Back to Benin!

Ok so I am officially back in Bénin and already working like crazy. The trip back took 48 hours, but it was more bearable. First of all because I wasn’t sick, then I stayed in a hotel overnight in Ghana before taking the bush taxi back to Benin. Everything I brought made it back safely, even the chocolates! My family in village and all my village friends loved the gifts I brought. The kids are going crazy with the water guns, ha good choice mom! Our Country Director announced her resignation about 45 minutes after I arrived in the office, which really jolted me back to life to say the least. Then the next day I was given the reins to a new position Southern PCVL (Peace Corps Volunteer Leader).

“What the heck is that? Freaking Peace Corps acronyms”…words of my mother while I was home chatting about something, haha. Anyway so yes there are 4 PCVLs in Benin that manage the workstations where volunteers can go to work, sleep, eat, take a break, etc. Also we provide support for the volunteers in our respective regions. The Southern PCVL position is brand new and I am pretty much the first one, before it was a test run for 5 months. So I am now responsible for all the PCVs in the south of Benin. I do day to day things like: make sure the volunteer space is maintained, i.e. there are clean sheets, toilet paper. Then I am also supposed to help with site development (new places for volunteers) and do post visits to all the volunteers in my region to make sure they are doing okay. I am a liaison between the PC-Benin staff and the PCVs. The best part about it is that I get to stay in my village-Zinvié part time! When I applied I said the only way I would do it was if I could stay at post, which is very important to me. So yes I will be in the capital more often, skype dates anyone? You can talk to me for free! And I am going to be very busy this year between my PCVL and PCV duties. I am excited and looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge.

Right now I am talking to my boss about family planning outreach ideas; I was given a great idea while at home and would like to try it out. We are doing trainings on malaria and aquatabs (pills that clean water so it is safe for drinking) and trying to distribute mosquito nets. I am working on the budget and net profit and loss for the ONG which is super tedious when everything is done by hand, but it’s extremely helpful to my boss and for the future success of my ONG. I am writing a handbook for Southern Volunteers and getting ready for the next group to come in. Next week I am teaching 4, 2 hour computer classes for the girls at Camp Glo. Camp Glo is funded by GAD (gender and development); we have fundraising events every year (date auction, silent auction, etc) to fund it and it is run by a PCV and their partner organization. There are Camp Glos to empower young girls throughout the country where they do things such as games, speakers, field trips, and a variety of lessons, i.e. anatomy and puberty, computers. It should be really fun! I am going to work on my lesson plans right now, yep that’s right I am not going to just wing it, a little hard to do in French unfortunately.

Have a Happy 4^th of July! There’s a beans and beer weekend in Parakou, it’s a chilli cook-off basically, but since I don’t eat meat…I’m not going to make it…enjoy the fireworks for me. More pictures from home because well I love you guys and miss you already, thanks for everything!

Vacation!

You never realize how much you need a vacation until you are actually on vacation. I have had such a great time visiting with family and friends. I was sick the first week I was here, but I am feeling much better now thank goodness. My brother and I went skydiving and it was insane. He is ready for his next jump, me on the other hand, I think I'll stick around on the ground for a while. It was very very fun and exhilarating, but to be honest I barely made it out of the plane then I was nauseous when we got closer to the ground. The view of the beach was breathtaking and we couldn't have asked for better weather. It was nice to be able to do that with him.

My dad came into town for a few days as well as one of my best friends from Boston. I have been cooking a lot and well dancing too much! The wedding festivities were so much fun and I was happy that I could be there. The actual wedding ceremony and reception were gorgeous and the bride looked spectacular as she always does. I might still be recovering from the many days and nights filled with debauchery. I leave on Sunday and there's still lots left to do, but I feel almost ready to get back and start work again.

Rain and a new baby!

RAIN! Yes I am not going to stop talking about it because I’m that excited, it’s raining now! It is so much nicer outside, like amazingly so. It has really changed my quality of life, haha. Everything is so green and beautiful. The villagers are starting to work in the fields and soon it will be mango season. There are a few trees right outside my house and a ton lining the road I bike to work. And more importantly than my quality of life, there’s a new baby! My mama in my village has a new granddaughter. She is absolutely beautiful and in fact just finished taking a nap on my bed.

Work has been moving slow since my big HIV/AIDS training because I was in the medical unit for a week, then we had an IST about malaria, which was another week in Porto Novo. The good thing about that is that I was able to spend time with my host family. After that for a few days all the volunteers who are training the incoming group in July had to get together to make their training schedule and figure out who’s working what weeks. I am working week 2 and week 9, which means I get to see the new volunteers when they don’t know anything and when they think they know everything and can’t wait to be finished with training. We were such a pain in the butt that 9^th week, patience will be crucial. There’s a facebook group for the incoming volunteers and I saw there was a girl from UNC coming. I think I am going to email her and see if she wants to meet, maybe pick my brain while I am in NC.

I have some good ideas going into the next year such as an English club, health lessons at a different village’s high school, care groups—will go into detail if that works, and of course there are more, but who knows. I went to a cultural day this past Thursday and Friday in another village, it was really fun. There was traditional dancing, music, and skits about staying in school and other messages that are good for that age group. I was given quite a few compliments about how integrated I am and how well I understand the culture, not to be cliché, but they were priceless. It made me feel great about the progress I have made as a volunteer in the past 10 months.

I am excited for my trip to NC. I can’t wait to be a bridesmaid and party with my girl! I am so anxious to see everyone and I can’t believe my brother graduated from college this weekend. I am so proud of him and wish I could have been there, but we are going to celebrate in a few weeks!

Did you get your wisdom teeth removed?

The HIV/AIDS mural and training went better than I could have ever expected. Five other volunteers, including my postmate came to help with the mural and organize the training. There were over 200 people who came, many of the women from the women’s groups which was my target audience, as well as influential men in the community and some young people. I had a banner made, which was carried by co-workers around the quartiers with a small band of sorts to get people excited for testing. The training went really well, we did a condom demonstration and of course some dancing. Then the whole group marched to the health center to reveal the mural. The mural was a big hit and turned out fantastic as you can see! Then we did free HIV testing, 108 people were tested. I did pre and post test counseling in French which was then translated into local language, it was pretty stressful, but I don’t think I did too terrible. My homologue was a huge help and I think was grateful for my work. She ended up bringing food and drinks, including my personal favorite sodabe (locally made liquor). I am happy that my first big project went so well, it’s encouraging. I also turned the completion report in right on time (about 1AM…college style)!

After the weekend I went up to Parakou for training about Moringa, a nutritionally dense plant that I think I have mentioned before. It was only 2 days, but I learned a few things and ate some delicious local food. It’s mango season already up north, so that was totally worth the trip anyway! After the IST I went up to Kandi, which is where we have another workstation and sleeping space. It is much further north, another 4 hours in a taxi. I have never been in such a dry, hot place in my life. I am still recovering from the heat rash. I will never complain about the humid heat we have in the south…ever again. Obviously my body is not accustomed to that and isn’t a big fan. Then from my face flaking off and the itching I got an infection or well a few, I looked like I had gotten my wisdom teeth removed (and was asked) since my face was so swollen. There are pictures circulating for amusement. Therefore I spent the week in the medical unit taking antibiotics and soaking in the air conditioning. I am home now for a little while.

At the end of April, we have a meeting for the trainers to arrange the plans for the next group of volunteers coming in July. That will be followed by training on malaria in Porto Novo. There are also a couple of birthdays to celebrate. I volunteered to make mango salsa! Oh and as a group health volunteers bid (at the GAD dinner) on this bbq dinner at my APCD’s house. Her husband is an amazing cook from what I have heard. I’m not sure how I got roped in…being a vegetarian, but it should be fun. After all this running around I am making a commitment to myself to stay at home until my vacation, no ands, ifs, or buts about it.

On another note…the TARHEELS won the national CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!! I am jealous to all those who were lucky enough to watch the game whether it be in Detroit, the Dean Dome, or at a seedy bar! I hope you all had a great time and I can’t wait to get my t-shirt and other memorabilia. Have a nice Easter weekend everyone!