Nema No More

I was sifting through my new e-mail messages about a week ago when I noticed a theme. Three of them asking me to call Obie, the big boss in Nouakchott. One from a friend, one from the receptionist, and one from Obie himself. But nothing remarking on why I should call him.

The reason everyone was so eager to find me, as it turns out, was because my phone wasn't working. I thought the reception was just terrible in Nema, which isn't uncommon. But as it turns out, my phone was broken. Everyone was concerned with where I was because for a week they'd been trying to find me, and no one could. So I shot Obie a message, saying that I was in Nema and, while I couldn't call, I was available to e-mail.

After a short e-mail conversation with Obie, I found that the reason everyone wanted to find me wasn't so much my scintillating conversation, or because I'd blown something important. No, this one was because I needed to pack my bags. I'd just received an one-way ticket out of Nema.

My old region, Hodh el Charghi, has been closed. With the dollar falling so low, our purchasing power in Mauritania is much reduced. The Peace Corps has taken some steps to improve our position, such as taking in less new volunteers in the future, and keeping less regions open. Since mine was a new region, and a frontier post, ours was the one that was closed.

So now I live in Aleg, in the northern half of the Brakna region. I'm just 250 kilometers from Nouakchott, which makes for a much-reduced commute when I need to fly or go to important meetings. And while I'm in an town with a long history with the Peace Corps, I am the first health volunteer in this town for quite some time. So I have a bit of work cut out for me.

It was difficult to say goodbye to all of my friends, especially on such short notice. But I'll have a year to get used to Aleg, and to do what I can here in the West.