- I just had a really great day. I'm not even sure what was so great about it... I bought library things in Porto-Novo, saw Victoria for coffee, labeled books in the library, tutored a girl... I think it was just one of those days when everyone I saw smiled and said hi, calling me "Sister" or "Madame" or "Melissa" (or "Amalissia") instead of "yovo." Those smiles and familiarity mean a lot.
- Sex Ed, Continued. The local midwife (medically trained, very respected) came to girls' club and talked about sex: the necessary terminology and definition, and the consequences. Some of the things she said were a little unusual (like, "Having sex early or too often will made you ugly and old very fast."), but in general the information was solid and much clearer than I would have managed. Plus I got to ask leading questions, which let me stay in control of the direction of the talk.
Next week, Victoria (my good friend and nearby health volunteer) is coming to explain contraception and how to CORRECTLY use a condom. I, for the record, think abstinence-only education is stupid* (ahem, Texas...).
- Working Butt Off = Refreshing. This last week or so I've been spending every available minute working in the library. I've had a pretty great last week or so, so I'm thinking maybe my busy-ness is related. Being productive is so awesome! I feel useful! Yaaay!
- Stamp Crazy. The director is giving me lots of the books that have been locked in his office for years, and i'm thrilled about that -- it's over 400 important, very useful resources. The school's administration is very, very focused on making it clear that those books belong to/were given by them, and as a result they're marking them as their territory pretty... Uh... Obsessively? They want each book to be stamped essentially in every blank space in the entire book (to discourage theft, I think). Guess who gets to do that work? Yes, I get to stamp the books around 10 times per book. Because they couldn't find anyone else to pee on their fire hydrants for them. Ahem, I mean, stamp their books. I do appreciate having work, but this just seems unnecessary. If it's so important, pee on your own books, people!
*Besides, you know, being incredibly ineffective in reducing teen pregnancy and STIs.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Updates: 3.19-3.23
- Mali Shuts Down. So remember how last post I was really upset about not being able to go to Mali in April? Well, turns out I probably wouldn't be able to go anyway: they're currently having a coup, so the country's a no-no for all PCVs the world over. Sigh. Maybe in August...
- Boss Meets Egoun. My Peace Corps boss Taibatou came to visit me/my director in village to talk about me getting replaced by another volunteer when I leave (gah!). My director, polite and impressed by my (strong, well-dressed, polite but outspoken, kind of awesome female African) boss, takes us to a buvette for a soft drink. As we order who walks in? Egoun.
That's right, Egoun, the probably always drunk, dancing, goofy voodoo fetish. He immediately starts yelling, in his Louis Armstrong voice, for a large beer. No one is sure how he would drink said beer, as his face is covered with what looks like a sequined, embroidered ski cap, but he really wants it. The director laughs and ignores him, Taibatou is silently focusing on her soft drink, and I feel awkward.
I'll fast forward through the next ten minutes of Egoun calling for beers, singing the yovo song (incorrectly, somehow), and demanding money while we all sit there awkwardly. Eventually the director paid him off (just a little tip, really) and he left. Taibatou's response: "Egoun used to be sacred. Now, he's just a joke." Ooh, Egoun, buuuurn.
- Library: We have books! More, I mean! Gabriel and I finally went and bought books in the Porto-Novo marche (picture me sitting quietly with a bag full of money, Gabriel arguing like a champion for good prices, and no less than 8 different men and women crowding frantically around us with their offerings). This process took 3.5 hours and still isn't done. The very next day, I went to the director's office and discovered that he's decided to give the library a whole bunch of books that I guess he had kind of hidden in his office...including many of the ones I'd just bought. Oh well, we'll just have lots of those important ones. I'm really excited- it looks great so far! Now, labeling and librarian. Will keep you updated.
- SO HOT. Ladies and gents, it is hot-and-humid-as-hell season. It is so hot that I start sweating within 4 minutes of a cold shower, wake up in a pool of transpiration, and have at least 3 people a day say to me, "Wow, you're really sweating. I guess it's not this hot where you're from, huh?" I, like everyone in my village, have heat rash, except mine is even on my scalp. No one can sleep, except for me when I take Tylenol PM. (Yes, I know that's probably unhealthy.) I hate my fan for breaking, and I'm praying for the end of April, when the rainy season will come.
- Welcome. Every time I take my backup phone to school with me, I get a "Welcome to Nigeria" message. Hah.
- School Update: The professors are all now showing up to school, but several are JUST showing up. They go to class and sit there, or take a nap, or talk on the phone. It's just a few of them, but until they start again, the government's not announcing the new end of the school year. Most people think it'll be done by the end of June/early July (meaning we wouldn't have to change camp dates), but no guarantees yet.
What is certain is that on that official last day of school, the second I am done teaching, I'm buying myself a large, icy cold beer. Celebration of survival.
- Ears of Corn. In marche success stories, I found a pair of earrings in my local market for 50 francs (10 cents). They're are tiny golden ears of corn! On my ears! So clever!
- Need New Music. Anyone? Anyone?
- Boss Meets Egoun. My Peace Corps boss Taibatou came to visit me/my director in village to talk about me getting replaced by another volunteer when I leave (gah!). My director, polite and impressed by my (strong, well-dressed, polite but outspoken, kind of awesome female African) boss, takes us to a buvette for a soft drink. As we order who walks in? Egoun.
That's right, Egoun, the probably always drunk, dancing, goofy voodoo fetish. He immediately starts yelling, in his Louis Armstrong voice, for a large beer. No one is sure how he would drink said beer, as his face is covered with what looks like a sequined, embroidered ski cap, but he really wants it. The director laughs and ignores him, Taibatou is silently focusing on her soft drink, and I feel awkward.
I'll fast forward through the next ten minutes of Egoun calling for beers, singing the yovo song (incorrectly, somehow), and demanding money while we all sit there awkwardly. Eventually the director paid him off (just a little tip, really) and he left. Taibatou's response: "Egoun used to be sacred. Now, he's just a joke." Ooh, Egoun, buuuurn.
- Library: We have books! More, I mean! Gabriel and I finally went and bought books in the Porto-Novo marche (picture me sitting quietly with a bag full of money, Gabriel arguing like a champion for good prices, and no less than 8 different men and women crowding frantically around us with their offerings). This process took 3.5 hours and still isn't done. The very next day, I went to the director's office and discovered that he's decided to give the library a whole bunch of books that I guess he had kind of hidden in his office...including many of the ones I'd just bought. Oh well, we'll just have lots of those important ones. I'm really excited- it looks great so far! Now, labeling and librarian. Will keep you updated.
- SO HOT. Ladies and gents, it is hot-and-humid-as-hell season. It is so hot that I start sweating within 4 minutes of a cold shower, wake up in a pool of transpiration, and have at least 3 people a day say to me, "Wow, you're really sweating. I guess it's not this hot where you're from, huh?" I, like everyone in my village, have heat rash, except mine is even on my scalp. No one can sleep, except for me when I take Tylenol PM. (Yes, I know that's probably unhealthy.) I hate my fan for breaking, and I'm praying for the end of April, when the rainy season will come.
- Welcome. Every time I take my backup phone to school with me, I get a "Welcome to Nigeria" message. Hah.
- School Update: The professors are all now showing up to school, but several are JUST showing up. They go to class and sit there, or take a nap, or talk on the phone. It's just a few of them, but until they start again, the government's not announcing the new end of the school year. Most people think it'll be done by the end of June/early July (meaning we wouldn't have to change camp dates), but no guarantees yet.
What is certain is that on that official last day of school, the second I am done teaching, I'm buying myself a large, icy cold beer. Celebration of survival.
- Ears of Corn. In marche success stories, I found a pair of earrings in my local market for 50 francs (10 cents). They're are tiny golden ears of corn! On my ears! So clever!
- Need New Music. Anyone? Anyone?
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Mali Trip: No Go
A little down today because I think I'm not going to be able to go to Dogon Country in Mali, which is one of those trips that everyone says is the best they've taken in West Africa. :( Two friends and I have been planning for months to go, but because of project timelines and money issues, they're not going to be able to go with me.
Just found out last night, and since we'd have to turn in vacation forms next week and start on visas really soon, I'm now not sure if I'll be able to go at all... it's not a good idea for a woman to travel up north by herself. Sad face. Throwing some hail mary emails all over the place, but unless I find a volunteer with a lot of saved-up cash and vacation days, I don't think it's going to happen.
So a little bummed. But at least I have something to do (school!) this week, right?
Just found out last night, and since we'd have to turn in vacation forms next week and start on visas really soon, I'm now not sure if I'll be able to go at all... it's not a good idea for a woman to travel up north by herself. Sad face. Throwing some hail mary emails all over the place, but unless I find a volunteer with a lot of saved-up cash and vacation days, I don't think it's going to happen.
So a little bummed. But at least I have something to do (school!) this week, right?
Friday, March 16, 2012
Updates: 3.12-3.16 (Boredom, the Strike, and Egoun!)
- Frustrée (adjective): frustrated. I learned this word on Monday. Why? Because I had to explain why I was pissed when I got kicked out of school FOR THE THIRD TIME.
I called two people the night before class to ask if I should teach. They said to go and see if other profs were teaching. I went. Two teachers were working. I taught my very rowdy, unfocused students. I went to say hello to my administration...who admonished me for teaching on a strike day. Ugh! I am trying SO hard to do whatever I'm supposed to be doing. I'd teach, I'd stay at home, whatever. Could somebody PLEASE just TELL me what to do???
- Reading Rampage: In related news, I'm working on my 5th book in the past week and a half. 100th book, here I come.
- Mangoes are now the size of tennis balls! Just thought you should know.
- Ahhhhh! I woke up early Tuesday morning and grabbed my pagne to take a shower. Out of it launched this black thing that scuttled across my floor and under my dresser. I then realized that I'd been screaming, loudly and in an unladylike way, for 30 seconds straight. My poor neighbors. There was a chase and a cat, and when it all came down to it, Popsicle got some fresh mouse meat. Uh oh. Where there's one mouse, there's an exponentially reproducing family of them. Will be spending some time blocking up holes in my ceiling very soon.
- The President Issues an Ultimatum (Tuesday): According to a snippet of news I saw on a television this morning, YAYI Boni said that if the strike's not over in 72 hours, he's going to call an année blanchee (blank year), which has apparently already happened in several surrounding countries. Your move, teachers.
- Strike Struck Down (Thursday). As of this evening, it's official: the strike is over, and the President has won. I'm not a huge fan of that news, given that a large number of my friends are professors, but hey, it is what it is.
Everyone will be back in school on Monday, and the people not there won't get paid for any work after January. It's good that we're going to be back in class, I think (much better than calling a blank year), and I'm excited to get back to girls' club finally. Plus, library stuff will be SO much easier if there are students present to haul books around for me. :)
- Egoun on the Town. Egoun is a voodoo fetish, or spirit, and he's one of the least scary and most fun. My village, apparently, has an occasional Egoun "festival" wherein the fetish comes out and just kind of walks around and sings and talks to people in a hilarious Louis Armstrong on helium voice.
He's dressed in what appears to be a very large, multiple-piece, beautifully embroidered blanket, is noticeably stumble-y (I'm guessing lots of sodabi is involved), and does absolutely nothing threatening. Occasionally he asks people for money, but he wasn't mad when I didn't give him any. Actually, he started talking in Nigerian "small small" English, and giggled (in the Louis Armstrong voice) when I complimented him on his mighty command of languages.
Voodoo, despite oro and bad gris-gris (magic) and all of Hollywood's interpretations, is pretty cool as a religion, and can be hilarious to be around. Egoun, you get my thumbs up.
I called two people the night before class to ask if I should teach. They said to go and see if other profs were teaching. I went. Two teachers were working. I taught my very rowdy, unfocused students. I went to say hello to my administration...who admonished me for teaching on a strike day. Ugh! I am trying SO hard to do whatever I'm supposed to be doing. I'd teach, I'd stay at home, whatever. Could somebody PLEASE just TELL me what to do???
- Reading Rampage: In related news, I'm working on my 5th book in the past week and a half. 100th book, here I come.
- Mangoes are now the size of tennis balls! Just thought you should know.
- Ahhhhh! I woke up early Tuesday morning and grabbed my pagne to take a shower. Out of it launched this black thing that scuttled across my floor and under my dresser. I then realized that I'd been screaming, loudly and in an unladylike way, for 30 seconds straight. My poor neighbors. There was a chase and a cat, and when it all came down to it, Popsicle got some fresh mouse meat. Uh oh. Where there's one mouse, there's an exponentially reproducing family of them. Will be spending some time blocking up holes in my ceiling very soon.
- The President Issues an Ultimatum (Tuesday): According to a snippet of news I saw on a television this morning, YAYI Boni said that if the strike's not over in 72 hours, he's going to call an année blanchee (blank year), which has apparently already happened in several surrounding countries. Your move, teachers.
- Strike Struck Down (Thursday). As of this evening, it's official: the strike is over, and the President has won. I'm not a huge fan of that news, given that a large number of my friends are professors, but hey, it is what it is.
Everyone will be back in school on Monday, and the people not there won't get paid for any work after January. It's good that we're going to be back in class, I think (much better than calling a blank year), and I'm excited to get back to girls' club finally. Plus, library stuff will be SO much easier if there are students present to haul books around for me. :)
- Egoun on the Town. Egoun is a voodoo fetish, or spirit, and he's one of the least scary and most fun. My village, apparently, has an occasional Egoun "festival" wherein the fetish comes out and just kind of walks around and sings and talks to people in a hilarious Louis Armstrong on helium voice.
He's dressed in what appears to be a very large, multiple-piece, beautifully embroidered blanket, is noticeably stumble-y (I'm guessing lots of sodabi is involved), and does absolutely nothing threatening. Occasionally he asks people for money, but he wasn't mad when I didn't give him any. Actually, he started talking in Nigerian "small small" English, and giggled (in the Louis Armstrong voice) when I complimented him on his mighty command of languages.
Voodoo, despite oro and bad gris-gris (magic) and all of Hollywood's interpretations, is pretty cool as a religion, and can be hilarious to be around. Egoun, you get my thumbs up.
Updates 3.2-3.10
- Still On Strike. I tried to go to school twice this week (mini-vent: NO ONE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON OR CAN TELL ME WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO). Once I was asked a billion times why I was late and then told I probably shouldn't teach anyway. Wednesday I went to school, taught a third of my class for 30 minutes, then was kicked out again. The school's now really closed (the three rooms with doors are locked), so I've been sitting at home trying to keep busy. Mainly I've been staring at the walls/the street a lot.
- Fun Summertime Game: Ant, Sweat or Hair? You feel something tickling the back of your arm. Quick: is it an ant, a drop of sweat, or a loose hair? You can usually figure it out if you pause for a second and see if it's moving, but that's cheating. Gut instinct, go!
- Library Plan B. The French NGO has taken way too long in assessing our application, and the don't even seem close to getting books together. This has to be done by the end of the school year, so we're moving on to our backup plan: buy books in Benin! Hopefully secondhand. A little tricky because pricing changes depending on who's haggling, but we'll figure it out.
- International Women's Day! I got to go to my friend Victoria's village on Saturday to help out with her Int'l Women's Day event- she is such an amazing organizer. There was a girls-only 5k race, which is unheard of here. They LOVED it -- they each got a race-day t-shirt and a pink headband, and they had a lot of fun with the competition. There was prize money for the winner ($20!), and then local students and nurses did presentations on nutrition, malaria, and family planning. It was such a fun day, and seeing all of the other volunteers who came to help was fun, too.
- Fun Summertime Game: Ant, Sweat or Hair? You feel something tickling the back of your arm. Quick: is it an ant, a drop of sweat, or a loose hair? You can usually figure it out if you pause for a second and see if it's moving, but that's cheating. Gut instinct, go!
- Library Plan B. The French NGO has taken way too long in assessing our application, and the don't even seem close to getting books together. This has to be done by the end of the school year, so we're moving on to our backup plan: buy books in Benin! Hopefully secondhand. A little tricky because pricing changes depending on who's haggling, but we'll figure it out.
- International Women's Day! I got to go to my friend Victoria's village on Saturday to help out with her Int'l Women's Day event- she is such an amazing organizer. There was a girls-only 5k race, which is unheard of here. They LOVED it -- they each got a race-day t-shirt and a pink headband, and they had a lot of fun with the competition. There was prize money for the winner ($20!), and then local students and nurses did presentations on nutrition, malaria, and family planning. It was such a fun day, and seeing all of the other volunteers who came to help was fun, too.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Rollercoaster Week: 2.29.12
Updates from Daagbe: 2.28.12
- Teacher's Strike Continues. The permanent professors are still on strike and seem to plan to stay that way for a while. Figured out more of the reason: according to my fellow English profs, the president raised the salaries of all civil servants, except for the teachers (who also work for the government). They're mad, and the president doesn't want to give in because he raised their salaries a few years ago.
Whatever. The more immediate problem for me is what's going to happen to the kids and the school year. If the strike keeps going a long time, the government and/or UNESCO might declare an "année blanchee" -- a blank year, meaning that this whole year would be erased and they'd start again next year. That would royally suck, nor only because all of my teaching work this year would be void, but also because projects would get way harder to finish. Girls might have trouble coming to girl's club if they're not already at the school, and getting into the library would be tougher (but still doable, and I am getting that thing done by June).
Luckily, most profs I talk to think we still have time to resolve the strike before that (cross your fingers). We have lost a LOT of school, so they might extend the school year a few weeks or a month, especially since now the permanent profs have decided to work only Mondays (before it was Mon and Fri). That would mess with project/camp dates maybe, but hopefully not too much.
So that's the state of the strike at the moment. Sucks for the kids, especially since the school year (once you take out exam weeks, days off and breaks) is about 6 months long to begin with. Throw in several months of striking and... Yeah, it is kind of a blank year.
- Other Bad News. One of my students, a smiley 13- or 14-year-old girl named Melanie, dropped out of school over the last week and a half. She's pregnant and, according to her classmates, now living at her husband's house. Husband. Heartbreaking. My amazing professor friend Florence told me she plans to go to the house to try to convince her to come back to school at least until the baby's born, but that's not terribly likely... Often the husband doesn't allow the girl to go back (because she'll think too much and become too "emancipated"), or the parents won't let her because it wouldn't be proper. Other times it's the girl who just considers that part of her life over, and she quits to become the grand lady she wants to be. I hope she comes back, and if it's a forced marriage, you can bet I'll be on the phone in two seconds to get her help, but unfortunately, I can't hold my breath.
- Now That I've Thoroughly Depressed You... My library has shelves! And we got all of the school's books out of the boxes and put them on the shelves. It looks pretty cool already, and administration is suddenly really proud of it. :) Entertainingly, the second we started taking the books in, everyone suddenly became an expert on library organization. I told one of the administrators how we were going to organize the books, and three minutes later he stopped me to give me a mini lecture on what we should do...repeating word for word what I'd just said. I imagine that if it continues, the advice will get annoying, but right now it's just showing how excited and into the project they are, and how ready they are to run it correctly when I leave.
- Tissu Invite! My friend GbloGblo came to my house to see if I wanted to buy matching tissu with her family for their upcoming party. I guess that's not a huge deal, but she's inviting mainly her good friends to do so, so it's one of those little victories that I love. I'm one of them, y'all!
- Breaking News 3.1- I just got kicked out of school for the day. Not just me, I mean, all of the teachers who were still teaching classes. The permanent teachers who are striking are now increasing the pressure on the government by closing schools entirely for part of the week. In my school, there are now no classes Monday through Thursday, which is unfortunately all of the days I teach... So until this strike is over, no classes for my kids. I was in the middle of class today when the professors arrived to tell me, and when I told the kids to go home, like 12 of them surrounded me to ask if I could please please please do makeup classes. :( I'll try, but finding a classroom on Friday or Saturday will be tough. They're so worried about exams... Sigh. No comment. At least I'm still allowed to do girls' club. This afternoon: Sex Ed, Part 1: Puberty and Periods.
*Later* Sex Ed Part 1 went so well! The girls had lots of questions and were really happy to have things explained. We're even going to do an extra girls' club on Monday, just because we can. :)
- Teacher's Strike Continues. The permanent professors are still on strike and seem to plan to stay that way for a while. Figured out more of the reason: according to my fellow English profs, the president raised the salaries of all civil servants, except for the teachers (who also work for the government). They're mad, and the president doesn't want to give in because he raised their salaries a few years ago.
Whatever. The more immediate problem for me is what's going to happen to the kids and the school year. If the strike keeps going a long time, the government and/or UNESCO might declare an "année blanchee" -- a blank year, meaning that this whole year would be erased and they'd start again next year. That would royally suck, nor only because all of my teaching work this year would be void, but also because projects would get way harder to finish. Girls might have trouble coming to girl's club if they're not already at the school, and getting into the library would be tougher (but still doable, and I am getting that thing done by June).
Luckily, most profs I talk to think we still have time to resolve the strike before that (cross your fingers). We have lost a LOT of school, so they might extend the school year a few weeks or a month, especially since now the permanent profs have decided to work only Mondays (before it was Mon and Fri). That would mess with project/camp dates maybe, but hopefully not too much.
So that's the state of the strike at the moment. Sucks for the kids, especially since the school year (once you take out exam weeks, days off and breaks) is about 6 months long to begin with. Throw in several months of striking and... Yeah, it is kind of a blank year.
- Other Bad News. One of my students, a smiley 13- or 14-year-old girl named Melanie, dropped out of school over the last week and a half. She's pregnant and, according to her classmates, now living at her husband's house. Husband. Heartbreaking. My amazing professor friend Florence told me she plans to go to the house to try to convince her to come back to school at least until the baby's born, but that's not terribly likely... Often the husband doesn't allow the girl to go back (because she'll think too much and become too "emancipated"), or the parents won't let her because it wouldn't be proper. Other times it's the girl who just considers that part of her life over, and she quits to become the grand lady she wants to be. I hope she comes back, and if it's a forced marriage, you can bet I'll be on the phone in two seconds to get her help, but unfortunately, I can't hold my breath.
- Now That I've Thoroughly Depressed You... My library has shelves! And we got all of the school's books out of the boxes and put them on the shelves. It looks pretty cool already, and administration is suddenly really proud of it. :) Entertainingly, the second we started taking the books in, everyone suddenly became an expert on library organization. I told one of the administrators how we were going to organize the books, and three minutes later he stopped me to give me a mini lecture on what we should do...repeating word for word what I'd just said. I imagine that if it continues, the advice will get annoying, but right now it's just showing how excited and into the project they are, and how ready they are to run it correctly when I leave.
- Tissu Invite! My friend GbloGblo came to my house to see if I wanted to buy matching tissu with her family for their upcoming party. I guess that's not a huge deal, but she's inviting mainly her good friends to do so, so it's one of those little victories that I love. I'm one of them, y'all!
- Breaking News 3.1- I just got kicked out of school for the day. Not just me, I mean, all of the teachers who were still teaching classes. The permanent teachers who are striking are now increasing the pressure on the government by closing schools entirely for part of the week. In my school, there are now no classes Monday through Thursday, which is unfortunately all of the days I teach... So until this strike is over, no classes for my kids. I was in the middle of class today when the professors arrived to tell me, and when I told the kids to go home, like 12 of them surrounded me to ask if I could please please please do makeup classes. :( I'll try, but finding a classroom on Friday or Saturday will be tough. They're so worried about exams... Sigh. No comment. At least I'm still allowed to do girls' club. This afternoon: Sex Ed, Part 1: Puberty and Periods.
*Later* Sex Ed Part 1 went so well! The girls had lots of questions and were really happy to have things explained. We're even going to do an extra girls' club on Monday, just because we can. :)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Three Conversations
Conversation with a zemidjan:
Zem: The price is 1500.
Me: I'd like to pay 700.
Zem: What?? That's absolutely ridiculous! Do you know how how far Daagbe is? And how expensive gas is now? 700... Impossible!! ...Give me 800.
Me: I'm going to pay 700.
Zem: Oh. Okay, let's go.
Encouraging Conversation with Gerardine, my student/friend/person who helps me with dishes:
Me: ...so 10 is an okay score, acceptable. But for you,... I think you can do better, because you're smart.
G: (smiles, says okay)
(silence for a few seconds)
G: In October, you're going away?
Me: In September, but yeah, I'm going home. I need to see my family, my friends...
G: (silence)
Me: That's good, right? It's good to be with your family.
G: (pauses)... I just don't want you to leave.
Conversation with Nicaise, my very entertaining student:
Nicaise: (looking at the grades he's gotten this semester)... Madame, your math is right, but normally you should do the "plus plus."
Me: The what?
Nicaise: You know, plus two points here, plus three points there... That would really help my grade.
Me: Hahahahaha! (Creative approach, I like it!)
Zem: The price is 1500.
Me: I'd like to pay 700.
Zem: What?? That's absolutely ridiculous! Do you know how how far Daagbe is? And how expensive gas is now? 700... Impossible!! ...Give me 800.
Me: I'm going to pay 700.
Zem: Oh. Okay, let's go.
Encouraging Conversation with Gerardine, my student/friend/person who helps me with dishes:
Me: ...so 10 is an okay score, acceptable. But for you,... I think you can do better, because you're smart.
G: (smiles, says okay)
(silence for a few seconds)
G: In October, you're going away?
Me: In September, but yeah, I'm going home. I need to see my family, my friends...
G: (silence)
Me: That's good, right? It's good to be with your family.
G: (pauses)... I just don't want you to leave.
Conversation with Nicaise, my very entertaining student:
Nicaise: (looking at the grades he's gotten this semester)... Madame, your math is right, but normally you should do the "plus plus."
Me: The what?
Nicaise: You know, plus two points here, plus three points there... That would really help my grade.
Me: Hahahahaha! (Creative approach, I like it!)
Sunday, February 19, 2012
More Aprons, What?
A couple of people have contacted me wanting tissu aprons, since the last ones sold out so fast. I wasn't going to do anymore because I didn't have a project to put the money toward, but I think I have one now... Or, well, a person.
My couturiere has done a lot for me, and I want to help her earn some money for her diploma in two years, which costs her about $100...and then she has to pay for the party afterward. I don't want to pay for everything (the party she can do with help from her older brother), but I'd like to give her the chance to earn some of the money, instead of borrowing/asking for it from older relatives.
Here's my proposal: each apron will be $15, like before. Out of that, I'll split the profits between her and another Peace Corps Benin project (not sure which one yet, but probably a girls' education one), meaning that she'd get about $5 per apron (a LOT of money here). She asked that I or another volunteer hold on to the money until she's graduating so that she's not tempted to spend or lend it, and that kind of proved to me that she's serious about saving it. She's kind of amazing, really: didn't even finish primary school but speaks French better than most people I know, and at 19 is essentially running her older sister's seamstress shop.
Anyway, so that's where the profits would be going: to a Peace Corps project and to a spunky, smart girl trying to start up her own, independent life. Aprons won't be mailed until July at the earliest, because I don't want to send them by unreliable Africa mail. Want to order? Send me an email (lissa.glasgo@gmail.com) with the number you want, the address I should send it to, and any special requests you have. I'll email you back about sending a check.
Thanks so much for everything y'all do! You're amazing people, and I'm lucky to have you following me along in this crazy Beninese adventure. :)
My couturiere has done a lot for me, and I want to help her earn some money for her diploma in two years, which costs her about $100...and then she has to pay for the party afterward. I don't want to pay for everything (the party she can do with help from her older brother), but I'd like to give her the chance to earn some of the money, instead of borrowing/asking for it from older relatives.
Here's my proposal: each apron will be $15, like before. Out of that, I'll split the profits between her and another Peace Corps Benin project (not sure which one yet, but probably a girls' education one), meaning that she'd get about $5 per apron (a LOT of money here). She asked that I or another volunteer hold on to the money until she's graduating so that she's not tempted to spend or lend it, and that kind of proved to me that she's serious about saving it. She's kind of amazing, really: didn't even finish primary school but speaks French better than most people I know, and at 19 is essentially running her older sister's seamstress shop.
Anyway, so that's where the profits would be going: to a Peace Corps project and to a spunky, smart girl trying to start up her own, independent life. Aprons won't be mailed until July at the earliest, because I don't want to send them by unreliable Africa mail. Want to order? Send me an email (lissa.glasgo@gmail.com) with the number you want, the address I should send it to, and any special requests you have. I'll email you back about sending a check.
Thanks so much for everything y'all do! You're amazing people, and I'm lucky to have you following me along in this crazy Beninese adventure. :)
Book Thoughts: Half the Sky
You know when you're reading a book and all of a sudden, something just clicks? And instantly, inexplicably, you've changed just a little bit, and maybe your life has switched around too? That's where I am.
I'm reading "Half the Sky," which is a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning authors about women, oppression, development, and changing the world. It talks about something that I believe in 100%, which is that fighting the violence, oppression, and discrimination of girls and women is the single most important action we can take to help developing nations. And the best, most effective way of doing that? Getting and keeping girls in school. Give a girl a real education, and you've upped her family's income potential by a huge percentage, not to mention making her life and the lives of every single one of her children and grandchildren safer, stabler, and healthier. Educating girls saves lives, and it also saves countries.
I'll spare you the sermon, but I have two major thoughts on the book at the moment (I'm not even a third of the way done, hah):
1. Read this book right now. It's fascinating, well-written, and tough to put down, despite the vague self-help look of the cover. Read it, and then pass your copy on to a friend -- it's that good, and that important.
2. I think this kind of stuff is what I want to do, ultimately. I'm not going to be too picky about employment upon return -- I know how precious a job is to a recent college grad -- but I think women's empowerment and development will be a driving force for me in the future. I have lots of ideas floating around about how exactly that would work, and of course nothing really decided.
What I do know is this: I want to do something I care about with my life. And women's empowerment... I care a lot about that.
I'm reading "Half the Sky," which is a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning authors about women, oppression, development, and changing the world. It talks about something that I believe in 100%, which is that fighting the violence, oppression, and discrimination of girls and women is the single most important action we can take to help developing nations. And the best, most effective way of doing that? Getting and keeping girls in school. Give a girl a real education, and you've upped her family's income potential by a huge percentage, not to mention making her life and the lives of every single one of her children and grandchildren safer, stabler, and healthier. Educating girls saves lives, and it also saves countries.
I'll spare you the sermon, but I have two major thoughts on the book at the moment (I'm not even a third of the way done, hah):
1. Read this book right now. It's fascinating, well-written, and tough to put down, despite the vague self-help look of the cover. Read it, and then pass your copy on to a friend -- it's that good, and that important.
2. I think this kind of stuff is what I want to do, ultimately. I'm not going to be too picky about employment upon return -- I know how precious a job is to a recent college grad -- but I think women's empowerment and development will be a driving force for me in the future. I have lots of ideas floating around about how exactly that would work, and of course nothing really decided.
What I do know is this: I want to do something I care about with my life. And women's empowerment... I care a lot about that.
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