Happy Days

Over the last 100 days I have been doing the "100 days" happiness projects with one of my friends back in the USA -- it has been a really great experience. That being said, with my current health issues, there were quite a few days during the 100 that were very much a struggle (and thus resulted in a picture of a water heater.. or better yet a piece of fruit as my happy moment for the day). While my experience was personal between me and my dearest. I wanted to share the project itself and as an idea with my readers because I found it very eye opening, and it was an absolutely amazing experience.

Check out the idea at 100 Happy Days, and in the mean time here are some of the happy moments from my personal 100 day project <3 :

I think that once I am home it might be fun to do a similar personal project - highlighting the things I find shocking or surprising about the US!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!! 

Z

What is COS Conference?

COS is an acronym meaning “Close of Service,” and COS Conference is the last in a series of Peace Corps training workshops that we attend throughout our service. Specifically COS Conference is when we are trained on how to come home. It is our last chance to all be together at the end of this incredible 2 year journey that we embarked on together in Philadelphia 2 years ago. Mostly, it really is a training on what to expect in America.

Friday, in Cotonou we started off with opening remarks form our Country Director. We had an important session on what type of health care to expect, or to not expect, once we go back home – and what medical clearance we need to go through before we get on our plane. (Basically the same physicals we had to do in order to enter the Peace Corps have to be done again in order to leave). Followed by some security information, and a question and answer session with RPCVs who are currently working with various NGOs and living in Benin.

The RPCV panel was incredibly insightful. Hearing about stories of readjusting (or not readjusting) to American life. The things that were shocking to people as they returned home. How to answer questions, that we really might not want to answer... and how to tell if the person asking really wants an answer. And of course about finding work after Peace Corps.

Me with the EA Program Managers
[Photo Thanks to Sarah A]

In the afternoon we had an official luncheon where we were presented Certificates of Appreciation from the various ministers of the Beninese government (the Ministry of Environment presented them to the Environmental Action volunteers) – and then we packed up into buses and headed to the beach in Grand Popo for the rest of our information sessions.

I am not going to go into detail about all of the things we learned this weekend. In summary we talked about resume writing, interviewing, how to frame our Peace Corps successes in a way that is applicable to work in the US – we talked about our successes individually and also in sector groups (showing how much we accomplished as a group was really uplifting) – we talked about our concerns with the program (ie changes we would like to see for future volunteers) – how to say goodbye to our friends in village – how to address the fact that most of us might not ever come back to this place we have been living and building relationships in for the past 2 years – the types of questions (both good and bad) that we will probably be asked when we get home and how to respond to them – the perks of Peace Corps service (NCE and Fellowships) – Networking – Closure – and so on and so forth.

The moment during the weekend that I found most interesting was when we were handed back our “Aspiration Statements” that we had been asked to send to the office in Benin before our arrival in June 2012. At first I was impressed by how well I used to speak English – after that initial shock – I thought it was really great to be able to see how much I did and what things I didn't get to do. It was interesting to see how naive (not in an entirely bad way) most of us were – as we were heading into this new adventure.

For me personally, when I applied to Peace Corps, I applied specifically for Environmental Action and Environmental Education posts. I even turned down an offer to leave at an earlier date, if I was willing to switch to the Agriculture Sector. My aspiration statement whole heartedly reflects this. Which is interesting, since we really are an agriculture program – and I have spent my service working with farmers to improve their techniques and with schools to grow vegetable gardens. This isn't what I wanted to do, and it will not be my passion in the future, but I am glad I did it and I feel that I ended up serving where I was meant to serve. Even though I was not doing the work I expected to be doing, even at the point of my aspiration statement for Benin, most of the goals for myself and my service, are things that I did do and I did them successfully.

I think that it might sound silly – to most people at home to say that we needed to be trained to come back to the USA, but coming home is going to be hard. I won't know the technology, or the current fashion. A song might come on the radio that EVERYONE knows from last year or the year before – and it is very possible that I will never have heard it. People will have started and ended relationships – and I will have missed it. New jobs, and babies and even a few weddings have happened while I have been disconnected. So when we come home be patient with us – and be understanding if we don't want to constantly talk about our experience – or maybe if we do.Who knows what will happen.

As long as chocolate chip cookies and the going down the shore are still both things -- it will all be OK. It just might take some time – and if I am speaking in a language other then english – tell me because I might not realize it. If my clothes are funny... well that might just be something you will have to live with.

Z

Never A Dull Month

Sorry for the uncharacteristic silence the last couple of weeks.

I am still here - I have just been sick.

I know in my last post, I said I was sick - but I was going back to post. Long story short it didn't really happen that way I am sorry if anyone was worried - I know most of the people who read this blog are my friends from home and therefore are also on facebook - still I wanted to apologize anyway.

Unfortunately, for me, being sick this time meant being stuck in the headquarters, sleeping a lot, taking lots of medications, and not doing very much else. Hence the silence. I am still here and I am getting better SO no worries. - It is just hard to blog when you have no energy and are sleeping all day. I kind of feel like I fell asleep mid April and woke up in May.

I don't actually have a topic to write about today either, just that I wanted to check in and give some updates.

Firstly, what I know everyone is wondering. My health is OK. I have a bad cough (that started with a bad flu) but it is finally (after 3 weeks!!) starting to go away. My energy level is also improving (mostly due to the fact that I am no longer on as many medications). I know volunteers love to complain, and our medical care is often at the top of the list. -- That being said people complain when things are bad - and forget to mention when things are good. I want to take this opportunity to say that the doctor here was incredible the last few weeks. She took great care of me - went above and beyond to make sure that my cough wasn't anything more than just a "chronic cough" sent me to specialists and tested me for every possible sickness - she was incredibly thorough and dedicated to making sure that I stopped coughing. I know that sounds silly, but it is true. Having a constant bad cough for weeks on end is exhausting, and she never made me feel like I was being a hassle - She wanted me to be better just as much as I wanted to be better, and even came in on weekends and holidays to check on me. I really appreciate the amazing care and attention I was given. *** I am not saying other volunteer complaints are unfounded I am just saying that I had a really amazing experience - maybe I'm just lucky *** I am being cleared to go to our Close of Service Conference this weekend and if all goes as planned will finally be back in post next week sometime. 

Secondly (and way more exciting)!! I am officially COSing from Peace Corps at the end of July!! My early COS (close of service) was approved for graduate school in August. YAY!! See you in July America!!! I will try my best to keep you updated during my last few months here in Benin on what wrapping up service is like - and of course reflections on all of the things I will miss when I am back home. 

Lastly, it is mango season!!! I know I am a few weeks late posting about this but Mango season is the best season and there are mangoes EVERYWHERE!! In honor of that - and in honor of the fact that I have been spending a lot of time updating our volunteer cookbook - I have a recipe to share with you from Burkina's PCV cookbook!!!

Mango Wine

What you need: 6 mangoes, 2 bananas, sugar, water, a large bucket and fabric to cover it with, a mixing spoon, and plastic 2 or 3 large plastic bottles. 

Peel the mangos, do not throw away the peels!! Cut the skin of the mango into small pieces. Keep the meat of the mango and throw away the seed. Mash the meat of the mango with the bananas (peeled) in a plastic bucket (or large bowl).  

Mix mashed fruit with mango peels. 

Add sugar. *The quantity should be about 2/3 of the banana/mango mixture* 

Add half as much water as the fruit/sugar mixture and mix well. Remember how much water you added, you will need to know later. 

Cover the bucket with fabric and tie string around to keep it covered. Keep it a room temperature and mix 3-5 times a day. After 3-4 days, you will see bubbles as alcohol begins to form. Filter your fruit mixture. Add the same amount of water as before to the filtered liquid. Put the liquid in plastic bottles and cover the tops with fabric, tied with a string.  Store at room temperature for 10-14 days. If you wait to long it will turn to vinegar.

PCV Project Donations

Peace Corps Volunteers all around the world would love your donations to help with community projects. Everything from camps, to new school buildings, to wells and latrines, there is a PCV somewhere trying to make it happen.

Peace Corps Volunteers do funded projects that rely on outside grant money (ie USAID), fund-raised money (Gender and Equality), special country specific donations (Kate Puzey Memorial Fund), and the ever so popular PCPP (where we post online and beg you for money – read on). We are not allowed to fund our own projects with personal money.

If you are wondering why this is the first time you are hearing of this on my blog, it is because I personally have  not chosen to do a large funded project in my community (there are arguments both for and against doing funded projects). I am however, hoping to help out with and bring girls to our local Camp GLOW, which is currently looking for funding. Camp GLOW (girls leading our world) is a annual PCV organized girls camp that is held for a week during the summer break.

"Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is a weeklong girls' empowerment camp that has been organized annually nationwide since 2003. The camp brings together Beninese girls (ages 12-16), influential women within the community, and Peace Corps Volunteers. Throughout the week, the girls learn a variety of life skills to help them become better leaders and students in their communities. Topics covered include: personal financial planning, sexual health and hygiene, computer literacy, goal-setting, HIV/AIDS awareness, study and leadership skills, malaria prevention, and games to encourage cooperation among the girls. Girls also take excursions to national government institutions, in addition to meeting successful Beninese women in various professional roles. The camp's primary objective is to encourage girls to stay in school. Beninese women and men lead the camp sessions and facilitate discussions. Volunteers invite prominent women from their communities to serve as camp counselors. These women serve as role models for the girls. 

During the week, girls design strategies for sharing information learned at the camp with their communities and become leaders in their villages, schools, and families. At the end of the camp, the girls complete action plans and are given a "toolkit" for planning and executing a mini version of Camp GLOW in their communities. The communities are contributing by providing transportation of the girls to and from camp. While Camp GLOW provides these girls useful skills with which to become leaders, it also provides the opportunity to forge relationships with like-minded young women and female role models."

I know that if you are my facebook friend, you have already heard it. For the rest of you, I just want to say that hosting Camps is one of the best things (in my opinion) that PCVs are able to do for their host country. No matter the subject (we also have boys camps, business camps and environmental camps - to name a few) it is an opportunity to bring children together from different parts of the country, allow them to meet HCN role models, and talk to the children about the importance of staying in school, various health issues, and help them become role models in their community among their peers.

Even if you are not interested in donating to help out a camp, there are many other PCVs world wide currently looking for project donations in all sectors of Peace Corps work that can be found here. All of these projects are being run by amazing, hard working people (especially the Benin volunteers) who are working to better the lives of others, and as cultural ambassadors for you! :)

Click HERE if you would like to donate to camp glow. Project Funded!!! Thank YOU!!!
Click HERE to see all current PCV projects looking for donations.

FYI donations are tax deductible. 

Integration 2.0

Just FYI this post is a lot of personal reflection. 

Over the weekend, as I was hosting what could potentially be (and is definitely one of) the last VAC/Oueme-Plateau meetings in my house. There was a lot of chat about work. New volunteers talking about current work. Teachers talking about school. Friends talking about aspirations to stay a 3rd year... and some of us talking about our aspirations to get out of here as soon we are given the Close of Service go ahead.

For me, in my second year, I feel acclimated and usually I am pretty happy, often frustrated, but that is all part of the job. As I think most of you know, the last few months have been rough for me on the work front, but I am trying my best and have found that my energy has best been focused on goals 2 and 3 of Peace Corps at this point – and a little less of goal 1. Goal 2 and 3 are cultural exchange, goal 1 is the actual physical work we do.

It is something I hesitate to talk about, because I think that it might be hard for some people to understand why 2 and 3 are both just as important as goal 1, and also that what I am going through right now in my service is something that is completely normal for a PCV.. I just seem to have had it happen much later than it does for most volunteers. Or maybe people just don't talk about it.

That isn't the point of this post... What I want to talk about how incredibly important community integration is in order to be a happy and successful volunteer.

This last month, aside from some small projects, I really feel like I have decided to throw myself and most of my time into what feels like “Integration Period 2.0.”

I don't know if you remember, but I spoke to you about Integration period way back when. Integration period is the 3 months following training, and before we are allowed to start any major projects. The goal of this period is to get acclimated to your community, make friends, and learn how to live on your own BEFORE you become stressed out over work goals. Lately, I have been spending a lot of my time doing the activities that make up our life during this early Peace Corps period. And I am very grateful for it.

I have been sitting with women in the markets and at the local boutiques, exploring both Misserete and Porto Novo, having conversations with my neighbors and my work partners (because even if we aren't doing a big project they are still a big part of my life here).. and it has made me realize a lot of things about my service.

Until recently (and probably for much longer than I would like to admit).. I was feeling really down on my experience and on the work that I have done as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

My recent, reaching out to my community has lead me to re-embrace what I am doing here, and to rekindle relationships that truly are the reason that I came here in the first place. By taking a step back, I have reminded myself why I am here. I realize now how much I have blossomed with the help of the cultural understanding and the language proficiency that comes with being a second year volunteer. Sitting and observing in central places (like the market) is not as overwhelming as it was back in 2012, and I am able to understand more, and feel more comfortable. I am able to better understand what I did right and what I did wrong in those early months, and it really is a shame that the early months where we integrate, are also the months where we are depressed and confused and at our highest discomforts of service. (Unfortunately, there is also no way around that – they kind of go hand in hand.) If I understood then, the things that I do now about this country and this culture (and could speak the language the way I do now).. I think that the past year and a half of my life would have been much easier. Which, oddly enough is incredibly relieving to know.

A month ago I was angry over how things have been going for me in this New Year... I can definitely say that I have taken a complete turn. I am thankful that in my second year my work load has seemed to lay off a bit, and I have been given this opportunity to really appreciate what it is that I am getting to experience here in Benin.

And the best part? Once I stopped nagging people about projects, work kind of re-appeared for itself. My Amour et Vie team got the go ahead for a health club, one of my really awesome work partners found me a (super enthusiastic) school garden in a small village that was looking for outside help, I am working with another volunteer to edit and update the PCBenin Cookbook (it gets issued to new volunteers every year), and I am hoping to bring girls to Camp Glow (Girls Leading Our World) in Porto this summer.

So while some the projects that I was pushing and pushing, never came through, and probably never will. I am much happier with this outcome. I am happier now that I don't feel like I am pulling teeth... and there is nothing better than working with people who are actually happy and excited to work with you.

Z

That Time of Year

Lately, I have been getting emails from prospective Benin PCVs asking questions about living and working in Benin.

I love getting these e-mails. It is really great to hear that people are finding my blog useful, and it is wonderful to know that people feel comfortable e-mailing me with their questions. PLEASE if you have questions about Peace Corps or about Benin. Feel free to e-mail me, just remember it might take me a bit to get back to you, this is Africa after all.

Most of the questions that I get around about Benin's climate, and food, and occasionally they are about the application process and Peace Corps in general. So I am going to try to address some of the bigger questions here, (because I know not everyone with questions sends e-mails!) but like I said if you still have more questions, feel free to ask.

The Peace Corps application process has changed A LOT since I applied (yes in this short amount of time) – and honestly I have no idea how the current system works. Over on this side of the pond we have even heard rumors that current invited volunteers are being given options of countries. WHAT?!?? “Back in my day.” We were given one country and we could either take it or not do Peace Corps – and then we walked to school uphill in both directions.

Seriously though, back to Benin.

Benin is a tropical country with two very different climate regions. In the south it is hot and humid (think NJ in the summer time, or probably lots of other places that I'm not familiar with). The north is dry and has a hot season and a “cold” season known as harmatan. I have been told the north of Benin has a climate very similar to that of Arizona's. Both regions have rainy and dry seasons, however the traditional seasons have become out of wack due to recent climate change. How you deal with the heat has many factors, personal factors (such as where you are from and what weather you prefer), post factors (do you have electricity? A fan?) and regional in country factors. We all find ways to adjust to our climates, and it is really funny to hear the southerns complain about the dryness and being cold up north and vice-versa.

The language is more varied than the weather. There are over 50 languages in Benin. That is a lot for a large country, Benin is not a large country. During training everyone will be trained to speak French, and by french I mean African French. You will not start with a local language until at least half way through training, because you will not know your post, and therefore your language, until after French language training is over. The first month is used also for safety and security training, meetings with your program managers to discuss post preferences, and of course for the staff to get to know you so that they can place you well.

I am not going to lie. Food is the hardest part of being a PCV, at least here in Benin, we are not joking when we tell you to pack your suitcase full of snacks from home and buy your clothes when you get here. --- The variety of food, like the weather and the language, also varies drastically by region. Where I am posted I can get beans, veggies, rice, soja, fruit, and most other things year round. I also have easy access to “European Supermarkets” but they are very small and very over priced. In the north some volunteers have whole seasons where they can't even get beans. Volunteers in these villages would not be able to survive as a vegetarian. Peace Corps will not post strict vegetarians in these areas. Most volunteers do not have the access to variety that I have, and I have to be honest I am pretty sick of the food.

Lastly, and most importantly, am I glad I came to Benin for Peace Corps. Yes. I am. 

Peace Corps is hard, and there are really rough times. That being said Benin is a great country with great people. The people are friendly, and generally open to foreigners. Compared to some of our neighboring countries, Benin is a safe place to live. There is not war, and it is very rare that you will hear of rioting. People here want you to be comfortable, and they want you to sit with them and keep them company, even if you can not communicate with each other. People want to be your friend, and in a place where you know no one and nothing, a friendly host-country culture is incredibly important. Peace Corps is hard, but in my opinon, at this point in my service, it is completely worth the struggle. You will meet amazing people and learn more than you can imagine. Your service will change you, in a good way.

If you came across my blog because you are considering Peace Corps or PC Benin here are some of my posts that you might find helful. –

Things to do before you leave... or Thoughts on what to pack and Here.
Vegetarian in the Peace Corps
A wonderful place called Cotonou
What is transportation like?
Communication.
The Peer Support Network
Long Distance Relationships

And don't forget to check out the blogs that I have linked on the right, most of them are blogs of volunteers that I am serving with here in Benin.

Z

Peace Corps Language Archive: An RPCV Project

I recently received an e-mail from Ray Blakney, an RPCV who served in Mexico, and is a co-founder of live lingua. He asked if i wouldn't mind helping by sharing his project. As a third goal activity, he is currently working to compile an online archive of language training material for Peace Corps Volunteers (and language lovers) around the world. This is a free resource, and I am more than happy to help out by telling you about it!

The website description of his project is as follows:

"The U.S. Peace Corps has been sending volunteers from the United States to countries all over the world for over 50 years. In fact, Live Lingua was founded by one of these volunteers. During his training he was amazed at how quickly and effectively the language learning material worked. Live Lingua has contacted the Peace Corps offices in Washington D.C. to obtain permission to be a repository of these courses, but we do not own any rights to them. If anybody wants to use this material for commercial purposes they will need to contact the Peace Corps offices to get permission. We are offering this material free of charge with no cost or commercials. If you have information that would lead you to believe that some of this material is not public domain, or if you have some PC training material that we have missed please contact support@livelingua.com. Enjoy the free language learning." 

The Peace Corps resources can be found at:
http://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps-language-courses.php

While the Peace Corps archive is 100% free, their website also offers actual language lessons through skype in more common languages -- these are not free but still might be interesting to anyone reading who is looking to learn a new language.

I will be posting a link on the side of the blog, so that those interested can find it later as well.

Z

Wemexwe

This past week has been all up and down the spectrum.

I have had good interactions and horrible interactions..

Examples of what I mean:

Just to brush the surface, the week started off with a 10 hour bus ride back from last weeks training – I had a woman tell me that she believes that all children in America carry guns (due to the things that she has seen on TV) – and me and my friends had a man lecture us on being racist (because we refused to give him food).

On the other end I met some of my close-mates work partners who seem to be genuinely great people (which you need an occasional dose of) – had a much needed girls lunch and market day, and I made friends with a woman who dyes her own fabrics in Porto Novo (and I am super excited to go see her shop soon!)

Even if sometimes our day to day interactions as Peace Corps Volunteers can be challenging, it is important to remember why we are here. We are here because we want to make a difference. One of the most important differences that we can make is changing the negative opinions (that an unfortunate number of people have) pertaining to Americans and American culture. Every week we hear things that are hard to hear, and see things that are hard to see. It is difficult to live in a culture so incredible different, but we were told that coming in.

So I had a rough week BUT – it ended with a party!
All is well that ends well, right?

***

Wemexwe is the annual fete of the valley.

Weme (aka Oueme) is the valley region that I live in, and Wemexwe is your equivalent of your typical County Fair. Only in Benin.

The fete took place in the village of Adjohoun. I went with two other volunteers. We were a little uncertain going in because we were not able to get our hand on any of the fete tissu – it sold out very fast – but once we got there and saw that we really weren't the only ones – the “our we properly dressed” concerns quickly faded.

The fete was huge – giant tents were set up where people had brought their own chair, blankets, and food (basically family picnics). The event was a four days the biggest day being Sunday (the day we went). The morning started with a mass (that we opted out of) and then the festivities continued with dancers, performers, musicians, vodun fetishes, super friendly vendors and lots of food and drink. People were forced to park their cars and walk about a half mile to the party, because it was just that crowded. What an amazing day full of cultural experiences and awesome people.

Multiple people have told me today that they saw me and my friends at the fete –
I guess we stand out or something.

Z

Long Distance Loving

This week I received a PM from a future volunteer asking me about the experience of being in a long distance relationship during Peace Corps – as I replied to her I couldn't help but think that it really ought to be a post as well. A lot of aspiring and recently accepted volunteers are facing the question of “Well what about my relationship?” – I know that I was.

To start I will say that YES for those of you who don't know I am in a long distance relationship.

A surprising number of my friends out here are also in long distance relationships. It works for some people it doesn't work for everyone. However, it is doable, and myself and most of my friends who are also doing long distance are still holding strong after a year and a half. We just have the home stretch now.

So you want to know how to approach a long distance relationship while in the Peace Corps?

A lot of how you approach the situation will depend on how long you have been together, your financial situation, and your Significant Others (SO) general acceptance of you doing the PC.

As far as a financial situation is concerned money isn't required (my fiancé and i don't have a lot of money) but it does make it easier – some volunteers swear by being able to talk to the SO every night... or traveling frequently to see each other..  which is something i could never afford to do. Every situation is different, but you can definitely find a way to make yours work for you.

It would be a lie to say it isn't hard. It is very hard. But you can do it.

My biggest suggestion would to be very upfront with each other before you leave about the expectations for this 2 year separation. TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING!

I know the application process has changed a lot, but when I did the relationship questionnaires we actually sat down and answered the questions together. It was difficult, but forced us to really talk about the situation (and as touchy as some of the subjects are we got some good laughs in as well) -- If you are already past this point in your application (maybe you just met!), you could use some the same questions as a guideline to sit down and have a discussion with each other. It seems silly as you are doing it but it really helps in the long run, and makes your SO feel like they are a part of your decision making and application process as well.

Going in to the the Peace Corps you and your SO may have already been together more than 5 years – or less than 6 months. I don't know how far along you are in your relationship BUT it is also good to have a discussion about the end point. This doesn't have to be marriage (ours was and he actually surprised me and proposed during my vacation home in November -- i thought we were waiting so it really was a huge surprise!!) BUT what ever the plan is for 2 years after – marriage, grad school, moving in together, or just picking up where you left off – you should try to make sure you are both on the same page. It is important to know where you both stand and have a common goal to be looking forward to. If not, your SO might be wondering if you are going to stay a 3rd year? Or if you are even considering them in your plans at all for when you get home.. these are hard emotions to convey when you want each precious moment of your short phone calls home to be happy and not volatile.

Lastly, before you leave set up a general plan for how you plan to keep in contact during your 2 year service. Simple things like how often (or if you write) should be included. Your SO might not know you want them to write -- and if you are expecting a letter it will put stress on the relationship. How often you plan to talk on the phone should also be on the discussion board (but this will change after you see the first phone bill and learn the realities of international calling). Most importantly, do you hope to plan any trips to see each other? If so where and who will be in charge of that planning process (preferably the person at home with the good internet).

That being said, don't forget that THINGS WILL CHANGE once you are in the Peace Corps and no plans you make or discuss will actually be fixed until they happen (often vacations fall through the wayside when finances change for example --- or maybe you won't have phone reception in your village). Be prepared for the fact that the plan you talk about will not always be exactly what happens. It is more like your 2 year relationship guideline.

Peace Corps is an emotional roller-coaster and you will have bad days and good days and a SO is really great for being your support system as long as they realize that we experience the extremes and they have to be there to support us NOT to tell us to give up and come home.

AND PLEASE don't forget to apologize to them from time to time when you feel like there have been more bad days than good and they are PROBABLY the ones hearing all about it. Don't forget to say sweet things and remind each other how great it will be when you are back together again. – It is also OK to cry from time to time, no one will think less of you for it.

Good Luck
Z



*The “On The Homefront” book that Peace Corps issues to new volunteers for their families is also very helpful (I actually requested an extra copy to give to Erik and his family as well!)

The Third Goal

During my visit home, I spent a day at a local high school talking to students (mostly French Language and Social Studies) about living in Benin, Beninese Culture and Peace Corps. I meant to post about this before (but my vacation home was just so jam packed full of craziness that I didn't get even one chance to update you.) Talking to students at home was incredible and I think that everyone visiting home during their service should take a day to set up a program with a local high school.

I really enjoyed the presentations that I gave, mostly because the students asked AWESOME questions. I unfortunately can't remember most of them now – but they ranged from “Describe your typical day?” to “How do you wash your clothes?” to "What do you eat?" and of course “How do you join Peace Corps?” Of course since most of the classes were French classes, there were also a lot of questions about language! It is always interesting to explain the ways that Beninese French differs from Parisian French, and to talk about how many different languages are found throughout Benin. The teacher who helped by setting up the program for me to come in (a teacher of mine from High School!) took some awesome pictures from the day -- I don't want to post pictures of the students (obviously) but here is a great one of me helping a teacher model traditional clothing.

I would love a chance to give more presentations like this when I get back to the states!

***

Here in Benin my week was spent mostly meeting with people so that we can get back to work (which sometimes involves having a meeting to discuss when you are going to have a meeting to discuss the possibilities of getting back to work). I went to the market and restocked on things like laundry soap and toilet paper – and of course fabric. Basically just trying to get back to normal, and trying to stay out of the heat. (and cleaning up after yet another flood!) Hopefully in the next few weeks I will be able to tell you about some cool projects!!!

Z

Glad I Have You.

I can not BELIEVE that it is December already – 2013 is almost over.
Which is crazy -- I will finish my service in 2014!

Just as a general update from the last post – Thanksgiving in the Oueme-Plateau was a huge success. We had appetizers consisting of cranberries, tomato basil bites, and guacamole. We feasted on candied yams, green bean casserole, 2 types of stuffing, corn, and 2 types of mashed potatoes  – chopped carrot sticks, cranberry sauce, corn bread and of course gravy (the wonders of packaged powdered stuff) – and we topped it all of with pumpkin pies and pumpkin cake and candied pecans, and left over Halloween candy– For those non-veggie persons in attendance there was duck –  and I am more than sure that I am forgetting something.

We all ate until we were stuffed (as one should for Thanksgiving) and then in true holiday fashion proceeded to spread out and lounge while we looked for a second wind. Papaya had his own turkey duck and cranberry dinner that I brought him from home specifically for the occasion. Making him the only member of the party to actually eat Turkey this thanksgiving – something that other volunteers seemed to get a kick out of.

I must say that both Thanksgivings that I have spent in Benin have been more than memorable with lots of great food and wonderful caring people. Although – the volunteers who have already finished their service must have been more organized than us since THEY thought to take a big group picture last year. Something we failed to remember to do. But I will add a picture of the spread (to this post) next time I am in Cotonou land.

***

As I am sure many of you realize based on my November blog posts – Coming back to Benin after spending a few weeks of luxery in the US of A was super hard on me. People who I talk to on the phone (and some other volunteers) definitely took the brunt of my unhappiness.. As you know, I try to be as positive as possible on the blog (which says something) – and now that I am starting to feel better and things are maybe starting to move back in the right direction, I think I would like to just talk about some of the reasons that I really am happy to be back in Benin. This blog is sometimes more reflective for me, than it is informative to you -- i realize that. I am also OK with it and am very glad that I have this output.

Peace Corps has its ups and its downs, but I think that I can honestly say that on average I have been more happy than not. It is just the emotional breakdowns that stand out. Being with so many of my friends over the weekend really helped snap me out of my most recent slump.

I love what I am doing here even if it doesn't always seem 100% effective (but hey that’s PC) – I am glad to be back in the country with my close volunteer friends and my cat who (bless his little heart) only wants to see me happy.

The lessons I am learning here are not comparable to anything else – you learn a lot by living in a culture that isn't your own. New ways of looking at the world around you, and new ways of approaching people.

The things that I really missed about Benin while I was home are as follows:
*you know the drill no specific order/list of 10 :)

1. The warm tropical weather – I don't care how “nice” it was at home for November. It was cold and as we all know I am not a cold weather person.
2. The fact that people know (and care – good or bad) when you haven't been around. As much flak as I received from some people who did not SEEM happy that I had been gone or that I returned. I also had many people in my village who were thrilled to see that I had returned. Specifically certain people who I walk pass everyday who it would not have occurred to me – as a westerner – to even mention my absence to – were truly concerned when they stopped seeing me.
3. Being around people who understand what I am going through here.
4. My two favorite Beninese beverages. Sodabe. Bissap.
5. Fried plantains.. Fried soy sticks.. Fried dough... Fried things.
6. People GENERALLY on an interaction to interaction basis are much warmer and friendlier here in Benin... Yes this is directed at you Barnes & Nobles employee who made me cry.
7. Napping – or really just down time in general. I barely got a chance to breath when I was home.
8. I missed the rice and bean lady.
9. The clothes here really are just that much more fun to wear.
10. Lastly, I missed the ridiculous, interesting, informative, frustrating and entertaining conversations that I have here in Benin on a daily basis. The mixture of things that are said to me daily definitely keep me on my toes.

So there you have it. In my favorite list making fashion.

Have a great week,
Z

Peer Support

This past week I was in Cotonou for “PSN” Training. PSN stands for Peer Support Network.

The peer support network is a group of 12 volunteers chosen to act as a support system for the rest of the volunteers in country. In the training manual it is described as “a group of PCVs selected and trained to provide emotional support to their peers in concert and cooperation with the Peace Corps staff of the country. The goal is to provide quality support in a manner that enhances the potential and the productivity of the PCV in their service to the people of their Peace Corps country."

The training was great. Even though it was only two days, I couldn't help being reminded of the different Peer Mediation and Peer Support trainings that I had attended when I was younger. We practiced listening skills and how to keep a conversation going. We talked about how to recognize when a situation is dangerous and requires outside help. We learned how to help when someone is grieving. We talked about alternative stress reliefs to recommend if we feel that someone might be developing a drinking problem. After a lot of really helpful discussions we practiced having conversations with one another, using different scenarios that might come up.  We learned about the different resources that Peace Corps Washington has available to us, hotlines and emotional counseling that are free for PCVs (and definitely under advertised – since this was the first time I remember hearing of any of this).

Peace Corps is generally a high stress job.. and volunteers are constantly teetering on an emotional roller-coaster. During our training last year, we had a session where we were given a chart showing where we should be emotionally at different months during our service. The majority of our first year of service.. we are expected to feel unhappy, stressed, depressed, and worthless. The second year (according to the chart) gets better. Currently we are supposed to be going through mid-service crisis followed by many months of feeling adjusted and satisfied with our work. On top of that it is time for us to start looking into our plans for after Peace Corps.. there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I think I may have had my mid-service crisis early... and while things might not always go exactly as planned here in village, I feel well adjusted, and the projects I am doing I am happy with. So that is good.

That being said, since we are so often below the “Happy and Content Line.” Having a group of peers who are not only willing but also trained how to successfully help each other get through these funks is useful to both us and to administration who may not be as well equipped to deal with situations that they can't completely relate to. Since we are going through the same (or similar) situations as each other, we are better prepared to give advice than a host country national on staff, or an RPCV who works in the office and lives a city life in Benin. While these people are obviously awesome and do a great job keeping the system running.. their lives are much much different than ours and sometimes it can be hard to relate.

Aside from functioning as a phone line. PSN also holds events, does fundraisers, and goes on site visits to make sure the new volunteers are settling in well when they first go to their posts. We sell t-shirts, candy-grams, and host bake sales. We host regional “wellness weekends” at the workstations where volunteers can sign up to come, and eat a healthy dinner, do yoga or go running, attend arts and crafts sessions, and watch movies (to name a few activities). These events are often focused around holidays where people might be feeling more stressed than normal due to homesickness.. such as Christmas or Valentine's day.

I am excited for this coming year with our 2013-2014 PSN team. We have some great ideas and are looking forward to planning a celebration for the 10th Anniversary of the Peer Support Network in Benin in February. I think we have an amazing team with lots of diverse personalities and interests. It is going to be a really awesome year.

Z

A Year Ago Today

June 24th 2012: I woke up early – loaded my two suitcases [of what I thought I needed for two years in Africa] into my dad's car. Said goodbye to my dog and my neighbors. We drove 20 minutes to pick up Erik at his house and the four us of.. me mom dad and Erik drove off to find breakfast so we could eat one last meal together before I flew off to Benin. I barely touched my food. My stomach was in knots. An hour later they dropped me off at the Holiday Inn in Philly where I would have a day full of icebreakers with other new peace corps volunteer trainees. Everyone was given about 200 dollars to go out for dinner – and for airport spending. I went to one of my favorite restaurants in Philly with a group of trainees. I had a veggie burger and fries and beer and the restaurant staff played a mix of songs about in Africa in honor of us leaving. It was really nice – at the time I was convinced getting to know my new “coworkers” at dinner was the best thing to do. Later I wished I had used that money to go out for a nice dinner with Erik – or perhaps to call my friends up and buy everyone drinks at a local bar that we like. I would have two years to get to know all of these new friends. OH well – I probably made the right decision. I didn't stay out late we had to get up early to go to the airport the next morning. In many ways this “first day” was much different for me than for the others because I was still saying my goodbyes to home. – I hadn't left home yet. I didn't feel like I was leaving until we were on the plane to Africa the next day. Most of the others had already experienced the feeling of leaving on their flights or train rides into Philly. It was a stressful and emotional day. The three days that followed are nothing but a blur to me now. 

*** 

June 24th 2013: In comparison today was typical and relaxing -- not that typical means what it meant to me a year ago. I woke up at a reasonable hour and spent my morning sitting at the couturier while she finished a skirt I had ordered last week and adjusted the straps on a beautiful dress a recently COS-ed volunteer had given to me as a gift on Saturday before she left. I went to Songhai and bought some corn. Went to Ouando Marche for fruit sugar and some soap for washing clothes. --- In the afternoon I had the two Japanese volunteers who live in village with me over for dinner. It had been one of their birthdays on Saturday and so I decided to have them over to celebrate since I hadn't been there over the weekend. I made boxed mac & cheese.. grilled up some sweet corn from Songhai.. and baked a chocolate cake. One of my friends had never had mac & cheese before so that was an interesting experience for her.. I think she really enjoyed it. – It was just a day in village. No icebreakers. No beer. No tearful goodbyes. Just cake and friends and a few short power outages. 

*** 

It is weird to think I haven't seen my parents for a year and for most of my friends it has been even longer. – The volunteers who trained us have officially started leaving the country (some people are approved to close their service a month or two early for graduate school). Over this past weekend I had my first official training to take over one of the few second year positions that I will be stepping into. This weekend it was as a Cotonou Workstation Committee Member.. this coming week I will be training for the Peer Support Network. Where has the time gone.

I can't believe it has been a year since my parents dropped me off at the hotel in Philly. 

Honestly, What were they thinking. 
Z

On The Home Front

Dear Parents/Friends/Loved Ones* of future Peace Corps Volunteers,

It is hard to send your PCV off to work in a place that you (most likely) have never seen and know very little about. It is hard for us to leave you too.. We know that you are are worried, stressed out, want to hold us close, and probably are crying when we aren't looking. The best thing that you can do for your future volunteer as they prepare to leave is JUST BE SUPPORTIVE.. spend time together as a family.. don't nag about all of the possible bad things that could happen during your volunteers service. Yes bad things can happen anywhere. Your volunteer is doing something special.. something a lot of people wish that they had the courage to do. The best thing you can do for them is show them your support, truly. Once they get here.. write letters.. send packages... I would even suggest starting with the letter writing now!! The 3 months of training followed by the first 3 months at post ARE the hardest 6 months of service – the sooner love starts coming in from home the better. You may never see the way your volunteers face lights up when there is a letter for them in that pile at the end of a long week of training.. but believe me if you could you would send 100.

My parents lucked out in that I have a high school friend who is also serving here in Benin with me – and she started her service the year before (I am from a very small town – what are the chances of that!?!).. This gave them easy access to another parent for asking questions and sharing concerns – Not everyone has this type of luck.

So I asked them (yes I know this is a bit cheesy) if they would be willing to write some thoughts on being a Peace Corps Parent (sans all the gushy stuff – sorry dad <3)..

Here is what they came up with.

***

Getting approved by the Peace Corps was a long and arduous journey. The Corps does a fantastic job of making sure that the applicants have the right stuff. They make sure that the applicant it prepared physically mentally and emotionally for the adventure. That being said it is still a test of the volunteers metal in many ways that would never be guessed.

When Zoe went to college she had decided to go 3000 miles from home. It was hard for me to leave her at the dormitory and made my heart ache. I did it because it was what she wanted and I felt an obligation to help her grow and follow her path. We all missed each other and she ended up coming back after her first year to go to a University “closer” to home. This was a good learning for the whole family and helped to prepare us for her volunteering in the Peace Corps. [Note from Zoe: Transferring schools was also Peace Corps biggest qualm with my application – More so than being in a long-term relationship.. or my Vegan diet.]

Even though, you will miss your volunteer very much, and they will miss you the same. It is important to show your support as they stick through their service no matter how hard it gets at times. We tried to prepare each other for this but there are many things that you would never guess would be a problem. The hardest part of being a Peace Corps parent is when you know your child is sad, frustrated, and probably homesick... and trying to be strong for them. Just remember that you have to be strong for them. 

Zoe is about half way through her journey and one of the most difficult things that she has run into is being a foreigner. As a tourist it is for a short period and much of the time you are paying people and they are polite. As a Peace Corps Volunteer not everyone is happy to see you and since you do not speak the local languages well you are subject to insolence and the inference that you are stupid. That can be tolerated for a period but after a while it would start to wear even the strongest down. Being so far away there is nothing that you can do but listen and try to sympathize but I have to say it is hard to know your child is upset or hurting. As a side note: I now feel a greater empathy for people who do not speak English here in the US.

I am proud, as any parent should be when they have a child that wants to help others and will go so far to do just that. When Zoe's service is over next year, we will all be stronger for it and we have and will continue to be tempered by the experience. I know how difficult I am finding it and knowing that it is harder for her makes me admire her even more. Showing support and encouragement makes it easier for everyone. This will be a great learning experience not just for your volunteer but for you as well. Make the most of it.

I hope my words prove to be a strength to anyone who is reading.. whether it is because you are interested in joining the Peace Corps (or doing similar work) or if it is because your child (or loved one) is planning to start their own Peace Corps journey. Please know that it is not easy but like anything that is hard it will reap great rewards. We love our daughter and miss her so very much. I am glad that we are missing her because it means that she is in the Peace Corps and following her dreams. - SC

***

To be the mother of a Peace Corps Volunteer – what is that like? 

Well! Of-course I am very, very proud. When she left I packed her off with a ton of supplies, mega amounts of advice, some trepidation, endless love and hugs. Also, knowing the reality – that I'd be missing my child like crazy, constantly telling random people about Zoe, thinking of all the things we'll do together in 2014 (her plans will be a bit different!), wondering if she'll like my vegan cooking (I've had to take up cooking since she left.. she's the cook in the family), and wondering how this experience will change her. Weirdly, the time is flying by so fast. Its hard for me to believe it has been almost a year since we've seen Zoe...

As the person experiencing the Peace Corps from the “Home Front” I live for photographs (will beg for them) – so if you have the means send your volunteer with a camera!!  I constantly check FB and Benin PC blogs to maybe be rewarded with a new photo from Benin. Five stars if my PCVs face is in it! 

As the family of a PCV we are so lucky to have all this technology. If this was 20 years ago I'd be constantly stressed and worried! I'm one of the lucky parents and Zoe lives in an area that has good communication. Having an international phone plan comes in very handy and sometimes we're able to SKYPE when she has to go to the office in Cotonou but really that is usually just typing back and forth – the internet connection isn't always strong enough for video or voice. I'll take it.

Knowing that your child is trying to do good in this world and how strong they have grown to be helps you to let go a little (well maybe). Anyway--you get used to it. As a PC parent you find yourself worrying at times, you will have random moments of wishing time to go faster, but then your own routine will blessedly evolve you back into life. My own friends and family, and of course the dog have been a great support to me here – which in turn helps me to support Zoe when she is so far away.  As I said the time really does fly.

Letters and packages are incredibly important. I write her twice a week (I'm up to ninety something letters!) Do I feel she needs these letters – yes - but I need them too..They are just rambles probably saying most of the same things yet they make me feel connected to her. I know the for PCV's getting a letter or package from home means a lot.. so really letter writing is a win win for everybody. 

Reading this blog also makes me feel connected--I love it!! BUT it's not only Zoe's blog that I read! I also enjoy reading the other current Benin PCV's blogs. It gives me a more complete picture of their life in Benin. I love them all even if they don't know I'm reading about their experience. They really are a great group of people.

We are lucky enough that Zoe will be able to come home and visit this winter. This of course, might not be possible for everyone but I'm very excited about it!! --YEA!! We do not plan on going out to Benin to visit her, but recently her Erik went to visit. It was really great to hear his impressions about her village, the country, the people she knows, and to see all of the pictures he took! Five stars!!

You will you worry and fuss and miss your PCV like crazy --yes-- but you will also be incredibly proud. Much love--FC

***

So basically: write letters, be supportive, don't worry too much, keep yourself busy at home as well.. and the time will fly by. You will learn from this experience through your PCV. It will be awesome. 

Also EVERYONE at home read the PC “On The Home Font” book.. and they all found it very helpful. I didn't read it personally.. I don't know.

Z

*I know this is a little "parent-child centric".. and there are all types of families and volunteers of all ages.. I think that the things said here can really apply to any one at home supporting a volunteer.. parent, child, grandparent, best friend.. aunt or uncle.. anyone. I hope it helps <3

To The New Volunteers

The new volunteers are going to be here in a little over a month!

(I'll be in the group at the airport welcoming you!! Can't wait!)...

Also all the EA volunteers are going to be joining me this year in Misserete for their training! 

I am sure you have all figured out by now that you should be stuffing your faces full of your favorite foods and spending every last moment with your loved ones..

At this point you have your suitcases all packed up!? Right!! Just kidding – but I bet that you at least have that pile ready to go and are wondering how on earth you are going to fit it into your bags.

Here are some of my tips for packing and getting ready to leave :)

***

I think that the biggest mistake I made (well one of two) was that I spent so much of my free time before I left being stressed about my luggage. I wrote this in an earlier post but honestly – If it is something that you can not (literally) live without you will be able to find it here – this is a country and people live here – and they are surviving somehow. Everything else is just comforts.

My second biggest mistake was probably that I waited to long to stop working and spent a very “short” amount of time trying to visit with family in friends – and getting everything set to go. Everything felt rushed. It is also possible that any amount of time would have felt that way... and I needed the money.. so it is what it is.

Pack your favorite snack foods. Hide some away so that you can't touch them until after training. You may think that you are having a bad day and just really need that handful of Peanut Chews during training – but you will regret eating them all if none of them make it to Post – and you are all alone in a village you don't know sitting around in an empty house missing home. When I packed my suitcases I packed one for training – and everything for my house went in the second one (with at least half of my snacks) that way I didn't even have to open that second suitcase until I moved into my house at post. I would do that again.

Don't pack to many clothes. You will get more made when you get here anyway. Pack gray or brown cotton t-shirts.. sandals.. underwear if you wear it.. if you are an EA volunteer pack some clothes for working in the fields. I know that Peace Corps stresses the business casual – but honestly in our sector – you won't need business casual to work in a garden. As long as your skin is appropriately covered in the right places its OK. Bring clothes that are going to get dirty. Bring clothes that you won't mind throwing out before you COS.

Pack a Photo Album. I had a photo album printed on Mixbook (it might be too late to get one of those printed for your stage – but hey care packages!!). In this country it is really popular, when you are visiting with someone, for them to bring out their photo albums to show you their family, or big events in their lives (weddings, funerals, graduations).. Beninese people LOVE when you have photos to share with them as well. Plus if you are like me – kind of shy – and don't speak french (at least didn't a month before departure) – a photo album is a great way to break the ice with your host family.

Pack vitamins. Pack face cream. Pack a Journal. Pack a solar charger if you are so inclined (I haven't used mine yet because I have electricity – but there are still black outs and I am glad that I have it!). Pack a Camera. Pack USA Forever stamps.. most of us send our mail back to the states with other volunteers to be posted. Pack tacky putty (for hanging photos on your walls).. and one of those 3M hooks for hanging up your raincoat. Pack a towel and some Duct Tape. You will be fine. :)

Stop worrying about how you are going to fit all of that stuff in your suitcase and go eat a stress free dinner with your family.. if you drink have a nice glass of wine.. eat something delicious for dessert. Give your family lots of hugs tell them all not to worry :)

Oh and if anyone wants to pick me up a Vegan Cheesesteak in Philly.. there is a really awesome place called Blackbird Pizzeria on 6th and Lombard.

I don't care how old and squished it will be when you get here.

Z

** To my friends at home.. no I have not gone crazy.. Citi Marketplace is still my favorite for a Veg Cheesesteak – but Blackbird is closer to their hotel.. and it is also incredibly delicious – plus I miss their pizza. 

Expectations

I spent this week staying at the Songhai hotel (a whole 15 minutes from my house) with about 13 other volunteers and our selected counterparts for what we all thought was going to be a training on how to add nutritional information/aspects to our current projects. While it is obvious that there are ways to include nutrition when talking about say... a vegetable garden. Sometimes it is really hard for us as volunteers to combat language and cultural barriers especially when something is as culturally loaded as the topic of food can be.

To all of our surprise.. this “Nutrition Training” that we had been invited to was actually focused on how to give formations and negotiate with women pertaining to to the health of new born babies. The idea behind this being (and for good reason) that the most important step in combating global issues with malnutrition is to teach mothers how to properly feed their babies for the first two years of their lives. During early development nutritional deficiencies can end up being life long irreversible problems if they are not dealt with properly. This is lots of really great information.. but we have four sectors here in Benin and the only volunteer sector that ever works one on one with babies is the Health Sector.

So you can imagine all of our surprise when we showed up at this nutrition training expecting to talk about our gardens and food pyramids only to find that we were going to spend our entire first day and most of the second learning the in and outs of breast feeding. - -

A major part of what it means to be a Peace Corps Volunteer is that you need to be flexible and make the most of any situation even if it doesn't meet up with your original expectations. Unfortunately, this week I felt that the group of us – myself included – took a little longer than normal to remember this. By the end of the first day I think that most (if not all) of us were agitated and felt as though we were wasting our time. By the end of the second day we were completely checked out. It wasn't until the third day of our three day training that we (as a whole) remembered what we were doing here.

This specific maternal nutrition mini-training was a trial run for Benin Peace Corps and is one of the newer Peace Corps world wide standardized training – still in its early stages. Since this was a “trial run” of a standardized training (I'm not going to get into whether standardizing PC training world wide is a great idea or not) we were lucky enough to have some observers at the training from Peace Corps Washington.

After a long talk with our Washington buddy in the evening after day 2 of the training where he was able to better explain to us the reasoning/goal behind the training.. and we aired some grievances.. we all showed up Wednesday morning feeling refreshed. Even if we weren't exactly ecstatic with the training we had a better understanding of the situation.. and we had gotten some of the negative feelings that were keeping us from being the best volunteers we can be off our chest.

I think that on day 3 of our training we really pulled together to show what Peace Corps is all about. We went to a village and did some practice runs of working with women to negotiate/discuss better feeding practices for their infants. Showing that even the volunteers who may never do exactly this activity at post got something really important out of this training – culturally sensitive negotiating techniques. AND later in the day – because they heard what we wanted – we were given a session on how to tie nutrition into the projects we are already doing.

Sometimes it is no fun being the "guinea pig" for a new training were no one really knows what to expect. However, as Peace Corps volunteers there are some expectations. Peace Corps expects volunteers to be flexible and to provide thought and feedback. The volunteers expect that Peace Corps will take their feedback into consideration and not take advantage of the position of the volunteer. 

In my opinion.. even if the training itself didn't meet expectations (and was kind of bizarre) I think that the facilitators and the volunteers did a really great job of wrapping up the training and meeting each others expectations. We were all able to show that we were listening and that we are capable of making good out of an otherwise painful situation. 

Z

What Is Food Security?

Food Security is a global issue AND along with Malaria prevention, it is one of the primary global issues that Peace Corps in currently focusing on. The projects that I am working on and the post that I was given are meant to be closely intertwined with the Benin Food Security program. I decided to make this month Food Security Month on my blog. This will give me a chance to talk about some of the projects I am trying to start up.. and explain to you what I am doing here (if I can figure that out myself...) ha..

What is Food Security?

In general terms, Food Security is the access and availability of balanced and nutritious food sources.

In the United States food security is often a concern in low income urban areas where we have what we call “Food Deserts” or areas where low income families have little to no access to acceptable healthy food.. (sometimes no grocery stores at all) and are in that sense forced to eat unhealthy foods (most often from fast food chains) in order to survive. In West Africa food security is different.

In West Africa it becomes an issue of not just where the food is coming from and if it is nutritious but really whether there is any food at all. For the people who live in small villages, if there is no food growing.. and no food in storage.. then there is no food. Plain and Simple. Many farmers can't farm year round because there isn't water available year round (which is an issue in and of itself)... and some seasons just aren't great for farming.. which is becoming an issue as we see the seasons shift due to climate change.

Peace Corps Benin has partnered with USAID West Africa and with a group of other West African countries (many of whom have or recently had very strong Peace Corps presence) in order to better West Africa's food security. This partnership has become known as the West African Food Security Partnership.

Our environment program here in Benin has an agricultural focus, making it easy to focus our work on food security -- we work on access and availability. However, volunteers in all sectors contribute to the food security project . Health volunteers often deal directly with nutrition by teaching mothers ways to enrich the food that children are eating, and teaching about the importance of a diverse diet – they work directly with food utilization. Any volunteer who works with a school can make a school garden, or teach lessons that contain nutritional information. Business volunteers are great for marketing fortified foods and also Moringa leaves which are highly nutritious.

The projects that volunteers area currently working on in Benin include; food diversification, food preservation (drying and/or bottling), fortified foods, irrigation, animal raising, school gardens, and nutritional education.

For the people in my commune, because of my proximity to the city, access to nutritional foods is not as big of an issue as it is in other parts of the country. However, much of the food is imported, when it could easily be grown right here. Often the local Beninese (even if they can afford it which they often can't) will not know how to cook or prepare the vegetables that are not traditionally in their diets, making their potential nutritional values irrelevant. A woman isn't going to spend the money, for example, on the expensive eggplant.. that she doesn't really know what to do with in the first place. However, if she learned to grow her own eggplant, or the eggplant didn't have to travel quite as far to the market (thus lowering the price) she might be more willing to experiment and add new additions to a diet based almost entirely around corn, fish, and tomatoes.

The current focus at the office where I work is how to market new vegetables so that it is cost effective for the women I work with to grow them AND (from my end) hopefully teach the women to eat their new products as well (baby steps). I am also working hard to start a school club and school gardens that will allow me a chance to work directly with youth and help them provide a greater variety of food to their school cafeterias. 

For most of you reading this at home, the access and availability aspects of food security are far from a problem. What does apply to you – is the utilization of these resources. Make sure you are using your knowledge, eating right, and preparing your foods with your health in mind. In the end food security falls on you, as the consumer, to feed yourself properly. Don't take for granted your ability to do so.

Z 

If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say...

There is a famous quote in the Peace Corps. It is a quote by JFK in reference to the 1961 dropped postcard incident (you can read about it here if you would like) which almost ended Peace Corps before we even got on our feet.

“Keep in touch... but not by postcard!”

The understanding in Peace Corps is that there is letter talk and there is postcard talk. Letters are closed off and are meant for the eyes of the recipient.. but nothing can stop anyone from reading the back of your postcard while it is in transit. Because of technology and access to information it is more important than ever for Peace Corps Volunteers who are viewed as Ambassadors in their country of service to be careful what they say and where they say it. You never know who will be checking up on you. Google translates everything. In place of letters most volunteers send e-mails.. in place of postcards we have blogs. Not only do we send out the postcard to friends and family back home. We are openly offering for it to be read by anyone who so chooses to do so.

On a positive note this be careful what you say rule – makes me sound like a very cheery person most of the time.

A few things have happened recently that reminded me why this is important:

Firstly, Someone I know in Benin Googled me on their smart phone. Yes, if you have the money you can do that here too.. but it is very slow. I mean, I know people have Googled me at home. Friends, prospective employers, strangers... For some reason, in Africa, you just feel a little more separated and safe from being Googled. I guess not. I know what happens when I Google myself.. so at least I know there is nothing negative to come of it.

The second thing, and more culturally shocking: At the office I had someone start sounding out the notes I had written in English in my notebook.. he was reading my notebook from the other side of the room (literally). While I know to use sense when writing my blog posts.. for many reasons. I was kind of thrown back by the fact that I was having my personal notes read by someone who wasn't even sitting near me!! Of course it wasn't anything bad.. but it was good to know that it was happening.

I have also had people I know pick up personal letters on my table in my living room.. and start sounding out the words. I understand that they don't know what it says.. and that for them it is just a way for practicing their English. To me it is a major breech of privacy. Especially since they then expect me to provide them with a translation. Just one of the many cultural differences I face here in Benin. Privacy, private time, this is not yours it is mine -- these are not concepts here. 

Mostly I am just rambling because I don't have anything nice to say this week -- 

It's all good -- I survived!

Z

PS -- I had said back in September I would revisit my TOP 10 things I miss about Benin post when I finished my integration period. I personally feel like that makes for a very boring blog post. However, I made a link thingy on the right of the page. That is where those updates will go from now on. It was kind of funny how some of the things that left the Top 10 in September made it back for the January review. If you want you can check that out here. 

Muddy Muddy Mud Stove

There is something about making mud stoves (in my mind at least) that is just feels so very much a “Peace Corps Thing”

I seems like Peace Corps volunteers have been building stoves with mud.. well since the beginning of time. Peace Corps volunteers all around the world make mud stoves. It is one of those projects that kind of tie us all together... that and teaching kids.

Which is why I think it is very interesting that in Benin in the year 2012 only the environmental volunteers are trained in doing so --- YES I know the teachers don't really have the time... and maybe the health volunteers shouldn't be getting so dirty.. and we all know the business volunteers don't like to get dirty.. so in that sense maybe it is a good activity for the environment volunteers since no matter what we will be playing in the dirt. I am not complaining ... I enjoy being in the sector of the mud stove. 

This week I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the “near by” community of Djigbe to teach them how to build mud stoves. This is not my post it is a group that another volunteer works with. They process manioc. I have been having a rough time at post getting some of the people to seem even the slightest bit interested in the fact that I am here... and the people in Djigbe were a much needed dose of the exact opposite. They were excited to meet me... interested and attentive.. and they were friendly too!! [They also loved that I was using my limited Goun abilities with them]

We made 3 mud stoves... I made the first one with their help – they made the second with my help – and the third they made completely on their own. 

Confession: These stoves aren't "exactly" like the ones that we made during training :-/ so I am interested to see going into the future how well they hold up. They wanted them built into the wall.. and I had never worked with their style of marmite either (so the actual structure was a bit different).. most concerning to me however was that they kept widening the opening every time I tried to make it smaller (having a wider opening in the front will cut back on the fuel efficiency of the stove.. and I wasn't able to fully encase the marmite in mud :(... the mud SHOULD go all the way around the marmite leaving only an opening for the wood to enter... BUT I WON'T BORE YOU WITH ALL OF THAT) – here are some pictures!! 

If properly made the mud would
 wrap all the way around at the top.

Curious Kid

Working On Their OWN

These stoves could last up to three years if they keep them and good condition and keep them protected from the rain. Luckily if they need to build a new one.. I taught them how!

The reason that the Peace Corps builds these stoves is that they are considered more energy efficient... and MUCH safer than the traditional “3 stone method.” Since it is enclosed it is much harder to fall into the fire.. or have a child fall into the fire. Each stove is made specifically to fit the marmite that you made it with.. As long as you use the properly fitted marmite.. heat will be kept in the stove.. and the owner of the stove will begin use (up to 70%) less wood. Which is good both for the wallet and for the forest.

With Mud,

Z