Ok. It’s been a while since my last post (as always) and a lot has happened. Actually, that’s a lie. We’re on Africa time. However, enough has happened to merit a blog update.
In mid-September, 8 fellow Tamba Volunteers and I embarked on a 4-day “tourney”. The purpose of this one was to educate villagers about the causes of diarrhea, how to prevent it, and how to treat it. Due to a lack of basic knowledge about proper hygiene and sanitation, diarrhea is extremely common, especially among children. And although it is easily treated, parents often wait so long to take their sick child to the health hut - many times because they cannot or do not want to pay the small fee – that by the time the child IS seen by a health worker, it’s too late. This is actually one of the biggest health-related problems I’ve seen, and it frustrates me beyond belief.
Anyway – three teams of three (each team speaking a different local language, depending on the village) performed educational skits and demonstrations. Using a flavored drink powder, we were able to demonstrate how germs are spread, and the importance of using soap while washing your hands. Once damp, the powder (representing germs) stained a village volunteer’s hand. Shaking hands with others showed how it was passed easily from person to person. And afterwards, the only way to get it off was with soap – water alone didn’t cut it. After that, we showed them how to make ORS – Oral Rehydration Solution – by mixing certain quantities of sugar and salt with clean water, and explained how to use it. Simple, cheap, and enormously effective.
Side note: Every PCV is supplied with ORS in their med kit, and we have a large supply here at the regional house. Great for intestinal distress, also good for quick rehydration after a wild night. It’s said that if your ORS tastes like candy, you know you’re in trouble.
Over the four days, we visited 12 villages, five of which were Jaxanke speaking, including my own. It was a great experience. It gave me some new vocab, more confidence speaking the language, and it allowed me to see friends’ sites, which was really fun. It was also exhausting. The best part, though, has been catching my villagers reciting lines from the skits to each other, or the ORS recipe, or how important soap is – even weeks after the tourney. Talk about a warm, fuzzy feeling. I can’t wait to do another one – we’re thinking family planning would be a good topic (but really, the possibilities are endless – nutrition, malaria, the American boy band phenomenon, etc).
I also just finished a proposal to fund a latrine project in my village. Quite a few people in Bira don’t have access to a pit toilet, which means they’re doing their thing outside, near living and cooking areas. No good, for obvious reasons (see above). So we’re planning on constructing ten new latrines around the outskirts of the community, where most of these bush-poopers (sorry, latrine-deprived) people live. Hopefully this plan goes off without a hitch. That’s too much to hope for, maybe, but this project is meant to gauge the enthusiasm of my community, and single out people who may be good work partners in the future.
Quick story about my dog, whom I haven’t mentioned before: In August, I really wanted a puppy. I bought one off some kids, spur of the moment, in the street for the equivalent of two dollars. I named him Tigo, which means “peanut” in Jaxanke. Tigo was adorable, but quite a handful. When I took him back to Bira, I led him around on a leash for a couple days so he could get his bearings, then set him free. He immediately ran into my host family’s backyard and ate a baby chicken. This is not good, especially in a place where every baby chicken represents possible future food and money. I was mortified. A couple days later, he ate another baby chicken – this time it had pretty much wandered into his vicious, adorable puppy face while Tigo was tied up. Two strikes. I had to keep him on-leash and under surveillance at all times, which was stressful for both of us, I’m sure. So many other Volunteers have dogs that wander the village happily, managing to avoid killing anything. My only explanation was that since Tigo lived his first 8 weeks in Tamba, perhaps away from small animals, he never learned to leave them alone, as village dogs do. Anyway, after casting about wildly for another solution, my friend Pheobe (my savior) offered to take him. She works with a Master Farmer in a field right outside Tamba. Tigo would have 1,000 square meters of space to roam, and people working there almost all the time to keep him company. And best of all, if any small animals wandered into the field – a demonstration farm, basically – they’d be pests and, therefore, fair game. I’m not sure if Tigo is actually still honing his hunting techniques, but I do know that he is fat, happy, and I had to pull a mango fly larvae out of his tail. You can look it up. Keep in mind that this also afflicts PCVs. Constant vigilance!
Some exciting news: my amazing friend Becky is going to visit me for two weeks right after Christmas! I’m very excited to A) see her, and B) show someone around this country that is now, somehow, my home. Honestly, there are some people to whom I would hesitate to recommend an African trip, but after many travels with her I know she can handle it easily. Maybe there should be a warning on airlines’ websites…
Side effects of prolonged exposure to West Africa may include: excessive use of Imodium, refusal to pay more than 40 cents for a baguette, increased rate of arguing with vendors and taxi drivers, increased incidence of sass (related), redefined definition of ‘shopping,’ ‘heat,’ ‘public transportation,’ and ‘balanced meal,’ sudden desire to spend all your money on fabric, admiration of fake hair and complex cornrows, speaking African French, thinking that African French is what French actually sounds like, decrease in vegetarianism, increase in tolerance for strange meats, increased chance of wearing jelly sandals, intimate knowledge of both tropical afflictions and donkeys’ social habits, thinking SPAM, canned cheese, and fish mash are delicious, strong opinions on international development and NGO work, disdain for money-tossing tourists, indignation when people assume you’re a tourist, increased incidence of hiding money on your person, thinking all of the above is normal, increase of cross-cultural understanding, and of course a huge increase in BADASSNESS.
Til next time!
