September 5th
Hello again! It’s been a while but I’m going to try and recount what I’ve been up to since my post visit. First off, my birthday was on September 2nd. I was fortunate to get mail the day before with a birthday card and a letter. That day during training we visited a nearby health center to watch how they did vaccinations and baby weighing. Every health center does it differently but this one was pretty organized. All of the mothers gathered under a gazebo to wait. Eventually the aide-soin (kind of like an LVN) started weighing babies with a different apparatus than I talked about last time. Afterwards, he gave each one an oral polio vaccine, and then one by one gave four shots on the arm and leg. If you can imagine, the babies were not happy about this, especially getting one after the other.
On the way back to the training site, we convinced them to let us get pastries at a patisserie. Not much to write home about but mine was pretty tasty. I got a birthday card signed by many of the trainees and was sung to multiple times in French and English. I think I was lucky to have my birthday during stage (training) when we were all together to celebrate. For lunch, some of us went to a nearby restaurant for igname pilée avec sauce d’arachide et wagashi. First they boil yams, and then they pound them in a mortar and slowly add water. The closest thing I can think to describe the consistency is mashed potatoes, but a bit stickier. The peanut sauce is spicy with tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers. Then you can serve it with fish, meat, or the local cheese, wagashi. They sell it fresh, but it is usually served fried. The whole ensemble is one of my favorite meals in Benin so far. That evening was our usual Friday evening gathering with soft drinks and snacks at a buvette (bar). There were two training sites, so it was one of the only times when all of the trainees were together. It was a good day for a birthday I think!
That Sunday there were two other birthdays. We celebrated by going to one of their houses and having lunch. It was a nice place to have a lot of people over on a second-story balcony. One of the trainees made chocolate cake with frosting that was delicious! I rode by bike there with four other trainees, which took over thirty minutes. That was the longest ride I took in Porto Novo, but we definitely worked for our lunch! The day before we had a cooking session for a chance to exchange American and Beninese cuisine. We made pizza (with tortilla-like crust) and banana bread, and the Beninese made igname pilée that I explained earlier. It was so nice to make something from America!
The last few weeks of training consisted of a lot more technical training than language. We practiced giving presentations in the model school (where the English-teaching volunteers prep for post). I gave a presentation with two other health trainees on the three food groups (energy, construction, and protection). Other sessions included hand-washing and moringa. Our last practice presentation was done in a village, this time with just one partner. Our topic was diarrhea (funny I know, but very necessary here). It went pretty well, but there’s a lot of room for improvement! I think my confidence has gone up each time I do a presentation, but it’s difficult when your audience doesn’t speak French (let alone English). Working with a translator beforehand is very important as is not relying on notes.
Toward the end of stage we were all feeling ready to move on and get to post. Training is great, and living with a host family can be a great learning experience, but I think we felt like we learned everything that we needed to. One thing I am not going to miss is having my host family open the door on me while I’m in the bathroom or taking a shower! On the other hand, I was so used to my daily routine of going to school every day, seeing the other trainees, having sessions together, eating lunch, finding Fanmilk, and getting helpful tips from the trainers. There is so much I will miss about stage but so much I have to look forward to at post!
In Porto Novo, no matter where you are there are some distinctive sounds you can hear throughout the day. The oddest one is women selling baguettes. They walk around with a basket on their heads (which is not the weird part), and every few seconds yell “pain chaud!” but in the most ridiculous voice you can imagine. It’s a phrase you never forget. Other common noises are roosters crowing, the sound of moto bikes passing by, and the call to prayer.
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| Making the peanut sauce for igname pilée |
September 10th
Today was like a dream, really. It was the first time in Benin that I almost felt like I was not in Benin. First, after finishing a bike test we just hung out together at the school until it was time to leave (= spending a lot of time with just Americans). Then I got to ride in the air-conditioned van to Bob’s house in Cotonou (the Country Director). Cotonou is the largest, most developed city in Benin and is also where the Peace Corps office is. We got to see parts of Cotonou that look nothing like the rest of Benin. It was like I left Benin for almost 8 hours but it felt longer. There were lots of organizations and government buildings, stores and restaurants that looked half way decent, paved roads and not many people on the streets. Bob’s house is among the government/ NGOs buildings. He has two Labrador retrievers, which we trainees couldn’t get enough of. The house looked and smelled like America. The decorations even reminded me of home (the country-themed clock, pottery, and furniture.) The best part was the American food. They made tacos with black beans, guacamole, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, lettuce, and sour cream. There was also a wild rice salad with pecans, and a chocolate cake with a mousse-like frosting. For appetizers we had pita, hummus, baba ganoush and cucumbers. To drink they made iced tea, lemon water, citronelle, and provided soft drinks. I had to recount all of the food we had because it was such a special treat for us and everything was absolutely delicious! It was so nice to sit in their house to enjoy the air conditioning, speak in English, sit on an American couch, pet dogs, and eat familiar food. We also got to watch the “Stand by Me” documentary, which takes place in a number of countries. This only added to the confusion and made me ask the question, "am I really still in Benin?"
Afterwards, we got to take a quick tour of Erevan- the coolest store in Benin. It’s a lot like European supermarkets. It’s huge, clean, and has everything one could want (or at least I thought so at the time). They even have a bookstore, a home decor store, and a Mango clothing store. Obviously, on a PC budget we can’t buy a lot there. I think it would be an amazing idea to get money to spend there for birthdays/Christmas! After our swear-in ceremony some of us went back to stock up on items you can’t get anywhere else in the country. Overall it was a great day, although strange! That week also concluded our last final week of technical and language training.
September 16th: About to leave Porto Novo!
After our last official training session, we went to the bank to take out our settling-in allowances. Then everyone dispersed and started spending their money! With the help of my friend’s host mom, I and two other trainees hit the grande marché and stocked up on kitchen items, locks for our front doors, and other household items. It is always a smart idea to have a Beninese accompany you to bargain and speak in local language if necessary.
On the 15th, all of us trainees were taken to Cotonou for the swear-in ceremony (to finally become volunteers!) It was held in this huge, fancy complex where I think the congress might meet. We were in a very nice auditorium. Two members of our host families were allowed to attend. Other guests were ministry officials, Peace Corps staff, current volunteers, and the second person under the ambassador. It was videotaped, meaning at some point that evening we were on TV. Each sector was wearing a different clothing pattern (tissue) that we each had made by tailors and everyone looked great! It was also a chance for us girls to do our hair and put on some makeup.
Of course, the ceremony started over an hour late. In small groups, trainees gave short speeches in each of the languages that volunteers will be learning (about eight). It is pretty entertaining to watch Americans trying to speak in native African languages. Also, at the end of the ceremony, some of us sang the “Peace Corps Benin Swear-in song.” It was fun but also a little embarrassing (think: summer camp). Afterwards it was picture time, which during the host families ate all of the snacks and drinks (don’t worry- we fought over the ones they brought out later.)
In the afternoon, we took care of business at the Peace Corps office, did some shopping, and had lunch. The mail hadn’t come yet, but I got to scavenge through the ‘dead yovo” pile of free stuff that volunteers leave for the taking. I also started collecting a library to bring with me to post. I am really looking forward to reading during my down time. It’s important to having something on hand to read here while you are inevitably waiting for something or someone!
On the evening of the ceremony, we all celebrated becoming volunteers by having a dance party on the second story of one of the nicer hotels in Porto Novo. All 54 trainees that arrived with me in July are still here, which is something to celebrate! It was a lot of fun hanging out with everyone one last time and listening to American music. The next morning a group of us went out to eat for breakfast, and the rest of the day was spent doing last minute shopping and saying our goodbyes.
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| New Rural Community Health Volunteers! |
September 17th: Moving day
At around 7AM a taxi came to my house and to another volunteer’s house to take us to post. We shared a taxi because our posts are only about 15 minutes away from each other. Loading up all of our things was actually a pretty harmless process. I wasn’t sure what to expect because of the amount we each had to transport. There were two mountain bikes, two single mattresses, 4 gas containers, 2 metal chests, suitcases, and lots of boxes and bags. It didn’t faze the chauffeur at all. In Benin, you can take just about anything you need to on a taxi including live animals, bushels of fruit or charcoal, furniture, large water containers- you name it.
Besides a little traffic, the journey west went smoothly. The real fun began once I got to my house. When I arrived, they were painting the front room and the hallway. This was a surprise to me and my homologue (work partner) because I assumed I would have to do the painting myself. That being said, I had to wait two days before completely moving in. They had to finish painting and put up the ceiling in the bedroom, which was no big deal, really. I hung out at my neighbor’s house during the day and in the evening stayed with my homologue’s family. On the third day I moved the furniture I inherited from another volunteer and got to work at unpacking.
In my concession there are a total of 7 apartments (I’m not sure what the official word to describe them is.) My next door neighbors have been really helpful and speak French well. The husband works at the brigarde de recherche and they have three daughters. My landlord has also been helpful from the start, answering my requests right away. In my latrine, there lives a hen and a bunch of eggs that she is sitting on. I suppose that means there will be chicks in there pretty soon!
I’ve been to the big marché (market) in the next town a few times now to get food and things for my house. I recruited by neighbors to come along as well as my homologue so far, but I think I can confidently go by myself soon. The marché is every fifth day, but it’s pretty easy to find things every day. I’ve been able to find just about everything I am looking for so far. I’ve been cooking breakfast for myself every day, and I’ve made a few lunches and dinners too. It’s going to take a while for me to get used to cooking here and keeping food without a refrigerator.
I’ve been exploring little by little in my town and I hope to get really familiar with the area during these next few months. My host structure, the social promotion center, has welcomed me and I’ve sat in on two of their weekly meetings now. I’m hoping to start getting a better understanding of what they do there and how I can be a part of it. It’s a long process, but I’ll get there!
It’s my first banking day today, which means I get to travel about an hour by taxi to a larger town. I’m meeting other volunteers there and we’re getting lunch afterwards (my favorite, igname pilée with peanut sauce!).
Don’t hesitate to email me or send letters! I will eventually write you back!
