End of Stage, Start of Post!

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 2^nd. 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.  

Making the peanut sauce for igname pilée

September 10^th

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 16^th: 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 15^th, 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.  

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!

More of Stage and Post Visit

Sundays:

            Sunday is our only day off during training. It’s a day to relax and catch up on the things that didn’t get done during the week, much like in the United States.  I’m enjoying my Sundays more and more here. It’s quiet (usually), stores are closed (meaning less to do and more time to relax = very nice). I can exercise, do laundry, sleep in, go to the cyber café (one of the places that is open), write in my journal, and read.

Another good thing about Sundays takes place at my host family.  They clean the entire house; the bathroom, floors, all of the clothes, outside surfaces, everything! 

Ramadan:

            From August 1^st to August 30^th is Ramadan, the Islamic period of fasting and prayer.  Since my host family is Muslim this means getting up around 4AM, praying, and eating breakfast. Afterwards they usually go back to sleep for a couple more hours. Then they fast all day until 7PM.  Since prayers are more important during this time, people in the neighborhood prayer together.  For the evening prayers, there are usually a group of people praying either outside of my house or in the garage on mats.  It is led by an Imam I think and lasts about thirty minutes.  I’ve joined them a few times, but it’s hard to follow when you don’t understand Arabic! They let me borrow a shawl to wear and showed me how to wash myself before prayer.  I think the general order of the service begins with a round of prayers repeated multiple times and then a reciting from a section of the Koran . Then the prayers are repeated again and another section is spoken. These are just my observations and educated guesses! The fête for Ramadan (celebration) is on August 30th, so everyone is busy getting everything ready. No matter what fête you are celebrating here, everyone that comes wears the same tissue (material), which means the tailors are very busy.  

August 23^rd, 2011

Some exciting events have taken place over the last few days. We had our third language interview to assess our progress, and I moved up another level. The days leading up to the interview included a lot of studying and tutoring to prepare. I also began learning my local language-Adja. It was a nice break from French and fun to learn words in a language I have never heard before. During our technical training, we learned how to make “bouille enrichie” or enriched porridge. Bouille is a common meal or snack here that you can find on every street. It is usually made with corn flour and water, served hot with sugar and maybe a fried beignet or too. It can also be made with ground millet.  Since women already know how to make it, it is a fun and easy activity to do with a group. The goal is to show women how to make it a balanced meal by adding other foods to the porridge such as soy flour, a mixture of grains (sorghum, millet, corn),  fruit (bananas, mangoes), and more protein (peanut butter, dried fish powder, moringa powder, milk). Enriching the porridge is especially important for infants in the weaning process or for those children who aren’t breastfeeding anymore.  

            We also got to practice baby weighing in a village outside of Porto Novo.  It usually takes place at a health center once a month, maybe on the same day as vaccinations.  Mothers bring their infants, ages birth to about 24 months old along with their health records.  We held the session outside under a tree. We tied a scale to a swing type apparatus which was hung from a tree branch.  As it was our first time doing it, we practiced weighing in pairs. One person called the names and held the baby while the other recorded the weight and charted it. The chart makes it very easy to identify babies in the normal or malnourished weight-for-age range.  All of the babies were adorable and only one decide to pee in the seat J. The mothers were helpful in undressing the babies and keeping them calm.  

Baby Weighing

            In other news, we got to go on our first field trip outside of Porto Novo.  We visited Ouidah, on the coast of Benin.  It’s a popular spot to visit because of the slave trade history and voodoo culture. We saw the Portuguese fort (one of five different countries forts) and learned about the slave trade.  They also explained how West African religion and customs were spread to places such as Haiti, Brazil, and Cuba.  Later, we visited a sacred forest (voodoo) and a python temple.  Pythons are considered sacred here, so there is a temple where they live and are taken care of. The story goes that a woman once picked up a python and it didn’t bite her. When the enemies saw her holding a snake they thought she had special powers and they ran away.  Visitors are allowed to hold the snakes and take pictures with them. Although I am not a snake person whatsoever, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to take a picture with a python! None of them were very big and they really were beautiful. After lunch we saw places with memorials that were significant during the slave trade.  For example, we saw the place where slaves were held while they were waiting for the ships to arrive, and mass graves.  Supposedly Ouidah was the biggest port in West Africa and slaves had to walk there from all over the region. There is a large archway in front of the ocean symbolizing the port of no return. The beach was beautiful and the temperature of the water was perfect! It was a nice day away from the city and the beach reminded me of home.  

The Port of No Return, Ouidah

August 22-27 Counterpart Workshop and Post Visit!

On August 5^th, all of the trainees received their post announcements. This was a very exciting event and they made it special by calling the names of volunteers in each region to come forward.  Even though we don’t know that much about the country yet, we had all some preferences as to which part of the country we wanted to live in.  I was placed in the south-west part of Benin, right next to Togo.  After the announcements, we couldn’t wait to go and visit, but of course we had to continue on with training and wait a few more weeks.  When the time finally came, we had a two-day workshop with our homologues (work partners or counterparts). After everyone met theirs and got to know each other a little there were various sessions. Some topics included the role of volunteers and of homologues, what the Peace Corps is all about, cultural differences between the United States and Benin, and what we have learned in training so far. The goal was to make sure the work partners understood what the volunteer can do for them and how to they can work together.  We also planned our three-day visits to our posts together.

My host structure is a Centre Promotion Sociale (CPS) or Social Promotion Center. They are located in every town, just like the health centers. They work with people dealing with domestic violence, neglect, physical handicaps, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, orphans and widows, and a host of other reasons. My homologue works there as an assistant jurist. He assists people dealing with domestic violence or neglect.  He talks with the family to try to solve the problem and explains what the law states. If they do not comply, he can send them to court.  Other activities that the center does are information sessions for the public on topics such as disease prevention, breastfeeding, weaning, nutrition, hygiene and HIV/AIDS. 

         After the counterpart conference was over, we all departed for our posts with our counterparts.  We shared a taxi with other volunteers and counterparts going to the same part of the country.  There are seven of us volunteers in the same region (Mono-Couffo departments).  It will be nice to have other people close by to go and visit.  The highway we take is the same one that one takes to go to Cotonou and Ouidah.  We arrived in the town where my homologue lives in the afternoon of that day.  He lives right across the street from the taxi-gare (station) and right in amongst the international market that takes place there every five days.  My house is located in the village only 2.5 km away.  I got to stay in an apartment in his concession by myself. It was unfurnished but it had 3 rooms, a space to shower out back and electricity.  Additionally, he has the cutest family! His wife is very kind and welcoming and his two daughters (ages 6 and 2) are very sweet. Whenever I needed to take a shower, my homologue would bring me a bucket with water.  It was nice to shower outside, especially after a hot day and with a breeze.  For breakfast every morning, we ate at a road-side place that serves hot tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, with baguettes and omelets.

            One the day I arrived, I was able to relax a little in the afternoon before starting to get a tour of the area. Then we visited the CPS (Centre Promotion Sociale) where I will be spending a lot of time! Right now, they are in the midst of moving offices to a brand new, much bigger building that is right around the corner.  I got to meet my supervisor (the head of the center) and another staff member (there are five total).  The new office is right across the street from where my supervisor lives, which is in the center of town.  There are many official buildings in this area including the mayor’s office, post office, and the brigade, all surrounding a park. 

            The next day we visited the mayor (he was too busy to talk to us that day but we said hi), the brigade territorial, the police and the compagnie gendarmerie.  At each place, my homologue would introduce me and explain why I was there.  Everyone was professional and made me feel welcome.  The commandant of the brigade even invited us over to his house for lunch. Later that day, we saw my future house.  It is right off of the paved road that goes toward the town where my homologue lives.  It’s in a walled-concession amongst a line of connected apartments. They each have a small porch in front, two rooms, and a space in the back for cooking and showering.  Right across from those is another row of apartments which includes the house where the landlord lives.  Out of a row of three or four latrines, I picked the one that I will be using and putting a lock on to make sure I’m the only one to use it.  Everyone that lives there gets water from a spigot inside the concession. I will have to pay the landlord for electricity and water use.  There is a mango tree in the center and a papaya tree on the side.  Also, there are three gendarmes (policemen) living there too, so I should be safe!  There was a Peace Corps volunteer that lived in the same town as my homologue who left earlier this year. They left a few pieces of furniture for me to use such as a bed, couch, table, and chairs. 

            The next day I saw the marché (market) where one can find just about anything one would need.  The area is very agricultural, so a lot is grown there.  In addition, people come there from other regions and countries such as Nigeria and Togo.  Next we visited another brigade (brigade de recherches). We returned to the CPS for a good part of the day because my homologue had to see two different families.  In the afternoon I got to see one of the health centers in a village.  It’s supposedly a very nice one and many people prefer to go there for treatment.  They have a lab, consultation room, ultrasound, pharmacy, and maternity hospital.  They also have a nice gazebo-type structure that can be used for information sessions. Afterwards, we drove to a nearby village just to get a quick look because I will be working with many of the surrounding villages.  Each village has a women’s group that the CPS works with. 

            The last day I was there, I met the Chef d’Arrondissement, which is also very close to the CPS.  The chef was very nice and said he looked forward to working with me.  Then I got to see the supermarché in town.  Supermarchés are a lot like supermarkets except that they are very small and they carry more European-style foods and products.  It has a lot of different foods, some of which you can’t find in the marché, so it will be nice to have when I’m craving something like yogurt or corn flakes! 

            The area is gorgeous with trees, fields, and greenery as far as one can see. Along the road you can see lots of papaya, orange, and eucalyptus trees as well as corn and manioc growing.  The people are very friendly and everything is pretty close by.  The town next to mine is pretty well built up, but it doesn’t have a city feel.  My homologue was very accommodating and patient with my French.  Before he was the assistant jurist, he worked at a secondary school teaching French for ten years.  I think this will work in my favor!  I think we are going to work well together.  

My Commune!

           There are about three weeks left of stage (training) left until we get to move officially to our posts. Until that time, we will continue learning French and/or our local languages as well as technical information (like my sector, health).  I am excited to finish training and start my two years at post!