wells in my villages. This will greatly reduce the risk of women falling into the well and will make pulling water much easier for them. I also plan on starting a major tree planting project in my village (around 300) with trees including mango, papaya and many local varieties of trees.

Guess that’s about it for now. Things are well and I feel very blessed here. God willing the rains will come soon, say a prayer because we certainly need the rain. Take care and please keep in touch. Much love, James.

Niger is hot as Sahel!

2008-05-24T01:56:00.000-07:00

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

Adventures in Niger

2008-04-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know about my latest adventures in Niger. A couple of weeks ago I went to visit a villager in the bush. We took an hour bush walk to this village near the river which is known for its bird sanctuary. The birds migrate during the dry season looking for water in the seasonal lakes beside the Niger River. We were able to take a pirogue (dug out canoe) ride at sunset on one of the lakes and saw thousands of birds on the water. After getting near them, the entire flock took off in what seemed like a cloud, it was incredible!

Last week I went to see another volunteer at her village which is on the bank of the Niger River. In the evening we took a pirogue ride on the river and went on foot into the national park with one of the guides. Elephants! We turned a corner and saw five elephants grazing on the other side of a canal. After watching them for a bit, we headed further into the bush on a path beside one of the canals searching for another heard of elephants. After about a twenty minute walk, we spotted some elephant dung, kept walking and found a herd of eighteen elephants on the opposite bank of the canal! They were amazing to watch. One of the best things about it was the fact that we were able to see them grazing in their natural environment. We were only about twenty feet away from the herd and they were not at all worried by our presence. We sat on the edge of the river and watched them for some time, grazing at the water's edge and reaching up with their trunks to reach the foliage in the trees. At sunset we left the elephants and rode around a bit more on the river before heading back to the village. It was an unforgettable day in Niger. Hopefully next time I will be able to spend longer in the bush and see a variety of animals- there are supposed to be baboons and a wide variety of birds. A few people have also come across lion dung so we'll see how it goes. All is well in Niger and hot season is here. Much love, Jah Bless

Project Play

2008-04-03T06:03:00.000-07:00

March 5, 2008

Family and friends-

Hey guys, hope all is well back in the States! Things are great here in Niger; hot season is on its way though. I just got back from one of the craziest road trips ever! I'll give you guys a quick recap of my last week...

I was hanging out at the hostel last weekend since we had a team meeting and the new PCV's on Team Dosso had come back from "live in" where they spend a week at their post. Anyway, this group of white people showed up (I never see white people other than Peace Corps volunteers and staff). They were a group from this organization called "Project Play". The head of the group, Mike Michelle, was w PCV in Zinder, Niger from 1983-86. As a volunteer he began to play soccer to stay sane and ended up playing with the Zinder team and winning the national championship with them! He came back 25 years later with over 2,000 balls to give to PCV's and locals in hopes of encouraging the game.

I had written a proposal and asked for a few balls without realizing how many they had. Well, Dosso was their first stop so instead of receiving the six I had asked for, I received 40 since I was so interested and excited about the project. Mike and the others noticed my interest and invited me to come along and be the liaison between them and Peace Corps. Of course I said yes!

We headed out from Dosso on Saturday morning and went to Konni, Maradi, and on to Zinder, stopping at roadside villages, Peace Corps hostels and PCVs' villages on the way east (look at a map to see how far we went). In Zinder, Mike was able to meet up with many of his old teammates with whom he won the championship 25 years earlier. It was a great moment to be a part of. We were able to donate balls to the current Zinder team as well.

I just now got back from Zinder, tired and with a sore back side. I won't begin to go into the condition of the roads and some of the set backs along the way!

I am now the “in country director/coordinator” for Project Play in Niger. I am responsible for compiling feedback and photos from other volunteers, schools and organizations that received the balls and relay that information back to the Project Play folks back in the States and Brazil, where Mike lives. We were able to give away of most of the soccer balls, bags, pumps and needles (about 600 balls are still in country). I will also be in charge of the remaining balls to give them out according to people's needs.

This has been an amazing week for me, a real landmark in my service here in Niger. It was so uplifting seeing the kids’ faces once they received these shiny new balls. Just as a quick example, one secondary school we went to had over 1000 students and only two soccer balls. You all can imagine how grateful they were to receive over 20 brand new balls. Amazing!

Lastly, I wanted to share a project idea that this adventure sparked for me. Since plastic bags are used for everything here, it has created quite a problem (no recycling, trash collection). The streets and trees are always littered with bags so I decided to do something about it. I will be collecting bags, twisting them together to make thin ropes, tying them together and making a grid which will eventually be made into soccer nets. I am really excited about getting this underway because I think it goes hand-in-hand with Project Play.

I'll need a full week to recover from this road trip but I had the most amazing time. I will try to get some pictures send y'alls way soon. Take care and keep in touch.

Much love,
James

Life in the Bush Continues...

2008-03-14T02:06:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, just wanted to let you all know that things are going great here in Niger. I just made it to the capital to welcome in the new stage who is swearing in. It's nice to meet the new group and hang out with old friends all in one place, of course that means that the hostel gets a little crowded. I showed up a little later than other volunteers which meant that all of the cots, mattresses, pillows, blankets, sheets and mosquito nets were taken. I had to settle with a big pink towel which served as my shower towel, pillow and blanket. Hey, it was better than nothing. The first night I pushed two chairs together, trying to make a bed. That worked out for all of half an hour. I'm sure I'll get it figured out at some point.

I took some time off at the pool yesterday, looking to fix up my farmer's tan a bit; too bad I just ended up with a burned body. I'm headed back to the bush soon and plan on spending all of hot season there...we'll see how that works out. I am contemplating the idea of buying cement and making a kiddie pool under my shade hanger to help beat the heat, not sure if that will happen or not.

At least mango season has begun. I experimented with my dutch oven recently and made some really good raisin banana bread. Hopefully I can perfect the technique and start "baking" at post.

Well, I guess that's about it for now; I'm gonna go and find some shade or a fan to sit under.

Much love,

James, aka Zatara

Trip to African Nations Cup

2008-03-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

Family and Friends-

Hey, it’s Zatara, aka Jah Bless. Just wanted to let you all know about the crazy vacation trip I took to Ghana in late January to see the African Nations Cup soccer tournament. But first let me catch you up on life in the bush.

Everything here in the bush is just fine. The men have begun clearing the fields and getting them ready for planting. I spoke with some villagers and I will be getting a field of my own to plant beans and peanuts and maybe some millet as well. That should keep me pretty busy throughout rainy season. I’m still working on my Zarma daily while trying to stay in the shade. Hot season is approaching; yesterday it was over 120ºF in the sun at 4 pm and by nightfall it was still in the 90s. Anyway, back to my Ghana trip…

I met up with Alexis and Chris, two other volunteers in my region, in southern Niger and we all hung out at my buddy Jeremy’s place for a couple of days before we left. The bus ticket from Niger to Lome, Togo’s capital, was 15,000 CFA (around $35). The bus ride took us through Benin and on to Togo and then south to Lome, a 14 hour trip. It was quite a long haul with only a couple of rest stops in between. Quickly I noticed the change in landscape compared to Niger; many more trees and hills throughout the countryside. We arrived in Lome late at night, exhausted, so we quickly found a hotel and crashed. We hit the streets of Lome, first heading to the beach to put our toes in the sand and get our feet wet - what a feeling after living in a landlocked country for 6 months!

We stopped by an artisan’s center and then went to a fetish market where they practiced voodoo and sold every type of dead animal parts imaginable - horns, animal pelts, vultures, owls, bats, monkey skulls, elephant bones, pig vertebrae, hyena skulls, porcupine quills, etc. It was pretty wild. The highlight of the day for me was going to “King Burger” and eating a king burger (meat, cheese, fried egg, lettuce)! That night we partied with some Ivory Coast fans who were celebrating their team’s victory.

The next day we took a short ride to the Ghanaian border and then a 3 hour bush taxi ride to Accra, Ghana’s capital. There we met up with a professor that I studied abroad with in 2004. It was great to seem him again; he said that he always knew I would return to Africa. He was able to find us a hotel near the center of town where we stayed for the first few nights in Ghana. We checked out the capital on foot, hung out on the beach, went to several dive bars, saw a few soccer games at the stadium, ate some great local food, and more than anything, just relaxed.

Next we traveled to Kumasi in the interior of Ghana to watch a few more soccer matches. We also went to the zoo in Kumasi and spent a couple of nights with some Ghana PCVs at their hostel. From Kumasi we traveled southwest to Takoradi to watch two more soccer matches and then bush taxied to Cape Coast. We checked out the old colonial town, went to Cape Coast castle, an old slave fort, and ate at a beachside restaurant. We also went to Fort William, an old lighthouse overlooking the town, where I was able to capture some beautiful pictures. We then checked out Elmina castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482, which was later converted to a slave fort.

The next day we traveled to a small beachside town and stayed the night at Fort Good Hope, a slave fort turned into a “hotel”. The views from up top were amazing! We spent most of the day on a secluded beach, enjoying our vacation with not a worry in a world. Our last stop before heading back to the capital was Big Millie’s, a cheap, laid back beachside resort. We ate great food there, swam in the ocean, played beach soccer, and danced to reggae music with the local Rastafarians. It was a great stop.

Back in Accra we were able to get scalped tickets to a semifinal match between Ghana, the hosts, and their rival, Nigeria. As you all can imagine the streets were packed with Ghanaian fans, as was the stadium- not an empty seat around. It’s hard to describe the atmosphere in the city after Ghana came back to win 2-1. Everyone went crazy! That night we met up with a bunch of Niger PCVs at a nice sports bar to watch the Super Bowl. It was pretty crazy watching American football on ESPN!

We headed back to the border with Togo, spent one more night in Lome and then headed back to Niger, arriving there at 5 am. I got a few hours of sleep and then took a bush taxi back to my village. What a trip! Now it’s back to life in the bush. I’ve begun coaching the school children soccer. That has been a great time especially seeing the girls having fun. It has also taught me a lot of patience - keeping 3 teams in order at once is not an easy ordeal.

Well, I guess that’s about all for my trip. The pictures will tell so much more. I hope all is well back home, please keep in touch and continue to write and send pictures.

Much love,
James

Christmas in the capital...of Niger

2008-01-02T11:14:00.001-08:00

December 26, 2007
Merry Christmas guys! I hope you all are enjoying the holidays back home. Just a quick update on Christmas here in Niger. On Christmas Eve I went to mass at the Cathedral Notre Dame in Niamey, the capital, with a couple of friends. The church was packed and the service was nice, especially the upbeat music. Everything was in French but I recognized a few prayers and Christmas hymns. Afterwards, we came back to the hostel where a crazy dance party was going on which lasted well into Christmas morning! There were quite a few volunteers who had come into town for the holidays so it was a great time! Christmas morning we all opened our stockings and then had a big breakfast which included pancakes, cinnamon rolls, banana bread, snickerdoodle cookies, and hot cocoa! Good stuff. We watched A Christmas Carol and later A Christmas Story, two holiday favorites. That afternoon most of us went to a PC staff member's house to hang out there and eat more food. Even the country director showed up so we all had a great time over there! Most of us took it easy that evening and hung around the hostel because we were all too full to do anything or go anywhere. Even though I was away from home and my family and friends, it was a better Christmas than I could have asked for. Tomorrow afternoon I plan on taking off for my post...finally back to the bush and to a more relaxed pace. I plan on spending the New Year down south with a few close friends so it should be a good time. I'm not sure when I'll be back in civilization but keep the letters coming and I'll update y'all again as soon as I can. Take care and have a happy new year!

Christmas in Niger

2008-01-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas to all! I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season back home. I am excited about Christmas even though it will be much different than in the states. I'm planning on heading to Christmas Eve mass at a Christian church here in the capital, but I'm not sure if the service will be in English or French. Afterwards the volunteers are supposed to have a potluck "feast" at the hostel; anything will be better than millet, sorghum, or rice and beans so I can't wait. Yesterday I went to the zoo with some friends and took a bunch of pictures; it is surprising how close you can get to the cages- I could have reached out and touched the lions, hyenas or baboons which is great but scary at the same time. I got a little to close to the stork's cage trying to take a picture and he snapped at my hand; it didn't hurt but it scared the heck out of me! We also browsed through the artisan's center where there were silver smiths, leather workers, and cloth makers. I bought some Francs (coins) from the 1930s that I am sure are pretty rare. Last night I went out to a chinese place (yeah, in Niger) with some friends and had a really good meal. We saw a local dressed up in a Santa outfit with the beard and all, ringing a bell- very random to see in this country, but funny at the same time. Tomorrow will be spent with good friends just hanging out and hopefully eating well. Wednesday I'll head back to the bush which I'm very excited and anxious about. I believe that's about it for now, I need to get my home made banana bread ready for our feast tonight. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Until next time, kala hanfo.

Update on Events

2008-01-02T11:00:00.001-08:00

December 21, 2007

Family and Friends,

Just wanted to give you all an update about events that have recently occurred in Niger. I returned to the training site for the second week of IST on the 11th of December. On the 12th we got word that a bush taxi ran over a land mine in a large city in the south of the country killing the driver. That evening we heard that a passenger vehicle ran over another land mine in a different city killing the driver and two other passengers. Peace Corps Niger was put on "stand fast" after the incident, meaning all of the volunteers were to stay put until further notice. We ended up having to stay an extra week at the training site because of fear of more terrorist activity during Tabaski, a Muslim holiday. We were shuttled to the capital today because the "stand fast" was supposed to be lifted but we still haven't heard confirmation yet. Another incident happened on Monday the 17th, where Police intercepted two young men trying to plant a land mine in the east. Tensions are high here in Niger since no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks. As it stands now, I will head back to my village tomorrow and resume life in the bush. I plan on spending Christmas day with some friends in southern Niger, near the Niger River. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday back home and keep in mind why we are actually celebrating Christmas. I'll try to update you again with the latest from Niger. Kala Hanfo!

Update

2008-01-02T10:43:00.001-08:00

December 6, 2007
Just a quick update to let you all know that I'm alive and well. Just another day in Niger, living the dream. I'm back at the training site for Inservice Training for 2 weeks and then it's back to the bush! Things are great here now; the weather is amazing in the mornings and evenings and I'm having a great time with the other 40 volunteers with whom I arrived in July. I plan on heading out east for Christmas and who knows where for the New Year. I have a lot of project ideas in mind and plan on getting started at the first of the year. Other than that I'm just trying to take it day by day and enjoy my time here. I'll get a long post up soon.

Email - December 9, 2007

2007-12-30T14:09:00.000-08:00

December 9, 2007

Family and friends-

Finally made it back to the capital, Niamey, for a weekend of fun in between our 2-week inservice training. It's so great to be back in "civilization," after spending so much time in the bush, although I do miss my village and villagers. I've felt like a king this past week at the training site - we get meals cooked for us (with meat!), snack twice a day, air conditioning where I sleep, Americans to speak english with, my laundry gets taken care of, movies, electricity, and actual showers and toilets. It's amazing what becomes a treat once you've been out in the boonies for a while. I wouldn't change it for the world, though.

So I have one more week of training to go and then I'll spend a couple of days in the capital before heading back to my village to celebrate Tabaski (Muslim holiday) with my villagers. I haven't quite decided what I'm doing for X-Mas but I'll probably head out east because they have a Christmas party at the hostel there. I'm unsure where I'll spend New Year's eve.

I've been trying to put away some money for my trip to Ghana in late January/early February for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. Very excited about that! So, a few stories to share with you guys about life here in Niger. Last week I heard rumor of a new "American" restaurant in the capital so a bunch of us went to check it out. BY FAR the best, nicest building/restaurant I have been in country. They had air conditioning, a flat screen tv, clean floors, lots of desserts and some great entrees. I ate some greek sandwich thing and later had some pizza! They even had napkins - no one in Niger has napkins. It was an excellent meal. So, last night as we were heading back from a bar/restaurant where we went dancing, we felt a couple of sprinkles - it was definitely coming down in Niger in December! The taxi driver said he had never seen it before. Once dry season comes around, the rain stops for a good 8 months - it hadn't rained but once since rainy season ended in late September. I set up my bed on the hostel's roof where we all sleep, but the rain started again and I ended up moving inside for the night. Yesterday I also went to the zoo in the capital- it was both a good and bad experience. On one hand it was terrible to see these majestic animals in extremely small compounds with no room to exercise at all, but on the other hand, they didn't have the guard rails set up 20 feet from the actual cage like they do in the states. I could have touched a lioness if I had wanted to; well, I did want to but I was afraid to. I saw lions, baboons- very clever animals, monkeys, an ostrich, gazelles - beautiful, crocs, hyenas - so much bigger than you would ever imagine, and some eagles. Overall it was a good experience and I'm glad I went.

Okay, I know I kind of got long winded on this one but I wanted to catch you all up on my life. I hope all is well back in the states; it's hard to imagine that X-Mas is right around the corner- I feel so distant from it all. I hope you all enjoy the Holiday Season and time off from work/school. Please keep in touch and continue sending letters, pictures, news, anything at all.

Take care,

James aka Zatara

Letter to Family - December 5, 2007

2007-12-30T13:29:00.001-08:00

December 5, 2007

Wow, Christmas is coming, isn't it? Well, I guess it will come and go by the time you get this. I know I wrote you guys a small note with Nickie's package - not sure which will arrive first. Things are great here - just living the dream. I'm at the training site for two weeks for technical training. I'm not too excited about all of the sessions but it's great being back with all of the other volunteers from my stage. We've been having a blast together and have lots of games and activities to keep us busy during free time - late night hide and seek, soccer, frisbee, improv, a weight gain competition, and maybe even Christmas caroling and Secret Santa.

Well, I received your letters from late August and early September, along with two more care packages. Thanks, again! It helps so much when I'm out in the bush - beans, rice, noodles, and millet, all get old if you eat them often enough. I figured out how to make a dutch oven, so if you find some recipes for cakes, cookies, breads and pies, please send them my way. I'm especially looking for a mango pie/cake/bread recipe, because mango season will be here soon. I have plenty of honey in my village so I have been draining the comb and funneling it into bottles, so I'll have some for the future. I also plan to try to make my own fruit/granola bars - We'll see how that goes.

We have been learning about project proposals and I'm really anxious about getting started on a few in my village. I want to do a big map project for the school - a world map, a map of Africa, and a map of Niger. Also think I'm going to start a weekly health lesson at the school - nutrition and sanitation. I also plan on starting a weekly adult English class since many men have shown interest. And I plan on doing a well-repair project soon because there is a lot of dirty standing water around both wells in my village. A lot of work coming up but I'm ready to get started. My villagers have a lot of effort so in sha allah (God willing), things will work out.

Mom, that radio transmitter was the best gift ever! It's so nice listening to good music when I'm cooking or doing laundry... I even take it to the neighbor's place nightly and listen to Bob Marley's CDs after dinner.

I'm living on about $10 a week, on average. Crazy, I know! Hopefully, I'll get the window in my hut installed and my interior walls cemented so I can decorate it better - it's pretty plain now. The spiders and my mouse keep me company (smiley face).

I want to let you guys know that I have learned a great amount about the importance of being patient - You have to in this country or you would go crazy and early terminate from the Peace Corps. I have also learned to be resourceful - I'm sure I'll be a great hiker/camper by the time I return. I understand why they say that you take away more than you give in your service.

Well, I guess that's all for now. Gonna hop in a real shower and sit on a real toilet before bed - Yes, I'm excited about that! I love you guys and think about you daily. I miss you all so much. Please wish all of our family and friends a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for me. Take care and try to enjoy that cold weather - I'm jealous! I love you all and will talk top you all soon.

Love,

James

Letter to Family - December 1, 2007

2007-12-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

December 1, 2007

Hey you guys - How are you all doing? Merry X-Mas! I can't believe it's already December! I have been here for over four months! It's beginning to feel like "cold season" at night (mid-50's), but it's still extremely hot during the day (110oF in the sun around 3:00 pm yesterday).

Well, I guess you guys will have already celebrated the Holidays by the time you get this, so I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, filled with Holiday spirit, good food, cold weather (sorry, dad!) and awesome presents! I've already begun to reminisce of us decorating the house (inside and out), going to Christmas Eve service, opening presents, listening to Christmas carols, and just enjoying time together. It's true what they say - You don't know what you have until it's gone! I encourage you guys not to take things for granted, especially during the Holidays, where we realize how fortunate we all are. I miss you all and think about you daily.

I hope everything is great back home and you all are trying to live up to my legend (happy face). Christmas won't be the same without you guys but I know we'll have great times together when I return. Have a happy New Year and keep in touch. Take Holiday pictures and send me some. Tell all the friends and family that I send my love! Talk to you all soon!

Love,

James

Email - November 20, 2007

2007-12-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

November 20, 2007

Family and Friends-

Back in civilization for a few days and I'm enjoying it! These past couple of weeks have been great at post, though. My language is really coming along.

I traveled down to Gaya last week to visit a buddy of mine and check out "city life" for a couple of days. We did our first radio show on Gaya Radio and spoke about our jobs as PC Volunteers- in Zarma, the local language, of course. We stumbled our way through but had a great time. We even played some American music on the air, including Bob Marley and Tupac. I waited at the bush taxi station for 3 1/2 hours for the battered van to get enough people packed in to head back to my village. I got the front middle seat so I didn't have any complaints. There were enough crazy vendors and action happening at the station to keep me from being bored while I waited. I got dropped off where the main road meets my laterite road and then made the 4 km bush walk to my village with my big bag on my head. I was pretty beat when I got home but was glad to get there.

I got my garden started and it's doing well- lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and onions. I think I have it well guarded from the lizards, frogs and chickens that are always in and around my place so I just have to worry about bugs now.

I have a clever mouse living in my hut now that I have tried unsuccessfully to kill. Three other villagers and I were in my hut with sticks swatting at it when we found it's hiding spot but the darn thing got away. He has successfully eaten into my flour, gatorade packs, summer sausage, couscous, and pears, and also ate the only cabbage seeds that I had. As they say in Niger, 'kala suuru', have patience.

The Thanksgiving 'feast' should be a step up from village food but it won't be anything compared to being home with the family. At least I'll be able to spend it with friends. We have purchased a live turkey from someone in Dosso and are going to slow roast it on a spit over coals. We're going to pay a kid to stay with it and rotate the turkey the entire day. I'm making banana bread, pumpkin bread, and some sort of pie with whatever I can find at the market today...should be interesting.

We have Inservice Training in a couple weeks so I'll be heading back for 2 weeks. I'm excited about learning more about my work and funding, but even more excited about seeing all of my friends from other regions that I haven't seen in 2 months! It should be a fun reunion. For now my plans are to travel out east for Christmas but that's not set in stone. A 10-hour bus ride on a Nigerien bus line on Nigerien roads sounds a little intimidating but I'm sure it will be worth it.

I guess that's about all that's going on right now. Peace Corps is paying for my villagers to put a window in my hut and have the interior walls cemented (they are mud brick now) and I am so excited about that. It will be quite a step up for the bush life! All is well here; I'm in good health and great spirits!

I hope all is well back home. Keep me informed and keep sending letters when you all have time. Also, if you reply to my other e-mail address, also reply to this one because I can check this one more frequently. Don't forget to put my name under the subject line or I won't get it.

Write back soon if you can since I'll be here until Friday morning. Love you guys, take care.

Love,

James

Email - November 20, 2007

2007-12-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

November 20, 2007

Mom and Dad-

Hey, how are things going in Houston?! What's new? Sorry you couldn't get a hold of me on Saturday; the service had been out for three days straight and just returned today. I got some thorny brush and netting put over my garden starter bed before I headed to another town yesterday. I didn't do a whole lot yesterday other than finish up a book and look through the package I got from you yesterday! Thank you so much once again. I received the one with a couple of dress shirts and my iPOD and transmitter...great stuff! The eight of us that were here played a long game of Trivial Pursuit which was a pretty good time.

This morning I got up early and walked to the market (20 minutes) to get some stuff for Thanksgiving as well as a few things that I can't find at my market, like toilet paper and margarine. I went by the post office to check for mail and picked up like 10 packages for our region. It took about an hour and a half to get that all taken care of and get them all in a taxi and get back to the hostel. Patience is a virtue. I got another package from you, though, so I was super excited! It was the one you sent on Nov 5th and had marshmallows, hot cocoa, and vanilla extract. Thanks so much once again, Mom; it makes bush life so much better having a treat now and again! I also got two of your letters, one from Aunt Joselyn, and one from Lara, my friend from back home.

I just got done baking a couple of loaves of banana bread for Turkey Day and I plan on making some pumpkin bread tomorrow. We're watching King Kong now but it's supposed to be a really long movie and the clarity is pretty bad so I gave up on it.

I guess that's about it for now; just wanted to write you all a quick note letting you know that all is well here in Niger. No worries. I'll be here until Friday morning but remember I'm 7 hours ahead of you guys now. I'll have my cell on me the entire time so feel free to call whenever, especially on Thanksgiving! Write back soon and I'll get back to you guys tomorrow. Love you all. Have a great day and savor that cold weather- I dream about it often!

Love,

James

Email - October 29, 2007

2007-12-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

October 29, 2007

Family and Friends-

It's October 29th and I have just returned from a full month in the bush! Can't believe it! I've had my ups and downs, been through a few sick spells, but my spirits are high and I'm enjoying my time here. I'm definitely glad to be back with the other volunteers for a few days, have a cold drink, get a real shower, and watch a few movies. Oh, and speak English again! We're having a big Halloween party in a couple nights so I'm looking forward to that too. So...bush life...has its ups and downs for sure but I've gotten used to everyday life there.

I'll start with a typical day in the bush: I sleep outdoors on a cot under my shade hanger (the weather is getting cooler at night, some nights into the low 70s). I normally get up between 6:30 and 7:00, not because I'm done sleeping but because the roosters are going crazy, everyone else in the village is up and doing their morning chores, and there are usually several chickens running around my yard. Breakfast is next, usually oatmeal but sometimes fruit- oranges or Nigerien guavas. After I get done with my morning chores it's around 8:00 and I head out to greet the villagers. I sit down and hang out with different groups of men who hang out in a few spots around the village - near the Chief's quarters, under the big tree near the well, and by the small shop. It gets hot quickly so we hang out in the shade. Usually between 10:30 and 11:00, I head back to my place to read, listen to BBC, do some chores, and make lunch. I head back out around 1:00 pm and make my rounds again, finding some more shade to sit beneath. I hang out in the village until around 5:30 or 6:00 when I go back to my place for the long-awaited bucket bath! At 7:00, I head back out in the village and eat at the headmaster's (of the primary school) place and then drink tea or cocoa with him and his neighbor. If I'm not tired afterwards, I head to the Chief's quarters and hang out with his sons. I'm normally back at my place between 9 and 10. On other days I'll head out to the field with some of the men because it's harvest season now (beans, millet, and sorghoum) or travel to my market town which is about 10 km away.

I haven't begun what you would call "work" yet but learning the language is definitely work for me. That along with getting used to a different culture and way of life wears on you for sure. But as they say in Niger, "kala suuru" or "have patience". When I get back to my village after this mini-vacation I am going to help the women prepare their cold season garden as well as provide half of the seeds to them. I plan on starting a small garden in my concession- tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, and onions. We'll see how that goes. I also plan on doing some work at the primary school with the kids (school just now started today) which I'm really excited about!

Some of the cooler things that I've seen or done since I've been in the bush: chameleons, my first sight of a cobra- at the market with some guy selling medicine to ward off snakes, camels, amazing sunsets in the valley beyond my house, traditional Nigerien wrestling matches - they get pretty intense (not quite UFC though), shooting stars, the killing of cows for a celebration, blacksmiths making traditional tools, motorcycle rides through the bush, crammed "bush taxi" rides...the list goes on and on.

Cooking has been an interesting endeavor - I was never a culinary master, especially coming here right out of college. They do have some amazing food here in my region of Niger. Right now - palm fruits, oranges, bananas, guavas, limes, and sugarcane. I eat with my villagers whenever I can but I'm slowly learning!

Other than that, life is good. I love my village and my villagers, I couldn't have asked for a better post. I'll head back to my village on Friday and pick up where I left off. I plan on heading south in a couple of weeks to hang out with a volunteer there and we're supposed to make a trip across the Niger River into Benin to go to market there and hang out with some PC Benin volunteers so I'm really excited about that! All is well in Niger, my health is fine and I'm really enjoying my service. Over 3 months in, I can't believe it.

I guess that's about all for now, sorry that this is so long, I've just been out of touch from civilization for so long. I'll be in town for a few days so please reply if you have a chance. If you reply to this address, please put my name as the subject line or it won't get to me.

Also, please ask questions if I've left anything out. I love you guys and miss you all. Let me know about things going on back in the states; I'm excited to hear about your lives back home. Take care, I'll write again soon.

Love,

James

Letter to Family #3 - September 20, 2007

2007-12-30T11:51:00.000-08:00

9/20/07

Hey guys! How is everyone doing? How's the weather in Houston? Hot and humid, I'm sure. Are y'all still getting a bunch of rain? The rainy season here is beginning to come to a close, which means hot weather. For the past week or so, it has been terribly hot during the day. It isn't until the early morning that it begins to cool down. October is nicknamed "mini hot season," since the rains have stopped but the cool weather has not arrived. Hopefully, when I get back to my village in a week and a half, the villagers will have put up a fence around my concession and built my covered porch/patio area to give me a little shade. I can't believe training is all but done and we swear in this Tuesday (9/25/07)! This Sunday we have a barbeque in Niamey and hamburgers are on the menu! It's been a long time since I've eaten a beef pattie so I'm really excited. On the 27th, we have the "Gender and Development" auction, where volunteers and outside vendors auction off stuff to us. I'm hoping to bid on a few items that might come in handy at post - a solar charger, drum, maybe a horse... We'll see. I finally received the first package and letter #2. Thanks so much! I was munching on the trail mix after dinner last nightand it was great!

It's weird reading your letter about the movies you have seen lately since I'm clueless about what's going on in the U.S. I did hear that they're making a movie based on the book "Into the Wild," about this guy who trekked into the Alaskan wilderness and was found dead months later. I just finished the book and really liked it. I think you would like the book, Dad; hopefully, the movie will be just as good!

I like my host family just fine - they are fun to joke with and laid back. But it's a little tough to spend time with them, especially the kids, after a long day of training. I'm definitely ready to have my own hut and space so I can have some down time to myself.

"Riduan" is my Nigerien name, given to me by my host family. It doesn't mean anything - just a popular Nigerien name. For post, I changed my name to "Zatara," which is what I'll go by for the next two years. It was the name given to the Count of Montecristo and means "driftwood" in the movie.

Have you all seen Brazil or his buddy riding arund in the Mustang? I miss that car!

How's the new job going, Mike? Making them big bucks? Any word on that opportunity with Shell Oil?

Nickie - Is the carwash job still going well? Have you been promoted to tire scrubber or did you quit to be a taco maker at Taco Bell? If so, send me a couple of gorditas and a cold Mountain Dew...

For the past two weeks or so, I haven't shaved so I'm beginning to look pretty scruffy. I'll get clean shaven before the swearing-in ceremony. I just bought a traditional Nigerien outfit that I'm going to wear so I'm sure I'll look swell!

My hair is getting a little shaggy - Maybe by February, it will be long enough to dread. I'm thinking of traveling to Ghana in February to watch the "Africa Nations Cup" - a soccer tournament that will be held in Accra, the capital. Maybe I'll get dreads while there... Also, I'm planning to travel east for Christmas because they have a big PCV gathering there every year for the Holidays.

Next month will be especially difficult. I'll be the only American in my village and my closest PCV neighbor will be 40 km away. My command of the language is not great, so that will be another challenge. I'll just have to adjust and I know I'll be fine. It will just be much different than these past two months. I'm ready, though, to get there and begin my actual service. We have had two people early terminate from our original 42. So I'll swear-in with another 40, a pretty awesome number, I think!

How's Alabama football going? I never thought I'd say it but those home games at BAMA are one of the biggest things I miss. Someone told me that Auburn recently lost, so I got a kick out of that. Hopefully, we can finally get a win against them this year - Too bad I won't be there to see it!

Last night we had a "fete" (party/celebration) with our host family as thanks fo rtheir hospitality. The Peace Corps provided cake, popcorn, Cokes, and meat - Yes, meat!!! I gave my host family the gifts I brought for them - a calendar, cologne, candy and some jewelry - and they were most appreciative.

After swearing-in, we'll be taking trips to Niamey to get some necessities for our site - furniture, cooking/cleaning supplies, etc. Hopefully, I can make my little hut nice, since I'll be living in it for two years. I plan to get a small table or two, a couple of trunks, hopefully a book shelf, and a few chairs. Other than shopping, we'll have a few days to just relax and play sports since training will be over. I'm definitely looking forward to that! I'm excited about settling down at my post so I can arrange things and not live out of a suitcase. I can also take the time to figure out my new camera, which I haven't done yet, even though I have taken over 400 pictures!

Well, that's all for now. Everything in Niger is just fine and my spirits are high, so you guys have nothing to worry about. Keep in touch and continue to write letters/send packages! I love you guys and miss you all dearly!

Love,

James aka Zatara

Christmas in the capital...of Niger

2007-12-26T06:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas you guys, I hope you all are enjoying the holidays back home. Just a quick update on Christmas here in Niger. On Christmas Eve I went to mass at the Cathedral Notre Dame in Niamey, the capital, with a couple of friends. The church was packed and the service was nice, especially the upbeat music. Everything was in French but I recognized a few prayers and Christmas hymns. Afterwards, we came back to the hostel where a crazy dance party was going on which lasted well into Christmas morning! There were quite a few volunteers who had come into town for the holidays so it was a great time! Christmas morning we all opened our stockings and then had a big breakfast which included pancakes, cinnamon rolls, banana bread, snickerdoodle cookies, and hot cocoa! Good stuff. We watched A Christmas Carol and later A Christmas Story, two holiday favorites. That afternoon most of us went to a PC staff member's house to hang out there and eat more food. Even the country director showed up so we all had a great time over there! Most of us took it easy that evening and hung around the hostel because we were all too full to do anything or go anywhere. Even though I was away from home and my family and friends, it was a better Christmas than I could have asked for. Tomorrow afternoon I plan on taking off for my post...finally back to the bush and to a more relaxed pace. I plan on spending the New Year down south with a few close friends so it should be a good time. I'm not sure when I'll be back in civilization but keep the letters coming and I'll update y'all again as soon as I can. Take care and have a happy new year!

Letter #3

2007-09-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

8/26/07

Family and Friends -

Today was the first time that I felt like a true American...I went to the American recreation center inside the American embassy. A few other PCTs and I took a bus into town and then hopped on a taxi to the rec center. We paid about $2 to enter but it was well worth it! It began to rain so we went inside, watched some satellite TV (in English!) and ordered some American food!!! I had Nachos Grande with ground beef (I think), cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and pico de gallo! It was so good - it tasted like home! The sun came out after a bit and we got to go swimming at the pool on the compound. It's hard to explain how great it was to swim and relax for a few hours!

This is the first time I have felt clean since I got here. My feet are actually not stained reddish-brown for once! I guess it's the small things that count! I got to work on getting rid of my T-shirt tan also, which was nice. After the pool, we caught a taxi back to the bureau and hung out with some PCVs. I was able to use the computer there which was much faster than dialup. We were able to take the magic bus back with the language trainers, which saved us some money. (The magic bus is the air conditioned PC bus that we use for traveling.)

This past Thursday we went on our "tech trip" to a few other villages to learn about the different levels of health care facilities in country. It was quite depressing, to tell you the truth - both the facilities and the sick people. The facilities were understaffed, unsanitary, and did not have any equipment to handle major operations or anything complicated. At one clinic they have a program where they keep malnourished children and try to help them gain weight and supply them with proper food and nutrients. I think that was the most depressing of all - seeing kids who were severely malnourished, where you could see their bones and the skin hanging from their bodies. One PCV was working with the children and she inspired me to do some work with malnourishment once I get to post. This field trip was more than a reality check for me because I realized the type of setting that I may be collaborating with. I thought about my future at post a lot and how emotionally draining it will be to constantly see people who are ill. On the other hand, I think it will be that much more rewarding once my service is over.

So if all that wasn't bad enough, I started getting sick on Friday night and was sick all day Saturday. I felt HORRIBLE. I went to another town to see the doc (I think I had/have some bacteria) and he gave me some awesome medicine which just about cured me overnight. So I'm about 90% well. In another couple of days, I'll be back on the soccer field.

Exciting news - this Friday we get our site announcements! I am a little nervous but excited more than anything.

Another cool thing about Niger that I love is the kindness and sincerity of the locals. Last night I was walking home by myself around 9:00 p.m. and stopped by a food vendor to see what was being cooked. A guy about my age asked me to sit and chat with him. I declined becuase it was late but I think I'll go there this afternoon and have tea with him and his friends (it's a popular custom in Niger, comparable to having a beer with a buddy). Two other guys stopped me and asked me how I was doing and how business was and then just said goodbye. These interactions are great for language training and goes to show how people are concerned about others, even "anasaras" (foreigners) like me.

Well, that's about all I have for now. When I get to a phone, I'll try my best to get a hold of you, but until then, you guys take care! I love you all! Love, James

P.S. Nickie-Happy, happy birthday! It is a great year so enjoy it to the fullest! I hope you got the post card that I sent you. When I get to a mailbox, I'll send you something special from Niger (let me know if you'd rather have a donkey, a camel or a monkey and I'll see what I can work out.) I know it's your senior year and I'm so excited about it - you should be too! Have fun and be safe - don't try to grow up too quickly! I love you!

Mike--How's the job search going? Any openings in West Africa? That would be great! I hope everything is going great for you in Houston and you are enjoying yourself before you start a big job. Let me know what you're up to back home. Take it easy, Bro, I miss you!

Keep in touch, guys! Love you!

Email #3

2007-09-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

9/26/07

Hey guys-

Just a quick note to let you know that I’m alive and well! Trying to stay cool but that's almost impossible! I just swore in so I’m officially a PC volunteer now! I’m heading out to my post on Saturday so I’m excited about that! It's in the southwest corner of the country. It is a very green and fertile part of the country with a lot of palm trees! I'll get back to you all soon to update you on my post. Take care and please continue to write letters!

Love,

James

Letter #2

2007-09-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

8/16/07

Mom, Dad, Mike and Nickie,

Hey guys! Just got your card and package today. Thanks a bunch! I was getting a little discouraged that I wasn't getting any mail... It's such a good feeling getting a letter; it reminds me of Camp Allen. Things are still going great here. I just got over my first (of many) spells of diarrhea! Fun stuff, I know!

This past weekend (Sunday-Tuesday) we went on "demyst," where we live with another volunteer to get a better grasp of daily life at post. It was great! My host, Kevin, was very gracious and fed me well - spaghetti one night and raviolis (from a can) the second night! Amazing considering that I have been eating millet or rice with sauce every night since I've been here. I got tired of the sauce so now I eat plain white rice or "millet mash" by itself. (The fruit bars and beef jerky have saved me on more than one ocassion.) If the food is the worst thing, then I really don't have much to complain about! Al hamdalaylay (thanks be to God) that I have been healthy and fit since I've been here.

Back to "demyst." We didn't do much at all other than chat, relax and read, which was a nice vacation from the structure of training. On Monday, we hiked up this huge mesa that overlooks Kevin's village and spent two hours walking around and taking pictures. It was one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen. The landscape is beautiful (especially since it's rainy season and everything is green); it's not all sands like we thought (only up north).

Since I'm a Zarma speaker, I'll be in "Zarmaland" once I get posted. This means I'll be on the Western side of the country. Exciting!

One of the other trainees went to UNT and is from Houston. Actually, she lives off of WLY near Westheimer, which is crazy. Also, another volunteer played football for Vanderbilt with one of my roommate's older brother. What a small world.

We're having a fashion show tonight where our host family dresses us in local dress and we walk on the "cat walk" at our compound! This will be followed by a dance so I'm really excited!

The other night I watched a storm approach for about 45 minutes. The lighting was like nothing I have ever seen before and I captured some amazing video! My new camera is amazing and I have taken tons of photos already! Tomorrow we get to travel to another town to take a tour and eat at a restaurant so I'm very excited! Language and tech classes are going smoothly and steadily. Each day I have more to say and I understand more at home.

Well, that's about it for now. Make sure to ask questions in your letters if you are curious about certain things. Otherwise, I'll just ramble on about day-to-day life here. Keep me updated of any US news that you think I would be interested in. I love you guys so much and miss you all! I'll talk to you guys soon! James

Email #2

2007-09-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

9/4/07

Mom,

Just wanted to write you quickly about a few things. Please pass this e-mail along to everyone. I just recently got my site anouncement and I am super excited! My village is in the southwestern corner of the country. It is the greenest, most fertile region of the country and I heard it is beautiful out there. This sunday I will go to my town and live there for a week to check it out and get a feel for everything. I am 4 km off of the main road and 11 km from my market which is once a week. I will be living in a traditional zarma mud brick hut but that's about all I know about my actual compound.

The town has about 1500 people divided into 5 hamlets. My town does not have a health hut, but my market town does. I will probably be doing a lot of cross-sector work, meaning that I will incorporate agriculture into my work because of the fertile environment. I also have a new mailing address so in about a week or so you can start sending mail to that address (especially packages). There's no need to send things in original packaging, just however it will fit the best (zip loc bags, etc).

Make sure you send everything air mail or I won't get it. I still haven't received anything since the last letter. Also, I plan to buy a cell phone soon so as soon as I do, I will get you guys the number so you can call. Please keep a calling card with you since it will be hard for me to know exactly when we can talk. I will try and get a hold of you guys on or before Sunday, probably in the early morning. Take care, love you lots!

Love,
James

Email #1

2007-09-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

8/24/07

Family and Friends,

Hey, its me, writing from an internet cafe in a village about two hours from our training site. We arrived here yesterday and will leave for another village tomorrow. We are on our tech trip where we learn a lot more about our specific jobs and projects as community health agents. It is hard to believe that I have already been in Niger for 4 weeks! It has already been such an amazing and eye-opening experience so far! I have been places, met people, and seen things that very few people are able to do so I have been thankful for that. Gosh, there is so much going on here during training that I am exhausted by the time I get home and am usually laying down at about 9.

I really am loving it out here though; it suits me well and I know that I will be able to do some amazing work here. As you all can imagine I take my camera everywhere and the photographic opportunities are endless! All of my fellow trainees are amazing people and I have already formed many strong bonds. It is hot here but I have gotten used to it as well as the everyday routine of taking a bucket bath, using the squat latrine and sleeping under a mosquito net outdoors. The lack of what I know as good food has been the hardest thing to adjust to. I rarely get meat but I have eaten more rice and millet than I ever have cared to.

The training has been great and I have picked up the local language quite well. We will swear in and become volunteers in another month or so and then we will be sent to our different sites which is exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. This is the first time I have been able to get on a computer and it will probably be some time before I can access it again. Please please please write me a letter or letters because that helps so much when the days are tough and I am missing home!

Please write AIR MAIL and PAR AVION on the envelope and make sure to put the letter in a plain envelope as well as write letter 1 for the first one you send and so on. Also, if you feel inclined, add a newspaper clipping or any interesting news from the States as our access to US news is very very limited! Also, if you guys feel especially inclined, a little care package would mean the world to me! Include anything you like, but especially snacks and a book or magazine.

So I will sum up a few of the higlights and lowlights of the trip thus far, but feel free to ask specific questions in letters and I will have plenty of time to answer them. The scenery is amazing and everything is green now that it is the peak of rainy season. There are these amazing mesas that we hike up and spend time on, either taking pictures during the day or hanging out by the fire at night. The storms are amazingly powerful yet beautiful. The people are extremely generous and warm and I have spent many afternoons just sitting by them and enjoying their company.

The poverty is something that you have to live in to realize its extent. Never have I seen so many malnourished children, some even so malnourished that their skin hangs from their body. The health care system is horrible so I know that I will have my work cut out for me. There is trash everywhere and sanitation is not something that people understand.

All in all I am loving it here though, don't get me wrong. You just have to keep a positive attitude and look at the brighter side of things. I have already learned so much about life and about myself.

I have to run now and make it back to the hostel. Please write me letters because my internet access will be limited. I love you all and miss you dearly. Much love from Niger, James.

Letter to Family #1

2007-09-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

7/31/07

Hey guys! Hope everything in the States is going well for all of you. Things are just fine here; no need to worry! By the time you get this letter, you should have received an email from the Peace Corps letting you know that we arrived safe and sound with no problems. For the most part, everything has run smoothly since we arrived. I have already seen and learned so much! I'll give you a quick run through of the cool and not-so-cool things that have taken place since our arrival on Friday.

We met many of the Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and Admins at the airport before heading to the country director's place. We had a short welcome speech and introduction by some of the staff as well as a few American snacks...

Okay, we just had our first health lesson so I had to stop writing for a bit. The topic was diarrhea - fun stuff! Anyway, we took a 30-minute ride from the capital to our compound and got there around dusk. We took our luggage to our rooms and set up the mosquito nets over our beds outside. After dinner, we were all exhausted from the long day so I spent my first night in Niger on a mattress on top a wooden cot with only a net between me and the sky. It is beautiful out here... You can see forever! There are no tall structures (other than a large cell phone tower and the mosque in the village) in sight. The sunsets are like nowhere I have ever seen.

Day 2 was fun. We had a cultural fair during the afternoon were we learned some of the everyday activities and jobs of local Nigeriens. We saw a band, women pounding millet into flour, a rope maker, a barber, a traditional medicine man, a mat maker and a sandal maker. It was really neat being able to interact with the Nigeriens. That evening, we watched a performance by some men and women from the Wodabi tribe who live in northern Niger. They painted their faces and did a traditional dance where the men roll their eyes and show their teeth in order to attract women (the same performance I saw on the National Geographic channel!) It was great! We got to take pictures with them afterwards.

There was a big rainstorm that evening and our sheets and mattresses got very damp, so it was a little uncomfortable sleeping that night. Sunday was a pretty good time - a bunch of logistics and training for the different things we would have to do while living with our host family, such as taking a bucket bath, using a squat toilet, washing our socks/underwear, etc. (Note: they have showers and real toilets on the compound.) On Sunday evening, our families came to the compound and we followed them back to their home (concession).

This guy named Frease is my roommate there. He's another trainee in my stage group and he's from Washington.

The first night was a little rough because I know very little Zarma so there was hardly any communication. I also had to use the squat latrine for the first time, which was not a fun experience. Just imagine a hole in the ground and that's it...you just squat and try to keep your balance. The bucket bath isn't bad, though. Just a cup and a bucket of water and you bathe...

On Monday we had our first language class, which was very helpful. It made my second night with my host family much more productive. We also broke up into our different sectors (mine being health) and had an overview, shared ideas between the trainees (us), the PCVs (current volunteers), and the APCD (director for health). I really got a better idea of my job duties and the difficulties I will encounter at post. We played soccer after class during our free time (5:00 to 6:00 p.m.) which was great. Today (Tuesday) we went to the market and I bought some fabric to make a few handkerchiefs with. I need to go later and buy some laundry detergent.

I guess that's all for now. No sickness yet but in sha ailah (God willing) it won't happen. Please write soon! I love you all! Take care! James a.k.a. Riduan

One month in Niger!

2007-08-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

So I finally got access to a computer that was faster than dial-up and it is amazing. Quick update on my life in Niger. Time has flown by since I've been here in country. We are about half-way through training and we find out soon where we will be posted for the next 2 years on Friday! Pretty exciting, but nerve-wracking at the same time. I have already had so many amazing experiences here so I'll point out just a few. Well first of all, the climate and landscape are completely different that I had expected. Since it is rainy season, everything is green and it's not all sand like I thought. I live outside of the village where we train and it is amazing being away from the "city life". The millet has quadrupled in size since I arrived and is now about 4-5 feet tall. We have millet all around our compound and in fields that go on forever. It is amazing to be taking a bucket bath during sunrise or sunset and look out towards the fields and enjoy the scenery. It's one of my favorite times during the day. The lightning is also a beautiful phenomenon that we get to experience quite often. It's much different than in the States, but hard to explain. The entire sky lights up and the lightning strikes for up to 6 seconds at a time. The showers are intense and the wind is amazing. I have also gotten used to sleeping outside with only a mosquito net between me and the night sky. The stars are beautiful on a clear night, another sight that is amazing compared to in the States. I have not seen much wildlife but I hope to see the free-roaming giraffes at some point soon. I have been able to see quite a few camels which is pretty neat, yet I haven't been able to ride them...yet. There are also these immense mesas around where we have been staying and I have had the opportunity to hike up more than one and enjoy the view from the top. It is indescribable to be able to see the horizon all around you. You can see mud brick houses, cattle, donkeys, and villagers nearby, and trees and bushes forever. The sunsets are beautiful. Well, that's all I can write for now. Time to head back to normal life back in the village. Until next time, kala tonton!

Last letter from the states!

2007-07-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that pre-service training was great and i'm heading to Niger with 41 of the most amazing friends! I can't wait to get there and immerse myself in the culture! I'll update this as soon as possible, but until then everyone take care! Peace and Love, James

Community Health Agent

2007-07-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sannu!

I just received the packet detailing what my actual assignment will be once I get to Niger. My official title is "Community Health Agent". The Peace Corps Niger's health mission includes: "Improving maternal and infant health, improving the nutritional status of households, and improving the community's ability to prevent and treat illnesses." Wow! Sounds like I will have my work cut out for me!

Some examples of the kind of work I will be doing at my post include:

Giving presentations on health and hygiene to local clinics and schools
Training villagers on how to keep their well more sanitary
Assisting with Polio vaccination campaigns
Doing a weekly radio show promoting healthy lifestyles
Talking to women about HIV/AIDS

By the time my three-month training is over, I will HOPEFULLY be prepared to accomplish all the tasks at hand and help Nigeriens live a healthier life. Staging will be here before I know it...only 3 weeks from today and I am so excited! Until next time...

Sai anjima!

Monday, June 25, 2007

2007-06-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

Sannu!

I just wanted to give everyone a brief description about Niger so you all will have an idea about the country that I will be living in for the next two years, so here it goes...

Niger is one of the largest countries in northwest Africa. Its area is slightly less than twice the size of Texas. Niger shares its border with seven other countries: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, and Nigeria. It is a land-locked country with the northern two-thirds of the country lying within the Sahara desert. Most of the twelve million Nigeriens live in the semi-arid zone across the southern one-third of the country known as the Sahel.

Niger faces many problems, both environmentally and economically. Niger was ranked 177 out of 177 countries on the 2005 UN Human Development Index. About 80% of the population are subsistence farmers and herders. The country faces rapid population growth (3.6% annually) and its per capita GDP was only $185 (US) in 2003. Only 46% of households have access to potable drinking water and only 27% of the population over the age of 15 is literate. Millet is the staple food in most of the country, however, sorghum and rice are also staple foods.

I am only writing you these facts in order to inform you all of the plight of this country, not to scare anyone. I know I have a difficult task ahead of me, yet I will try my best to help the Nigeriens better their lives so that they can provide for themselves well after my service has ended.

I guess that's about it for now.

Sai an jima,

James

Monday, June 18, 2007

2007-06-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,
I decided to set up this blog website because it will be my best way of relaying information to you guys while I'm out of the country. I have recently received my assignment to serve in the Peace Corps and I will be leaving on July 24, 2007.
I will be doing Community Health Education/Health Extension in Niger for the next 27 months. On the 24th of July I will fly out to Philadelphia for a three day pre-departure orientation and then I will fly to Niger for three months of pre-service training (PST) before I am sent to a rural village to begin my work. During training I will learn all of the necessary skills (language, technical, cross-cultural, etc) that I will need once I arrive in my village.
For now, I am making the necessary preparations to prepare for a 27-month trip to Africa! I have begun to learn French, the business language in Niger, as well as two local languages, Hausa and Zarma. I have also tried to start packing what I think I'll need for the next two years although packing for two years in only two bags is not as easy as you would think!
Well, I guess that's all for now, I will give further details as my departure date draws nearer!

Salaam aleikum,
James