IST Time

Time for another update...I'm in my in-service training right now, supposedly gaining some sound technical knowledge so that we can begin working in our villages. Really I still feel a little unprepared but I'm getting some good ideas. We have covered topics like improved-seed crop trials, natural pesticides, gum arabic and moringa tree plantations, project plan development, and fruit tree grafting, my favorite. Next week our counterparts are coming in from our villages for a two day conference. They are staying up on the training site with us so I imagine it will be pretty awkward. Apparently it is funny watching them try to eat with forks, use sinks, etc... Hopefully they will leave with a better understanding of the kind of work that we came her to do. Most of my villagers still think that I'm here to bring them a millet grinder and they don't understand when I tell them that this isn't PC's type of work. It is really apparent how the NGOs have shaped their view of development by showing up with big money projects and then leaving the next day. I guess you can't blame them for expecting the same from us, but hopefully this will slowly start to change.

One of my favorite parts of training has been going back to see my host family. I brought them pictures that mom developed and sent me which made quite a frenzy. For some of them it is the only photo they have. All of my closest friends were there and not much had changed, except one little boy who was so sick when I was there that I questioned if he would make it. His mom was pregnant when I left so she wasn't able to breast feed. During my visit she told me that she had a baby but it died. This meant that she was able to start breast feeding her little boy again and now he has little chubby cheeks and is running around smiling. It's so sad that her baby died but maybe its a blessing for that little boy because I don't think he would have made it otherwise. A first hand example of the need for more family planning education in Niger. The rest of my visit was happy and it was great to see everyone. It also made me start missing my village and I can't wait to get back.

I have four new PC neighbors. They had to move because of some security issues in another region and they all ended up on my road. It will be weird not being the only volunteer in the area anymore, but it will be nice to have neighbors. One more week of training and then back to post. Send me some emails while I'm near a computer!