tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22008689142982352462024-03-05T06:03:01.013-06:00Forever a Work in Progress...The surface of the earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. On this shore, we've learned most of what we know. Recently we've waded a little way out, maybe ankle deep, and the water seems inviting. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from. We've longed to return, and we can, because the cosmos is also within us, we're made of star stuff, we are a way for the cosmos to know itself."--Carl SaganIkenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-35215379747984846062011-04-26T18:49:00.001-05:002011-04-27T06:50:44.460-05:00Golden Jubilee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: small;">There are often times when racked with boredom in my village, I take to watching young toddlers being toted around by their mothers or caretakers tied to their backs by lappas or any other kind of blanket or cloth. I am more interested when the child being toted already has the ability to walk, albeit not proficient enough to warrant excursions beyond the watchful gaze of their caretaker. I also watch these toddlers when they are free from the confines of the lappa and observe the level of wide-eyed curiosity and wonder with which they explore their immediate surroundings. It's one of those moments that truly makes me proud to be a human being. It's only in watching that toddler, awkwardly ambling about overturning rocks, exploring in the bush, maybe looking for something yummy to chew on, that I get impressed upon me, a sense of raw, unadulterated hopefulness for the future. Everything to that toddler is novel, fascinating and there's the expectation that things will only get better with time. I'm inclined to make a comparison of this particular scenario to Sierra Leone's upcoming celebration of their independence from Great Britain, but not in a condescending way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tomorrow the 27th of April will mark the 50th anniversary of Sierra Leone's Independence from Great Britain, and right now, especially in Freetown, the air is just thick with excitement and celebration. Sierra Leonean's living abroad are coming back to their home(s) to get married just so they can say that they got hitched on this special day. The streets and beaches of Freetown are full to maximum capacity, in a city already overpopulated due to the prior mass migration of people from the provinces during the civil war. There are parades and marches occurring all over the city and they are quite the spectacle. If there is a particular occasion to celebrate that warrants a parade, ordinary people will congregate on the streets, often in matching attire, and will march in long lines, in excess of 100s of meters sometimes, and strut or <b><i>bluff</i></b> (Krio word for showing off). It's awesome to watch because these people will not be walking casually, oh no, <i><b>dis na Africa mi padi</b></i> (this is Africa my friend), and here, every occasion must be accompanied with music, song and dance. So in these parades, the people will be marching behind a vehicle or truck of some kind with HUGE speakers blaring music for all in the immediate vicinity to hear and dance to including the people marching behind the truck. Everyone will be doing a kind of march-jig, dancing to the beat of the music. It's like one big dance party except everyone dancing is walking in one direction, just enjoying life and being happy to be alive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Sierra Leoneans really do have a good reason to be happy. Sierra Leone is a young republic, a republic that has had its share of serious problems in its short and sometimes turbulent history since independence on 27 April 1961. Wherever I go though, I get the sense that the only direction people are looking is forward, something that I really find admirable considering the muck these people have had to pull themselves out of. A couple of days back on Easter Sunday, I along with a friend of mine participated in the Golden Jubilee march. We marched from Aberdeen street all the way to the National Stadium in Freetown where there was singing, dancing, performances, speeches by important government dignitaries including the president himself, and praying, lots and lots of praying. That was my first time participating in a parade of that kind since being here in Salone. We all wore matching white shirts with the logo: <b><i>50 years forward, celebrating a new Sierra Leone</i></b> along with white caps. As I was standing there amidst all the jubilant people celebrating both Easter Sunday and their upcoming independence, I became a bit emotional because my mind flashed back to that toddler I spoke about earlier in this post. I mean here you have Sierra Leone, a young republic with big aspirations, for example, of one day being a donor nation. Despite all of the problems they have had and are currently having, they are still exploring, searching, for their respectable place in the international community. There will be bumps and scrapes along the way, but they are really <b><i>trying</i></b>. They really want to be something, do something meaningful with their lives, its just that the opportunities are not always there. What happens when that toddlers falls and scrapes his knee? His mother or caretaker will faithfully come and pick up the crying child, comfort and mend him, so that he can dutifully begin exploring the world and find his place in it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The path to development for Sierra Leone has not been easy but considerable progress has been made with the help of donations from the international community. At this point in time, real development will require assistance from other developed, wealthier nations. Already outside nations have given financial and material assistance in various sectors of the economy in Sierra Leone. But soon, across all sectors of the economy, Sierra Leone will have to be able to support itself and not depend on outside aid for development. Nonetheless, this nation is moving forward. I guess that witnessing the parade scenes two days back really made it clear to me, more than it has ever been in the 10 months I've been a PCV in this country. Heres to many more prosperous years to come. Now I'm going to get some rest so that I can fully enjoy the independence day festivities tomorrow! </span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Bye</span></div></div>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-394711002236243432011-04-08T18:22:00.001-05:002011-04-09T04:56:30.552-05:00Salone II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> OK!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">So in lieu of the pending arrival of the next batch of Peace Corps Sierra Leone volunteers in June (Salone II as I hear them affectionately being called), I think its good for me to publicly reappraise the packing list I posted almost a year ago. I brought some things that for me were absolutely necessary…But as I think almost every Peace Corps Volunteer realizes, most of the things he or she packs are absolutely extraneous and can be purchased once they arrive at their posts:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>15 boxer briefs</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Too many!! They are a pain in the ass to wash by hand, and an eye sore on those days when you swear to all the heavenly angels up above that it’s too hot to were clothes, during the day or night. Go easy on em.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8 under shirts</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-A bit overated. The locals here love to wear undershirts, but when your suffering from a sever case of heat rash, it can force one to reconsider his choice to wear them. Maybe bring a few wife beaters for those hot days after school.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6 ankle socks for running</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Pretty useful. They are better than wearing regular socks which make you too hot. Although during the rainy season, long socks are good to have when wearing shorts outside. They protect you from those goddamm biting black flies who I’m pretty sure were created for the sole purpose of causing suffering in human beings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4 breathable T-shirts + one cycling shirt </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Absolutely essential. Breatheability = comfort and sanity. They wash easy, and dry fast and keep you cool I wish I would have brought more.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 light Columbia water-resistant windbreaker</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Good to have. Keeps you dry during the rainy season without making you feel too hot.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 ties</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Yes, bring ties for the few formal events you will have to sit through.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 business casual khaki pants</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Necessary! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 long-sleeve button-down dress-shirts</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Necessary!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 pair dress pants</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I think that was a bit of overkill for me. 2 business casual khaki pants were enough.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 pair swimming trunks</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Just DON'T do it. You can buy these here, or just go swimming in your boxers/briefs/birthday suit if your too cheap to buy any here.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<b>3 sets of traditional African clothing </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-WAY TOO MUCH!! You can find awesome traditional clothes here or fabric and have it tailor made for you. The ones I've bought here are way nicer than the ones I brought with me. You don't need to bring any from the states to impress people, they will already be impressed with you! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 long sleeve shirts/sweatshirts</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I didn't end up bringing it but had my dad send them to me during training...Don't waste your time, money or efforts on jamming these into your suitcase. It only gets cool here during the harmattan season, besides, you by long-sleeve shirts here almost anywhere. <b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3-4 short-sleeved button up shirts</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Didn't bring them, and I'm glad I didn't. You can have kick-ass short sleeved button up shirts made expertly made here!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 pairs comfortable zip-off/hiking pants</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Probably the best clothing item I brought with me. When your hot, you just zip off the pants. They are light. water-resistant, and dry quickly. Essential.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 pairs jean shorts</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-It's good to have nice shorts when you don't feel like wearing pants and want to look somewhat presentable in public.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1-2 pairs of jeans</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I didn't bring them with me, but had two pairs sent to me during training. Even though they are hot, having jeans is good when you want to be casual, or go out with friends.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 pairs athletic shorts</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-A must-have for me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 pair Merrell hiking sandals </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Very durable shoes, glad I brought them. Take advantage of the Peace Corps discount!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 pair Chaco sandals </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-If you don't mind having a chaco tan which you will get one (Even I got one!) Oh and take advantage of the Peace Corps discount!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 pair Keen sandals </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Not so necessary. One pair of nice sandals are enough for me. But if you decide that you want them, take advantage of the Peace Corps discount!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 pair flip-flops</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Didn't bring them. You don't need em. Flip-flops are like the staple footwear here in the villages so you can easily buy Chinese made or nicer ones here. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 pair running or track shoes </b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I brought both running and track shoes. The running shoes are good to have when jogging, but unless you plan on competing in a local track meet that you are <i>really </i>serious about...please do yourself a favor and leave the track shoes in your closet at home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 sun hats</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Can't do without them. The sun is too strong here and wearing a hat can make a big difference when working outside</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 belts(*)</b> <b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Unless you plan on using a rope to keep your pants up, I suggest that you bring a belt or two</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4 Bandannas </b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I find them to be really useful, especially now that it's the dry season, and the dust is just overwhelming</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 Kente cloth</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Useless!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 African Kofia hats</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I like this particular style of hats so I satisfied with bringing them</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Electronics:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bicycle lights</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Usless!!! They don't work anymore!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mini travel alarm clock</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Come one really? I wake up with the sun anyway in this place. Just use your watch. Although my alarm clock does have a temperature gauge which provides amusement when temperatures reach past 90+ degrees inside my house</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Digital watch</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Good for me, and probably good for you</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8GB USB flash-drive</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-It's good to have to store files on if you don't bring a laptop, but beware of viruses!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Wall battery AA/AAA charger </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>16 rechargeable AA batteries</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8 rechargeable AAA batteries</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b>-Bring them. Local Chinese made batteries are worthless. Just don't bank on having a consistent power source with which to charge them with</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Headlamp (Petzl E89 Tactikka XP)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-It's my best friend at night. Do bring a headlamp if you can afford one. Cheaper/reliable versions are available everywhere too</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> Digital Camera</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-You want to capture those strange and fun experiences don't you? WELL GO ON AND PACK IT THEN!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b><b>Laptop</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-A highly personal decision. It has been useful for me but you don't need one, its good to have one though. Usually those mini PC's don't hold up well in this climate, but you have to make sure that you protect your laptop from the elements (Dust, humidity, water, extreme heat). NEVER plug your laptop into a power outlet being supplied by a generator without using some sort of current stabilizer. Trust me. I've had one charger go out on me already because I plugged it in on generator power where the voltage surges were going past 300v. Your charger wont last too long in those conditions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Solar Calculator</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-You can find them here.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Grundig G6 Aviator shortwave radio</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I love the radio. Back in the states, I listened to the radio more than any other medium. I'm pretty isolated so I only receive a few local radio stations, and all the BBC shortwave frequencies that you can pick up here in Sierra Leone. If i didn't have the BBC, It would be really difficult for me. It's nice to hear people speaking English when all I can hear throughout the course of a normal day is Krio and a hodge-podge of local languages, all of which I understand only a few token phrases.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Electric hair clippers</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-A complete waste of space...seriously. You can get a decent haircut anywhere here, unless you are posted to a really isolated village.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Voltage converter</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-You can find a step up/down transformer here if you really need one. Don't do as I did.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Toiletries</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Ok so out of all the toiletries I stuffed my suitcase with, I think the only essentials are toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss and deodorant, and may a small comb or brush if you don't plan on keeping your hair short. You don't need a 3 months supply! Training will be in Makeni and you can easily find all these things an more in town. All the other items I listed a year ago can be found here in country.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Miscellaneious:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 extra large pack towel</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-You should bring a towel, although after some time, you might adapt to using lappas for towel which dry even faster than any fancy-schmancy pack towel.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 pairs prescription eye glasses</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-If you wear glasses, this is a requirement by Peace Corps so that solves that dilemma. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 pair sunglasses</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I'm happy I brought them. My eyes are thanking me every time I use them in this equatorial region.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 Patagonia travel sling</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Very practical for me so far</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 Leatherman</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-So handy!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 stainless steel water bottle</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I can't do without this. Water is life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8x42 Stokes Talon binoculars</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Anyone who knows me well, will know that I cannot do without these.<b> </b><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Columbia travel pillow</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I admit its a luxury item, but it is packable, and useful for camping trips. I've definitely made good use of it<b>. </b><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Regular size pillow</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-You can easily find pillows here, but if there is a special pillow that you must have with you then what the hell, bring it!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tent</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-It's up to you whether or not you will take the time to go camping. I'm glad I brought mine<b>.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sleeping sack (Dream sack)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Surprisingly useful!! It packs REALLY small, plus the material is light, it keeps you cool, and dries really quickly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Magnifying glass</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-If your a science geek, why not?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Carabiners</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b>-Carabiners are good to have if you need to keep things secure. Don't overdo it though.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Yogamat</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Haha...Good for camping, but don't stress yourself out over bringing one or not. You can find nice mats here in country, although they are not made like yoga mats. So bring one if you must.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Journals</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-If you like to write, you will find yourself doing alot of that here, especially when things get tough. If you don't like to write, do yourself a favor and bring one or two anyway, you just might change.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Weekly planner</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-My planner is sitting, idle, collecting mold and dust. Planning here is not easy so don't think that bringing a weekly planner will help change that!!!<b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>U.S. stamps</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>-</b>For those rare occasions when people you know will be traveling back to the states. You can easily send mail back with them. A small sheet should be more than enough.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Passport photos</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-A Peace Corps requirement. Bring them so that you will not be scrambling at staging to have pictures taken.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Photos of friends and loved ones</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I brought these, but the only problem is that they are all on my laptop. Definitely bring printed photos so that you can cherish them at any time!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Scissors</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Don't even waste a thought on them... please. You can find scissors here</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Jumprope</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Good for exercise, but overall a useless luxury item. The kids love it though.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Yoga ball</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-I'm being 100% honest when I say that the yoga ball is one of the most useful items I brought along with me. It makes a great chair and helps support your posture. It much more comfortable than most chairs you will find here. And as an exercise tool, its absolutely invaluable. Very happy I tucked it along with me!<b> </b> <b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bicycles tools</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Don't bring bicycle tools of any kind whatsoever!!!! Peace Corps will have you covered on that front. All volunteer who want will receive bicycles with all the necessary tools and accessories. <b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Notepads</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Peace Corps will absolutely inundate you with notepads so don't make things difficult for yourself yah?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 TSA locks</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">- A requirement, unless you want greedy airport security personnel to search your suitcase. I also use them to lock my backpack whenever I'm walking through the bustling streets of Freetown<b>.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Compass</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>-</b>Unless you're planning on doing some serious hiking, you obviously don't need a compass. I could have probably passed on bringing mine...oh well</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Laminated world map</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Sure why not, It's a good reference.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Books:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b>-The three books below I ended up not bringing:<b> </b><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><style>
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</style> <span style="font-size: small;">Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan<br />
History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell (To bulky!)(^) <br />
The Slave Trade by Hugh Thomas (Could theoretically take me the whole two years to read this thing!)(^) </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">-The following books were the most useful books I brought:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><style>
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</style> <span style="font-size: small;">Oxford Pocket Dictionary</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><style>
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</style> <span style="font-size: small;">Birds of Western Africa<br />
Bradt Guide to Sierra Leone</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><style>
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</style> <span style="font-size: small;">College level Biology textbook (A MUST HAVE!!!)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><style>
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</style> <span style="font-size: small;">Proust was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><style>
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</style> <span style="font-size: small;">National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky<br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">We have a burgeoning book collection, and you can always count on other volunteers to stuff their suitcases with books. You can also find books here in country. You don't have to bring your library along. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The only change I made to my suitcases? I left my big duffle bag at home and instead brought my camping backpack and stuffed it inside a light roll-on duffle bag so that I could satisfy the two checked in luggage requirements</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">And so there you have it!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Don't stress too much... your almost here!!!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</div></div>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-75708902108469014602011-02-26T18:07:00.002-06:002011-02-26T22:02:59.673-06:00World map beginningsWhoa...Long time! I finally have a brand spanking new charger, but a few nights ago, I had one of those TIA/DNA (This is Africa, or Dis Na Africa) moments that put my excitement firmly in check. I asked our Peace Corps Medical Officer (PCMO) who recently went on leave in the U.S. to buy a macbook pro charger for me while there. My parents had already shipped one over, but with the inconsistencies of the Sierra Leonean postal service, I went ahead and asked my PCMO to buy one while there so that it would be virtually guaranteed that I would have a charger upon her return to Sierra Leone. If during the process the charger my parents sent me arrived in the mail, no problem, two chargers are better than one, especially in this place! And for the TIA/DNA moment? Thursday night I was packing for my weekend trip to Freetown. My laptop for the past two months or so was stored in my suitcase, away from the heavy dust buildup in the air that is so common during this time of the year in the dry season. When I opened up my suitcase to pack my laptop, I noticed to my horror, that the battery case was bulging! Luckily none of the chemical components leaked into the hardrive. So as of now, I have a charger, but no battery!!<br />
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On the bright side, lately I have begun lately a few interesting projects at my school that I think are worth mentioning. <br />
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The world map project was started by Barbara Jo White during her time as a PCV in the Dominican Republic back in the late 1980s. In my opinion it's one of the most educational and fun ways to get students thinking about the world and all of its enormity and diversity. Essentially she devised an easy method of constructing a political world map with nothing but pencils, a ruler/level/and paint (primary colors + white). All you do is find a clean wall, ideally visible to a majority of people if outside, draw your box (the dimensions of my map are: Width:280cm; Length:140cm), then you draw 56 vertical lines, and 28 horizontal lines which will give you a total of 1.568 grid squares. The trick is making sure that the lines you draw are straight, something that isn't possible with a ruler alone. That's where the level comes in handy. Making sure that the air bubble is in the middle will ensure that your straight lines aren't being drawn ever so slightly askew. It is those squares that you will use to draw the actual map. The guidebook divides the overall box into 18 quadrants and each quadrant is further subdivided into the individual grid boxes with the countries overlaid on them. All you have to do is simply copy the drawings, box by ever so tedious box onto the grid you constructed on the wall and before you know it, you have a map of the world! <br />
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It's really a great way to get students and teachers (those who can draw of course) involved and it is a great learning exercise for those who are not even participating in the drawing phase. Practically everyday I work on the map, large crowds of students, teachers, and random passerbys will gather at the base of my ladder to inquire as to what exactly what I'm doing even after I've explained it for umpteenth time. Their curiosity is overwhelming at times, and it's absolutely wonderful! "Ikenna which country are you drawing today" is the number one question I receive from those not helping and I will patiently reply trying my best to make it as educational and informative as possible.I drew all of the box and some of the lines. For the rest, I had a random selection of students at the primary and secondary school levels assist with drawing the lines, both boys and girls of course! As of now, I'm having a friend of mine in town who is an Australian help with the drawing of Australia and all of its associated territories. There are Brits, an American (ME!) Italians, working here in the village under either African Minerals or Salini Construction. My plan is to have them all participate in the drawing of the map so as to increase their own visibility around the school/community. <br />
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Once the drawing is complete, the real fun will begin...Painting!! My plan is to have an organized painting free-for-all so as to give those students who weren't able to help with the drawing an opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way. I believe that with a little guidance, almost everyone has the ability to paint, you just have to give them a chance. We haven't figured out a color scheme for all of the countries yet, nor have I figured out how we are going to decorate the map to make it look aesthetically pleasing, but we will get there eventually...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcNSo5mP9FjIgh1z_MzP8fTR-Jpg11gVaZYTlDst2Rmheem584yOH4dM8PLo4Rlp_Cl0Y47hieJWq7iIWceFJi9vHWUVpldlSmAt2q0T2hSBXGHIE4BYPC8vFlAOtY2I-QC9_Cd65pRI/s1600/DSCF9888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcNSo5mP9FjIgh1z_MzP8fTR-Jpg11gVaZYTlDst2Rmheem584yOH4dM8PLo4Rlp_Cl0Y47hieJWq7iIWceFJi9vHWUVpldlSmAt2q0T2hSBXGHIE4BYPC8vFlAOtY2I-QC9_Cd65pRI/s200/DSCF9888.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSU0A0xKsOaWkI43NRaUrzNEDdmc7DY41Z_cueCCInnid2Sontrzd7GCbmEjQVfWtkY8vLRYGjpt-xJMBT1pofVhbjFLYfKahPpn8jWmfTB25maKqMkn6yb36CCZBw3w2QAPdEWQEnsk/s1600/DSCF9892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSU0A0xKsOaWkI43NRaUrzNEDdmc7DY41Z_cueCCInnid2Sontrzd7GCbmEjQVfWtkY8vLRYGjpt-xJMBT1pofVhbjFLYfKahPpn8jWmfTB25maKqMkn6yb36CCZBw3w2QAPdEWQEnsk/s200/DSCF9892.JPG" /></a></div>Students intently looking at my work from below<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGqRUeil2Qa8CiAsgOxgc74Rl57A9uR9rXpwwTGXjY_GdLAVpuMleTV5Ow3caaaVxYeCdQ7LOgBaA_cm1X4kvGeCTlDjKST3wexJ8gqQKLgCRlrnA_o_nW3T2-0c6zSTGDHQo7c9ttIE/s1600/DSCF9911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGqRUeil2Qa8CiAsgOxgc74Rl57A9uR9rXpwwTGXjY_GdLAVpuMleTV5Ow3caaaVxYeCdQ7LOgBaA_cm1X4kvGeCTlDjKST3wexJ8gqQKLgCRlrnA_o_nW3T2-0c6zSTGDHQo7c9ttIE/s200/DSCF9911.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JbpLOzCuW-NDnpcAIZOBgsQTx7HhfIAKp3_wd01_tMiJlWQKdb-IKHxGAD83-GMx0ZXLqhiXwSfNF_LY4FvG9eHWNNaDdHW7t-XT9Nf90xZ7947Y7mM4LrZlx-hc7Bc64E9ApVbUGwc/s1600/DSCF9912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JbpLOzCuW-NDnpcAIZOBgsQTx7HhfIAKp3_wd01_tMiJlWQKdb-IKHxGAD83-GMx0ZXLqhiXwSfNF_LY4FvG9eHWNNaDdHW7t-XT9Nf90xZ7947Y7mM4LrZlx-hc7Bc64E9ApVbUGwc/s200/DSCF9912.JPG" /></a></div>One of my students, finishing off the grid!!<br />
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About a month ago or so, A representative from the NGO World Hope came to visit me at my home in Bumbuna. There is a man by the name of Daniel who does a lot of work with World Hope and assists them in implementing projects in the northern provinces. He and I had talked about the sorry state of fruit preservation in Bumbuna. What typically happens is that when a particularly desirable fruit is in season, the market will flooded with them, prices will be relatively low, demand high, and as a result, before you know it, they are gone. I got my first lesson of that with oranges. They are no longer in season, and I crave them constantly! Fruits like Papaya, banana, papaya, are available for longer periods of time during the year, but mangoes, pineapples, and avocados, are not easy to find in the villages all year-round at low prices. This man came because he had learned through daniel that I was interested in starting a fruit preservation project here in Bumbuna. According to him, World Hope is trying to start some sort of micro-enterprise project here in Bumbuna with fruit preservation and canning. I expressed my interest to daniel sometime back in building from scratch a solar dryer with the hopes of demonstrating its efficacy to people in the community. If that failed, the least I could do is make it an educational activity. Maybe having a solar dryer at my school to use as a way to teach mathematical, biological, and nutritional principles, would help to increase the awareness and effectiveness of a solar dryer in keeping nutritionally rich fruits available for longer periods of time during the year<br />
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It's all conjecture for now. Only once we're finished with the world map will I attempt to build a solar dryer. In preliminary discussions Ive had with a few farmers around Bumbuna, there seems to be interest in the idea of utilizing a solar dryer, but only time will tell just how serious people are in pursuing it. We shall see!Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-68060331960306353942010-12-31T16:21:00.000-06:002010-12-31T16:21:57.857-06:00First of many random food related postsIt's interesting how this is the first food-related post of mine as a PCV given all the interesting mishaps and successes we have all had with local food here in Sierra Leone!<br />
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Ok so during the early days as a freshly minted Peace Corps volunteer, back when everything was so new, foreign, intimidating (still seems that way sometimes!), and exciting, I decided to do a random food experiement. I was bored one day and had on me a bag of raw palm kernels, some salt, a loaf of locally made white bread, and a killer appetite. This was back when I was still trying to navigate the complex foodways of Bumbuna, Sierra Leone and didn't quite know what my next meal would be. What would seem like a random vichyssoise of ingredients to most people was to me at the time a complete meal! So thus began the experiment...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAysLDe0Z-j30t0RH1or8ljHKHsncK1M1uDFPPE2joETSfKYYZwQ6W0I2Wg8t3vXuzuDeMOCdO-OF6LAjWxhapojVGzyASPYy3TiKJnTD3czMLk1Zf2sVJlJf4JnqL03Oz1oPVmPtw_U/s1600/DSCF9650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAysLDe0Z-j30t0RH1or8ljHKHsncK1M1uDFPPE2joETSfKYYZwQ6W0I2Wg8t3vXuzuDeMOCdO-OF6LAjWxhapojVGzyASPYy3TiKJnTD3czMLk1Zf2sVJlJf4JnqL03Oz1oPVmPtw_U/s200/DSCF9650.JPG" /></a></div>Behold the palm kernels<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WgZ1u5mN3dPUKpzSJLYQBXPpfmGeAKmElz2DQHlzg06AHcX9gl41vWYlbEFBcaM5W-KjBlTDzU375RwsGwI5T0jJOevTFLI7phwHgmLiWe_6EltqX-JeUK_50mSsllASmnFTexqDB0g/s1600/DSCF9652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WgZ1u5mN3dPUKpzSJLYQBXPpfmGeAKmElz2DQHlzg06AHcX9gl41vWYlbEFBcaM5W-KjBlTDzU375RwsGwI5T0jJOevTFLI7phwHgmLiWe_6EltqX-JeUK_50mSsllASmnFTexqDB0g/s200/DSCF9652.JPG" /></a></div>You take a piece of bread, dipped in a small amount of salt (Iodized if your feeling fancy that particular day) and take a bite<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5LFTNuXKOqwOcFKNVjixz5FZiEau4l39NIz_8kTPsMgugBRZZWT_HiwMMS5-wT3U9C_nWauqaBAg-Iy9FV0L_p2CZ-BTBGIeg4PKXGn749DjhX0HnUiwlgMgGi0JMZ-r-Rx0a3rPSfE/s1600/DSCF9651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5LFTNuXKOqwOcFKNVjixz5FZiEau4l39NIz_8kTPsMgugBRZZWT_HiwMMS5-wT3U9C_nWauqaBAg-Iy9FV0L_p2CZ-BTBGIeg4PKXGn749DjhX0HnUiwlgMgGi0JMZ-r-Rx0a3rPSfE/s200/DSCF9651.JPG" /></a></div>You take one palm kernel (Your fingers may get stained in the process...don't worry, this is normal)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKlL0pv8ebq56UieAYWk8J8ZB5inw_CWP6SOxcwuXFlbP6yi4W3gFGYLAEvNpsWaAUt-LRvCxA-Nyo5pSFBLAayIR80Pqg8XCnajfvjs_4VVtTyZo0vINEDZQSv2U8u4fHe-YAytUv4I/s1600/DSCF9653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKlL0pv8ebq56UieAYWk8J8ZB5inw_CWP6SOxcwuXFlbP6yi4W3gFGYLAEvNpsWaAUt-LRvCxA-Nyo5pSFBLAayIR80Pqg8XCnajfvjs_4VVtTyZo0vINEDZQSv2U8u4fHe-YAytUv4I/s200/DSCF9653.JPG" /></a></div>And take a sizeable bit of the selected palm kernel, taking care to leave behind the stringy pulp, with the salted bread still in mouth<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcOSBf05m9w6lKiqt5NxEgO0yEwvd9ZszwyVTCfKYULdemkF55JxZzHAP5qTtRmojvzGuYlW0EjKXvkAot2aOZwhn5GG8wKmMhbXqDsUfKwgKgY4XosortgCg611MLVjz5Medlv9akOI/s1600/DSCF9657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcOSBf05m9w6lKiqt5NxEgO0yEwvd9ZszwyVTCfKYULdemkF55JxZzHAP5qTtRmojvzGuYlW0EjKXvkAot2aOZwhn5GG8wKmMhbXqDsUfKwgKgY4XosortgCg611MLVjz5Medlv9akOI/s200/DSCF9657.JPG" /></a></div>Then chew chew chew the mish-mash together, taking note of the ohh so complex, bitter and oily undertones of the palm kernels and the way they blend together with the salty, earthiness of the locally made bread, all up in your mouth, giving you a satisfying and memorable eating experience!!...Then Repeat at least 15 times...or at least until you feel like throwing up, it's your call ;)<br />
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Note: I'm not responsible for any unintentional staining of the lips, teeth, clothing, and/or fingers during this experience.Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-37744103969580653932010-12-30T12:33:00.003-06:002010-12-31T14:59:29.210-06:00Christmas Na Bumbuna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwI4_Wai4xVdI-oAxxGb3c9zH62LWCB4TzMaO40NjwDaRR7f3_ckW7c4X8ZmsHaXftlpKhLDTseQb80KlDdQ_wU4NCZFu3k16UvdXvd9CA_AHYUqaHU7BPH9LzumYvlUereyyWMFKUW3s/s1600/DSCF9857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwI4_Wai4xVdI-oAxxGb3c9zH62LWCB4TzMaO40NjwDaRR7f3_ckW7c4X8ZmsHaXftlpKhLDTseQb80KlDdQ_wU4NCZFu3k16UvdXvd9CA_AHYUqaHU7BPH9LzumYvlUereyyWMFKUW3s/s200/DSCF9857.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Masquerade fun in Kamankay!<br />
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Na mi firs Chrismas away from me fambul dem (This was my first christmas away from my family) and it was great! Although not because I was away from my family, simply because, Christmas in Bumbuna was that good. Sierra Leoneans from all over the country, even some from Europe and America came to spend Christmas in Bumbuna. Bumbuna's populations is already swelling due to the presence of the two companies: African Minerals and Salini Construction. The electricity in my village is also another reason why so many people in Sierra Leone are trying to press their luck in Bumbuna. Christmas day was not so much as festive as the day after Christmas...what's known as Boxing Day, which to my knowledge is not widely observed back in the states. To be honest I really didn't do that much on Christmas day. I relaxed and ate food with my neighbors and baked them some peanut butter bread (which they loved!...Peace Corps recipe) in a dutch oven with local materials: A coal pot cooker, metal pot, sand, a small baking tin, and a small empty tin can. I didn't take pictures, but it's really easy to do. Next time I bake I will document it. On Boxing Day, the tradition here is to spend the day at the Bumbuna waterfalls drinking, enjoying good food and music, and having a grand-ole time. There were actually two outings: The one at the Bumbuna Waterfalls, and the other in Kamankay, where I live, down at the rivers edge, again with music, food, drink, and merriment.<br />
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Later that evening, there were two dances held. one in Bumbuna and one in Kamankay. I of course attended both and had a blast dancing and having fun with all the beautiful people. I get the impression that the best places to spend your holidays is in the village instead of Freetown. Freetown tends to get too congested at this time of the year because of the influx of holiday travelers. So how ironic it is for me to writing this post from Freetown. I was originally going to spend it at another PCV's village, but I had an emergency situation with my macbook pro charger. It quit working altogether so at the recommendation of one Peace Corps staffer, I traveled to Freetown to have it looked it by a computer specialist. Afterwards I was told that the voltage regulator was completely fried and replacing it would be impossible. Unfortunately Apple hasn't made it's way over to Sierra Leone so for the time being, I'm without a laptop, until my family can send one over to me.<br />
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Until I recieve it (If I recieve it) posts will be fairly limited :( <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfEc3J6aAjpXF0SmzRhoL-qIL1BbaV6bGClr89qRfUXfykUQbsO0isSXsj0Z-zLMlajihi4s9t27-naiKgbC4fSgneDZ2NnuPYKuiui6QuonBlRkr17ajLPXCpsTykQAxAtd1a9lXsME/s1600/DSCF9867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfEc3J6aAjpXF0SmzRhoL-qIL1BbaV6bGClr89qRfUXfykUQbsO0isSXsj0Z-zLMlajihi4s9t27-naiKgbC4fSgneDZ2NnuPYKuiui6QuonBlRkr17ajLPXCpsTykQAxAtd1a9lXsME/s200/DSCF9867.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Patricia and I, the yogurt lady, at Bumbuna Waterfalls<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIOICq97Y_KX6Ijwj4zRwf3TORY5TTB_tYvLpimUWyc2y7Ejvr5u5v1hPkegQMucfbSQ-xTynwi5Zq8-9cy7wvcPqytN17mFX3RauezknyocrvIEylAo9FFq6GBXtPPNAc4qOjVVsDQA/s1600/DSCF9863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIOICq97Y_KX6Ijwj4zRwf3TORY5TTB_tYvLpimUWyc2y7Ejvr5u5v1hPkegQMucfbSQ-xTynwi5Zq8-9cy7wvcPqytN17mFX3RauezknyocrvIEylAo9FFq6GBXtPPNAc4qOjVVsDQA/s200/DSCF9863.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Some of my neighbors in Kamankay at the Kamankay outing on Boxing day...There is a strange, inexplicable contrast going on hereIkenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-52857917502587775812010-11-20T10:45:00.005-06:002010-12-29T16:33:36.192-06:00AnonymityOhh anonymity, that concept is virtually non-existent here in my village, especially if your are an individual perceived by others to be high on the social hierarchy i.e. paramount chiefs, section chiefs, principal of the secondary school, or an American Peace Corps volunteer working hard to adjust to the different customs (ME!). Back home, you can go about your business in complete anonymity, although it varies from city to city, state to state and region to region. That is why America is soo unique. But here in my village, every act I engage in is subject to the public sphere. When I’m in a room with a group of people or anywhere in fact, and I so much as utter a word to one person, EVERYONE gets silent, as if what I’m saying was meant for their ears. I experience this a lot in on the public transport here is Sierra Leone. The differences etiquette on all modes of public transport between America and Sierra Leone are very striking. <br />
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For instance; Lets say I decide to take a trip from Bumbuna to Makeni or Makeni to Freetown, and vice-versa. As I have established in previous posts, all individuals are usually packed like sardines with no room to reach into your pockets let alone breathe comfortably. And lets for a minute assume that all individuals traveling are complete strangers (a rare occurrence in a country with about 14 ethnic groups and as well connected socially as Sierra Leone is). We are all hot, sweaty, aggravated to be squished beyond comprehension (No mash mi! is a common Krio phrase you will hear in taxi or poda-poda rides which literally means: Don’t mash me! Or Shoob smal! Which literally means: Move over a little bit!), and quite frankly scared out of our wits in the event that an accident occurs. Yet through all the stress, the Salone man/woman will never miss an opportunity to engage in public lament, in Krio: E no easy mi brotha (Its not easy my brother), or again Krio: Look mi how ah/wi de suffa (Look at how I’m/We’re suffering). Lets just say, its one of the ties that binds; those that suffer together, stay together as they say. Yet, if there is every a place a stranger can learn about the issues facing Sierra Leoneans today it’s on public transport, I’m telling you! You will hear the most interesting conversations, and all you have to do is just sit there and listen, if you are an anthropologist by trade, just forget about participant observation! Most of the discussions revolve around politics and the general direction the country is going, sometimes the travelers will talk about me as if I’m not sitting there in the car with them or as if I cannot understand their language. People constantly ask me in Krio: Olman, u no de speak? (Gentleman, don’t you talk?) and when I answer in Krio, there is amazement and slight embarrassment when they realize that the person they have been talking about has understood every word. I never get tired of it People will talk and converse with each other on these rides as if they known each other all their lives. <br />
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Contrast that to your average bus/subway ride on the NYC metro or any other major metropolitan area in the U.S., COMPLETE SILENCE. One of three things usually happen though: people have their heads buried in a book; their ears are plugged with the latest tunes from their iPods, consciousnesses out of step with the outside world, they are talking to their friends/acquaintances, or they’re just sitting there in abject silence. To merely speak to the random stranger sitting next to you feels like an interruption of his/her life rhythm or flow. (I’m generalizing just so you know). When my time here as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone is finished, I’m going to have a hell of a time re-adjusting to the pace of life in the U.S. The U.S., generally a society that prides itself on individual novelty and achievement, and Sierra Leone, a society in which the maintenance of group cohesion trumps any individual zeal. There are many more differences, relating to anonymity but indirectly I suppose. I heard a proverb on the BBC radio program, Focus on Africa one day that went something like this: If you want to learn about Africa, you should open your ears, and close your mouth. That’s a creed I’ve been trying to live by here, (It’s difficult for me because I like to ask questions) but what you hide by closing your mouth, you inevitably give away with your face, a more indirect mode of communicating your intentions or emotional state(s). What is interesting is that people here are EXTREMELY sensitive to that (indirect communication that is). I’ve had numerous experiences when I’d be listening to a conversation not knowing that I was giving away my opinion, en bloc. The only way I knew that I was giving away my views? People would say things to me that made me think, DAMN! How’d’ they know that I felt that way? I have been told that I have really expressive eyes (thank you Miss Jennifer Sloan), so I probably shouldn’t be surprised.<br />
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Bottom line? Anonymity here is scant. Even the ants, mosquitoes, and black flies (What a menace those black flies are!!!!!!) wont leave you alone…haha<br />
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Noteworthy developments:<br />
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-My school now has real, 24 hour, 21st century, sustainable electricity!!! No more generators, no more fuss, no more nonsense. As per the conditions of their contract with the government of Sierra Leone, Salini Construction, the Italian firm developing the hydroelectric damn here in my village, Bumbuna, has connected my school with electricity from the Damn. As I’m writing this post now, I’m using electricity from the Damn itself. The day that they installed the power, all of the students at the school dug a trench leading from the street lamp on the school campus, to the building where the electricity would be distributed to all of the other buildings. The only reason we had the students dig the trench was because of the impatience of the school staff. Usually Salini digs the trenches but they were on a tight schedule, and wouldn’t have installed the power at our school for a while, unless somebody dug the trench for them (the students!!)<br />
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-We have just finished building a second well near my house in the village that I technically reside in, Kamankay (The first well was constructed by World Hope). Kamankay is technically part of Bumbuna, it is separated from Bumbuna by the River Rokel, the longest river in Sierra Leone. Until recently, the only way you could access Bumbuna from Kamankay and vice versa was by boat, until Salini built the road bridge. A three-person team came in and drilled through the iron-oxide rich soil and rock approximately 30 meters underground to find an underwater reservoir. It was a long process with a series of repetitive steps, although it was completed in about two and a half days. I served as the “apprentice”. Whenever I wasn’t teaching at school I came back home and helped wherever I could. It was a dirty job! When I’m able to, I will post pictures and you will see how dirty I became despite the fact that I probably helped with 20%-30% of the work. All that is left now is to pour cement around the pvc pipe casings, and construct the pump mechanism that will allow residents to draw the water up. It was great to be a part of the development process, bringing clean water to the residents here.<br />
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-You know what else is great? ELECTRICITY, and STREET LIGHTS. Bumbuna is being light with street lamps on a level that will far surpass that of Freetown, when looked at in terms of percent coverage. Salini is now constructing streetlights in Kamkankay, and they are all really close to my house. Which means that when they are finished and the National Power Authority (The government electric power authority) moves in, I will have the opportunity to have electricity diverted to my house, although there is no telling when that will happen (hopefully soon, fingers crossed).<br />
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-We have finally started making moves to construct the basketball court at my school. On Friday, I had all of the students taking Physical Health and Education (P.H.E.)_brush the 50x84 foot demarcation we made in the field where the court is to be constructed. I’m sure that anyone reading this who has grown up farming in Sierra Leone or anywhere in West Africa will know that brushing is not an easy task, especially when the only tools available are the native ones: a blunt cutlass, a blunt hoe of various sizes, and a shovel. Those are the tools that the students did the work with which consisted of removing all the grass from the field. We started with about 5 students, all in JSS3 and then one of the PHE teachers gave me all of his students to assist us with the work. What happened next was pure chaos! You would think that having more hands for a tough job would make it go smoothly right? No. I thought we were working pretty efficiently, but as soon as the students came, loud shouting ensued with little work to accompany any of the shouting. I was afraid that the work wouldn’t get done. I was getting annoyed and was on the verge of flipping out on all of the students until Richard, one of my JSS3 students, reassured me that I should not worry and that the work would get done. Sure enough, I waited a bit, and the students began working with me as one of the overseers. The other overseer, one of the P.H.E teachers for JSS 1 &2 used a small whip made from a tree branch to enforce the order. Needless to say, I used to power of my cool voice to maintain order among the unruly bunch, but I will admit, if I didn’t have him around, the job would not have been finished. Don’t worry; I’m not about to accept corporal punishment anytime soon! People here have their own peculiar way of getting tasks done which may seem nonsensical to you or I, but if you wait awhile, the job will eventually get done, emphasis on the awhile.<br />
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Now all that we have to do is figure out how we are going to acquire the resources for the backboard, concrete for the court, and poles for the goals. We already have a nice basketball and a set of rims and nets. What I think I will do is ask the local carpenter who is working on the school, to build a backboard for us, once he has the appropriate dimensions. I still haven’t figured out if we should use a wooden or metal pole for the goal. Metal is stronger, although more expensive, and wood, especially strong bamboo is more plentiful, although it will weather much faster. Once the court is constructed, all that is left is to paint the lines, e.g. half-court line, three-point/free-throw line, the lane, and the out of bounds line. I’m trying my best to help the students take advantage of their local resources in this project, rather in getting outside help to magnanimously bestow them with a basketball court, from the very Gods themselves. The concrete will be a problem though. Cement is expensive, especially for the large area it’s needed for. I have been taping with my camera the students working and have also recorded a few students’ responses to the question: Why do you think Saint Matthews Secondary School of Bumbuna, Sierra Leone should have a basketball court? With the hopes of showing it to anyone who might be able to provide us with a donation (of cement, the manpower to mix and pour the concrete, or anything!).<br />
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Suggestions are welcome!<br />
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Well Na in Dat (Well that’s that)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VtjfrhkGbMSJ0bPfh1HvKUwA9GHHNiQqG9D-W-Yn2IBmN0tYYxIwhO-l3NZlLeXXoVACmqVhARNEK0vfhyuYHfA_Pe0H_vKe_Sh2SC2m2VoSfrpA-dpki1TzQab82k_4Vl-4uzp_m24/s1600/DSCF9778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VtjfrhkGbMSJ0bPfh1HvKUwA9GHHNiQqG9D-W-Yn2IBmN0tYYxIwhO-l3NZlLeXXoVACmqVhARNEK0vfhyuYHfA_Pe0H_vKe_Sh2SC2m2VoSfrpA-dpki1TzQab82k_4Vl-4uzp_m24/s320/DSCF9778.JPG" /></a></div><br />
All of us posing after finishing the first phase of the well construction in Kamankay<br />
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The one of four streetlights in Kamankay!!Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-12099343367136060102010-10-30T09:57:00.001-05:002010-10-30T10:13:40.742-05:00ProverbsA few weeks before being sworn in as PCVs, we held a supervisor workshop where all the soon to be PCTs met with their soon to be supervisors. It was pretty fun; we all sat through various sessions and learned about the core expectations that PCVs should have of their supervisors while at site. Before we began those sessions, we took part in a little matchmaking icebreaker (Peace Corps love ice-breakers!). All of the PCTs and supervisors were given a slip of paper. On each paper was one half of an African proverb and our job was to find our counterpart (supervisor) who we thought possessed the other half of the correct corresponding proverb. Afterwards, we were instructed to learn a little bit about each other and figure out the meaning of the proverb, and share our findings with the rest of the audience. I just want to share some of the proverbs that caught my attention. Feel free to comment if you have an interpretation for any of the proverbs below!!:<br />
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“News doesn’t have feet but it travels.”<br />
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“No matter how you fix a chimpanzees nose, it is still ugly.”<br />
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“No matter how big a child is, he will never be bigger than his father.”<br />
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“If you don’t get along with a hunter in town, don’t follow him into the bush.”<br />
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“If you can’t catch a black goat during the day, you certainly can’t catch it at night.”<br />
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“The stick you find inside a canoe is the one you will paddle with.”<br />
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“The same rain that beats bitter leaf until it is bitter, beats sugar cane until it is sweet.”<br />
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“If you beat a drum for a madman, you are also crazy too.”<br />
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“If a cotton tree falls down, it is still taller than the grass.”<br />
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“A family tree can bend, but it will never break.”<br />
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“You cannot hide something under your armpit while beating rice in a mortar.”<br />
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“If you listen to the noise of the market, you will never buy what you want.”<br />
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The last one is one of my favorites, due both to its shallow and deep meaning. The market woman here can be really aggressive and distracting if you don’t know exactly what you are looking for ;)Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-38884849248136093692010-10-23T10:44:00.000-05:002010-10-23T10:44:10.737-05:00Development and Me<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"> <!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I have been an official bona fide Peace Corps Volunteer here in Bumbuna for a little over three months now, and already I have been thinking about what precisely my role here during the next two years will be. Not necessarily my role as I see it. From my point of view it is pretty clear what my role is. But more importantly, I have been wondering what my role here is as a PCV from the point of view of the locals here. There was immense excitement upon my arrival here, and rightly so. PCVs have and done a lot of good things in the villages they have served, but essentially we are development workers when it boils right down to it, and being a development worker comes with a whole host of responsibilities, none of which should be taken for granted in any context whatsoever. But honestly, I’m still wondering what expectations people here in Bumbuna have for me. Ill give a few incidents I’ve experienced that I hope will clarify or illustrate what exactly I’m trying to say.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">So in case you were wondering, there is corporal punishment at my school, St. Matthews and most likely, in every other secondary school in this country, despite the fact that it is against government policy, whatever that means! It is a policy that was instituted, I suspect, at the behest of any number of Western institutions or NGOs operating here in Sierra Leone. To me it is a strange policy not because I agree that corporal punishment should be used in the schools (I in fact do not); It is strange because the teachers in the schools seem to lack alternative means of disciplining the students. They truly believe, at least from the discussions that Ive had (In the interest of not over-generalizing), that the “African child”, whatever that title entails, will not listen to you unless you institute the cane. In the beginning, I definitely made my views regarding corporal punishment known to all of my colleagues at the school and the principal (My supervisor), without any concern of offending any of them. But of course I did so always in a respectful way, making sure to back up all of my assertions and viewpoints with what seemed to me (and to any of my other Peace Corps friends/colleagues I’m sure), to be sound logic and intuition. The only problem is, most people here don’t operate on logic! I can’t explain it, Ill try sometime later.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">There was an incident at my school where a few of the JSS girls were kneeling down in the hot sun as punishment for some unknown crime. I asked the girls what they did to deserve that punishment, and they told me that they were caught idling outside of class when they should have been inside it, although I should say that the teacher didn’t show up to the class at the appropriate time, something that happens frequently at my school so I simply wanted to understand the rationale behind the punishment. I approached my principal and questioned her as to why the students were kneeling down. I just wanted to hear both sides of the story. But unfortunately, when it comes to discipline, only one side matters here, and that is the side of the teacher/headmaster, their word is infallible. My principal was annoyed that I was impudent enough to even question her and she fired back at me saying that I should allow her to discipline <u>her</u> kids the way she disciplines them. I was incredibly offended and left school wondering what the locals thinks my role at the school and Bumbuna is. Do they want me to just fill in a niche (Biology SSS) and keep my mouth shut about things that could be done better at the school and community? And there are Boku things that could be done better. Do they just see me as an extension of the many NGOs here in Sierra Leone and expect me to procure funds on command for all the material things they want in? It’s not easy. All I know is when it comes to teaching my students, I want to make them feel that there is a very big and interesting world out there outside of Sierra Leone and get them to enjoy learning about biology, all in the same breath, something that is not easy to do. Right now it’s pretty easy because wer’e talking about ecology, so it’s very easy to illustrate ecological principles using relevant examples in their communities. Ive been bringing my laminated National Geographic map when talking about the places certain animals and plants are able to survive in the biosphere and also when showing my students all the places Ive been in America and the World. They absolutely love it, and they absolutely want it! In other words, they want me to leave it at the school for them. BUT I think it would be more meaningful if the students created their own map, instead of having a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“big man” (Me) magnanimously give them one, out of the goodness of his heart. What if they crafted a map on their own, with my facilitation of course, that they could take great pride in knowing that it was theirs and that no one could take it away from them? I think the world map project is in order here. But I still need more time to gauge just how badly they want it. If they don’t want to map badly enough to be wiling to put the work in building it, then maybe, just maybe, they don’t want a map at all.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">A lot of the students at my school are also really interested in basketball! They eventually want to build a court on the school grounds, we have the space, but whether we have the resources is another matter. They have been looking to me for help in building the court, as if consulting me will magically result in there being a court constructed overnight. I played basketball in high school and used to play for fun during my spare time back home so I would love nothing more than to see a court constructed. Right now, we have the ball, and two rims and nets for the goals, but nothing more. Deep inside, I know that my students have what it takes to utilize their local resources to help build one. But right now, as with the world map, I want to gauge just who wants the map badly enough to be willing to put the work in necessary to build one. Those are the people I’m most interested in helping to construct one. As of now, what we need is cement for the court, metal poles for the goals (strong wood poles might work just as well), backboards which could easily be constructed by our local carpenter, Mr. Koroma, the man who also built a lot of the furniture for my home, and paint for the court itself, and backboard. An easy task? Well we will see just how bad they want it.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I hope to be meeting with U.S. representatives of the World Bank tomorrow. One really friendly and helpful person here in Bumbuna, Mr. Moore, who works for a local NGO here in Bumbuna that works directly with the World Bank, will hopefully be introducing me to them. From what I understand, there are a few projects under the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Project that are receiving direct support from the World Bank and the purpose of their visit is to ensure that everything is going smoothly. For me it would be a great opportunity to meet them and see if there are any opportunities for collaboration on secondary projects. I’m really excited about their arrival. The last time I talked to Mr. Moore about his work with the World Bank he told me about one of the project goals of the Bumbuna Hydro-Electric Project, the establishment of a viable ecotourism industry in Bumbuna. Mr. Moore told me that there are rare bird species up near the site of the damn, but their population numbers are in jeopardy due to the extensive habitat destruction as a result of the construction of the damn. There are other sensitive animal and plant species near the site of the damn as well, and it would be awesome if the villagers here understood that there doesn’t have to be a trade-off between preserving biodiversity and preserving land for farming purposes. I really think that if instituted properly, it would be a great source of revenue for Bumbuna proper.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">The last thing I want is for people to look at me and see a walking bank. If I’m able to help start one, two, three or more projects while here in Bumbuna, I want for the locals to feel that they did it themselves, not that they did it with any sort of assistance from me, whether or not its true. I think that empowerment is much more desirable than dependency in any development scenario, no matter where you find yourself.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Quick updates:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">-I’ve had bird number three die in my possession, another weaverbird caught by one of my students. Something tells me that I probably should take it easy in trying to care for wild birds, maybe if I find a pigeon Ill consider it, they usually do well in captivity.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">-My carpenter finally got around to fixing my leaking <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>roof! I wont know till the next heavy rain if he actually did the work properly.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">-Im going to have a street light right near my house pretty soon! Salini is also constructing an electricity box literally right in front of my house so if I decide to opt in for electricity in my home, the opportunity is there</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">-I have a gas tank now and I’m now cooking with gas, not all the time though, just so I can make it last…Soo convenient!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">-I stepped on a baby chick on accident yesterday in such a way that its guts exploded from its body. I felt soo bad! And you want to know what made it infinitely worse? When I placed him at his final resting place, I was horrified to later find one of the other local hens cannibalizing the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>baby chick. It puts a new meaning on the circle of life I guess. I really have been having bad luck with birds lately…</div><!--EndFragment--></span></span>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-91055226205495623202010-10-09T10:58:00.001-05:002010-11-06T09:21:26.248-05:00Whoa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4AbHe7EMrxqQB2jtNPI_VcdJOZ4ZSsXeyb6vCSHWnfnDW1brnRlZ3YTBSZRmtv5jvVtM2NNet7jXrNjJsb2tJAbN1OWBQkkxNYDgnDGTX6u18fZ6IxwiEfYRS3_rD2HMLyD8Q8HL8_Q/s1600/DSCF9680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4AbHe7EMrxqQB2jtNPI_VcdJOZ4ZSsXeyb6vCSHWnfnDW1brnRlZ3YTBSZRmtv5jvVtM2NNet7jXrNjJsb2tJAbN1OWBQkkxNYDgnDGTX6u18fZ6IxwiEfYRS3_rD2HMLyD8Q8HL8_Q/s200/DSCF9680.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My late vice principal and I</div>This past week, I've witnessed death about, 3 times now, the 4th time was indirect, but it hit close to to home. Two were major ones, the other two were minor, I guess, it depends on who you ask, but nonetheless, they put the cap on an otherwise death filled week.<br />
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<b>1)</b>My vice principal, Mr. Conteh passed away at the young age of 42 two thursdays ago. The circumstances surrounding his death are still unknown, and it was very depressing to see it happen to such a young individual and to a community that valued the contributions he made to the school. Carlos and Sarah came to visit me two Saturdays ago and we decided to visit my principal, Mrs. Jalloh, who happens to the official community. "supervisor" the Peace Corps assigned to me here in Bumbuna. When we arrived at her house, she wasn't around, so we waited only to see her arrive with Mr. Conteh who complained that he wasn't "feeling to bright", (A local idiom used here which essentially means that the person is sick). He had just returned from the hospital, so I gave him my condolences and he went to his house. Carlos, Sarah, Mrs Jalloh, and I chatted for a while only to have our conversation interrupted by a child screaming hysterically, "Mr. Conteh! Mr Conteh! Come quick!, he is dying, he is dying. So Mr, Jalloh and I bolted to his home. Up until that time, I never once stepped foot in his home, but at that particular moment I didnt need any directions because the sounds of women and children wailing in complete and utter despair guided me to where I needed to go.<br />
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When I arrived, I followed the crowd of people to Mr. Conteh's bedroom only to find Mr. Conteh lying in his bed. He was unconscious, convulsing, sweating profusely, his pulse was racing, and his body was cold to the touch. There were men standing over him, fanning him furiously because the room he was in was unbearable hot. I tried to remain calm and did my best to restore any semblance of order in the room. I instructed those who were crying or crowding him to leave at once, and made sure that the men fanning Mr. Conteh kept it up. All I could really do was make sure that he was getting enough air and space.<br />
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It was very unsettling to witness this event, considering especially the random nature of it all. All I could do was hope that this man, this young, seemingly healthy individual, didn't die right before my eyes, in my arms even. His convulsions were alternating between fast, sporadic and slow, halting gyrations which forced me to hold my breath with the hopes of not witnessing firsthand what would eventually become inevitable.<br />
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He was eventually taken to Makeni in my principal's own vehicle where he spent the week recovering. Around that tuesday, I heard that he was conscious and recovering, although he didn't remember anything from that saturday. That thursday, I was walking back to my house from town, and I heard from a unidentified man walking down the street that Mr. Conteh had passed away that evening. I couldn't believe it so I called Mrs. Jalloh to ask if she heard anything, she said no, and called that hospital and family and it was later confirmed that he had indeed died that evening.<br />
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I think it is disturbing for anyone, especially a PCV, to witness the death of a colleague soo soon, especially somebody who showed no sign of sickness, and someone who was considered an invaluable resource for the school; Mr. Conteh was teaching a full course load at the school across many different subjects. At the same time, I have to be aware of my surroundings. Adequate systems of healthcare are minimal to non-existent here in Salone and it will take time for things to improve. In the mean time, people will continue to be misdiagnosed or go untreated for what are considered in the west as treatable diseases.<br />
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<b>2) </b>A student at my school who was pregnant recently died earlier this week during childbirth.<br />
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<b>3)</b> One of my colleagues came to work one day with a baby weaver bird! So I asked him if I could have it. I kept him in an empty chalk-box that was punched full of holes and fed him an eclectic diet of rice, peanut butter and earthworms, but he unfortunately died about a few days after taking him in :( His death occurred the same day as...<br />
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<b>4)</b> When one of my students in Integrated science (JSS3) showed me a bird he stoned. When he brought it to me, it was practically half dead, my scientific side took over, and I spent about 30 minutes looking through my <b><i>Birds of Western Africa </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">guide trying to identify him, to no avail ( He was a sparrow of some kind, There are soo many birds here!) One of the other teachers in my school, seeing that I was busy trying to identify the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>passerine</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">, carelessly flicked him while saying, "ohh what's this?" No sooner than when he flicked him, its violently shuttered in my grips, and summarily died....</span></b><br />
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Well, I do plan on keeping an exotic pet or two, or three, or four, in my house, but at the rate Im going now maybe I need to reconsider my options?....Ehh...no..<br />
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Life is still goodIkenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-6979774931091067672010-10-02T09:19:00.025-05:002010-11-06T10:43:03.751-05:00Lost photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKwQaCreR6PCXMUUK_E6-oxCC109iIbor38Pl-ALWNLHFUOa2pZNZorjdR7tvfkJm2WySDSdPQE8Acd3tDXEoF6q8EPJ-SYepJ_2HxOBdfRF-2i7j6nSF2sOy7qN_M6wK_wbqLIDyzek/s1600/DSCF9551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKwQaCreR6PCXMUUK_E6-oxCC109iIbor38Pl-ALWNLHFUOa2pZNZorjdR7tvfkJm2WySDSdPQE8Acd3tDXEoF6q8EPJ-SYepJ_2HxOBdfRF-2i7j6nSF2sOy7qN_M6wK_wbqLIDyzek/s200/DSCF9551.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Marty and I during our swearing ceremony<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCi5iNcO3StvWCy8ugXBY0eR25Ij7mqEBZwtR3sfVcVm-MT2trr1V1bEU32WKo7U02AFbT_3t8yTjiee8E9ASfcjSN4_eX2Kqk5PTdrAGoc6c1OI6zTVJm0FsoVIhS_2TwKdD7PCHe2GY/s1600/DSCF9496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCi5iNcO3StvWCy8ugXBY0eR25Ij7mqEBZwtR3sfVcVm-MT2trr1V1bEU32WKo7U02AFbT_3t8yTjiee8E9ASfcjSN4_eX2Kqk5PTdrAGoc6c1OI6zTVJm0FsoVIhS_2TwKdD7PCHe2GY/s200/DSCF9496.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Allie, my Limba language trainer during training<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81D54mFIGUpfYaVgh8D1lavqLKRdUu7L2KVrPxiMIdeDwNr3GKO3UwtFBAQQEhKE9nI6CopJKjJPKpC38RFTL8k8mCMR9NdtfagmMHx8PT3U1EHgocq-yvOdgwizpBJc3MCZ8KzdRxFY/s1600/DSCF4372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81D54mFIGUpfYaVgh8D1lavqLKRdUu7L2KVrPxiMIdeDwNr3GKO3UwtFBAQQEhKE9nI6CopJKjJPKpC38RFTL8k8mCMR9NdtfagmMHx8PT3U1EHgocq-yvOdgwizpBJc3MCZ8KzdRxFY/s200/DSCF4372.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not quite sure what Miss Gavina is doing here</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJi1YUSlFmzoV-zax7tvPbqqsaW-9N-Azmwb89zGedAF4umn_EVcrRm_UewmBsb3yw4x8RrPMFAWCqKxEYbtr6_BwusyD-kUw0oUTMU7Za7emGafGxzb2qL_I9DCNgKf27UoLAa_8CW8/s1600/DSCF9700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJi1YUSlFmzoV-zax7tvPbqqsaW-9N-Azmwb89zGedAF4umn_EVcrRm_UewmBsb3yw4x8RrPMFAWCqKxEYbtr6_BwusyD-kUw0oUTMU7Za7emGafGxzb2qL_I9DCNgKf27UoLAa_8CW8/s200/DSCF9700.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My bird house!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pl90SF4G_oKEwlEL0EoHJ0NOJMxL4U-7iriyhikAvk6EGSeV5D3GkPYk9mhw9I8gnBOk9ybnNXUpC83f1rnubh5FUqPG3fqyI4aXoj-GzEPGgPll7FdcbAXFww8GdkTMqOF44_m68sk/s1600/DSCF4889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pl90SF4G_oKEwlEL0EoHJ0NOJMxL4U-7iriyhikAvk6EGSeV5D3GkPYk9mhw9I8gnBOk9ybnNXUpC83f1rnubh5FUqPG3fqyI4aXoj-GzEPGgPll7FdcbAXFww8GdkTMqOF44_m68sk/s200/DSCF4889.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Kristen during Amanda's birthday party</div><div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kLw6vlacTK0AwURhek1IbUslcmsc-om10KxAiLPXF57HcjBqi_bXH1Y_-wEDjIuNqx8syQRKTa-k7eCSeu-T2Us0__25TO4HC26um1vLDIpSIaHSfEgAyi_NBmLqHMgLcF9O6e1BWiM/s1600/DSCF9641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kLw6vlacTK0AwURhek1IbUslcmsc-om10KxAiLPXF57HcjBqi_bXH1Y_-wEDjIuNqx8syQRKTa-k7eCSeu-T2Us0__25TO4HC26um1vLDIpSIaHSfEgAyi_NBmLqHMgLcF9O6e1BWiM/s200/DSCF9641.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me after crawling in the manhole of my roof, trying to fix my leaks</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-39721933629800475872010-10-02T08:44:00.002-05:002010-10-02T08:44:59.841-05:00Tiles!<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Imperceptibly slowly, but surely, things are gradually falling into place. School has begun (I think!), my tiles are finished, although my roof still leaks, Im almost finished painting all the rooms in my house (only one left!) with the hope that it will look less depressing and dungeony, I’m finally getting the hang of how to consistently start and maintain the fire on my charcoal cooker (It’s pretty ingenious how this seemingly primitive device works), I’m learning more and more about the needs of the community that I live in each and every and I’m gradually falling into somewhat of a routine. It’s amazing how aware I’ve become of just how vital having a daily routine is to my well being, at any given time. You don’t become aware of it until you move to a very strange and different place and are forced to find ways to adjust. I’ve been at my posting now for about a month and a fortnight, and I have had my mental resolve tested on multiple occasions, both from my own experiences, and witnessing those of the people I’m living among. It’s really interesting.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Living in a country that ranks towards the very bottom on the U.N. development index in development really opens your eyes to all the things that makes every existing modern society run efficiently, things that are simply non-existent in Sierra Leone. Indeed by growing up as an American I have taken for granted all the technological advancements that seem all too banal and commonplace to most of us. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">My goodness, I just can’t help but think about the poor state of road infrastructure in Sierra Leone. Anyone who has had the experience of travelling in this country will quickly understand how precarious an experience it is, especially when it comes to the ever present need of transporting goods and services from point A to point B. Back home, if I want something, there is very little standing in the way of me getting it. Hell, if I want an MP3 player, Ebay, Amazon, a quick drive to the local radio shack, next-day delivery and/or a smooth car ride and it’s mine, all with a money back guarantee, no questions asked. In Sierra Leone, especially if you live in a rural village that is inaccessible during periods of heavy rain (a constant occurrence during the rainy season) as I do, it takes SOO MUCH effort to obtain the items you want/need. And to transport them where you need them is another source of constant worry and stress, especially if you don’t own a vehicle! There are so many structural deficiencies in this country that it is easy for the average citizen here to feel as if they have no control over their fate, that it is all left up to God, and indeed I find in talking to people that that is a common attitude. I will share a personal anecdote regarding the tiles I recently installed in my house to try and reinforce this point.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">It was about a few weeks ago that I travelled to Makeni, Sierra Leone one Saturday morning with the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">hopes</b>…key word <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">hopes</b>…of purchasing the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">boku boku </b>(Krio work meaning “many”) packets of tile, and boku boku bags of cement needed to commence with the laborious work of tiling my small house. It’s not easy to get to Makeni from my village. A distance of about 30 miles from Bumbuna on an all dirt road takes about an hour and twenty minutes with a driver who is good, and knows the boku boku bumps and potholes like the back of his hand. With the amount of material needed to begin the work on my house, it would have been impossible to transport any of it via taxi which <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">by definition</b>, must be cramped (two in the front passenger seat, and five to six in the back is pretty standard) so I spent many weeks waiting for the right opportunity. Luckily, I was introduced to a man by the name of Dennis a couple of days before. Dennis is one of the many locals who is employed by Salini Construtori (Construction) the Italian company under contract by the Sierra Leonean government to develop the damn project (which just now after 30 years of work, is providing Bumbuna with street lights…yes street lights!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bumbuna is no longer living in darkness). About once a month, in correspondence with their monthly paycheck, his family, and the other locals who work for Salini Construtori, take a trip with one of the company vehicles to Makeni to do some needed shopping. After talking to Dennis about my desire to tile my home, he said it wouldn’t be a problem if I tagged along and purchased the needed materials.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Note: What I neglected to discuss with him was the shear number of materials I needed: 23 packets of tiles, 17 tiles in each packet at a weight of 18kgs each, 8 bags of cement (18kgs each), and 1 bag of white cement.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">The morning we were to leave, I witnessed a scene that one local described as reminding him of apartheid times in South Africa when blacks, according to this man, were transported effectively as slave cargo on18 wheelers equipped to carry a large number of black South Africans to prisons. I was to meet one of the drivers for Salini at the “PK Camp”, where all the Sierra Leoneans who work for Salini live with their families. When I entered the compound, I heard a loud rumble and I followed the noise inside the camp to find a large mass of people, approximately 200, clamoring to fit into what can only be described as a prison on wheels. An 18-wheeler with a rusting yellow “cage” linked to it. This “cage” was completely enclosed, save a few spaces interspersed throughout the cage for openings to allow for air to enter. Of course the openings were barred! The entrance of the cage was full of eager and enthusiastic Bumbunians trying to enter, with the occasional <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">motal-man </b>(Krio for human-being, think mortal-man in English) falling out or hanging on to the outside of the cage if there wasn’t any space on the inside, with the hopes of staying attached one way or another. I asked a gentleman next to me what the meaning of this curious scene was. He said that once every month, Salini frees its cargo truck to anyone needing a ride to Makeni to do needed shopping. They leave early in the morning for Makeni and return to Bumbuna early in the afternoon. I walked away towards the waiting van thinking how luck I was to not be riding on the truck.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Little did I know that I would be returning to Bumbuna later that day with all of my materials in that very same truck, packed like cargo, human cargo.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">When we arrived in Makeni (only after many random detours, many involving a “quick” stop to chat with a friend, which of course really means 30 minutes), we finally got down to discussing the business of transporting my materials. The only problem was that silly me!! I failed to discuss with Dennis beforehand the shear number of materials that I needed to transport. When I told him he immediately said it would not be possible because there were many other people in the van who were also buying items to bring back to Bumbuna, and the cargo space in the van was virtually non-existent. No sooner than when he said that, my heart sunk. Another wasted opportunity?! NOO!!!! Out of desperation, I asked him if there was any other possibility, I simply could not leave Makeni empty handed (Sound familiar? Think about my experience in Freetown with trying to find gas, oh and by the way, I have still yet to find a full gas tank in this country, there is a shortage <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>). And I’m sure you know exactly what he said. He said that he could refer me to his friend, the truck driver who could possibly allow me to transport all of my tiles and cement bags. He called him up and said that it wouldn’t be a problem. At this point all I wanted to do was buy the shit that I needed and get the hell out of there, bottom line, so I said fine. He referred me to one of his co-workers and friends who tagged along with us. He knew a guy that could give me a good deal on tiles. We went there, I found the tiles I liked and bought them, along with all the cement bags, and then transported them to the then empty cage waiting for me at a nearby lorry-park. After loading everything up, I left to do some more shopping in the marketplace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around 3 o’clock, I returned to a cage packed full of human cargo and all imaginable goods purchased during the day. I also returned to what would be the beginning of what some of my fellow Peace Corps friends have called “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TIA” </b>(this is Africa), meaning an unexpected, seemingly random turn of bad luck that has characterized so many of our day-to-day experiences thus far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Seeing as though I was one of the first people to load my belongings onto the truck, it was fitting that I would have to swim through 100Ibs bags of rice, bicycles, bed frames, ceiling fixtures made from the same material used in basket weaving, computers, mirrors, clothes, and people, seething with anger at this Black American who kept stepping on their feet while trying to get to the front of the cage to attend to his delicate tiles; Tiles that were in the process of being stepped and sat on by people seemingly oblivious to the delicate nature of tiles as a matter of principle. It was an acrobatic feat just to even get to them, luckily for me there were bars hanging from the ceiling and I engaged in a few gymnastic man I’ve been waiting for. In 2 hours time, I will finally have transported my entire set of tiles home to later be installed. Uhhh no, things don’t work that way here of course.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">So the truck pulled out of the lorry park, and onto pavement. Smooth sailing here on out right?...RIGHT?....no. The first minor bump we hit on the asphalt sent me along with the tiles I was sitting with, sailing two feet into the air only to return to the earth with a resounding CRASH!! The crash being my tiles of course. I panicked and thought my God, the road to Bumbuna is all dirt and if that measly bump had that effect, my tiles will be powder by the time I arrive in Bumbuna. Of course the ride was on asphalt for a good while, only because we ended up taking the long way back to Bumbuna…naturally of course!...through Magburaka, where Carlos and Sarah stay. It was during the many minute bumps that I peeked inside one of my tile packets and noticed that it was a different design then the one I asked for. I was too careless when buying the tiles that I failed to inspect each packet as it was being loaded onto the van. By then I was just praying that my tiles make it home relatively intact to care about the different design. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">It got progressively worse after we arrived in Magburaka. The road from Magburaka to Bumbuna is one of the worst roads I have ever ridden on, no lie, and I knew that once we set out on it, that trying to keep my tile packets in place would be a futile effort. All I can say is that being on that road forced me to revaluate any semblance of order I might have been striving for as a PCV. My tiles with every vibration of the truck it seemed were being demolished. Packets were falling over, and I recruited people to help me sit on top of them just to minimize the height the tiles flew with each perturbation. Long story short, we arrived in Bumbuna and all the passengers unloaded their cargo. I was towards the front so I was last to unload my belongings, but I waited until after buying a big bowl of cassava leaf soup with rice which was very therapeutic, only for Le 1000, or about $0.25, a deal you can’t beat. When my tiles finally arrived at my house, there were soo many broken tiles! I was soo annoyed that I didn’t touch them or look at them for a week because it would remind me of the traumatic experience of transporting them home. Luckily after doing an inventory, I found that I had just enough intact tiles to tile all three rooms in my house…Isn’t it funny how things work out in the end? The man who ended up doing the actual work…Patrone… was very entertaining if not frustrating at times. He, just like everyone I’ve met here, preferred to work at his own pace, and it took weeks to actually finish the work as a result. Although in working with him, I wouldn’t be surprised that if by the end of my service, I given a Limba woman to take back to America!...More on that later</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">SOOO the man who sold me the tiles ended up selling me two designs I didn’t ask for. Of course I was angry, BUT I was faced with two choices: 1)Go through the added inconvenience of trying to exchange the unbroken tiles I didn’t ask for, which meant either waiting a month for the Salini transport or hassling people in my village who own cars; 2)learn from the experience and make the different designs work for me. I chose the latter, and I’m quite happy with the choice. I actually went to Makeni yesterday and saw the man (A Lebanese man) who sold me the tiles. I let him know the mistake he made and how upset I was, but I forgave and told him not to worry about it, not that he would have anyway.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I turned stressful, potentially disastrous situation into a work of art. I’m proud of myself!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">On a more somber note, the Vice-principal of my school passed away on Thursday, a completely unexpected event. It was especially traumatic because I was with him the day he was sick one day, had a serious seizure the next day and was dead within one week. I don’t have much power left on my laptop so I will write about it tomorrow...</div><!--EndFragment-->Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-25589380405589853302010-09-11T10:21:00.000-05:002010-09-11T10:21:45.121-05:00Dis na Africa<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I’ve been at my site for about three+ weeks now, and I have to say that I have had whole host of experiences that I think only Africa can provide. I haven’t even begun teaching at St. Matthews and I have already been hopelessly frustrated in general inspired, often one before the other and at the same time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So in my village, there are three and a half functioning radio frequencies, radio Makeni 88.0 FM, BBC 15400 AM (Which only broadcasts in the morning and mid to late afternoon, there are also other shortwave frequencies that broadcast BBC during the other hours when 15400 is down), and radio Numbara 102.5 FM. Radio Numbara is the only station that broadcasts solely for Bumbuna, Sierra Leone. A couple of weeks ago, I was walking around downtown Bumbuna (Downtown is literally the market place and a few buildings) and I decided to stop at a local bar and buy a fanta, which to my surprise was cold, despite the fact that there is yet to be electricity in Bumbuna and there was no generator running. The seller told me that she receives shipments of ice blocks from either African Minerals (the Sierra Leonean mining company responsible for the iron ore mining in the surrounding Sura mountains) or Salini Construtori (The Italian company contracted by the Sierra Leonean government to develop the damn in Bumbuna that powers Freetown with a substantial proportion of its power). I enjoyed the fanta and on my way back to the house, I ran into Ibrahim, one of the DJs at Radio Numbara. We started talking about affairs of the village and I asked him about general issues in the village that people are the most concerned with. It was such a vague and undirected question that he wasn’t quite sure how to address it so I helped him out by giving him some ideas Id bounced off of other people in my village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I</span> told Ibrahim about the observation I made about malnutrition among some of the children in my village and related it to eating a balanced diet, particularly one rich in fruits since fruits are in high abundance in my village during the dry season. I told him that it would be great if there were some way for people to enjoy those fruits at other times during the year, through energy efficient means of drying and storing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I told him that it would awesome if the old town library, which I believe was started by one of the first if not the first PCV in my village, were resurrected. Upon hearing that Ibrahim eyes lit up and he immediately exclaimed that that would be a wonderful idea. Although I’m curious to know the general literacy rates in my village. I had an experience one day near my house that was a bit discouraging. A few days back, I was doing some exercises in the outdoor patio at my neighbor cecillia's house and a couple of the men in my village were sitting down and talking. One of them offhand mentioned something about Fadugu, a village in the northern province of Sierra Leone, and I immediately thought of the book <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Black Man’s Grave</b> which all of the PCVS received as a gift from the Friends of Sierra Leone back during orientation in D.C. in June.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>I haven’t read the book yet, but it was co-written by two PCV's who served in Fadugu and it is a collection of letters written individuals during the war to their loved ones. I brought out the book so that they could have a look at it and they were utterly amazed that there is in existence a book written about their little corner of the world. Although one of the gentlemen I showed the book to upon receiving the book, behaved as if he never before held a book, let alone read one. There was a moment when he held the book upside down and I had to patiently explain to him that a short synopsis of the book was to be found on the back. I guess the moral of this experience is that before one tries to get busy building a library in a post conflict area, it might be good to make sure that people can read.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I also told him that it would be awesome (forum for health issues) if there existed a forum wherein members of the community could discuss issues regarding health hygiene and sanitation, which is always a pertinent issue in developing nations. I would prefer to see a radio segment/show hosted by the youth in my village, i.e. students at St. Matthews, because I could easily host a show on these issues myself, being an outsider, I easily see things that could be changed for the benefit of the people here, but the change is much more SUSTAINABLE if the people here come to the realization themselves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think he was so enamored with the fact that there was a stranger in town interested in making a difference, especially through the radio, that he invited me to visit the radio station and observe on of his segments. The night that I picked to visit him was fortuitous. It was pitch-dark, and the station was on the top of a HUGE hill overlooking Bumbuna. The only light I had was the phone flashlight of my Peace Corps issued phone. PLUS I was carrying a plastic bag full of raw, fragile eggs. A precarious situation indeed! (I definitely slipped and fell quite a few times both on my way to and fro the station, without breaking them, how I don’t know!) Luckily I had help finding my way from one friendly man whom I saw a few days later and acted as if we were long lost friends; I felt bad because it was too dark for me to see his face so I didn’t recognize him. When I got to the station, a nondescript, unassuming little station with breathtaking scenic views of Bumbuna proper, they were in the middle of a segment talking about environmental sanitation and hygiene issues in the community. It was Ibrahim as the moderator, Francis I Want You (Yes that is his name) as the community elder representative, and two other local Sierra Leoneans representing a European NGO.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Quick side note: This conversation was in anticipation of the monthly cleaning day held in Sierra Leone, which usually falls on the last Saturday of every month. Basically it works like this. On this day, citizens are expected, no, required to stay in their compound and clean, up until 1000HRS. Apparently, if you leave your compound before that time, you can be seriously fined or arrested. There was an incident early on during training when a couple of PCT's went out running, oblivious of the law and were harassed by policemen who were wondering why the funny Americans were running on cleaning day. Point being, Sierra Leoneans take cleaning seriously on that day!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was incredibly pleased because I know how powerful tool the radio can be for helping me stay connected, and giving them a forum to discuss germane issues within the community. To my understanding, a Dutch NGO started the station shortly after the war, and I believe that it is very important that the people here utilize it. I’m soo excited about the prospect of utilizing the radio during my time here for raising awareness, more <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>consistent</u></b> awareness, of problems specific to Bumbuna.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) One night early on, I was sitting with Alfred, Cecillia, her peekin dem (children) Thomas and Banko, and a few other random individuals, enjoying some palm wine straight from the source, not watered down, and fresh, before any fermentation occurred (surprisingly good when enjoyed every once in a while!) when we started talking about past PCV’s in Bumbuna. Bumbuna has had quite the illustrious list of volunteers! One of Alfred’s brothers, Daniel Turay is currently in the states visiting <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nancy Marder</b> who apparently was the first PCV in Bumbuna and helped procure the resources to help build the library that once stood in Bumbuna but was destroyed during the war. I also found out that Joseph Opalla, who is doing important work archaeological and historical work at Baunce Island, was a Peace Corps volunteer in my village. I believe he was an agro-forestry extension, and given all the man has accomplished since his time as a PCV, it is pretty big shoes to fill. He has also been instrumental in linking so called Gullah communities in South Carolina to their families in Sierra Leone who were separated during the war. One particular Gullah family I believe retained certain vocabulary words in Mende, and there was one woman, who through old historical records, was reunited with one of her family members.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) A few weeks back I decided to take a trip to Freetown with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Carlos and Sarah Borrego </b>to run some errands and get away for a couple of days. Settling into my house has been hectic (Doesn’t even begin to describe some of the experiences I’ve had in trying to make my house livable) and I want to be able to cook for myself quickly when the time calls because once school starts, I will have very limited time to be fooling around with a charcoal cooker, let alone other things. I can’t tell you how many times Id travel to Makeni and leave empty handed when searching for a gas cooker. It wasn’t until recently that I bought the gas burner set, which was ordered from Freetown, but the only man in Makeni who sells gas tanks did not have any full gas tanks on the day I picked up my burner. He did have them in the past, but that was when I was still wishy-washy on whether I was going to use gas. If there is one thing I’m learning slowly as I go along is that if there is any particular item you want and you happen to see it on any given day, it is best that you buy it right then and there! You never know if you will ever see it again, believe it! It happened to me with the gas burner and it happened to me in Freetown as well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I heard through the grape vine that Freetown was the only place where gas could be purchased, so I travelled with the sole purpose of finding a gas tank…my other big mistake! In this country, never assume that what you set out to do will work the way you plan. Not only did I not find the gas tank I was looking for, I walked all over Freetown with Allie Kargbo (one of our Language and Cross-cultural facilitators during training in Bo) from one place to another, after multiple referrals, and all I had to show for it was an empty gas tank, (Of course, no gas to be found at all in Freetown…of course) which I bought to exchange for a full one on my next trip to Makeni, and a Sierra Leone/Freetown road map, which I wanted for the longest time. I almost bought another “full” tank from this man near K-stop in Freetown who claimed to have a full tank he purchased from his friend, Ibrahim Jalloh at one of the NP gas stations in town. But after testing the tank I found out that it was bone dry. The dude was going to make me pay the full price and then some for an empty tank! During this whole time, I was with an individual whose home village was none other than Bumbuna, luckily enough, and decided out of the goodness of his heart, to help me negotiate with this man regarding the “full” gas tank he somehow magically procured. Essentially, I came all the way to Freetown empty handed, but on the bright side, I found an item that I probably would not have thought to purchase had I found the gas tank. We stayed for two days. The first day, all over Freetown, I saw people walking around with welcome mats, and those are items I wanted to purchase for my house in Bumbuna. Unfortunately, I’ve come to find that Africa rewards those who capitalize on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">EVERY</b> situation, no matter the circumstance. When I saw those welcome mats, I thought to myself, ‘they can wait! I’m looking for a gas tank today, I’ll just buy the welcome mats come tomorrow, they are selling them everywhere!’ Well what do you think happened the next day? It rained like a bitch, which makes sense because it is the rainy season after all! And the boys selling the welcome mats were <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NO WHERE</b> to be found…missed opportunity.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Again, Africa has this funny way of surprising you when you least expect it. In other words, when you are looking for order, expect to find disorder. When looking for meaning, expect to find chaos, unless you are patient enough to sit and wait a while, which is what Carlos, Sarah and I did when our transport from Freetown to Makeni broke down on the highway. While we were in Freetown, we found a private vehicle going to Makeni, and generally, those are more preferable to taxis or poda-podas that, by definition, operate in a semi-dilapidated state. We found this one SUV that looked fine, but the same could not be said of the driver, who wore these dark wide-brimmed sunglasses and was gesticulating wildly for no good reason when he found us. It was my bright idea though, to look for another, potentially better vehicle, and I did, at first appearances, find this smooth looking Peugeot hatchback which was spacious and had plenty of room in the back seat for 4 people, Carlos, Sarah, me and one other person, so we made the switch. Well, of course the car broke down, about an hour into the trip and there we were, witnessing that good ole African ingenuity hard at work trying to restart the car, to no avail and we were as stranded as stranded can be on the side of a very busy and very dangerous highway wondering how the hell we were going to get home that day. We were sitting there and around the corner comes a mini school bus…yes a preschool bus came to our rescue. The bust was going to Makeni so we hopped on, and at least for me, it was the most comfortable ride id had since arriving in Sierra Leone, I swear to God! (I think Sarah disagrees with me that it was comfortable) I had all the legroom in the world, and the company was great.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There was a woman sitting a few seats in front of me who had her foot propped up on one of the benches in the aisle and I noticed that it was badly swollen. So, I decided to take that opportunity to inquire about the nature of her injury and practice my Krio, so I asked her how she was fairing and we proceeded to have a nice little conversation, all in Krio; and I even suggested things she could do to help it feel better and/or heal faster, again all in Krio. It wasn’t until we started talking more and more that I realized she understood my English perfectly and she spoke perfect English herself and I told her what my business in this country, Sierra Leone. It turns out that she (Miriam is her name) is from Washington D.C. and she is here in Sierra Leone for a short period of time visiting family (She was born in Salone and moved to the U.S. about 15 years ago where she’s been living ever since). She was very excited to hear see that we were here in this country as education volunteers, and we talked about the challenges we would face as PCV’s and the general state of affairs in Salone. We exchanged contact information and went our separate ways once we arrived in Makeni. For me, this is a prime example of how an unfavorable situation can turn into a favorable one, if you are willing to just go along with the flow, and take life as it comes...If you think you have one iota of control over your life, think again, my experiences thus far have led me to believe that control is merely an illusion, a clever turn of the human psyche to make us feel more at ease in this world…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">4) Soo I think that my roof is finally fixed? We will have to wait and see. When I first moved into my house, I noticed that there were approximately three leaks, one of which was so bad, that strange mold and upside-down fungal specimens I’d never before witnessed were growing on my wall and window sill. It has been hell trying to get my house the way I want it to be during my stay in Bumbuna. As of now I have the walls in two rooms painted, and the ceiling in one room painted with the hopes of hiding the rain damage. The other room with the leak is unpainted because I want to neutralize the source of the leak before any additional water damage occurs. My first efforts at finding a handy man to fix the leaking roof were futile. This man ‘Bame’-which in Limba means ‘For us’ or ‘For we’ in the direct Limba</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span></span><span style="color: black;">Krio translation since the pronoun ‘us’ in Krio does not exist- replaced a few nails, but didn’t adequately fix the problem. It was very difficult to get him to come back the second and third time. I think he was expecting some sort of compensation, but I didn’t tell him that a functioning roof was a basic housing condition that should have been met by the community that provided the housing for the PCV so it is not the responsibility of the PCV to fix it. The next man, T.K., isolated leak in one section of the roof, but he didn’t do anything about it for the same reason that Bame didn’t. He was expecting some sort of compensation, and he even asked me for money for ‘chop’ (Krio for food) after looking at my roof but I denied his request. The third man who looked at my roof, Marco, fixed on leak, but was really upset when he found out that I would not be compensating him directly for the reason I mentioned earlier. I felt really bad when one of my neighbors gave him about Le 8,000 for his efforts. It made me look like the selfish American who is not willing to give or share anything that he owns, which is not at all the case!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"></span>I finally brought my problem to the attention of one of the Peace Corps housing coordinators to let him know just how desperate I was to get the leak fixed. It worked, and he told my supervisor what Id been going through and she sent my carpenter, Alimani, who has been building my furniture to look at the problem (It still took him three days to come to my house!) He finally fixed the problem using one of the many techniques devised by the various ‘bush chemists’ in Sierra Leone. He took Styrofoam and mixed it with Gasoline, or ‘petrol’ as it is called here and it turned into this sticky puffy which he used to plug up the leaking spots. I think it worked!!</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black;">If there are any chemists reading this who can explain the chemistry of this reaction, Styrofoam + gasoline = sticky putty, let me know! I will use it for my chemistry lessons when I begin teaching.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black;"></span>New developments?</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">I’m finally tiling my floor after SOO MANY setbacks, I will write about it next time.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">And school is starting Monday and I have NO IDEA what I’m doing…Oh well, it will all work out in the end.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">PEACE</div><!--EndFragment-->Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-83772245843609067842010-08-24T09:41:00.002-05:002010-09-11T12:07:12.226-05:00PCV....Officially<div class="MsoNormal">Yea so Im now officially a Peace Corps Volunteer!!! Just thought Id let you guys in on that small little fact. It has been almost two years since I first began the application process, and those of you who were privy to all the ups and downs I experienced during this time, Im sure you will appreciate just how much this moment means to me. I have actually been at my site for over a week now. We swore in on 13 August, and it is good to finally be on my own and away from the pleasant but often suffocating experience of living with a host family. I can actually leave the house when I want, eat the kind of food I want, without having to worry about offending anyone, which is very easy to do. I can't tell you how many times the locals here when we were served an oily plassas with rice (Plassas is a general term used to refer to any soup that accompanies a rice dish, the staple grain in Sierra Leone: Cassava, Potato, Groundnut, Kren-Kren), how concerned they would be over the fact that we were not eating, you would think that the sky is crashing down, with the amount of concern they would express. And it feels awesome to be able to move about my house without having to worry about people watching my EVERY MOVE. Life here for alot of people can be a bit monotonous and having peace corps volunteers around serves as constant entertainment for almost everyone.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Surprisingly I have not been too bored at my house, there is always something for me to be busy with: laundry, cooking, fetching water, talking with my neighbors who are really entertaining, especially Alfred Turay who is a teacher in Agricultural science at my school. I have had alot of interesting discussions with him about the kinds of crops grown here in Bumbuna, and he his going to be a valuable resource in helping me learn about the different varieties of crops grown here in Bumbuna, and the problems present with fertility of the soil, crop productivity, and adequate storage of sustenance crops, which is lacking here. I have found out also that the international presence here in Bumbuna is pretty extensive. Most notably the World Bank is involved, indirectly through a local development agency, in a lot of projects. There is a major damn operation here in Bumbuna that supplies most of Freetown with its power, is being operated by an Italian company. However, in the process of constructing the damn, alot of residents had to be relocated, and as a result, lost their income generating potential, almost exclusively in the form of agriculture (rice growing). The region I'm in also is rich in iron ore, the extraction of that ore has resulted in alot of environmental degradation. With Sierra Leone being last on the UN development index and its recovery from the devastating 15 year civil war, alot of international organizations have been assisting Sierra Leone in getting back on its feet. There are alot of opportunities for me in my village, and honestly I don't know where to begin: Mango trees are BOKU (Krio for alot), and during the harvest, alot of them just go to waste. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a way for them to be preserved so that their beneficial nutritional qualities could be enjoyed at all times during the year?; Basic habits regarding hygiene and sanitation that we take for granted in the West simply do not exist here. Wouldn't be nice if people here understood the direct relationship between lack of latrine use and the increased prevalence of intestinal diseases? Or how about the fact that in my village, there is not a library? (There used to be one, I was told my Alfred, by neighbor, that past PCVs in Bumbuna started one, but it was destroyed during the war) Even with agricultural products, no reliable method here exists for the their storage. Cassava and rice are the main staples and I know that with cassava it is relatively hardy, especially when compared to other tubers like potatoes, and yams, but cassava and rice are not the most nutritious source of carbohydrates. To be frank, malnutrition is a HUGE problem here in the rural areas, and even in parts of Bo I noticed it, especially among the children. In a country where food and land are abundant, malnutrition should not be as pervasive as it seems to be. Maybe there are other larger structural factors at work here? I know that at least in my village Bumbuna, wouldn't it be nice if people had a basic working knowledge of the more nutritious foods available to them in their community and understood the benefits of increasing the consumption of those foods? Especially for the peekin dem? (children)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A full plate indeed. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Small victories thus far?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Learning how to use a coal stove</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Finally purchased a gas burner, but Im still missing the propane tank and regulator</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Getting excited and intrigued by the smallest of things....i.e. the gradual diminishment of boredom</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Recovering from a bout of Giardia</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Getting my laundry done</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Finally putting up a new blog post!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Meeting up with some PC colleagues/friend</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Drinking fresh palm wine...straight from the source...not watered down...It's not bad!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I'm writing this post from Magburaka, Sierra Leone, and it looks like this will be the place where I'll be blogging from/using the internet so all I have to do now is get into a routine. My life has been hectic these past few weeks with training and getting adjusted to my site so once I get settled in, expect more regular post updates...with pictures of course.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaegE7T8wt5iMT7MfjdX_k6INGRQg3Z6h5JFG1Ede7awL10HGJd8VyMCfzc6AWpxBaRfX3SAsVEMArL_9IHGQPZWUaDfvf8oGHZT9Tkb3nzya4cysPO6BmMWyVCtjuH37kfVDy7wWO8Rk/s1600/DSCF9522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaegE7T8wt5iMT7MfjdX_k6INGRQg3Z6h5JFG1Ede7awL10HGJd8VyMCfzc6AWpxBaRfX3SAsVEMArL_9IHGQPZWUaDfvf8oGHZT9Tkb3nzya4cysPO6BmMWyVCtjuH37kfVDy7wWO8Rk/s200/DSCF9522.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Gavina, Arteeca, and I during swearing in ceremony.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsnahbkgyG3s0j8iS42hzrgGDVzsT3wNBV3RLy2ZZDYFd0A2z-fvjaSpOEmuQtbSCqpTJ19HgBhCFbJjRquCVXWitsuKTDaKjQX2BLhUs2qwsrfox1HjWi4RwBBgzstal6yJkGcHp_mM/s1600/DSCF9567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsnahbkgyG3s0j8iS42hzrgGDVzsT3wNBV3RLy2ZZDYFd0A2z-fvjaSpOEmuQtbSCqpTJ19HgBhCFbJjRquCVXWitsuKTDaKjQX2BLhUs2qwsrfox1HjWi4RwBBgzstal6yJkGcHp_mM/s200/DSCF9567.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Albert and I at the house</div><br />
</div>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-45273447945022054342010-08-24T08:33:00.005-05:002010-09-11T10:46:03.043-05:00Site visits.....Way back when<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I’m not sure that there is any one word I can use to help me describe the natural beauty that encapsulates Bumbuna, Sierra Leone. I don’t think I could have asked for anything more in terms of natural scenery. We had our individual interviews quite a few weeks ago (I was interviewed by Andrew Kondovoh-Program Manager, and Annaliese Limb-Programming & Training Officer). During my interview, I really stressed how I wanted to be in a town where I could utilize elements of the natural environment when teaching biology and other science subjects. Well it seems like they were listening to me I think. I know for certain that there were other people in our group whose preferences didn’t match their site placements, so I consider myself extremely lucky. Now for some more information on my stay and trip up there and back.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">The Peace Corps staff up top wanted us trainees to get more acquainted using the public transport here in Sierra Leone, with the exception of the okadas (Motorcycles) in which we are forbidden to ride. The Peace Corps has apparently done an assessment on the circumstances surrounding the cause of PCV deaths in West Africa, and the operation/riding of okadas was the number one cause, so there is one convenient mode of transportation that is off limits to us. That leaves us with the poda-podas,, taxis, bicycles which we wont be getting from Peace Corps until December at best, and our own two legs which if anything, shouldn’t fail us. The poda-podas here are EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, and in my biased opinion, can be a death trap on wheels. Poda-podas are essentially minivans, or cargo vans, usually painted with religious innuendo/propaganda and other random phrases (I don’t know about you, but they are incredibly good for comic relief) on the hood, side, or trunk of the van. There are a couple of things that make these vans so dangerous both to operate, ride in, or get in the way of one barreling down the street (Yes, you’d better get out of THEIR way):</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">No seat belts</b>….If you ask taxi or okada drivers about seat belts, they will look at you as if you are speaking a foreign language</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">They pack you like sardines inside</b>…Unfortunately, the drivers are paid per passenger so therefore, they have an incentive to pack as many people as humanely possible inside. In-fact, a common occurrence is the overbooking of seats so to ensure that the poda-podas are packed. The same goes for taxis as well. You will often find that there is no set schedule of departures for a particular destination. They only depart when the compartments are packed to the brim, i.e. arms, legs, the occasional goat or chicked dangling out the window.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The overload the rooftops</b>…99.99% of the time, these passenger vehicles function as cargo vehicles. Its not an unusual site to see the roofs of these poda-podas and taxis overloaded with goods of all kinds: Huge bags of rice and other agricultural products, goats, chickens, more people (the apprentices as they are called who help push these vehicles up hills), extra fuel, extra luggage, and anything imaginable. Oh and there is no reason to believe that the overly ambitious driver wont hesitate to place any of these items in the passenger compartment!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">These vehicles are in various states of disrepair…</b>It is almost laughable to assume that any of these vehicles regularly undergo maintenance…EVER. Despite this, it’s amazing to see these vehicles still functioning. I think it’s more of the African ingenuity that keeps these vehicles moving down the road, many of which are 30+ years of age. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">No road rules</b>…The only rules of the road are that there are no rules of the road. Simple as that…Well, maybe there are a couple: If you are a pedestrian or biker, you do not have the right of way. The bigger your vehicle is, the more privileges you have on the road. And people generally operate their vehicles on the right side of the road, but that is not always predictable or even guaranteed.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Luckily for me, on my way up to my site (we left a little over a week ago, the 24<sup>th</sup> of July), I rode in my supervisor’s vehicle so I had a break from all the chaos at the lorry park. Eric Silverman was the only other PCT in the car with me so we had plenty of space. All in all it was a comfortable ride, not including the bumpy unpaved roads. We even stopped a couple times to do some site-seeing, stopping at a palm oil processing facility somewhere along the way to explore a little bit. Eric and I, and most everyone else were pretty anxious about seeing our sites and meeting the people we will be collaborating with for the next two years, and when Eric and I split up at Matotoka , the reality only became more real for me. It was just my supervisor, her driver, and I in the car.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">The drive up to Bumbuna was absolutely breathtaking! I was hanging outside the passenger side window most of the time gawking at the rolling hills and reveling in the cool mountain air. When we arrived in Bumbuna, I immediately knew that if all else fails, the scenery alone would be enough to keep me happy and busy exploring. The town itself sits nestled within whole chain of rolling hills and valleys that are visible from any part of town. Bumbuna proper is airy, and the sky is so BIG and vast, it is heartbreaking. I’m going to have a good time star watching with my students and other friends once the dry season comes. And there are birds everywhere!!! Especially the weaverbirds, which always become active in the evening time. Before our arrival, at the supervisor workshop, I talked to Theresa about seeing the other two houses she showed the Peace Corps. Andrew, and Morlu have been extremely busy visiting each and every single one of our sites to make sure that we all have houses before training ends. The way I understand it, our supervisors showed the peace corps staff a few houses, and the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Peace Corps</b> staff picked the house that they felt was the best and most reasonable, given the standards that peace corps sets in housing, while taking care not to place the volunteers in a residence that would attract unnecessary attention. My house is small. It’s a three-room house in an area called Kamankay, and the views that I have of all the surrounding scenery is definitely something I could get used to.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">A quick word on my school. It is an agricultural school, Saint Matthews Agricultural School, established in the late 1970s. I visited it with my supervisor and was pleasantly surprised to see how well put together the school was. Soo much land devoted to agriculture: Potato plants, cassava, cashew trees, mango, pineapple and coconut trees, bean plants, rice paddies, I could go on and on. All the students have to have practical working knowledge of how to grow and sustain certain sustenance crops, and Im going to have a lot of fun teaching here, especially being a biology teacher where I will have ample teaching materials to utilize outside of the classroom. The school itself also has a really nice library, which I’m really happy about. There is a wide collection of materials on a whole range of subject: fiction, geography, philosophy, history, mathematics, general science, psychology, economics, and religion. Of course most of the textbooks are out of date, but at this point, I’m just happy to see that these books are here! The library itself is a bit disorganized, but that’s nothing a little work wont fix.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Enough for now!!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hX-pWiM4XzTNTMYtY8DrFQSafT8wq_zefV10wKMLTAklyJjNiG4fkMXJYIHtYRjVWyiIohbE9dppoajunxCxjg54erTgwg15nu3TR_IyfBC3eAIk9Q2j_l39XMlTu56hqZsNS7ohFJM/s1600/DSCF4780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hX-pWiM4XzTNTMYtY8DrFQSafT8wq_zefV10wKMLTAklyJjNiG4fkMXJYIHtYRjVWyiIohbE9dppoajunxCxjg54erTgwg15nu3TR_IyfBC3eAIk9Q2j_l39XMlTu56hqZsNS7ohFJM/s200/DSCF4780.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me at Bumbuna Waterfalls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqICvd4zZpGb3K8ge3jvcrAKQ1wgI3eIwyRAkXdBdS7HO-PnN8TX_SV4j65YxitmzlYQn88MwD1V4_UJYKx8swyu5wdJXTAC9dy9RtDRENbspfSpOLna3HGoDx-3IiySiSAcHLfHdQGwI/s1600/DSCF4695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqICvd4zZpGb3K8ge3jvcrAKQ1wgI3eIwyRAkXdBdS7HO-PnN8TX_SV4j65YxitmzlYQn88MwD1V4_UJYKx8swyu5wdJXTAC9dy9RtDRENbspfSpOLna3HGoDx-3IiySiSAcHLfHdQGwI/s200/DSCF4695.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My lovely house</div></div>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-58295939619705788382010-07-31T08:35:00.005-05:002010-08-01T11:53:34.665-05:00Summer School Commencement and Supervisor Workshops<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">It’s kind of late to be blogging about this, but summer school is finally over and wow was it an eye opening experience! We taught for about 2 weeks and 2 days; the first term lasted from Monday till Friday with exams on Friday and the second term lasted from that second Monday till Wednesday with exams on Friday and the award ceremony on Wednesday. The Sierra Leonean Peace Corps staff and the staff at Ahmadiyya Senior Secondary School really did a good job at advertising this summer school to the local community. I guess the opportunity to get taught quality lessons by the wacky pumuis (Englishman) and black Americans…oh, and Chinamen (To the average Sierra Leonean, those are the only races of people that exist in America) was too good to pass up. This was also apparent by the fact that during the first few days of school, we kept turning people away eager to join a class who missed the preliminary registration.<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">For the first term, I taught a JSS level 1 class for the first period (830-1030) and for the second term, I taught a JSS level 2 class (1050-1250). There were three of us to a class spread out across three subjects: English, Math, and Science. Our JSS1 kids were awesome! Even though these kids were fresh from primary school, they were incredibly bright and eager to learn. There were mostly girls in the class (literally only a handful of boys in a class of 50+ kids) I taught integrated science, Gavina taught English, and Kat taught Math. It was obvious that the kids were way behind and we all had to adjust our lessons to fit this sobering reality. Especially for Kat and I, who taught the kids relatively dense science subjects. If there is anything I learned from teaching this JSS1 class is that I do a pretty good job of feeding off the energy of my students. I really get excited when my students understand a concept I’m trying to convey. I should also thank Jesse and Jarrad, two former Peace Corps volunteers in Guinea and Liberia (They moved to Liberia after political unrest in Guinea). There was one teaching practical they held where they talked about effective comprehension checks to use on the students. If there is one endearing-if not maddening at times-fact about the students is that they are so damn polite! They are all so prim and proper; they will always say they understand you but when you ask them to repeat or paraphrase a simple concept you literally just explained they usually aren’t able to, either because they weren’t listening or because they don’t understand your English. A quick side note: I ditched the Sierra Leonean accent. It didn’t feel natural and honestly, if you speak slowly enough, and I mean SLOWLY the students will understand you. The Krio accent is only good every once in a while, when used quickly and obliquely referencing a culturally relevant aspect of Sierra Leone, be it food, music, geography, or what have you.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Our second period JSS1 students were a whole nother story! Teaching them-and I think Gavina, Kat, and the rest of the PCTs can attest to this-really tested our classroom management skills. It was clear from the very beginning that most of the students assorted themselves to the classes that would take them, and didn’t necessarily attend their appropriate grade level class. As a result, I had a lot of older looking students in my JSS 1 class and a mixed JSS 2 class. I don’t know if it was pre-pubescent restlessness or what but the JSS 2 students were the most unruly group of students attending the summer school. Teaching these kids definitely forced me to be a stern presence in the classroom. If you don’t earn your students respect from the very beginning, you can forget about ever getting it further down the line. The kids were so bad, that shouting at them when: they were talking during a lesson, or slapping each other during a lesson, or cheating on a test, or throwing paper, or even eating it, proved futile. Your best bet was to threaten to throw them out of class and do it if they refused to comply, and give them a zero for the term, although I didn’t have the heart to do that for a summer school.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I was glad to be able to teach SSS students for the second term. It was a science specific class with Erin, Scott, and I teaching math, physics, and biology respectively. The kids were a bit older, and pretty bright. It was good to be able to teach some more advanced material to the students, seeing as though my ultimate preference is to teach at the senior secondary level. My second period students were again JSS 2 level students, and while they weren’t as rowdy as my first term JSS 2 students, it was definitely a step down from my first period SSS class in terms of classroom management and behavior. It was Eric, Kristen and I (Language Arts x2, and Integrated Science respectively), and let me just say that Kristen may be little, but she is a force in the Classroom! I swear, there were times when she had me quivering at the knees! Based on what I observed in her classes, I can guarantee that that she will be a teacher who commands respect, end of story.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"> I actually had an incident in my SSS class that deserves some mention. In order to discourage cheating, I had my students take two tests, an A and B test. I had them write down on their test paper test A or B, then I had them write down their test letter on a master list which would stay in my possession so that if the students changed their tests, I would know and give them a zero for not doing the correct test. Afterwards, I noticed that there were only two students who actually did the incorrect test. When I handed them back their exams, one of the students didn’t try to contest it at all-He was actually one of my students who did a little dance number to Michael Jacksons Beat It in class the day before the award ceremony. The other student, who was one of the brighter students in my class, was incredibly disappointed when he saw that he did the incorrect test and swore on the bible that he did the correct test. I wasn’t inclined to believe that I made a mistake, but out of respect for him, I told him that I would look at the master list to make sure that I wasn’t the one who made the mistake and change it if I did, this being after I gave him a lecture on how he should have followed my directions. I also told him that he shouldn’t let this discourage him. I was well aware of just how bright of a student he was, and I told him that this summer school was more for us as Peace Corps trainees to practice our teaching methodologies. I told him that I admired his work ethic and that he should keep it up once the school year begins. Well, I bet you can guess what happened?? I was the one who made the mistake, so I kept to my word, and graded his exam and changed his final grade., to his delight. In looking back, I’m glad I didn’t waver in my decision to change his grade without looking at my master list, but I’m pretty sure that I earned the respect of that particular student, just by letting him know that I’m only human and as a human being, I’m liable to make mistakes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">The award ceremony was pretty special. We awarded the top boys and girls from each class who had the highest averages across all subjects from both terms. When the students were called to receive their awards, they came up to the stage and received them from their class masters. There were two class masters for each class per term, and some were class masters for both terms (Including me). A class master’s responsibilities included making sure all the grades in all the subjects taught for a particular class were tallied and averaged, so that the top performing male and female students could be recognized for their efforts. When Chrissy and I were called to give our JSS 2C top performing students their awards, something happened that made me more aware that with regards to standards of discipline, things are done completely differently here. One of the girls in the JSS 2C class, (which was one of the classes that I actually taught during the second term), when called, failed to show up and receive her award so we all assumed that she either wasn’t in attendance, or had momentarily left the premises and would later return to receive her award, and most of the staff on stage assumed this as well. However unbeknownst to me, there was at least one staff member who knew what was up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGLY3M8mNhXuP0iFkbfHXprB8g464eaFHbWkMdjeiw4W1MQ2t2bmhNrF6CzMb2J1pWspL8uplOMKM0gsQteAdmXcEJ1Qx2piqHIaTbi3rzut8sBjYA-ruz-czDh8ieqww92cF62ZbiX4/s1600/DSCF4610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGLY3M8mNhXuP0iFkbfHXprB8g464eaFHbWkMdjeiw4W1MQ2t2bmhNrF6CzMb2J1pWspL8uplOMKM0gsQteAdmXcEJ1Qx2piqHIaTbi3rzut8sBjYA-ruz-czDh8ieqww92cF62ZbiX4/s200/DSCF4610.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Eric, Kristen and I<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCD0lkOYVP5g0_6RjzzGUM-8v3-byF3H5cNWFrR1fIgZedl6NmHL4prkUHaoTYpcdSdnt1kyV-AhuyvyE7CYeaKKrbIGKbtWgcBmwYOQocBsyQgyWMOukPWqJ8f1JTpoWYyZ1n4xV7SU/s1600/DSCF4609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCD0lkOYVP5g0_6RjzzGUM-8v3-byF3H5cNWFrR1fIgZedl6NmHL4prkUHaoTYpcdSdnt1kyV-AhuyvyE7CYeaKKrbIGKbtWgcBmwYOQocBsyQgyWMOukPWqJ8f1JTpoWYyZ1n4xV7SU/s200/DSCF4609.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Erin, Scott and I. We taught the SSS science only class.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I went back to my seat, and a short while later, I noticed a girl to my left crying uncontrollably, but I couldn’t quite understand her Krio, so I asked the gentleman sitting next to me, who tried in vain to console the girl, exactly what was bugging her. He told me that there was a man in a plaid collar shirt (It ended being Dauda, one of the science technical trainers) who told her she had to leave the assembly and that was the reason she wasn’t around to receive her award. I was a bit confused, but me not seeing it as a major problem, I assumed that she would be able to get her award since she was now here. I brought her to the stage where Abubakar, one of our cross-cultural facilitators, was standing. When I explained to him that there was a female student who didn’t receive her award, he was going to hand it over to her <span style="color: black;">when Dauda, appeared out of nowhere and said she would not be receiving her award. Feeling outraged, I asked why this girl who worked hard enough during the summer school would not be receiving her award that was owed to her. Dauda shouted at me saying that the girl would not receive her award because in the beginning, when the students</span> were asked to set up the benches for the ceremony, she allegedly, obstinately refused to carry any benches, and for that reason alone, she would not receive her award. What really annoyed me, was how all of the Sierra Leonean staff members mindlessly agreed with Dauda, even though none of them witnessed the incident. I should state that Abubakar himself wasn’t even immediately sure why she wasn’t to be given her award, and he would have handed it to her if Dauda hadn’t have appeared. His verdict was final, and my student (Elizabeth was her name) was not going to receive her award. After a few minutes of loud arguing, Sesay recommended that I let it go and go back to my seat; I did everything I could to stand up for this girl, but I had to let it go. Luckily the fact that I made a lot of noise must have made someone feel guilty, because Sesay later approached me to say that the award had been given to the girls parents and that for the one bench she refused to help set up, they made her put back five benches. Ultimately, I thought that the punishment was fair, rather then penalizing the girl for something done outside of the actual summer school. Maybe Im a bit to relaxed, but I do believe in rewarding hard work. Yes, there is responsibility that comes along with it. But rather than withhold her reward, why not punish her in a manner that fits the actual crime? I know that this is just one of the many challenges I will face as a teacher within the Sierra Leonean context: disagreements on over how to enact discipline, teaching methodologies, language barriers, priorities in setting up and maintaining secondary projects…and many more…Sigh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NPrVMbCHxWBSYe7f_3wuHKpMfy87az1f9Aijfklp1w1h69J45GWCCbjGJyn4JpOofN8kc6jU_nYyb6anFxR7EFO5Qj0XbWsXvnbIaNZemoq1KBXUztWnvadRphMcTzfvorKTAsx8IqY/s1600/DSCF4474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NPrVMbCHxWBSYe7f_3wuHKpMfy87az1f9Aijfklp1w1h69J45GWCCbjGJyn4JpOofN8kc6jU_nYyb6anFxR7EFO5Qj0XbWsXvnbIaNZemoq1KBXUztWnvadRphMcTzfvorKTAsx8IqY/s200/DSCF4474.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I caught a chameleon near my home-stay and brought it to one of my classes when I taught my JSS kids the difference between mammals and reptiles. It freaked the kids out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">We ended our supervisor workshop last week before heading out to our sites where we will be posted for the next few years. It was an opportunity for the PCTs to meet and greet with our respective supervisors/principals (for those whose supervisors didn’t show up). My own supervisor, Theresa Conteh is a short, but incredibly lively and talkative woman who exudes confidence and self-assurance. I would expect nothing less from someone who was educated by a Peace Corps volunteer and also had assistance paying for her education by a Peace Corps volunteer. It’s interesting because there is one language and cultural facilitator here, Allie, who is actually my Limba instructor (I’m the only trainee out of the 38 other trainees who is learning Limba) who grew up with Theresa. He told me that all of the kids at the time were intimidated of and admired Theresa because of her beauty and also because she had the Peace Corps hook-up. Numerous people have told me that Theresa has a lot of power and influence in Bumbuna. She is a teacher at St. Matthews where I’ll be teaching and sits on numerous boards and committees in town. Generally she is just highly visible figure in Bumbuna, and everyone knows her. I’m fortunate to have somebody like that on my side. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p>The actual workshop lasted for two days, and we did a lot of ice-breaking exercises to get us talking to our supervisors. There were also a host of presentations and group activities wherein the primary goal was to make sure that all parties involved understood the ways that supervisors and trainees can work together and address issues and problems that are bound to arise throughout the next few years. I got good vibes from my supervisor form the very beginning; She was very excited to see me!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I think the workshop was effective in preparing us to deal with our supervisors. We actually visited our sites last week and for me it was an amazing and exasperating experience! I’ll write about it next time because unfortunately, my writing time here at Mars Internet Café is running out, and I need to take the time to post this entry and my photos…which takes FOREVER…..</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">WE GO SI BAK</div>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-77503819282050819052010-07-18T09:34:00.000-05:002010-07-18T09:34:32.075-05:00Bumbuna, Sierra Leone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I finally found out where I will be posted for the next two years: Bumbuna, Sierra Leone. I don’t have much time on to post, but here is what I know about my village/worksite:</div><br />
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Approximate population: 7000<br />
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School location: St. Matthew’s est. 1978. It is a Government assisted mixed school (Junior Secondary School 317 and Senior Secondary School 18). The advantage to those numbers is that my class size will be small for the first year, but once those JSS kids come up to the SSS level, the class sizes will be on par with the average Sierra Leonean classroom.<br />
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Languages spoken: Majority Temne and some Limba<br />
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My house will be a two bedroom house with a parlor, outdoor house and outdoor kitchen and a palm tree, with ample space to start a mini garden or farm if I want. Bumbuna itself had a market every day so finding food won’t be an issue. Another plus is that I’m in the north, and the weather is much cooler then the southern part of Sierra Leone, although I’m a bit isolated from the most of the other volunteers. My supervisor in Bumbuna, Theresa Mabinty Conteh, was educated by a Peace Corps volunteer back in the day so its special for me and no doubt for her (I’m pretty certain of that) to be interacting with a Peace Corps volunteer once again. Later this week, we will have our site visits, and spend 4 days living my ourselves at our sites in order to orient ourselves at our site and workd situation, and figure out what we will need once we move permanently. We will also be asked to find our own way back to Bo via public transportation so that it wont be so intimidating to do it by ourselves the next time<br />
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I have one small request before I have to go:<br />
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If there are any RPCVs who have anymore information on Bumbuna, Sierra Leone please don’t hesitate to contact me!<br />
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Some quick updates:<br />
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We went to Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary yesterday and hiked in the forest and spotted some monkeys (Red Colobus monkey and cool birds (Yellow Casqued hornbill and African-Pied hornbill) that I have never seen before.<br />
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Summer school is almost over at Ahmadiyya Senior Secondary School. There were two terms and right now we are grading exams and putting together progress reports for the awards that will go to the brightest student. It has been a rewarding experience, more on that later.<br />
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And we are now officially down to 38 volunteers. Mylinda unfortunately has left us and it was sad to see her go, more on that later<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXky2EagFoGWz34VkJusat4m5E0qjtCnwF3B5SLdSgQTKLThJBamOec94Kkf13a9b-Qoo73lOhWSsUMbF4UZiLnim-dfGd5XgA1g5W1Jo-u6DSdNtbFW3QZDcwDb5Bxs74T_YP0qigp8/s1600/DSCF4573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXky2EagFoGWz34VkJusat4m5E0qjtCnwF3B5SLdSgQTKLThJBamOec94Kkf13a9b-Qoo73lOhWSsUMbF4UZiLnim-dfGd5XgA1g5W1Jo-u6DSdNtbFW3QZDcwDb5Bxs74T_YP0qigp8/s200/DSCF4573.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A bad picture of a Red Colobus monkey, but well worth the effort</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBImSr0gfytS_TML6mDHOIXGlq-pthEfC8cV5M2wJu2-i5XLT4XPBE8Q_1_KB3JuiR0fZoDF8aPW2-FD09ZqknrsLqaZFb9KNTqlZO8MZvqJ9KLMacdiD8rudMPMk8RMAwHQkkWZukXPQ/s1600/DSCF4495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBImSr0gfytS_TML6mDHOIXGlq-pthEfC8cV5M2wJu2-i5XLT4XPBE8Q_1_KB3JuiR0fZoDF8aPW2-FD09ZqknrsLqaZFb9KNTqlZO8MZvqJ9KLMacdiD8rudMPMk8RMAwHQkkWZukXPQ/s200/DSCF4495.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kat, Gavina, and I showing off our chalk stained hands. If you look closely, you will see that I have some trouble keeping chalk of my clothes.</div>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-40528236807826659672010-06-29T11:27:00.001-05:002010-07-07T10:42:08.876-05:00Preliminary Thoughts On Teaching<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve said in my previous post that I’ve experience soo much already as a Peace Corps trainee that now, all of my posts are just exercises in recall. Just be patient and bear with me, I will eventually get caught up with everything in due time.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">So we’ve finally started practicing what it is we came here to do as PCVs…Teach. We had our first micro-teach here in Bo this past Thursday at Milton Comprehensive School. The students weren’t actually supposed to attend class that particular day but the principal of the school had the students come under false pretenses. If she hadn’t have done so, none of the students would’ve showed up! We each taught our respective subjects for two 40-minute sessions to a class of students at the lower Junior Secondary school levels. It was a little soon to begin teaching in front of foreign faces for most of us, especially considering there are some PCTs here who have never thought a class before. Before our micro-teach we did about two peer teaching practice sessions, one 15-minute session on one day and a 35-40 minute session the next. The overall purpose of those practice sessions, presumably, was to help prepare us for our micro-teach. For my 15 minute peer teach, I taught about the structure of a bean seed, and for my 40-minute peer teach, I lectured my colleagues on a somewhat advanced ecology subject, species/species interactions and how they alter fitness through evolutionary changes. Both of my lectures were good (although I ran out of time), unfortunately I had to drastically lower the difficulty level of my lecture and completely change my method of delivery, lest my Sierra Leonean pupils students fail to comprehend any aspect of the lecture (An all too common reality given the nature of teaching styles and the levels of comprehension in this country).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I taught two classes with three PCTs total in each class (Hannah and Michael were in my first class, and Bryan and Chris were in my second). Here are some quick thoughts on how both teaching sessions went for me:</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Class 1:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I went after Hannah, but later felt guilty because it started pouring rain and the tin roofs made it almost impossible to hear anything, let alone a lecture. Hannah has a soft voice, so she basically had to stop speaking during the rain. I could have gone first and probably should have, because I can talk loud if need be. All in all my first class went remarkably well. I spoke SLOWLY and LOUDLY, something that is very important to do for students who have a hard time understanding our American accents. I also spoke with a Sierra Leonean English accent, which helped TREMENDOUSLY. I spoke using local colloquialisms and body gestures (West Africans speak in a manner that seems like loud, belligerent shouting to westerns and gesticulate wildly as well) and made references to local foods, plants and animals. All of the examples and terms I introduced were reinforced with class exercises which I believe helped my students understand arcane ecological topics like commensalism, competition, mutualism, fitness and the like.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Class 2:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The only difference between this class and the first was the actual size. There were a lot more kids in my second class, and it was difficult to keep my students focused on the lesson. However to be frank, that scenario more closely approximates the reality we are likely to face once we are placed in our work-sites where the class sizes can be as high as 100 students with 60 students considered the low end! So we’ve been told. Fortunately all of the methods I used above worked for this particular class as well, and I left Amadiaye feeling pretty confident in my teaching abilities. </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I think an observation that all of the PCTs had was how far below the students are in the comprehension of material they are supposed to know. We are all going to have to lower our standards as teachers; otherwise in trying to do too much we risk accomplishing nothing. I was surprised just how exhausted I was after teaching those two classes! I remember telling Michael later that day at the PCT training site just how hard I felt it would be for me to teach with that energy level day in and day out, all year long, through all the frustrations I will experience as a PCV teacher. I guess I just have a work at finding a teaching style I’m comfortable enough with to be able to implement on a consistent basis.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">We start our summer school pretty soon, next week I believe. It is going to be pretty intense, but necessary for us to practice our own unique teaching methods in front of a class of eager students. I think on the whole, the students that will be attending this summer school are the over-achievers, so in that sense, it may or may not be realistic, but it is close. The summer school is one of three teaching practice ums we will be utilizing as PCTs: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">peer teach, micro-teach, and summer school</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it’s the opinion of a majority of the PCTs here that summer school is going to be the most useful in gauging our progress as teachers in the Sierra Leonean system, although peer teach is very useful because we get critiques from our training staff and fellow PCTs on areas of improvement.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">On an unrelated note, Richard and Catherine Frazier arrived in Bo yesterday, along with one other RPCV and a few other teachers. They were PCVs back in the day (70s or 80s?) They were a great resource for me in the months preceding my departure for Sierra Leone and I’m glad that they are here. Unfortunately they are here for only a few days I believe before moving to New Dehli. India to teach at one of the American Embassy School there (Not sure if there is more than one in Dubai). They are going to be running a teacher training workshop for us PCTs to participate in and it is going to be great for us to hear from RPCVs who know what it is like to teach in Sierra Leone, especially since not much has changed. I’m also glad because Richard brought with him a Mende Natural History book he mentioned to me sometime ago. If I get my sight preference, which is to be placed near a protected wildlife or forest area, chances are I will be in a Mende speaking region. Richard and Catherine both were visibly excited to see us sitting there, especially Catherine (OH MY GOODNESS). They have been working hard for a long time, in conjunction with friends of Sierra Leone, advocating for the Peace Corps to return to this country. I believe one thing they can help us PCTs with is how to teach effectively using innovative methods despite the limited teaching materials.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The lack of resources is a palpable fear among a lot of the PCTs, me included, so I’ve been practicing incorporating local resources in my practice teaching lessons. I’m really glad I brought my 10+ lbs general biology textbook with me, although you can never have enough materials to mine from. Our training staff has been reiterating the persistent problem of the lack of resources during our cultural sensitization sessions (things work very differently here in Sierra Leone than they do In the U.S. as you have probably guessed…more on that another time). In fact, Richard mentioned to us on Friday how during past teacher training workshops, host-country national teachers have complained over and over again about the lack of resources. But I think, and I’m not alone in believing this, that the belief in a lack of resources comes with the assumption that all the knowledge you will ever need to learn can only come from two sources: 1) the text-book and 2) the all-knowing teacher who cannot be questioned under any circumstances. To me its pretty clear, especially with teaching subjects in biology and environmental sciences, limiting myself to these two methods would not be my best interest as a teacher and would not be in the best interest of my students. There is a wealth of resources here in this country to use for teaching the sciences. One just has to think outside the box. As a science teacher at the Secondary school level, I’m going to have a Sierra Leonean curriculum to abide by, but how I go about teaching the material is my decision. I definitely plan on being a dynamic interactive lecturer; the rigid, British based system of the unassailable lecturer and rote-memorization is simply not going to work in my classroom.</span><br />
</div>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-60584263127799792672010-06-19T08:03:00.009-05:002010-07-07T10:50:24.730-05:00Much Needed Update<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">At the sacrifice of considerable detail, this post will be devoted to summarizing my experiences thus far as a Peace Corps Trainee (PCT). It has been a long time since I’ve last blogged, but it’s not entirely my fault. I haven’t had any reliable access to the Internet since leaving for Sierra Leone, and now that I’m actually in-country, my access is severely limited. It will only get worse after our swear-in ceremony, where we will make our transition from PCTs to Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) and we’re all shipped off to our worksites, isolation and all. We are all training currently in Bo, Sierra Leone, affectionately known as the second city, with Freetown coming first.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Our staging even was pretty fun. It was great getting to know everyone and hearing everyone’s hopes, aspirations, and fears for service, as naïve as they may have sounded (Mine included!) We all arrived on Tuesday night, 1 June at the Holiday Inn Georgetown, went out to eat together, and came back to the hotel for the next day of staging activities. That whole Wednesday was devoted to turning in paper work exercises, activities, group skits, etc. The basic premise behind all of these activities was to remind us of the hardships we were all about to face as PCVS, in addition to making sure we didn’t forget the three main goals of the Peace Corps, which escape me at the moment! (I know, I should be ashamed huh?) It goes something like: 1) to bring our technical expertise to needed people and areas, 2) to create a better perception of Americans on the part of people who have served as PCVs 3) and to create of better perception of the people served in their respective countries. We also attended a ceremony at the Peace Corps headquarters that day, heralding our return to the country as PCVs for the first time in 15 years. Peggy Murrah, the Executive director of Friends of Sierra Leone, was there. A LOT of Returned Peace Corps volunteers (RPCVs) were in attendance, Sierra Leonean expatriates, as well as Peace Corps dignitaries, NBC news and the Peace Corps press were there. It was a great event, with great food and interesting people. I was actually interviewed by both the Peace Corps and NBC. The NBC interview didn’t necessarily surprise me because I was expecting to be interviewed. I had a phone discussion with one of the producers assigned to cover our return to Sierra Leone. What surprised me was how scripted it felt. The interview was a bit rushed and it felt unnatural for me. Having to direct my answers to an individual (the Peace Corps director) who wasn’t the person asking me the questions, all the while making clown faces was a bit awkward, I would have to say. But it was a fun experience nonetheless. Not many people can say that they have been interviewd by NBC news. They are actually coming to Bo on Monday and are coming to my host family house to interview me and shoot some footage of me handling my business around the compound!! That should be interesting…More on that later.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">We checked out of the hotel on Thursday the 3<sup>rd</sup>, did our medical, and then left for Reagan International Airport. There were a couple of hiccups along they way. A couple of us, me included had a few luggage problems. One of my bags was overweight, so I had to redistribute the weight into my lighter bag. After I did this, I placed my bag on the scale and before I had the opportunity to lock it, the ticket desk attendant threw my unlocked bag on the conveyer belt. She actually did this twice! And the second time I had to get another assistant to go deep in to the bowels of the luggage security system to find my unlocked bag amidst the thousands of bags, and lock it. We nearly had another, more serious scare within our group. Andre, one of the PCTs, misplaced his passport at the airport before our departure to Brussells. Luckily he found it in one of his pockets, and we were on our way.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">We landed at Lungi International Airport in Freetown about a day later exhausted and excited. We exited the plane and were <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">immediately</i></b> greeted by our country directors, Joel and Gale, as well as other members of the Sierra Leonean Peace Corps Training staff and the Sierra Leonean media (We made the news a few days later!). It was all just so overwhelming. All of the staff members were so excited to see us arrive. The Sierra Leoneans in attendance were absolutely mad with excitement. Many of them have had experience with Peace Corps volunteers in the past, and were happy to see us land. It was interesting for me though. I actually wore one of my traditional African clothes complete with a kofia hat and kente cloth, so I stood out from my other colleagues, all of whom were dressed in western clothing. I also think it played a big role in how I was perceived by the host-country nationals (HCNs). Honestly for me, It was just something comfortable to wear and I knew that I looked good, a no-brainer.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">We spent the duration of our stay in Freetown at the stadium hostel near the national stadium, which has an interesting history of its own (That I wont go into for now). According to Annaliese (One of the PCT staff members) they were slowly trying to wean us off of the western mode of existence. We were lucky to have electricity, air conditioning, and running water in our rooms, although those amenities did not work perfectly for everyone! Basically our training began there at the hostel. We were introduced to all of the PCT-staff members that we would be working with for the remainder of our 10-week training. We weren’t allowed to leave the premises of the hostel for any reason whatsoever, save ‘Peace Corps approved’ field trips. There were however, a couple of notable trips. We all took a visit to the U.S. embassy house where the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Charge d’ affairs </b>(gle lived. His home was absolutely spectacular, although conspicuously out of place amidst the general poverty in Freetown. It was on the top of a large hill, giving us all a birds-eye view of all of Freetown. The Sierra Leonean ambassador to the U.S. was there, and two RPCVs, Scott Bode, and Jordan Kimball, who both work in Sierra Leone in the natural resource management sector. I enjoyed talking to them both because they are doing the kind of work that I would eventually like to get involved in after my service, and I wanted to hear how their service as volunteers lead them to their current careers. Before our arrival in Sierra Leone, we sent in our shirt sizes. We all received these styling clothes made by traditional Sierra Leonean tailors. We all went to the state house in Freetown and had a meeting with both the president and vice president of Sierra Leone. Plattitudes and speeches were given and we all shook hands and took a group picture with both the president and vice president which was great.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlWYDJf9JA5AfWBSiSWZNmC_wANLiHjX0eiyldPMyPN6-zrucJw-izRAl5Jk_39Hlyp7XFqQddxinMyy7JIcFeH6it7UwDOzNh-1J2XJFhmY1T4gnEH2VR_BBliIJ6tAF37HuKuGlyCI/s1600/DSCF4225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlWYDJf9JA5AfWBSiSWZNmC_wANLiHjX0eiyldPMyPN6-zrucJw-izRAl5Jk_39Hlyp7XFqQddxinMyy7JIcFeH6it7UwDOzNh-1J2XJFhmY1T4gnEH2VR_BBliIJ6tAF37HuKuGlyCI/s320/DSCF4225.JPG" /></a></div><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">We left for Bo, Sierra Leone on the 9th where we will spend the remainder of our 10-week training. I can't even begin to describe the level of excitement and celebration our arrival inspired. Before our adoption ceremony (our adoption to our host-families who will house us for the remainder of our stay), we were greeted by traditional Mende (one of the dominant language and cultural groups in Sierra Leone) dancers who performed for us, and plucked a couple of PCTs from the crowd to dance. Gavina was one of the PCTs chosen and she absolutely KILLED it...my goodness I enjoyed watching her. And I bet you can guess the other individual chosen to dance for the crowd?...ME...yes, I was pulled against my will to the center to dance to the beating drums. So I did. Simple as that; and it was great. It was funny though because somehow I knew in my gut that I would be chosen, yet I stood there like a man, and accepted my fate, instead of slinking to the back after Gavina was plucked from the relative safety of the crowd. Apparently everyone loved it and they are expecting me to perform for my birthday...that will be interesting.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">There were a few glitches during my adoption ceremony. The family I was initially paired with wasn't happy because the head of the household was our of town for one reason or another, and he would have been extremely upset to return and find that another man had been in his house while he was gone, so I was swiftly transferred to another host family and so far it has worked out well. There are around 16 individuals in my family, some of whom I don’t even see regularly so it is difficult keeping up with the names of everyone. The language is also difficult. Krio is the Lingua Franca of Sierra Leone, and it is relatively easy for a native English speaker to understand, but to speak it fluently is another matter. On top of that, my family members speak a sort of village Krio which is much more difficult to understand, but I learning little by little everyday and my speaking proficiency is slowly improving. Baby steps now….”<i>Small Small”</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCiXV6hrXXCJ8OOQOX_GihsIXQeeN2Ow2ZyVw0j-tblhHZ4gWmnxs_NxQhU4vuLk6KZ53g45gIMxhyphenhyphenfouPq2_nPoTxmfWpSznJDz7QSArMww0wxkOVMaxzjW-akyxZs0LZIGh6jzvHtk/s1600/DSCF4240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCiXV6hrXXCJ8OOQOX_GihsIXQeeN2Ow2ZyVw0j-tblhHZ4gWmnxs_NxQhU4vuLk6KZ53g45gIMxhyphenhyphenfouPq2_nPoTxmfWpSznJDz7QSArMww0wxkOVMaxzjW-akyxZs0LZIGh6jzvHtk/s320/DSCF4240.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Picture with some...emphasis on some...of my family members</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHUBzY6WRoqr_f8PsPWHWUxXPQ3fEnIcA0th7HQuGKvTyVi0tmPs73eY7Z9u04RCQMOpolU8AvRC-L8Y7da04GFI5nzmINoR-TtOfa95f4C0Kx7EEWUwIXTxE9s_Qi-8sdtow7Ja_Tho/s1600/DSCF4404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHUBzY6WRoqr_f8PsPWHWUxXPQ3fEnIcA0th7HQuGKvTyVi0tmPs73eY7Z9u04RCQMOpolU8AvRC-L8Y7da04GFI5nzmINoR-TtOfa95f4C0Kx7EEWUwIXTxE9s_Qi-8sdtow7Ja_Tho/s320/DSCF4404.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Picture with Mohamed Kabia, my first Krio language instructor</div><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">So there you have it. Again, I have neglected a lot of detail in writing this post. But an update was needed. I will post photos and some more fillers another time. The Internet connection here is agonizingly slow, although it is faster because I have my laptop with me. I’m currently at the Mars Internet Café in Bo. This is supposedly the best café in Bo!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></div></div>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-52942214045597648422010-05-29T23:20:00.004-05:002010-05-30T12:56:49.080-05:00The Infamous Packing List...Pending Approval of CourseIn just four days, I pack my bags and set out for Washington D.C. where I and approximately 40 other volunteers will get together and prepare ourselves mentally, and logistically for our journey to Sierra Leone. However lets be frank, at least I and probably most of my fellow Peace Corps colleagues, have had about a year and a half to do all the mental preparations for a experience as serious as this, then again; Is one ever ready to be a Peace Corps volunteer? From the stories I've read and the conversations I've had with past Peace Corps volunteers, the answer would at first appearances seem to be NO. But somehow that uncertainty, at least for me, makes me that more excited and anxious to get over there.<br />
<br />
So what am I to do? Well the least I can do is make sure that my packing list is in order!<br />
<br />
Let's review:<br />
<br />
An asterisk (*) signifies uncertainty over the number of the particular item I should bring <br />
An (^) signifies uncertainty over whether I should bring the particular item<br />
<br />
<b>Clothing:</b><br />
15 boxer briefs<br />
8 under shirts*<br />
6 ankle socks for running(*)<br />
4 breathable T-shirts + one cycling shirt (*)<br />
1 light Columbia water-resistant windbreaker<br />
2 ties*<br />
2 business casual khaki pants <br />
2 long-sleeve button-down dress-shirts<br />
1 pair dress pants<br />
1 pair swimming trunks<br />
3 sets of traditional African clothing (Tailor-made during my time in Nigeria)<br />
2 long-sleeve shirts/sweatshirts<br />
3-4 short-sleeved button up shirts(*)<br />
2 pairs comfortable zip-off/hiking pants<br />
2 pairs jean shorts(*)<br />
1-2 pairs of jeans(*)<br />
2 pairs athletic shorts<br />
1 pair Merrell hiking sandals <br />
1 pair Chaco sandals <br />
1 pair Keen sandals <br />
1 pair flip-flops<br />
1 pair running or track shoes (^) <br />
2 sun hats<br />
2 belts(*)<br />
4 bandanas<br />
1 Kente cloth (Courtesy of Reimi)<br />
2 African kofia hats (Red and black) <br />
<br />
<b>Electronics:</b><br />
Bicycle lights<br />
<b> </b>Mini travel alarm clock<br />
Digital watch<br />
8GB USB flash-drive<br />
Wall battery AA/AAA charger <br />
16 rechargeable AA batteries<br />
8 rechargeable AAA batteries<br />
Headlamp (Petzl E89 Tactikka XP)<br />
Digital Camera<br />
Laptop<br />
Solar calculator<br />
Grundig G6 Aviator shortwave radio<br />
Electric hair clippers (^)<br />
Voltage Converter (^)<br />
Small travel speakers (^)<br />
<br />
<b>Toiletries:</b><br />
3 tubes toothpaste + 1 travel size<br />
Tweezers<br />
4 toothbrushes<br />
4 packs floss<br />
1 bottle mouthwash + 1 travel size <br />
Hairbrush<br />
Small comb<br />
Large tube vaseline<br />
Travel size vaseline<br />
2-4 sticks deodorant + 1 travel size(*)<br />
Travel toothbrush holder<br />
1 large hand sanitizer bottle<br />
3 travel size hand sanitizers bottles<br />
Razors(^)<br />
Small travel mirror (^)<br />
<br />
<b>Miscellaneous:</b><br />
1 extra large Eastern Mountain Sports pack towel<br />
2 pairs prescription eye glasses<br />
1 pair sunglasses<br />
1 Patagonia travel sling<br />
Leatherman<br />
1-2 stainless steel water bottle<br />
8x42 Stokes Talon binoculars (An absolute must have for birding)<br />
Columbia travel pillow<br />
Regular size pillow<br />
Tent (Eureka Backcountry 1 solo)<br />
Dreamsack (Extra-Roomy opening)<br />
Magnifying glass<br />
3 Carabiners<br />
Yoga mat (For camping!)<br />
1-2 journals (*)<br />
1 2010-2011 weekly planner <br />
U.S. stamps<br />
12 passport photos<br />
Photos from home<br />
Scissors<br />
Sketchbook<br />
Jump Rope<br />
Yoga ball (^)....Probably not necessary?<br />
Soccer ball (^) <br />
Duct tape<br />
Mini stapler<br />
Pencils/Pens/white-out/erasers<br />
Swimming goggles<br />
Incense/incense holder(^)<br />
Bicycle seat pack<br />
Bicycle bell<br />
2 TSA locks<br />
Compass<br />
Basic bicycle tools<br />
Index cards<br />
4 pack small notepads<br />
National Geographic laminated world map<br />
<br />
<b>Books:</b><br />
Birds of Western Africa<br />
Bradt Guide to Sierra Leone<br />
Oxford Pocket Dictionary<br />
College level Biology textbook <br />
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman<br />
Proust was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer <br />
Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson<br />
National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky<br />
Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan<br />
History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell (To bulky!)(^) <br />
The Slave Trade by Hugh Thomas (Could theoretically take me the whole two years to read this thing!)(^) <br />
In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa's botanical legacy in the Atlantic World by Judith Carney (^)<br />
<br />
<br />
This list is pretty much set with the exception of the few particulars I've listed. To pack it all I have:<br />
<br />
An Outdoor brand duffel bag (14in x 30in)<br />
A two wheel suitcase (28in x 19in x 10in)<br />
1 Timbuk2 medium Hemlock backpack (14.20in x 24.60in x 6.30in) <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyZBwq8I6uxOBGphcSFAAGqwz0hFIboS3YqNqjW8C6BsxOqvPHwoOrwl1mqcTe2okjT3mEZ9m2h24C07HurRnuQMo3tMOwkYDIo-e5gFSgjzQf-2KX0dzu0OAp3zr484Nrnug2sGjF_s/s1600/DSCF4054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyZBwq8I6uxOBGphcSFAAGqwz0hFIboS3YqNqjW8C6BsxOqvPHwoOrwl1mqcTe2okjT3mEZ9m2h24C07HurRnuQMo3tMOwkYDIo-e5gFSgjzQf-2KX0dzu0OAp3zr484Nrnug2sGjF_s/s320/DSCF4054.JPG" /></a></div>Of course the duffel bag is empty, but this is just to give you some perspective. I don't think this load is too unmanageable at all. I will check in the suitcase and the duffel bag. There are restrictions though. Combined, all checked in luggage can't exceed 80lbs. The heaviest bag can't exceed 50 lbs, and the combined external dimensions of my checked in bags can't exceed 107 inches. My checked in bags combined have an external dimension of 101 inches, just shy of 107 inch limit, and I'm pretty sure my suitcase won't exceed 50 lbs, if it does, I'll just transfer items to duffel bag to even things out.<br />
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I hope this helps anyone struggling with what to pack! I'll update the list once I'm finished evaluating what I need and don't need.<br />
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CheersIkenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-47360357706692762932010-05-02T00:47:00.003-05:002010-05-02T12:05:54.740-05:00Dental Clearance? And Other Tangibles<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Hmm</span>...So it would appear that I've FINALLY been granted the dental clearance that has caused me so much stress the last, oh say, two years. Truthfully, I shouldn't have put it off as long as I did, and truthfully, I probably should have taken care of it back when I had dental insurance at my old job over at <a href="http://www.pbrc.edu/">Pennington Biomedical Research Center</a>. I'm going to be in a measurable amount of debt for the foreseeable future to the parents...unfortunately. I would have had the money to take care of <i><b><u>most </u></b></i>of my dental expenses had I received my security deposit from my old apartment roommates in <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Hartsdale</span>, NY. It was such a complicated situation and I don't feel like elaborating on it now, it will just make me angry all over again. BUT, if Susie and Frankie were truthful to me from the very beginning, and told me exactly where my security deposit was going, I wouldn't have paid it in or the monthly rent, in cash, like some idiot; and I probably would have done something more radical like withhold rent....Ha ha...Right. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.<br />
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But back to my dental clearance. All they required me to do was a root canal on tooth #13 with a restoration with a full crown. I was hesitant to go the crown route back in February when I first began the treatment. A root canal is a fairly invasive procedure! They are done with the premise that there is extensive decay on or near nerves on the root of the tooth and the procedure is considered necessary to "save" the tooth. The only problem is I, the average individual has a different working definition of what constitutes a "tooth" when it comes to root canals. When I say "tooth", I'm thinking the shiny, pearly whites that I like to show off to all my friends when I'm in a good mood. But to a dentist, saving the tooth actually means saving the tooth <i><u><b>root</b></u></i>. This is a crucial difference because the root is actually what matters in preserving the over jaw structure of the mouth. You lose the root and you basically don't have a smile in the long run. I originally had the root canal done and restored it with filling which some people do. The only disadvantage is that it leaves your tooth susceptible to crack because you have a huge piece of filling wedged in the injured tooth and it compromises the way bite forces are distributed around the tooth. Needless to say, the Peace Corps was not going to accept that treatment plan so I had to go back and restore it with a crown (Porcelain) with requires a substantial amount of drilling away of the little amount that's left of the tooth. I completed that part of the procedure on Monday, the 26th of April and Fed-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ex'ed</span> the X-rays and letters later that day, and just in the nick of time. My deadline for clearance was 2 May. So FINALLY, I'm done with my medical and dental work and I'm technically physically "fit" to serve, except for one small hitch, I've been informed that I need to be vaccinated against the H1N1 virus. SO CLOSE!!! But it shouldn't be a problem. It's funny though, around the time when H1N1 outbreaks were making the headlines, I deliberately refused to let myself get caught up in the hoopla and hysteria that was circulating. It's ironic that I'm now being required to be vaccinated. Better safe than sorry I suppose?<br />
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I can't believe that in less than five weeks, I'll be leaving behind the comfort and convenience of Western life for something that I have romanticized about in my own head. I think my heart skips a beat when I contemplate the reality and inevitability of this novel experience I'm about to engage in. This past Friday I booked my ticket to our two and a half day staging even in D.C. from 1-3 June. We will fly out for Freetown, Sierra Leone on 3 June. Our staging event is sort of like a crash course on things to expect, our conduct as a volunteer, and meeting the other volunteers who on the surface seem excited but the majority of which, I'm willing to bet, are scared shit-less, but that's OK. Our staging will be at the:<br />
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<b>Holiday Inn Georgetown</b><br />
<b>2101 Wisconsin Avenue NW</b><br />
<b>Washington, DC 20007</b><br />
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When we land in Freetown, there is going to be a "special celebration" at the State House with a lot of publicity to follow. I've stressed in my prior post just how significant our return is and there is a lot at stake! I was told that upon our arrival in Freetown, the Government of Sierra Leone will take our shirt sizes in order to make us traditional African garments. Luckily for me I own a few already that I plan on bringing with me to help facilitate the tailoring of any new garments I may want. Our training will be 10 weeks long and will be in Bo, Sierra Leone. Most, if not all volunteers I think, will be residing with host families during this time. There are so many things that I still need to do! I still don't have my packing list finalized, I have paperwork to complete still (Insurance for my valuables, Pen-pal programs), vaccines to get, and to top it all off, my laptop monitor quit working so now I have to get it fixed, although I'm hoping I wont have to pay anything since this is a problem other Mac users have had. I need to stop complaining and get to work.<br />
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On an unrelated note, I'm very happy to hear that we will be getting bicycles once we are posted to our work sites!<br />
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More to come...Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200868914298235246.post-7013557299966372182010-04-18T21:32:00.001-05:002010-04-18T23:21:28.023-05:00Application Timeline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcpwKdaoyAmgQVSv6GWMV0niy7QzrWfGe-mCjXZwfbhn7jPsfFaGMBVUWAEjTaeqToUlB3k0Ji2NvvzFgcchnTAWZObDGCIY5z1QuIiY_yssImuK-zalxlRlp7eXPrzYdZO7B0H2daYQ/s1600/Peace+Corps+invitation+Letter+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcpwKdaoyAmgQVSv6GWMV0niy7QzrWfGe-mCjXZwfbhn7jPsfFaGMBVUWAEjTaeqToUlB3k0Ji2NvvzFgcchnTAWZObDGCIY5z1QuIiY_yssImuK-zalxlRlp7eXPrzYdZO7B0H2daYQ/s200/Peace+Corps+invitation+Letter+2.jpg" width="153" /></a>And so it all ends with this enigmatic invitation letter. All the blood (quite literally), urine, 7 months of Tuberculosis medication, additional vaccinations, vision and hearing examinations, dental root canal treatments (still not completed as of yet!), battles with my Peace Corps medical evaluation assistant, my anxieties, doubts, fears, hopes, and expectations, all have lead inexorably to this letter that many Peace Cops hopefuls never see. I pseudo-expected that I would receive an invitation letter some weeks before it actually came in the mail, but it's cruel how Peace Corps makes you wait, day after agonizing day for it to arrive so that when it finally does, you rip open the 1.5'' paper packet which is not paper at all, but some sort of reinforced cloth material that requires a hacksaw to open and only adds unnecessarily to the pain. I can't really describe the emotions I felt once reading that I'd been selected to serve in Sierra Leone. Sometime in the past, in a feeble attempt to obtain some sort of certainty over where I'd be sent, I narrowed down a list of countries in the continent of Africa where science educators were sent. Needles to say, Sierra Leone was not on that list. So I guess that I was a bit bemused, but excited nonetheless, I was no longer in the dark!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Peace Corps has had a notable presence in Sierra Leone, ever since 1962, when the Peace Corps program first began under the auspices of President John F. Kennedy. The program ended abruptly in 1994 due to steadily rising violence from the ensuing civil war and is just now returning to the country, 15 years later, and about 8 years since the civil war was officially declared over by then president<b> Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah</b> who incidentally has the same first name as the friend and war compatriot Ishmael Beah who wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Gone-Memoirs-Soldier/dp/0374531269/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271565869&sr=8-1"><i><b>A Long Way one, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier</b></i></a> (A must read!) Incidentally, up until then, there were approximately 3,479 Peace Corps volunteers who served in Sierra Leone, ranking it 4th in the number of volunteers who are sent to serve in Africa. I am part of the first cohort of approximately 40 education volunteers to return to Sierra Leone since the commencement of the war and I'm being given a unique opportunity to help plant the seeds of sustainable development.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have spent the better part of the past month networking with former Returned Peace Corps volunteers (RPCV) in addition to individuals, students and organizations who are or have done work in Sierra Leone. Everyone I've talked to has not only given me great advice, they've also expressed their excitement that Peace Corps is returning to Sierra Leone. I'm scheduled to fly to Washington D.C. on June 2-3 for a two-three day orientation and then I will fly to Sierra Leone for my three month training in Makeni, Sierra Leone, based on the information I've received from Peggy Murrah, a RPCV in Sierra Leone and executive director of Friends of Sierra Leone, and Richard Frazier, another RPCV in Sierra Leone and a current teacher trainer. I have so many things to take care of and loose ends to tie and quite frankly I feel overwhelmed when I think about all the things I've yet to do. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Below I'm listing a rough time line for those interested in applying to be a Peace Corps volunteer so that they can have an idea of just how long it takes to get past all of the bureaucratic hurdles. Keep in mind however that each individual's time line is highly personal and depends on how motivated one is and, how many health problems one has:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>13 November 2008</b>: Preliminary online application submitted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>11 December 2008</b>: One-on-one interview with Peace Corps recruiter, Charles Lucking at Dallas, TX regional office.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>4 January 2009</b>: Arrive at Greenburgh Nature Center to begin my position as an environmental educator. I took this position with the hopes that it would give me more environmental education experience for the Peace Corps since environmental education was my first choice, followed by science education.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>2 February 2009</b>: Received news form Charles that I was nominated for a science education position in sub-Saharan Africa scheduled to leave on Jan/Feb/Mar (Big range!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>2 February 2009 - 15 July 2009</b>: Voluntarily terminate the application process (In hindsight not a wise move!) only to pick it up again to begin my medical evaluation process.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>29 July 2009</b>: I begin my six month Isoniazid (INH) treatment for Tuberculosis. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>18 December 2009</b>: FINALLY receive my medical clearance from the office of medical services.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>27 January 2010: </b>Finish my INH treatment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>3 February 2010</b>: Begin root canal treatment (Still unfinished and I've yet to receive my dental clearance).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>5 February 2010</b>: Obtain eye examinations for glasses.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>10 March 2010</b>: Receive formal invitation letter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>17 March 2010</b>: Formally accept invitation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>2-3 June 2010</b>: Depart for Washington D.C. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since that day, I've been extremely busy writing additional essays and updated résumés, turning in Sierra Leone visa applications, agonizing over whether to apply for insurance for any valuables I may bring with me, and figuring out to pack. I will post an updated packing list once I have a good idea what I'm bringing!</div>Ikenna Achilihuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18009643348710862536noreply@blogger.com0