July 2008

Africa’s Hidden Gem - Niger: Now that the business end of things is out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff… Niger is an amazing country! Right now we’re in the rainy season so the country is completely green and lush. We’re at the tail end of mango season, so I’ve spent the last three weeks devouring some of the BEST mangoes I’ve ever tasted. Rainy season in Niger is the time for planting, so many families spend their days out in the fields planting millet, sorghum, and sesame. The crops that are grown during this season are harvested and are meant to feed a family for an entire year. If the rainy season is poor, crops will be limited, and some families won’t be able to harvest enough food to last a year. That being said, rainy season is also hunger season here. People have run or are running out of food and are waiting for their crops to grow, so their food stock is limited. It’s a tough time for everyone, but soon it will be cold season (which means temperatures during the day will only max out at about 90°F) and everyone will be happy and well fed again.

“Hard Corps” – Peace Corps Niger: Apparently the Peace Corps has three “hard core” posts: Mongolia, Mauritania, and NIGER. Mongolia is listed as one of the toughest posts because of the extreme weather and the general conditions of the country. Mauritania made the cut because of the extreme heat and the lack of resources. As for Niger, well it also makes the list because of the extreme heat and the lack of resources, and it has been dubbed the “shittiest” post. It was given this name because it is the post with the most cases of diarrhea per year per volunteer. Good old “Mr. D.” as we all fondly refer to him.

I have often heard the Peace Corps posts in the Caribbean referred to as the “Beach Corps.” How different it must be to serve there. I don’t think the Peace Corps is ever easy, but I do think I am pretty dog-on tough for making a life for myself here in Niger!

The Weather – Monsoon Season: Storms seem to come and go in an instant here. One minute there will be clear skies and scorching temperatures, the next moment the wind will be whipping, a wall of sand will obstruct your view, and the floodgates from above will open wide. If it storms at night, I can hear roaring thunder and see flashes of lighting even from inside my hut. Those are the rare nights that I wish someone was sleeping near by, but they are still really amazing.

Laughter Is The Best Medicine - Nigeriens: The people in Niger have been so welcoming. Being white, I am definitely an attraction, but I can feel a very positive energy around me. Everyone here wants us to succeed and they are always willing to help us learn the native language and adjust to new cultural norms. Niger is primarily a Muslim country, so it is far more conservative than the U.S. There are very specific gender roles and there are specific forms of dress for both men and women that are considered appropriate.

Nigeriens love to laugh! And they love to laugh at you when you make mistakes. I find it all very hilarious. It never feels like they’re laughing at you, but rather with you. Plus, everyone knows I love making people laugh, so this is like a total ego booster for me.

I spent three days in a village with a current Peace Corps Volunteer. The trip was meant to help those of us in training understand the what life as a Volunteer is truly like. I had a blast confusing the Volunteer’s villagers because I have short hair and I wear pants more often than skirts, but I wear earrings and have a girl’s name. This just didn’t compute for the villagers so they were constantly asking, “Wayboro wala alboro?” which means “Woman or man?” They were all very excited when they found out I was truly a woman because I have a girl’s name. So very amusing!

Assimilation – My Current Living Situation: Right now, I am living with a host family. I have my own hut and a small “yard.” My hut is about 10ft. in diameter with cement walls and a thatch roof. My host family consists of a mother and father, two brothers and two sisters. The youngest in the family is a nine-year-old boy and he is both my shadow and my bodyguard. Everyone in my host family, accept my host mom, can speak French so communicating hasn’t been too difficult. My host mom speaks only Zarma, so she and I can only greet each other in the local langue and otherwise communicate through gestures. However, I am slowly figuring out that she understands/knows much more French than she likes to admit. My host family is AWESOME! They have been so welcoming and take such great care of me. The kids love to play with me and be around me, but they are also very respectful of my space. Every Peace Corps Volunteer is given a Nigerien name. My host siblings gave me the name, Samira, which means “night friend” (haha! wink, wink!). I think Samira is a beautiful name and I love hearing the kids in the village call out to me as I walk down the road.

Dining in Niger – A Vegetarian’s Paradise: Dining in Niger is very different from in the states. Due to cultural and religious beliefs, there are very pronounced gender roles. Men are fed first and eat separately from the women/kids. In my family, I eat my meals with the eldest daughter. Everyone eats outside on mats on the ground with one dish for whomever is eating. My host sister and I help each other wash our hands – a ritual done before and after every meal – and then we eat with our hands from the same bowl/plate.

The food has been delicious – lots of rice, beans, cous-cous, noodles, millet, and simple sauces. I may have over exaggerated a bit when I said, “a vegetarian’s paradise,” as there isn’t much in the way of fresh veggies and fruits. But beyond that, it is very simple to maintain a vegetarian diet here. In fact, one could probably go vegan quite easily here if they so desired. I will be sticking to my vegetarian diet and trying to find the best dietary balance possible given the limited selection of food.

Breakfast here is probably my favorite meal. I usually head to the market in the morning and my favorite foods to purchase are solani (yogurt in a bag – otherwise known as “heaven in a bag”) and some fari masa (fried dough balls with sugar, much like a doughnut). So delicious!

Right Hand Good – Left Hand Bad: In Niger it is customary to use only the right hand when eating, giving or receiving money/goods, and when using any communal items (e.g. pepper, maggi (similar to soy sauce), etc.). Nigeriens do this because in Niger people generally do not use toilet paper. Nigeriens use the water method, which consists of using a butta (plastic tea pot) filled with water, pouring water into your left hand, wiping with your left hand, and then washing your hands with soap and water from the butta. To eat, you grab a small handful of food, ball it up in your hand, and then bring it to your mouth (a task I have yet to perfect – I make such a mess).

My Arch Nemesis - The Latrine: Using the latrine is both awful and comical. My current latrine is a 4ft. x 4ft. enclosed area with a hole in the middle. The hole is about 3in. in diameter – a small target by any standards. I have to fully remove my pants, underwear, etc. and squat over this hole. Aiming, as I’m sure most women know, is no easy task so I sort of have to have a pivot foot and shift around to hit my mark – hence the comedy. The awful part about using the latrine is the cockroaches and flies. The cockroaches are only a problem at night, so I try to avoid using the latrine after dark. Everything is an adventure here.

Washing Away the Sand - Bucket Baths: Who knew that taking a bath with a bucket of water could be so relaxing? Seriously, I love taking bucket baths and now that my hair is so short, I can easily wash from head to toe with ¾ of a bucket of water. I either take a bath first thing in the morning or just before sunset when the flies have gone and the roaches are still in hiding. I won’t lie, I often miss the convenience of running water, but it’s incredible how clean you can get with a bucket of water, a cup, and a washcloth. One evening, I was taking a bath while listening to Michael Jackson blaring from a neighboring concession and watching lighting bursts in the sky as a storm approached. It was a beautiful and bizarre mixture of Africa and home!

My Stage – 44 Instant Friends: My stage (pronounced “st-ah-je”) is the group of people I came to Niger with. There are currently 46 of us from all over the U.S. My stage is amazing! We are an incredibly cohesive group and there is such a positive energy among us. I have made a couple of really great friends and can’t wait to experience the next two years of service with them. The Peace Corps is a pretty serious business, but we get to have some serious fun now and then ;)

The Daily Grind - Training: Right now, I spend my days at the Peace Corps training site here in Niger. In Zarma, it is called Ton de Bon, which means “on the hill.” The site is pretty big and has all of the following amenities: running water, toilets, a cafeteria, a kitchen, an infirmary, sleeping quarters, classroom huts, and places for sports and recreation. During the day, I have a full schedule of classes in language (French at the moment), safety and security, health (I am a human pin cushion…Tuesdays and Thursdays are shot days), cross-culture, and tech sessions (specific to my sector – education). Classes, especially language, get frustrating at times, but the Peace Corps is very good about pushing us to our limits, but never beyond. They make us leave our comfort zone regularly, but they never give us more than we can handle.

Zarma, Hausa, and French: Niger has a few different languages that are commonly used: French, Zarma, and Hausa. There are a few other languages as well, but these three are the most common. French is Primarily spoken among those who are educated. The two other languages, Zarma and Hausa, are used throughout the country, however Zarma is more commonly used in the west and Hausa in the east.

Due to my asthma, I will be placed at a post that is closer to the capitol of Niger in case there is a medical emergency. This means that I will be in a region in the western portion of the country, so I will be learning Zarma. Right now, I am still working on improving my French, which I have discovered is not nearly as good as I had thought it was. I’m hoping to hit the appropriate skill level in French soon so that I can start working on my Zarma!

Greetings are incredibly important in Zarma (and Hausa). When you see someone on the streets or when you go to their home, as a sign of respect and a means to embrace the social nature of Nigeriens, it is important to rattle off many of the Zarma greetings.

Here’s a quick lesson in Zarma:

Fofo = hello or thank you
N’goyya = a response to “fofo”
Kala ton ton = goodbye

Q: Mate ni kani? (How was your sleep?)
A: Bani samay walla. (I am in good health.) This essentially means “good” or “fine.”

Q: Mate gaham? (How is your health?)
A: Tali kulu si. (My health is good.)

Q: Mate farga? (How is your tiredness?)
A: Farga si no. (I have no tiredness.)

Q: Mate fu? (How is the family?)
A: Fu kulu samay. (The family is in good health.)

The BUGS! – Je n’aime pas les insectes!: Holy smokes! I have never seen bugs this large in my life! My first night in Niger, I had the pleasure of seeing the infamous Chariot Spider. Chariot Spiders are about the size of my hand, they’re skinny, sort of orange in color, and crazy fast. They were given the name Chariot Spider because it’s said that they team up scorpions, which are very slow creatures. The scorpion rides on the back of the Chariot Spider because it is fast and can get to it’s prey quickly. Once they reach their prey, the scorpion attacks the prey and the two insects feast together on their kill. I don’t know about you, but the idea of insects partnering with one another scares the buhjeebers out of me!

One day, I found one of the largest Daddy Long Leg-like spiders in my hut. I immediately turned around, ran out of my hut, and went straight to my host sisters. I told them there was a giant spider in my hut and the two of them jumped into action. The youngest of the two came with me into my hut so I could show her the spider while the eldest grabbed a flip-flop. I showed them the spider and younger sister took the flip-flop, smashed the spider, and then proceeded to scoop up its legs and take them outside of my hut. Thank goodness I have host siblings!

There are a boat load of flies right now and they are pretty darn annoying, but I am becoming more and more desensitized to them as the days pass. The mosquitoes are around, but with the use of bug sprays, it is fairly easy to keep them at bay. There are a ton of beetles, which don’t really bother me, but I still don’t want them near me.

And then there are the bed bugs. I have spent the last week and a half covered literally from head to toe in bed bug bites. To give you an idea of the density of these bites, let me just say that I had approximately 45 bites on one hand alone. That first week of having bed bugs was probably one of the most miserable weeks as far as being itchy, hot, and irritable goes. It hasn’t made me want to leave by any means, but boy did it make focusing during sessions difficult. I have finally stopped getting bites on a nightly basis and my current bites are starting to heal, so things are getting better.

Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the COCKROACHES! Once the sun goes down the roaches come out in droves. Those things are ridiculously creepy. There’s nothing like hanging out in your hut, trying to get some sleep when the weather doesn’t permit sleeping outside, and hearing the pitter-patter of little cockroach feet. There is something seriously wrong when a bug is so big that its feet can make noise! I’m learning to deal with many of the other bugs, but I don’t think I’ll ever be ok with spiders or roaches…blech!

“Ridin’ It Hot” - Bush Taxis: I don’t know how to begin to describe the bush taxis here in Niger. I guess the best place to start is by decribing the vehicle itself: typically, the bush taxis here are Toyota vans that look very similar to VW buses. There are about four rows of seats with two seats up front with the driver. Technically speaking, these vehicles should be able to safely and comfortably fit about 15 people including the driver. That being said, during my first bush taxi experience, about 25 of us (Nigeriens and Americans alike) were piled into the vehicle. And, I mean quite literally, piled. I must also mention that each bush taxi has a roof rack and on that roof rack one can pile anything from wood to matresses to sheep to bulls and so on. There is no limit to what or whom one can pile into or on top of these bush taxis. There’s nothing like a three hour drive in a bush taxi with chickens and goats at your feet, people packed in all around you, and angry bulls on the roof!

FYI, the phrase, “ridin’ it hot,” was coined because as volunteers in Niger, we often experience great bouts of diarrhea. Sometimes good old Mr. D doesn’t care that you have a three hour bush taxi ride ahead of you and he makes his presence known. So, when Mr. D rears his ugly head while your riding the bush taxi, you are indeed “ridin’ it hot.” Gross, I know, but this is my beautiful reality.

Funny Nigerien Anecdotes: So, one of my closest friends here has already achieved the appropriate skill level in French, so he has started studying Hausa as he will be placed in an eastern region of the country. He’s really good with languages and has picked up the Hausa rather quickly. In the mornings, we all get breakfast from the street vendors on the one paved road in our area. My friend enjoys a nice cup of tea in the morning and uses his newly learned Hausa to order his tea. A few days ago, during one of the language sessions, he finds out that unbeknownst to him, he has been ordering his tea without breastmilk. He meant to simply say he didn’t want milk in his tea, but instead was saying “babu no no,” which simply put means no breastmilk. I don’t think that story will ever cease to make me laugh!

Minimalism - What I Miss: I miss HUGS! I don’t get them enough here. I’m so used to greeting my friends and loved ones with a hug and/or a kiss on the cheek everytime I see them, but this is not the norm here. I try to hug my fellow trainees as much as possible while were at Ton de Bon, so I am not going completely without hugs.

I also miss snack foods. Access to snack foods is limited. You can get them in the capitol, but it is expensive and soon enough, I will no longer have easy access to the capitol city. But, until that time, I will try to stock up a bit so that I have some delicious snacks at my permanent site.

Staying Strong - Words of Wisdom: “If we do not offer ourselves to the unknown, our senses dull. Our world becomes small and we lose our sense of wonder. We pass our days in a routine that is both comfortable and limiting. We soon wake up to find we have lost our dreams in order to protect our days. Fear of the unknown and the lure of comfortable space will conspire to keep us from taking the chances we should take. But, if you take the chance, you will never regret the choice. To be sure, there will be moments of doubt…but as the pains of the moment come, so will they ever fade away. In the end, you will be so much richer, stronger, happier and so much the better person for having taken the risk and enduring the hardship. There will be nothing to compare to the insight you have gained.” –Author Unknown