Kate is now an official PCV. She was sworn in 2 weeks ago. That’s her in traditional dress bottom left.
She spent that week celebrating and relaxing, even swimming at the rec. center
She then moved from Niamey to Dosso and stayed at the hostel there for almost a week. We are not allowed to name her village for security reasons but she is not far from the city of Dosso. Dosso you can find easily on a map.
She was supposed to move to her new village right away but the house was still not finished to PC standards. Last Sunday she finally got to move in. Now she has to spend the next month there without leaving. I think it’s a test of her commitment and also ensures that she integrates into her new community. In true Kate style she has taken on the challenge and is doing just that. She has plans to move around again, visiting friends and doing PCV work toward the end of October. And of course there is Halloween to look forward to.
At the hostel in Dosso they have a big Halloween bash.
She has her phone but no email or internet. She saved up books and magazines to read and movies/TV shows to watch. Thank goodness for her laptop and electricity. Spending so much time alone can be quite difficult. Especially for Kate who loves to surround herself with friends and this large family. She has hung up all the cards and pictures she has received in the mail. She will slowly decorate the house and make it a home. Although she won’t get her mail for a while it will all be there waiting for her when she goes to Dosso late October. She has started to write a few letters, but now needs to find someone going into the city to mail them for her.
Her new house is a mansion by local standards in that it has three rooms; one large and two small, two small windows in the main room and an electric light and socket! She is still trying to decide what to do with all that space. The house is made of mud like bricks and has a metal roof.
not Kate!
Currently she uses the tap nearby at the Mayor’s house to get water but thinks she should do as the villagers do and go the pump. Learning to balance it on her head will be another story! She has a water filter system and a stove and gas bottle. She has a bed that she currently drags in and out depending on where she is going to sleep. In time she hopes to buy another one…an inside and an outside bed! Her latrine and shower area are outside. Her wall around her concession is not yet finished, probably won’t be until after the harvest season as they will use the dried millet stalks to weave a fence. She is surrounded by a peanut farm, that is just about ready for harvesting. Kate loves the homemade peanut butter
Her village is quite large with approx. 3,000 people, mostly young children. She said the people in her village are wonderful, warm and very friendly. She is still a novelty and will remain so for some time. They invite her over for meals and just to hang out. They send their children over to check on her. They have never had a PCV live there before and there experience with NGOs is limited. They think she is too thin… being heavy means your well provided for and can afford good food. Explaining that in America you cannot be too thin falls on deaf ears. They also wonder why her family, especially her mother let her go away. She assures them that I love her and shows them all my letters and cards but it is all so foreign to them. She told them we plan on visiting her next year…they need a months notice to ready themselves and the village!
There is a market there once a week where she can but almost anything she needs including the animals she is thinking of getting. The local children are on the lookout for a stray kitten for her.
Ramadan ends on Tuesday and so they are gearing up for a big celebration. Someone is coming over to braid her hair tomorrow. I guess that’s the equivalent of your own personal hairdresser.
The mayor’s office will then be open regularly and she will have a routine that includes spending time there. School too will begin and she plans on going there a few times also.
The children promise to come by and collect her when it’s time. There doesn’t seem to be an official opening day.
Kate has lots of pictures but hasn’t managed to put them on line. One of her friends is more adept at doing so. Check it out and you will see Kate in Niger! http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwong64/page5/
She spent that week celebrating and relaxing, even swimming at the rec. center
She then moved from Niamey to Dosso and stayed at the hostel there for almost a week. We are not allowed to name her village for security reasons but she is not far from the city of Dosso. Dosso you can find easily on a map.
She was supposed to move to her new village right away but the house was still not finished to PC standards. Last Sunday she finally got to move in. Now she has to spend the next month there without leaving. I think it’s a test of her commitment and also ensures that she integrates into her new community. In true Kate style she has taken on the challenge and is doing just that. She has plans to move around again, visiting friends and doing PCV work toward the end of October. And of course there is Halloween to look forward to.
At the hostel in Dosso they have a big Halloween bash.
She has her phone but no email or internet. She saved up books and magazines to read and movies/TV shows to watch. Thank goodness for her laptop and electricity. Spending so much time alone can be quite difficult. Especially for Kate who loves to surround herself with friends and this large family. She has hung up all the cards and pictures she has received in the mail. She will slowly decorate the house and make it a home. Although she won’t get her mail for a while it will all be there waiting for her when she goes to Dosso late October. She has started to write a few letters, but now needs to find someone going into the city to mail them for her.
Her new house is a mansion by local standards in that it has three rooms; one large and two small, two small windows in the main room and an electric light and socket! She is still trying to decide what to do with all that space. The house is made of mud like bricks and has a metal roof.
not Kate!
Currently she uses the tap nearby at the Mayor’s house to get water but thinks she should do as the villagers do and go the pump. Learning to balance it on her head will be another story! She has a water filter system and a stove and gas bottle. She has a bed that she currently drags in and out depending on where she is going to sleep. In time she hopes to buy another one…an inside and an outside bed! Her latrine and shower area are outside. Her wall around her concession is not yet finished, probably won’t be until after the harvest season as they will use the dried millet stalks to weave a fence. She is surrounded by a peanut farm, that is just about ready for harvesting. Kate loves the homemade peanut butter
Her village is quite large with approx. 3,000 people, mostly young children. She said the people in her village are wonderful, warm and very friendly. She is still a novelty and will remain so for some time. They invite her over for meals and just to hang out. They send their children over to check on her. They have never had a PCV live there before and there experience with NGOs is limited. They think she is too thin… being heavy means your well provided for and can afford good food. Explaining that in America you cannot be too thin falls on deaf ears. They also wonder why her family, especially her mother let her go away. She assures them that I love her and shows them all my letters and cards but it is all so foreign to them. She told them we plan on visiting her next year…they need a months notice to ready themselves and the village!
There is a market there once a week where she can but almost anything she needs including the animals she is thinking of getting. The local children are on the lookout for a stray kitten for her.
Ramadan ends on Tuesday and so they are gearing up for a big celebration. Someone is coming over to braid her hair tomorrow. I guess that’s the equivalent of your own personal hairdresser.
The mayor’s office will then be open regularly and she will have a routine that includes spending time there. School too will begin and she plans on going there a few times also.
The children promise to come by and collect her when it’s time. There doesn’t seem to be an official opening day.
Kate has lots of pictures but hasn’t managed to put them on line. One of her friends is more adept at doing so. Check it out and you will see Kate in Niger! http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwong64/page5/
2 comments:
Thanks for letting us know how Kate is doing!! I sent her a package a bit before she went out there with some magazines and books..it would have been great if she had gotten them before she left! I'm glad to hear she's doing so great, although I'm not surprised! If you talk to her soon tell her I send my love and miss her!!
-Sheila
Niger news on www.niger1.com
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