POST ANNOUNCEMENT!

Hi everyone!

It’s been a good past two days. I can tell you about them, but it’s been pretty typical except for the fact that yesterday (Friday) I got my post announcement! Here we go!

So, I am way north. In fact, I am pretty sure I am in the north most post. But! I actually have a post-mate, another volunteer living in the same town as me. Her name is Camille and she is a English teaching, or TEFL volunteer. We haven’t hung out very much, but she seems like a very sweet and kind person. She also jumped right out of French into Bariba, a local language, so she’s got a good leg up on communication!

The name of the town is Founougo (foo-noo-goo) in the state of Barikoara, and the region of Alibori, in Northern Benin. Apparently the weather is drier there, so you get slightly more heat and cold. More like Israel! I will be replacing a current Environmental Action volunteer and living in her house. It sounds like she is actually the second EA volunteer there, and I will be the third, with Camille opening up a TEFL post there.

The village is on the remote side. It sounds like I probably won’t have electricity or running water. With regards to water, you want to find out what the norms are in your community, but most volunteers pay local kids or teens to carry water for them. It’s a starter job like babysitting or dog walking. I will get to learn more details about the proximity to electricity (or the likelihood of getting it soon) when I visit in a week. Cellphone coverage is a reality, though I might get better coverage on a secondary network, we shall see.

In the packet of information I got about my post it repeatedly said that there are many willing work partners and people are generally warm and inviting. I think that information is really backed up by the fact that two volunteers in a row have requested that another volunteer be posted there after them, and we are now expending to EA and TEFL. It sounds like the previous EA volunteer put in some good hours teaching about the environment in the local schools, so having the EA post be complimented by TEFL should expand things really nicely. They mentioned that there is a real interest in building a garden at the school. Also if the volunteer wants, there is some real potential for development in waste management and sanitation. There is a waste management organization in the area, but it’s not widely used because in one way or another people don’t really understand it/know about it. With regards to sanitation, there is some real interest n building latrines and hand washing stations at primary schools. These things were listed as elective options if the volunteer is interested. I don’t know much of anything about these things now, but if I can, I would love to learn about them, because I think that would be a good area to become more knowledgeable in.  Camille and I will both be staying with primary school directors during our two-week host stay.

Oh, and also, there are elephants. We are close to one of the National parks (Parc W? I’m too lazy to look it up now). And apparently elephants do sometimes wander around. When one of the fascilitators was telling us about the Alibori region he said that sometimes elephants stop in the road and drivers have to get out and try to shoo them. Elephants! I kind of can’t handle it. But now I am also expecting to get a pet elephant. If you came visit I might let you ride him. I’ll give you a friend price.

Many more facts yet to come in the following weeks, but that is the preliminary information. With every post there is some give and take. In this case the take would be living so far up-country, and not having electricity, but the take would be having someone else close by that is going through the same, or similar things, and living in a town that is historically willing and eager to work with volunteers. It’s a tough call, but I think I’m getting away with the better option.

For the small potatoes news of the last two days: Language class Friday was spent in anxious anticipation of post announcement. When we gathered before the posts were announced, we took a group picture all together. Lord willing that will hit Facebook someday. Either way I thought it was a really great symbol of solidarity.

Solidarity before we start regional rivalries anyway! Just kidding. When each person received their information on their post everyone clapped. The fascilitators had drawn a giant map of Benin on the floor of our large meeting area, and we all stood where our posts are to see where other volunteers are. I know it doesn’t mean much now, but after Camille my closes neighbors are Josh (another EA volunteer), Suzanne, who I think is TEFL, and Alex who is EA and she will live right in Kandi where a small workstation and many taxis are.

After posts were announced and we got to read and hear a little, and write our names on everyone else’s maps together, we all went to a Buvette to celebrate. Most people did partake of a ‘Beninoise’ the local beer, but it was a very low key event. It was great to celebrate our posts all together, instead of darting off to our host homes right away.

After class I told my host mama about my post and showed her some of the information. She was supportive and congratulatory even though she had hoped I would be closer to my host home. However, as luck would have it and just to reinforce what a small world it is, my host mama actually speaks the northern dialect (Bariba) that I need to learn! Crazy. I whipped out my notebook and wrote down the basic ‘hi, how are you, my name is…’ phrases.

As we were chatting a boy arrived delivering the outfit I had made a few days ago! As I put it on, I was overwhelmed by the feeling that I /live/ here. I have arrived. Getting the name of my town and my post, and getting my first Beninese garment in the same day was such a cool experience. It feels like the first steps into really having ownership of things here.

I don’t want to over hype it. The crazy pattern of my boumba, (or traditional shirt and wrap skirt), is a little overwhelming. But it is also a great color for me. It fits really well, and (thankfully) the seamstress did a really good job. I would have hated to go sewing-snob on my hosts. Fortunately, my host mama knows what’s what.

Wow! Friday night was also the opening of the Olympic games! I was loving all the British culture, but my host family was super checked out of it. It was really interesting to see that for all us trainees, watching the Olympics was a pretty big deal, but local Beninese people barely knew when they were starting. There are 11 athletes competing from Benin, but I don’t think any of them are favored to win, so people aren’t really invested I suppose.

Today, Saturday, we had class in the morning, and in the afternoon Ian, Sarah and I (later joined by Shannon, another trainee) went to the pool at a hotel in Proto Novo. It was sooooooo nice. We stayed there for probably 6 hours. The water was cool and clean and there were lawn chair under the shade of coconut palms where you could rest and sleep. I bought an over priced but delicious chicken sandwich with a sort of fajita sauce with onions and peppers. That was a first for Benin! We swam and swam and lounged and chatted. It was like a mini vacation and I loved every minute of it. But yes mom, even though I did put on sunscreen, I did get burnt. Hooray for aloe!

And that, my friends, is all of the things. Thanks for being awesome.

With Love,

Lauren