Return to West Africa

I am back (again) in West Africa.  And how good it feels to be back.  I was especially thrilled with the welcoming party that was waiting for me at the airport. Along with fellow Guinean RPCV Jensen Daniel, and current Senegal PCV Ian Yau (whom I worked with while WWOOFING in Ségou, Senegal earlier this year), I was greeted by Yama, my angel from Guinea, who is the Safety and Security officer in Peace Corps Guinea.   I say angel because she was instrumental in helping me when I suffered a superficial head wound my first night in my village (Guinea, January 2014).  For the uninitiated, head wounds bleed… A LOT.  She is currently in Senegal covering for the Senegalese Safety and Security officer who is on vacation.

Though I am not in Guinea (yet), I will start the application process later this month to re-enter the country as a Peace Corps volunteer.  Ebola has lingered way longer than anyone could have imagined, and it is nearly (finally) extinguished.  Peace Corps Guinea has begun the long, tedious process of re-starting a program that has much work to be done.  Word is that Peace Corps Response positions in Health, Education, and Agroforestry will arrive in July 2016.  The regular cycle of volunteers will (unofficially) begin after that (Agroforestry PCV’s arriving near the end of the year, as is custom.)

So for the next year, I will be in Senegal as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV), working with the non profit Trees for the Future.  I will be aiding in the monitoring and evaluation of their projects in Senegal and teaching permaculture techniques.  My orientation and training is short (1 week) and as I am the sole volunteer on this project, I have no classmates to share this experience with.  Unlike pre-service training with the 2 year Peace Corps program, where each volunteer was placed with a host family, I am staying at a rather nice “African” hotel, with air conditioning, running hot water, electricity, and the internet.  I will try not to get used to it, as once I get to my village, life will be much different. 

Goats in Dakar, Senegal

A Little Bit About Senegal

Senegal is much like Guinea, but it is further along in its development.  Streets are relatively clean, the commercial real estate looks modern and there are even snazzy multimillion dollar office buildings that would not look out of place in large American cities like Chicago.  However, this is still a third world country, and you quickly get in the habit of being firm with overly aggressive salespeople.  Despite spending time researching, designing, and contemplating effective aid strategies, it is a bit overwhelming and frustrating at times.  Each region in Africa, even within Senegal, is diverse and has its unique set of problems.  I am not sure if I want to scream or to cry.  The reasons people do or do not do is sometimes unfathomable.  In many cases, I wonder if anything can be done.  Apparently, starving animals are a bigger problem here in Senegal than in Guinea, especially closer to the Sahara… I've heard stories where cows (generically speaking) become so weak that they can no longer walk and they eventually die.  It makes me wonder why people would insist on living in areas that struggle to support life.  Again, can anything really be done for someone who refuses to change. 

When you're hungry, you're willing to try anything at least once.

Trees for the Future