My Community

Next week my Peace Corps staging group has our first In-Service Training.

Part of this training is an opportunity for us to describe the ups and downs of our communities and hopefully describe a description that will allow the other volunteers in my sector to have an understanding of where I live and what type of work is available to me in my community. (Since my commune is so close to Porto Novo.. we actually went to Akpro-Misserete a few times during our pre-service training.. so hopefully I won't bore everyone too much when I give my presentation) Since I am reviewing all of these things I thought this would be a great opportunity to update my readers at home as well – since the last time I described where I live.. I didn't actually live here yet.

As everyone knows I live in Akpro-Misserete. I live in the commune head (kind of like a county seat) and my area where my house is located is very Urban. However most of the surrounding villages.. where my gardeners work become are more rural. The whole area has electricity and most people have running water or at least pumped water (I think this is because of the proximity to the Capital).

Central Misserete has a health center, many many churches, the mayor's office (as well as his house where he often hosts meetings), there is a CEG (highschool).. a Primary school and a Maternalle (think pre-school).. and also a private primary school and a Seminary  The market of Akpro-Misserete is located in my neighborhood and the boulangerie.

My town is located between two major roads that split after coming out of Porto Novo.. One that goes north towards Sakete and Pobe (this road runs closer to Nigeria).. the other goes North towards Bohicon and is the road that I will take to go to Parakou on Sunday.

I don't yet feel well integrated into my community, but I realize this is a process so I am trying not to let myself feel discouraged by this. I think that my major problems with integrating (aside from language and cultural differences that I am still adjusting to) have been the fact that I don't actually work in the same community that I live in and also that my area is so urban. I do not feel/see the sense of community in my town that I see when I go to work in the outlying villages.

The Market sells all of the Benin Basics. African “Legumes” aka leafy greens, piments, tomatos, okra, oranges and pineapples.. and sometimes bananas. Most vendors have packaged pasta.. rice.. powdered milk (yuck).. and also tomato paste. Since I am so close to the major market in Porto Novo most people in my neighborhood go to Porto Novo to do their shopping. The produce is much more varied (and is a better price) in Porto Novo. In many ways this discourages the vendors from expanding... but at the same time.. the people who do shop in the local market wouldn't have interest in buying the more varied produce that they aren't interested in.

I do have some friends in my community. Unfortunately I am still new enough in my community that there is a delicate balance of whether you want to be my friend versus people who want me to give them money or help them get to America. Everyone here thinks that Americans are rich and can magically carry visa's for the US around in their back pockets.

Biggest Community Frustration: Not being sure who is really my friend and who I can trust. People not knowing who I am because I don't actually work in the same community where I live.

Best Thing About My Community: Being so close to Porto Novo.. Having Electricity and Water.. and Access to grocery stores.. and a variety of produce that is only available in the Capital and in Cotonou.

Things I Need To Work On: Feeling at Home... Getting people to understand why I am living here... and I would really like the people who do know me to stop treating me like I am a child/stupid. :)

That's All For Today

Z