What am I doing here? A day in the life of me.

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.

My kitchen, where delicious things are made

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!

  

Neighbors

Puppy play time

Goats!

Making igname pilé, i.e. pounded yams

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.

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.

On the way to the gardens

Gardening on the banks of the Klou

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