I have now been at site for 4 1/2 months. It's amazing to me how fast that has gone. My Wolof is slowly improving, and I'm beginning to receive some compliments, which is very exciting. So what exactly have I been doing with my time?
Though I arrived as an environmental education volunteer, Senegal Peace Corps has now merged that with the health program. Therefore, I have been spending much time in the nearby town (3 km away) shadowing at the health post and maternity clinic. The Senegalese health structure has several layers: at the very bottom are health huts were ASCs and matronnes work. These are unpaid workers who have undergone a 3-month training at the health post to learn the basic skills of healing and delivering babies. Their medical supplies and skills are limited. Above this level is the health post were the ICP and sage femme work. They have both gone to college, the former to learn the trade of a physician, the latter of pre-, peri-, and post-natal acre. They can handle most illnesses, but if the problem requires unusual medication or is extreme, patients are sent to regional hospitals located in cities. So I my village is very lucky to be located so close to a health post, and the ICP and sage femme (literally meaning wise woman-it's french) are very extraordinary people, and I have learned a lot about my area's needs by talking with them. Additionally, I have helped local NGOs and the health post as they visit villages to provide vaccines for children under 5, administer AIDS testing, measure the width of children under 5's upper arm (a measure of malnutrition), and conduct health talks with villages. I have even held a health talk of my own to a group of pregnant woman at the maternity clinic on the topic of malaria and will be conducting another talk about proper nutrition for pregnant women this coming Monday.
When I am not shadowing or helping with local health issues, I am usually in my village. I have recently begun to conduct home visits. Every afternoon, when it is no longer peak heat (after 4 pm), I go to a different compound in my village to talk, drink tea, and sometimes play parchesi. (I don't know why parchesi is so popular here, but they all love it, and my village has several boards that are constantly being passed from one family to another.) I have recently learned that the act of drinking tea is vital to a visit; when I arrived around 5:30 to talk at one compound, I was told that it was too late for tea (the necessary 3 pots of tea could not be made before it was time to fetch water around 6:30/7) and that therefore my visit was no good. But, other than my arriving too late, my home visits are a complete success. Everyone loves having me as a guest at their house. I am immediately given the nicest chair (or bench or stool) to sit on, and everyone gathers around me. I feel like a celebrity from this constant attention. I am also constantly asked why I have not yet been to certain people's houses (my response-I can only visit 1 house a day, but I will make it there soon) and when I will be returning to those I've already visited (my response-I need to visit everyone once first). I have already felt the positive benefits of these visits as I feel myself growing closer to people in my village, joking with them more, gaining more of their respect, discussing my role as a volunteer, and even learning about some pregnancies so that I can escort those women to the maternity clinic. I look forward to the remaining home visits that I have. It is fun to talk and get to know other people. The relationships I form as a result will be wonderful both socially and for accomplishing health behavior changes that I hope to instill (ex-handwashing).
Additionally, I have had the opportunity to visit some neighboring villages. One village in particular sticks out in my mind. It is about 7 km away and known for its beautiful mango and cashew tree field right outside the village. The people there are very nice, have an active women's group, and want to work with me on health projects. Additionally, they have a beautiful baobob forest, which I had the pleasure of biking through on my way home. I hope to work with this village and some others on some of my work projects.
Then, besides these activities, I've been visiting the weekly market, bike riding, helping to harvest peanuts, hanging out with my family, and doing lots of thinking. But I have learned that there is never a dull moment here.
And, finally...to write about my successes. Mangiy rot sama bopp! (I carry water myself!) I can now carry a bucket of water on my head, which is a very exciting development. I now no longer have to rely on someone else to bring me water everyday. Also, I have successfully pulled water from the well when the water from the tap was shut off. The well in my village is 45 meters deep, so pulling water is a 2-person job, but I succeeded. Small steps, but important to me.
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