Most volunteers ask themselves this very question on a daily basis. While all of the villages and/or towns that we serve in have requested a volunteer, often our ‘jobs’ are less than well-defined. In this spirit, I will attempt to paint a picture of what my typical day might look like.
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| My kitchen, where delicious things are made |
.JPG) |
| Nap time |
7h Wake-up to the melodic sounds of screaming
goats and crowing roosters
7h30 Go for a run/walk with Mathilde, on the way
back stop and saluer (greet) people
and play with puppy friends
8h30 Make breakfast, enjoy it while reading or
journaling
9h Do dishes, sweep house, clean (it is a
total faux pas not to sweep out one’s
house daily – and in any case, it needs it)
10h Morning activity: clinic, garden, market, school,
laundry, fetch water, etc.
12h Make lunch, repos (i.e. nap – it’s HOT!)
14h Afternoon activity (see morning activity)/walk around town (one must remember, being
seen and greeting people is the NUMBER ONE most important thing in village)
17h Back home, start dinner, eat, socialize
with neighbors
19h Sun set – back home by dark if I’m not
already, hang out in concession
21h Bed time!
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| Neighbors |
.JPG) |
| Puppy play time |
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| Goats! |
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| Making igname pilé, i.e. pounded yams |
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| In bed with Mathilde, protected by our much-appreciated mosquito net |
As you
can see, most of my activities, at least as of yet, are not necessarily structured
around what one might call “work”. It’s
more about the day-to-day business of living and integrating myself into the
community. And, technically, we are here
just as much for cultural exchange as for development work, so I try not to
focus too much on “American” definitions of productivity. However, at times, the lack of structure can
make motivating oneself a challenge and the pace of life can make accomplishing
even the littlest of tasks a trying experience.
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| Women's soccer team |
Nonetheless,
speaking of projects, here’s a little preview of what we have in the works here
in Logozohè. I’ll update you with their
progress in the future.
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| On the way to the gardens |
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| Gardening on the banks of the Klou |
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| Moringa |
- School garden at the local primary school
- Rabbit-raising project with the women’s group
- Moringa (a very high-nutrient tree) nursery, in conjunction with nutrition classes, at the maternity clinic
- Planning for a community pump to help with our water scarcity problem (right now women and children can waste half their day waiting in line at the one working pump in village, plus the up to 1k walk to and from the pump)
- Working with women gardeners in the area on compost and organic pesticides
- Mentoring a local girl in séconde (i.e. sophomore in hs) (however, as fate would have it, she just got pregnant, so we are in the process of weighing her options regarding school, etc.)
- Women’s soccer team
