I was so sure last time I posted that I would post again before leaving Niamey... then I got a phone call from my villagers that my horse was colicing...AUGH... pretty much I was a nervous wreck for about 6 hours. I spent about 3,000 CFA just on phone credit, first calling my villagers numerous times asking all symptoms, and feeling completely helpless, then calling the L'evage (vet) setting him up to drive all the way to my village to check on her. Then, after that point, my villager calls back, 'oh, shes doing much better now, she doesnt need the vet'.. So I begin another round of phone calls to cancle the vet, talk to my villagers to get the whole story- it worried me a bit because they were a bit vague with the details.. What they did tell me was that she was laying down and wouldnt eat anything (panic?) and then they 'gave her medicine' and she was fine. When I returned from NiameyI asked what kind of medicine they gave her. They replied, traditional medicine... ok, and what exactly was it?... Well, you take a shoe made of cow leather, and tap her stomach. What? and that worked? Of course. So there you go- next time your horse colics, tap it with a leather shoe. At first I was like, no, thats rediculous. But the more I think about it I guess if it was just a gas colic, like they made it sound like, taping on her stomach might have done something... hmmm. Anyway, moving away from the horse drama.
In the final prep stages for this grain bank- I have a seller all lined up next week to meet with and discuss buying/transport. Its been a little more work than I though it was going to be- but it'll be worth it.
Thought I had rid my house of scorpions when I moved in and haddent seen one for a while... until last night.. there he was, sitting in my window. First I just sat and shined a black light on him (ever tried it? its cool...) but then I finally just killed him. I usually let them live, except one of my friends/ fellow volunteer reciently got stung- it was hiding in her house in a shirt that she went to turn right side out. After that story, I'm not sure I'll ever let em live again. Its not that theyre deadly, or, at least not in this part of Niger, but they apparenly hurt and burn like crazy.. No thanks.
One more quick story- so the other day I was sitting with my friend Hilemo at her house, and these two girls (around 10 or so) timidly walked up and just stared... So Hilimo asked them what they wanted and they were like, we've never seen a white person before! I didnt even think that was possible anymore, but they explained that they were from a village way out in the bush, and as they were passing through my village with their family, they heard there was a white person there, and just had to see.. usually when kids stop and stare I find it kinda akward, but this time i couldnt help but smile:)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Just a little stress... its a good thing
Well, its been another couple of weeks and it's already October... First, I would justlike to complain that the french need to just type on the same type of keyboard as the rest of us(sort of joking) , and my typing speed has reduced by about 30 words per minute... so if you catch any mispellings, its not my fault... ok, well now it is- after spending about 5 minutes seaching for the @ key, I begged to be switched to a different computer (most you can switch to an english keyboard setting, just not that one)
Anyway, it's been a good, if not slightly hectic couple weeks- although Ive long since realized I'd rather have a stressful, busy week than one with nothing to do... The grain bank plans are coming along- me and a few of the women from my womens group swept and cleaned out the storage building for the grain, and my good friend/village construction worker is going to cement all the little holes and cracks while I'm gone to finish it up. YAY.. then all we have to do is wait for the funding to get to country, buy the grain, and wait.. Thank you everyone so much for donating- it's such a good feeling (and relief) to be able to work with these villagers on such a big project. I seached on line today to see how much was left to fund, but it had been taken off line because it was full- THANK YOU all so much!!!
The world map is finished, and I have a newfound respect for just how many countries there are in this world (trust me... after labeling all the countries is just Europe with a paintbrush, you'd see what I mean). Now, I plan to do one the same size but just of Niger- so while I'm in Niamey I'm going to hunt down a good map with hopefully climate zones, and all the communes, etc. Then, in a few weeks, when school gets in to full swing, I'll hopefully spend an hour each week with the primary class and do some geography games'n stuff..
The biggest headache of the week has been this women's garden- not the garden itself, but getting this well repaired. The people who were originally going to do it are no longer able to, so now we're going to a different village to ask these other people.. I say 'we', but really it's my work counterpart thats doing all this. So, while ideally we'd like to plant as soon as possible, we're waiting a couple weeks until that gets done. I had a meeting with the women who are interested a couple days ago; first, the meetings alone sometimes turn into a fiasco, I have to repeat everything I say about 3 times (first time SOMEONES talking, second time everyones talking to shut the one person up, and third time it usually goes through) and then someone else has to repeat what I say once for the old ladies in the back, who, no matter what, cant seem to understand more than a dozen words of my Hausa... Anyway, so I get the message across, we discuss everything, then, casually, I ask, what should we plant? well, everyone answers at once- SHU! SALATI! KARROTI! TOMATER! TONKA! POMME DE TERRE! ALBASA!... Needless to say I spend probably 20 minutes of every meeting with my pencil paused above paper looking a little lost.
So the horse is doing great- completely night and day from when I first baught her- I REALLY wish I had taken a picture of her at the market- she looked like a half dead horse.. Now, I spend about 20 minutes just cantering and galloping through the bush just trying to tire her out (not that I'm complaining...) She's also a total mare and increadably moody... I think I've changed her name to Sahara- a little Cliche, but eh- what the heck...
Oh, so on my way to Niamey tomorrow- the new AG/NRM/CHA stage is coming in and I was selected to be one of their VAT's (Voulanteer Assistant Trainer) so a few of us are heading in for a training and to see the 'newbies' off the airplane. It's nice to get out of the village, even though I hate leaving behind the horse.
Anywho, thats my life thus far, not much more to tell. Village life is great as always, learning new things everyday- I didnt know peanuts were conected to the root of a plant.. I helped 'de-peanut' the peanut plants the other day, and I was like, wow, the peanuts are covered in dirt... who knew? I kinda felt like a failure of an Agriculture volunteer...
Anyway, it's been a good, if not slightly hectic couple weeks- although Ive long since realized I'd rather have a stressful, busy week than one with nothing to do... The grain bank plans are coming along- me and a few of the women from my womens group swept and cleaned out the storage building for the grain, and my good friend/village construction worker is going to cement all the little holes and cracks while I'm gone to finish it up. YAY.. then all we have to do is wait for the funding to get to country, buy the grain, and wait.. Thank you everyone so much for donating- it's such a good feeling (and relief) to be able to work with these villagers on such a big project. I seached on line today to see how much was left to fund, but it had been taken off line because it was full- THANK YOU all so much!!!
The world map is finished, and I have a newfound respect for just how many countries there are in this world (trust me... after labeling all the countries is just Europe with a paintbrush, you'd see what I mean). Now, I plan to do one the same size but just of Niger- so while I'm in Niamey I'm going to hunt down a good map with hopefully climate zones, and all the communes, etc. Then, in a few weeks, when school gets in to full swing, I'll hopefully spend an hour each week with the primary class and do some geography games'n stuff..
The biggest headache of the week has been this women's garden- not the garden itself, but getting this well repaired. The people who were originally going to do it are no longer able to, so now we're going to a different village to ask these other people.. I say 'we', but really it's my work counterpart thats doing all this. So, while ideally we'd like to plant as soon as possible, we're waiting a couple weeks until that gets done. I had a meeting with the women who are interested a couple days ago; first, the meetings alone sometimes turn into a fiasco, I have to repeat everything I say about 3 times (first time SOMEONES talking, second time everyones talking to shut the one person up, and third time it usually goes through) and then someone else has to repeat what I say once for the old ladies in the back, who, no matter what, cant seem to understand more than a dozen words of my Hausa... Anyway, so I get the message across, we discuss everything, then, casually, I ask, what should we plant? well, everyone answers at once- SHU! SALATI! KARROTI! TOMATER! TONKA! POMME DE TERRE! ALBASA!... Needless to say I spend probably 20 minutes of every meeting with my pencil paused above paper looking a little lost.
So the horse is doing great- completely night and day from when I first baught her- I REALLY wish I had taken a picture of her at the market- she looked like a half dead horse.. Now, I spend about 20 minutes just cantering and galloping through the bush just trying to tire her out (not that I'm complaining...) She's also a total mare and increadably moody... I think I've changed her name to Sahara- a little Cliche, but eh- what the heck...
Oh, so on my way to Niamey tomorrow- the new AG/NRM/CHA stage is coming in and I was selected to be one of their VAT's (Voulanteer Assistant Trainer) so a few of us are heading in for a training and to see the 'newbies' off the airplane. It's nice to get out of the village, even though I hate leaving behind the horse.
Anywho, thats my life thus far, not much more to tell. Village life is great as always, learning new things everyday- I didnt know peanuts were conected to the root of a plant.. I helped 'de-peanut' the peanut plants the other day, and I was like, wow, the peanuts are covered in dirt... who knew? I kinda felt like a failure of an Agriculture volunteer...
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