Kedougou
My second stay at my Jaxanke host family was all too short, just three days. I wish I could have spent a longer period of time there. I feel as though I am becoming more integrated (or maybe simply more comfortable) living with my host family each day that I spend there. Again there was lots of sand, lots of sun, and lots of Jaxanke practice. I am learning little by little (donding donding). Sometimes the slow progress can be frustrating, as I often have to learn a word multiple times before I finally remember it, but when I realize that I have committed a new set of words or a sentence structure to memory it is very exciting to use it.
Finally the day for site reveal had come, October 15th. We had a policy session in the morning; I anxiously sat in my chair knowing that in a couple short hours I would find out where I will be spending the next two years. After a small snack of bread and beans during the morning coffee break, I walked over to the basketball court with my fellow trainees, admiring the freshly repainted map of Senegal covering the concrete.
We were handed yellow, green, and red blindfolds to put on while we stood in the hot sun next to the court. I waited impatiently as my friends nearby were led one by one onto the court to stand on their new home. Finally it was my turn. The volunteer who led me to my village did a good job of confusing me, because I did not know whether I had been placed in Tamba or Kedougou. I heard the voices of the trainees around me and was excited to hear that I would be nearby some of my good friends from training. We excitedly reached out for one another and kept talking while we waited for everyone else to be placed on the map. The training center manager drew out the moment we were allowed to take off our blindfolds, taking his sweet time counting to "three." I ripped mine off excitedly and immediately looked at the ground to see that I will be spending my next two years in Kedougou!
Kedougou is the farthest southeastern region in Senegal. I am told it is filled with lush greenery and waterfalls. I am also told that it is relatively easy to grow things there due to the humid climate. I will soon be going to my village for a couple days with a current volunteer in Kedougou to meet my permanent host family and get an idea of what my service will be like. I can't wait to visit my site!
Finally the day for site reveal had come, October 15th. We had a policy session in the morning; I anxiously sat in my chair knowing that in a couple short hours I would find out where I will be spending the next two years. After a small snack of bread and beans during the morning coffee break, I walked over to the basketball court with my fellow trainees, admiring the freshly repainted map of Senegal covering the concrete.
We were handed yellow, green, and red blindfolds to put on while we stood in the hot sun next to the court. I waited impatiently as my friends nearby were led one by one onto the court to stand on their new home. Finally it was my turn. The volunteer who led me to my village did a good job of confusing me, because I did not know whether I had been placed in Tamba or Kedougou. I heard the voices of the trainees around me and was excited to hear that I would be nearby some of my good friends from training. We excitedly reached out for one another and kept talking while we waited for everyone else to be placed on the map. The training center manager drew out the moment we were allowed to take off our blindfolds, taking his sweet time counting to "three." I ripped mine off excitedly and immediately looked at the ground to see that I will be spending my next two years in Kedougou!
Kedougou is the farthest southeastern region in Senegal. I am told it is filled with lush greenery and waterfalls. I am also told that it is relatively easy to grow things there due to the humid climate. I will soon be going to my village for a couple days with a current volunteer in Kedougou to meet my permanent host family and get an idea of what my service will be like. I can't wait to visit my site!
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