Another Big Announcement

Only a month until I go to my final site and I've been told where it will be- Nema, the regional capital of Hod Esharghi. I can't say how excited I am about this. Nema is a large city by Mauritanian standards, about 45,000 people. The Peace Corps hasn't operated there since the 90's, so it's also a big honor to be selected as the one to lay the groundwork for future programs and to be the trailblazer for projects, the face of America where American's don't go. Wish me luck!

Otherwise, things are great. I've finished the first phase of training, and I am confident that my French skills are developing as they need to. A little more time with verb drills and word memorization will help, but I'm on track. My time with my host family has been great, and while only one of them speaks (pigeon) French, that has given me an opportunity to practice communication with folks with whom I shouldn't be able to communicate.

And I have a pet, sort of. A beautiful black baby goat. I named her Babe, as an homage to my siblings. They often joke about my height and have remarked about Paul Bunyan's blue ox, whose name was Babe. Babe is a wonderful pet, though I am beginning to think that she may wind up being a meal before I leave town. I hope not. She's learned to eat out of my hand, and she lies down next to me on the tapi (a large plastic woven mat for both inside and outside).

I feel like I should be having a harder time with things like that, but it's been really easy acclimating so far (famous last words). A goat walks into class? Shoo it out. Another eats from the couscous plate before we cook? It's still good, just shoo the goat away (that's a major part of the schedule). Animal waste all through the streets? That's why I wear shoes. Sheeps bleat, cocks crow, it's just background music.

That isn't to say that life is without challenges. I'm very disturbed by what some humans do. Trash is dumped in town, an area is picked out as the location for all rubbish. Eventually it's either burned our hauled out of town, and then the hole is available for...more trash. In Kaedi, the dump is beside the market and the water sources. Kids run and play in it, dig through it to find treasures. The parents watch. Or don't, but are aware where the kids are.

I'd like to say that this is a project I'll focus on, but there are so many, and there's so little time. My first three months will be spent getting to know Nema, my final three months wrapping up projects. That leaves me a year and a half to work in nutrition, pre-natal health, FGM, water born illnesses, trash management, basic sanitation, malaria, and the list goes on.

There's a lot of work to do, certainly, and I'll never be bored. I can't wait to get started, get to know my peers, and find out what Nema really needs and what Nema realy wants.