Pout Gardening and Malika Language Seminars

In Pout, just a quick trip outside of Thies, I have been working with some other Peace Corps Volunteers in conjunction with Helen Keller International to train 20 women on container and micro-gardening practices.  During the past two weeks we have held two different trainings where we taught: double-digging beds, planting seeds direct and transplant methodologies, container gardening, compost, and the benefits of enriching soil by adding amendments.  The trainings were conducted in French and Wolof at a local pre-school where they have started to work collectively on this school garden.  Later the women will continue improving the community's malnourished by branching off and producing their own, personal micro-gardens.  The goal of the program is to teach self-sustainability regarding food security and health among households.  These women were identified as having malnourished children and are being educated on the benefits of increasing vegetable consumption, as well as basic nutrition/ health education.  I greatly look forward to continuing to work with the women, since they are highly motivated and dedicated to the project!

We met this past week for our language seminar in Malika, just outside of Dakar.  Our fellow PCV, Michael, lives there and graciously decided to host myself, Rita, Sara, and Aysatu (our Wolof language instructor) for the 13, 14, and 15th of December.  Here are the photos of our short stay in Malika.  Included: a walk along the beach, Rita and Sara in "aw" seeing actual grass growing, streets of Malika, a woman harvesting her sweet potato leaves, a man painting a car, myself with a local man on his way to sell his chickens.  Also, below is a picture of a plot of land that intends on having houses built on the property.  The little white houses each represents an actual house to be built later. Finally, inside the sept-place, which is the public mode of transportation here (this equals an old station wagon, where 7 passengers are squeezed into 3 rows, not including the driver).

Installation and Monetary Statics of Settling In

I was sworn in on November 4th with the other Agriculture volunteers at the United States of America's Ambassador's house in Dakar. We were featured on Senegalese T.V.

                                                                          Me and Country Director Chris Hedrick

I was installed in Mbour by Etienne Senghor, the Peace Corps Training Manager, on the 10^th of November. We left Thies around 2pm, after loading all of my baggage into the Land Rover. I enjoyed the semi-air-conditioned ride over to Mbour and felt lucky to have him on my installation day. The approximately 30 kilometer trip took about 45 minutes- record speed. The first place we stopped by was the mayor's office, in which he introduced me to the staff (since the mayor was absent) informing them I was the new Peace Corps volunteer in the area. After that, we went to the local police station and state police departments, where I was  warmly received. Finally, around 4:30 we arrived at my new apartment. There were really no greetings or formalities here, just the unloading of my bags and bicycle, climbing the rounded staircase to my room on the second floor, then saying some goodbyes.

Jen was the Urban Agriculture volunteer who was living in my apartment before. She left me a thin foam mattress to sleep on, but after two days of sleeping on it, I realized this was not going to work. I was given 100,000 Fcfa ( around US$213.00) as a "moving in" stipend, so I got busy spending it. My options for bedding were as follows (in order of least to most luxurious):

Thin Foam Mattress

Thick Foam Mattress

Actual "real" Mattress (which is what I chose and paid 50,000 Fcfa)

No Frame (sits on floor): free (but uncomfortable on a tiled floor and run the risk of creepy crawlies

Stick Frame Cot

Metal Frame Cot

Bamboo Frame

Wood Frame (which is what I chose and paid 25,000  Fcfa)

I also have spent money moving in on:

(2) Bamboo Shelves (to hold cooking supplies, books, etc): 10,000 Fcfa  (5,000 Fcfa per)

Cooking Supplies/ Pots/ Pans/ Silverware/ etc: 40,000 Fcfa

Gas tank: 18,000  Fcfa (gas from now on will be 4,000 Fcfa every time I need a refill)

Trip to "toubab" (foreigner) store (for food, spices, etc.): 47,000 Fcfa

Wifi Internet installation in my apartment by "Orange" company: 48,000 Fcfa  + 7,000 Fcfa  for first month's prorated bill (starting Dec will be 26,400 Fcfa  per month)

The Run Down of my Peace Corps Bank Account:

I started out with 380,000 Fcfa  in my bank account. Bank Fees and Emergency Funds are included in this and consist of 80,000 Fcfa  (I am not sure how much of this will have to be paid back to Peace Corps in the end of my service- I think 30,000 Fcfa).

According to my calculations (things have been hazy up until now, I plan on clarifying everything with time) here is the breakdown:

My personal monthly stipend: 178,000 Fcfa 

Expenses:

Tri-monthly Electric/Water: approx. 10,000-15,000 Fcfa

Monthly cost for food paid to host family(I choose to eat with my family on Fri, Sat, and Sun): 15,000 Fcfa

Rent (Peace Corps pays me for this which is included in my stipend): 35,000

Here are some photos of my experience in Mbour thus far….

 Up until now, I have been going to the Department of Agriculture every morning. Usually, I arrive around 8:30. It is a 15 minute walk from my apartment. Today I finished my second pile of compost and I also was educated by my counterpart, Samb, on the species and names of trees surrounding the garden. I wrote down its name, drew a sketch, and jotted down notes about its description. Also, I bought seeds yesterday (which ended up costing around 3,000Fcfa for 7 different varieties) and I hope to plant them this afternoon.

Below are photos from a recent trip to the Petit Cote- the salt flats were beautiful.