Travels with Tavish

I had a lucky opportunity recently to meet my grand-anciens, who were the first volunteers in my village, from 2015-2017. They are a couple named Tom and Renee who have two kids approximately my age. We got to spend a day and a half together in the village. I got to hear a lot about their experience and they got a glimpse of what it is like for me to live there now. I gave them a tour of the gardens (which had moved since they left), we chatted about changes in the village, and they walked around amazed at how all the kids have grown. Two of the biggest changes in the village since their service ended are my host family and the trees. My host dad married his second wife Nyuma near the end of Tom and Renee's service; the family got bigger and the dynamics changed quite a lot at that point in time. She has been in the compound long enough that those changes have settled into a rhythm which I consider "normal." All the kids are also two years older, which of course makes ...

In accordance with my region’s plans after our April cashew training in Toubacouta, each work zone in Kedougou conducted a cashew training for farmers in the area. I participated in two of the trainings: one in the Saraya workzone east of Kedougou (Jaxanke territory) and one in a village west of Kedougou (a Pulaar area). At the Jaxanke cashew training, I did most of the teaching along with my friend Andrew, a Jaxanke health volunteer who lives about 40km from where we held the training. 22 farmers and five volunteers attended the training. It was a great turnout thanks to the hosting farmer; he sent out the invitations and we brought the food. Some days I can speak and understand Jaxanke really well, and other days I seem to be missing a lot of what is said. Luckily, the day of the cashew training was one of the former. Andrew and I took turns discussing the information of each of three cloth posters we had made in Kedougou the day before. After talking through a poster for a...

Here are some pictures from June: Out for a run near the end of Ramadan Dressed up for Korite (I wore the same outfit at my swearing-in) Everyone (including the kids) gets new outfits for Korite Keeping my water cool during hot season A field way out in the bush that I found on a run Cashews in various stages of sprouting (some mangoes also visible) The community pepiniere. Most of the trees with large leaves are cashews Pull-up bar version 3  I made some "African nails" (made from bamboo), as named by a friend in my village, in an attempt to fix my old bed frame Riding to the luumo with my host brother Keeba (8) and his older sister Coumba (13) There are a few kilometers of pavement now on the 40km road to my village! I flew through this section on my bike The roof beds got destroyed in the Peace Corps Tamba transit house after a big rain/wind storm A fairly full sept place in the Tamba garage Loading up my...