August in Review

Girls Camp was the shining star of August. It was a great success, and Peter and I feel very grateful to have been a part of the experience. For a week, 36 teenaged girls from the Kaolack Region learned about identity, health, environment, gender, and future, through a combination of activities and discussions. The girls listened, discussed, played, crafted, acted, swam, laughed, and cried.  We hope that they will remember the things they learned, the insights they gained, and the friends they made.

We would like to personally thank those of you who financially supported camp: the Hammersley family, the Fritsche family, the San Fran Maeders, Julie and Chris Bering, Kathleen Rey, the Watts family, Schwinn and Wonder, Laurie Lachowitzer, Reverend Molly Gordon, Phyllis Keyser, The Schmaltz Family, and Tammy Jones. I know there were many others who wanted to donate, but could not, once we met our fundraising goal. Thanks to you all, from the bottom of our hearts! Your support means the world to us. You made camp a reality. Keep your eyes peeled for a personal thank you from the girls in the mail.

Check out this touching video about Kaolack Girls Camp, created by our ever-talented ancienne, Caitlin Healy:

Ami Diom, Ndack Tine, and Ndiate Ba, the three girls we brought from the Guinguinéo Department, thrived at camp. We plan to hold a small gathering for them and their families in October, where we will show this film, and discuss what the camp experience means to each of them and how they see it impacting their life.

We volunteers don’t have time to lament camp being over, though, as we’ve already starting planning for next year!

In agriculture news, rainy season has arrived with a vengeance! The crops are happy for now, although there are doubts as to whether the rains will continue on long enough for the corn, millet, sorghum and rice to mature. If the rain stops too long before harvest time, it will be a serious problem. For now, everyone is just watching, waiting, and hoping.

We’ve been savoring the occasional cloudy day, when the cloud cover keeps the heat at bay and we can work in the garden from morning until evening. Things are happening in there; things are growing. Including the weeds, which I am convinced love the rain most of all! The corn failed, as did some of the peas and beans, so we have re-seeded melon, squash, cucumbers, and more beans. The bissap (like edible hibiscus) and okra are relatively happy, as are most of the trees, but the basil is truly the star of our garden! We seeded three varieties, Greek Basil, Sweet Basil, and Napoletan Basil, all of which are thriving! If anyone feels compelled to send us a care package, we could use the remaining pesto ingredients: nuts and parmesan cheese!

We plan to have a cold season garden after the rains end, beginning in November, but those plants will have to be watered from our faucet, which is expensive and has all manner of plant-killing chemicals in it, including chlorine, fluorine, and salt in excess. Thus, this is our big chance to grow things, when water is free, clean, abundant, and falling from the sky! We hope that come September, there will be enough to see in the garden that we can start inviting people to come see our work, so they can gain confidence in our abilities, and find inspiration and confidence for agriculture work of their own.

Perhaps even more exciting than seeing our garden boom and bloom, is the training work we’ve been able to squeeze in during August. Since there isn’t much gardening happening around town as a result of the grasshopper infestation and late rains, we’ve been focusing most of our energy supporting agroforestry work. We held a formacion (a training, or workshop) at our Master Farm in Sakagne to outline the difference in outplanting and caring for thorny live fencing tree species, Nitrogen-fixing tree species like moringa and leucaena, and fruit trees like cashew and mango. What made this training so successful was that it brought together my 4 dedicated work partners from Nguick, our Master Farmer (who is supposed to be demonstrating the technologies we extend and serving as a resource for area farmers), some Sakagne community members, and the Director of Eaux et Forets (EEF, the Senegalese equivalent of the Forestry Service). I technically led the training, but it was very collaborative and all parties in attendance offered much clarification (regarding my Wolof, and some technical information) and insight (regarding what has and hasn’t worked for those involved in the discussion). It was a day of successfully facilitating the flow of ideas between us, a local Peace Corps rep (our Master Farmer), my work partners, and a Director of a Government organization. So cool! Plus, after we were finished talking, we outplanted almost 300 trees for the Master Farm’s live fence. What a day!  

In the midst of everything, we managed to squeeze in a big day of summer cleaning. We usually spend 3-5 solid hours every week cleaning (mostly sweeping and wiping down surfaces to limit dust, and scrubbing down the bathroom), but our little apartment was in need of a deep clean. We hauled out many heaping dustpans of dirt, knocked down several termite tunnels on the walls, and even washed our “couch” slipcovers and bed net! It’s just so hard to keep this place clean when we don’t have real glass windows, only janky old metal shutters to keep the dust and sand out. That’s why Senegalese women usually sweep and mop their entire houses twice daily. Oy!

Another major component of August has been our sector-specific Summits. For my AgroForestry summit, I traveled to the region of Kaffrine, where we spent 2 days brushing up on our technical skills, learning new agfo techniques, and sharing information. It was inspirational to hear about others’ successes, and informative to discuss challenges and failures. I left summit feeling energized and effective.

As I type, Peter is in Thies at his Urban Agriculture Summit. I miss him here in Guinguinéo, but I’ve had plenty of work (in Nguick, in the garden, and on the computer), lots of pets and children, and a big storm that wreaked havoc on the garden and the house to keep me busy. There’s never a dull moment here in Senegal!

Oh yeah, and we now have a second cat. She showed up at our house one day in June as a kitten, and was unusually friendly and interested in humans. We fed her occasional scraps and started letting her in our house to hang out, but Baay was not happy about her presence. She was a little too comfortable hanging around the lunch bowl, meowing and rubbing up against humans indiscriminately, a big no-no in Wolof culture. Apparently some people think that if a cat’s tail touches you, it will steal your leer, which in this context translates basically to “religious clarity” and reminded me most of something like “chi” in eastern religions.  This would not go down well with the kind of high-powered, religious and superstitious lunch guests Baay often hosts, he assured us. Aaand, she may have had diarrhea (or sharted, if we’re being technical) on our Grandmother’s bed and on a pile of her clothes, and on the mosquito net in the family room of the main house, as a result of some trouble with intestinal worms. Oops. Shortly thereafter, she disappeared, and we though she had succumbed to her parasites and died. We offered the kids 100 cfa (about $0.25) to find her, dead or alive, to no avail.

Almost a month later, she waltzed back into the compound one day, very much alive! We’re pretty certain that Baay paid someone to bring her far away after the poop incidents, but we figured nothing good would come of trying to confirm our suspicions. Baay was unhappy about her return, but said we could keep her as long as we took care of her intestinal issues and took responsibility for her as our pet like Happy Cat, and trained her not to come in the main house (He still thinks HC’s good behavior is a result of successful cat training…). We agreed, hoping that new kitty would also learn to gravitate more toward our apartment and stop creeping around the main house, once she learned where the food and snuggles were. It worked, and that’s how Greta came to be.  We’re done, though. No more pets!

Finally, an Ebola update: there is one confirmed case in Senegal, and Peace Corps is working with the Embassy to monitor the situation. The message we received is that Peace Corps has no plans to consolidate and/or evacuate us at this time, as Senegal’s health care system is much better prepared to effectively handle Ebola than the other affected countries. There may be other cases, but they are not expecting an outbreak. We’re receiving real time text updates as the situation evolves, and Peace Corps will post any relevant messages on the Peace Corps/Senegal website. 

Yaay and Baay made lakh ak soow, millet cereal and sweet yogurt, for our family and our surrounding neighbors this morning, as a sort of alms or offering. Baay prayed that Allah will keep us and our community safe from Ebola. We’re happy and healthy here in Guinguinéo, so please don’t worry on our behalf.  Instead, send your positive energy to those who are directly affected by this horrible virus.

In August:

1.     The biggest challenge we faced: The number of daylight hours. There just isn’t enough time these days! There is endless work to be done- outplanting trees in Nguick and at the Master Farm, working in the garden and around the compound on various plantings, traveling for various Peace Corps activities, working on the computer to keep up with emails, wrap up this year’s Girls Camp and start planning next year’s event, and complete our Volunteer Reporting Forms for this quarter. Phew!

2.     The most exciting/best experience: Feeling the synergy at Girls Camp. So powerful!

3.     What we are most grateful for:  Our fellow PCVs, who are always collaborating successfully to make events like Girls Camp and Summits so successful.

4.     Language factoid:  Waccu means to throw up in Wolof. It sounds like a sneeze, Ah-choo, but with a W on the front. It’s not to be confused with wacc (without the u), which means to go down, or to be finished.

Weer wi weesu amoon nanu benn muus bu feebar.  Xooleen li mu waccu!  Kan moo begg a lekk espaget?

Last month we had a sick cat.  Look what she threw up!  Who wants to eat spaghetti?

Things we’re looking forward to in September:

- A site visit from the AgFo bosses, to check in on our work, gauge our progress, and help reinforce technical information with our work partners.

- Wrapping up tree planting work in Nguick, and around our compound, and tallying the final numbers for how many trees we, and our work partners, have planted.

- Harvesting vegetables from our garden, inshallah!

- Welcoming the new September 2014 Peace Corps Senegal Agriculture Stage, who flies in on September 21! Peter and I will literally be there to welcome them at the airport, and to support them and Peace Corps staff during their first 10 days of training in Thies.

Jamm Rekk,

Kaitlin

Packing Advice from a Fastidious Planner

The new Peace Corps Senegal Agriculture Stage (Agroforestry, Urban Ag, and Sustainable Ag Volunteers) will arrive in a month, at the end of September, so I wanted to post on the topic that is sure to be at the forefront of many of their minds: packing. A year ago, as we packed for this experience, I dutifully stalked blogs for packing advice, so I feel obligated to pay it forward, and put more packing information out there.

Disclaimer: this is not a minimalist’s guide! If that’s what you’re looking for, look here (although there's quite a bit on this list that you wouldn't even need).

I’ll start by assuring you that you can find pretty much anything you’d ever want in Senegal, but things are a lot more difficult to track down than in America and you won’t have the time or language skills in your first 3 months in country to access a bunch of specific stuff that you want or need. For that reason, focus on packing what you want and need for your 3 months of training. You will want to be comfortable, and you will be expected to look professional; dress and physical presentation are very important in Senegalese culture.

Try to avoid spending a bunch of money on new clothes and stuff before coming. Your clothes will all get ruined, and so will a lot of your stuff. Buy secondhand when possible, and pack the things that are really important to you, rather than packing everything you think you might need over the course of 27 months. Your dollars will go further in Senegal, and having extra money for emergencies, or to travel during your service, will probably be more important to you than having a bunch of sweet new stuff (clothes especially!) that will wear out quickly.

Also keep in mind that there is tons of stuff floating around the Peace Corps community- clothes (so many clothes!), tents, multi-tools, electronics, solar chargers- either for sale or for free, because waves of volunteers are constantly arriving and leaving. Plus, many PCVs get clothes made from local fabrics (wax is the most common and least expensive kind), so your wardrobe can and will expand later on in your service.

That said, for things you want or need to buy new, there are some great discounts available for PCVs. Check them out on Peace Corps Wiki.

I would highly recommend having access to some American money (at least a few hundred dollars), if you can swing it. Bring your ATM card, and some American cash (there will be an opportunity to change money during your first week). Your first few months in country will be hard, and your walk-around allowance from Peace Corps will probably not cover everything you want, or are expected, to buy. For example, you will be expected to have a new Senegalese-style outfit made for swearing-in that will run about $20-40, and if you want to go on the beach trip at the end of training, you’ll have to pay for that out of pocket, around $30. The occasional small pleasures- Western style food, ice cream, beer- are also most important during training, when you are most cash-poor. You may also need to supplement your Install Allowance if you need major repairs done on your living space that Peace Corps won’t cover (that happened to us), if you have to pay for several expensive items at once (a bed, desk, and chair, for example), or if you have to front money for something (transportation, repair work, medication) that PC will later reimburse you for (happens all the time). Better to be prepared and avoid being stressed about money, as there will be plenty of other stressors in your life.

You will be constantly traveling back and forth between the Thies Training Center (TTC) and your language learning site for the first 3 months, so pack accordingly.  Packing, unpacking, and repacking constituted much of our time during those first few months! We also travel about once a month now. A small to medium sized backpack (ideally with good airflow between the frame and your back) is very helpful, as you will be carrying your luggage all over the place, and heavy bags (that you can't put on your back) are cumbersome for travel.

Finally, I will preface this information by reminding you that we are urban volunteers, living in a town of 15,000-20,000 people. We have electricity and running water. Urban Ag PCVs can expect a situation similar to ours, but AgFos and SusAgs are usually in smaller communities, almost always without electricity, and usually without running water. The wants, needs, and realities of those PCVs are obviously different.

You probably won’t have space for all this stuff, unless you’re lucky enough to be serving with your partner, thus doubling your baggage allowance, but here is a list of things to think about bringing. Whether you decide to go the minimalist route, or the route of the ultra-prepared, you’ll be just fine. Also, this is not an exhaustive list, just a solid starting point.

Essentials:

*During your first few months, you’ll be doing laundry around once every week to 10 days, so you’ll want enough clothes to keep you comfortable during that time. Don’t bring much more than that; you will get clothes made, buy them in the markets, and accumulate them from other volunteers. Save the luggage space for more valuable stuff!

- 2-3 shirts for working outside. I prefer lightweight cotton, long-sleeved t-shirts for sun protection.

- 2-3 pants or capris for working outside. Lightweight cotton or synthetic pants are best.

- 1-2 pair long shorts for working outside (males), exercising, or wearing around the house.

- 1-2 pair leggings (females) to wear under shorts, knee-length dresses or skirts, or around the house.

- 3-5 comfortable and professional-looking outfits to wear around the Training Center and your language training village. I’d say casual office wear is the best way to describe the look you want. Looking presentable is really important in Senegal, and it’s also important to bring things you like and feel comfortable in, otherwise you’ll never wear them. Ladies, dresses and skirts need to be below the knee (ideally mid-calf or below), and avoid tank tops/tank dresses unless they have a very wide strap (tank tops are forbidden at the TTC). Think school-teacher-esque outfits. Keep in mind that stretchy fabric doesn’t last long with hand washing. Gents, shorts are really only appropriate when working outside, exercising, or spending time in a tourist area. Here are some clothing items I am grateful I brought: linen drawstring pants, 2 linen collared shirts, black cotton capris, silk double-layer wrap skirt (bought from a hippie shop), a handful of shirts a step up from a regular t-shirt (a black one with ruching in front to dress it up a bit, a patterned polyester shirt to wear with the capris), and yoga capris for sleeping in and wearing around the house. Peter wears lightweight cotton button up shirts (mostly from Goodwill) or cotton tshirts and lightweight Carhartt khaki pants every day.

- A few solid-color tshirts and/or tank tops. I wear tank tops around the house most days, but in some places in Senegal that’s not appropriate. Bring a few if you like them, but keep them in your luggage during language training, and wear them conservatively. Solid color t-shirts (or collared shirts) are nice because you can get colorful wax pants and skirts made to go with them.

- 1 pair jeans for cold season/Dakar/to feel American.

- 1-2 long-sleeved shirts for cool season.

- 1-2 lightweight fleeces for cool season.

- 1 cute or nice dress or outfit for special occasions, and/or going out in Thies or Dakar. Sometimes it’s important to wear something nice and “normal.” Could be a tank top maxi dress, or a shorter dress for ladies, or nice jeans and a nicer shirt for guys.

- A few pairs of earrings (ladies), and maybe a necklace or 2. Senegalese love jewelry!

- 1 rain jacket, for rainy season. I have only worn mine a few times, though, and could get along without it.

- A couple of comfortable bras (females) both for working outside, and to wear with professional clothes.

- 10ish pairs underwear. They’re expensive, but SmartWool underwear are the best thing ever (for ladies). They dry quicker than synthetic and are much more breathable. I also have a few synthetic Ex Officio pairs (can be really hot), and a few cotton pairs (take longer to dry). Peter loves ExOfficio underwear (for gents). They're super durable and quick drying. You can't get good underwear in Senegal, so bear that in mind when packing.

- Bathing suit. Bikinis are fine.

- 1 pair sturdy sandals. I prefer Chacos and wear them every day.

- 1-2 pairs casual sandals or flats (for men, boat shoes or sandals, or you can get shoes here), to wear with every day skirts and dresses or pants. Sandals without backs or sandals that you can easily slip on and off are helpful, as you must remove shoes when going into a house or room, and during meals. It gets annoying if you’re always buckling and unbuckling.

- 1 pair nice sandals to wear with fancy clothes. Think bling!

- 1 pair tennis shoes or closed-toed shoes, if you plan to exercise or work in them. I have only worn mine a handful of times.

- Wide brimmed hat. I really dislike sunscreen, so my big straw hat is like an extension of my body.

- Sunglasses. You can buy them in Senegal, but they are very low quality. If you are particular about your sunglasses, bring a backup pair.

- A water bottle or 2. Nalgenes or Klean Kanteens hold up well.

- Toiletries. Bring whichever toiletries you want/need for the first few weeks. You will get sunscreen and bug spray from Med after a few days, and you can buy Western-style shampoo, conditioner, soap/body wash, body lotion, and deodorant near the Thies Training Center, but you won’t have much time to go shopping. Ladies, if you wear makeup in America, I would recommend brining some staples to Senegal for special occasions. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to put on some mascara.

- Diva Cup. Ladies, it really is the best option.

- Good pair of nail clippers.

- Meds. Bring a 3 month supply of any prescription meds, per PC’s advice. Other than that, pretty much any medical supplies you’ll need will be in the med kits PC gives you in your first week in-country. If there’s something additional you need that’s not in the kit, you can put in a special request. Save the space and leave the pain killers, antibiotic cream, and band-aids at home!

- Towel. You can buy towels in Senegal (but they’re really crappy and really expensive for what you’re getting) or use a piece of fabric or a sarong, but you’ll probably want to bring one so you have one right off the bat.  We have Eagle Creek quick dry towels and they’re super-great.

- 1-3 Bandanas. They have a million uses.

- Tent. I really didn’t want to bring a tent, but I’m glad we did. A tent is really essential, as there often isn’t enough bed space at regional houses, and sometimes Peace Corps expects you to camp at language seminar, Summits, and other PC-required events when there is limited bed space. It’s also nice for sleeping at site when it’s really hot, and for guests. If you don’t have a tent, buying an inexpensive bug hut-type tent is probably your best option, as it doesn’t rain that much of the year. There are lots of different sizes and price ranges out there.

- Therma-rest, or some other sleeping pad. Not necessary, but makes your tent more pleasant.

- Gift ideas for host families: 3 small photo booklets (one for your language training family, one for your eventual host family, and one for yourself to show people when discussing your family), coloring books and crayons for kids, inexpensive earrings and nail polish for women, chachkis from your state or hometown, American candies. You can buy fruit, coffee, and tea to give as gifts once you get to Senegal, but it’s nice to have something American to present as well. The photo booklets are great topics of conversation for language learning and cultural exchange.

Electronics:

- Computer. If you have a computer or can get one, bring it. Peace Corps Senegal expects a lot of internet/computer work, and while it’s possible to serve without a personal computer, it’s difficult. Bring some sort of case, and ideally a bag to protect it from dust and moisture. *I would recommend bringing a computer over a tablet, if you have the choice. The PC grant website and the Volunteer Reporting Form do not work on tablets, and sometimes tablets have trouble connecting to the wireless networks at regional houses.

- USB key. If you have one, bring it. If you don’t, consider buying one. There’s lots of file/info swapping, both for PC work and fun.

- External Hard Drive. Again, if you have one, bring it. Many computers die in Senegal, so find a way to back up your files. Again, there’s lots of file/info swapping, both for PC work and fun.   Every movie ever produced is somewhere in Senegal on some PCV’s external hard drive, so if you want to tap into the multi-media treasure trove, you’ll need somewhere to store all the bytes.

- Kindle. I broke down and bought one before coming, and while I still prefer books, it is so convenient for Peace Corps. If you have one, or can buy one, or can ask to be gifted one, do it. Plus, there is a PC Dropbox library with hundreds of free books! Peter is still only reading real books, so his backpack is usually heavier.

- iPod and ear buds. If you have one, bring it. Great for long, cramped, sweaty car rides and working in the garden. iPod touches are great because you can connect to wireless. Consider bringing a backup pair of ear buds for when your first pair inevitably dies, or gets eaten by your dog.

- iPhone. Neither of us have ever had one, but lots of PCVs find them useful for staying connected, taking photos, and having music, etc.

- Camera. If you want to document your experience, bring one. We have a camera that is waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof. It certainly doesn't take the best photos, but we like that we don't have to coddle it.

- Headlamp and/or flashlight. Batteries are poor quality, so bring rechargeable ones, extras, or solar charging stuff.

- Power adaptor. Necessary for plugging American things in. They have them at most hardware stores in Senegal, so no worries if you can’t find one in America.

- Solar charger, for those of you who don't expect to have electricity (AgFos and SusAgs). We have never used our GoalZero charger, other than to make sure it works, since we have electricity. We're selling it (GoalZero G10 Plus, and Nomad 7 V2) for $110 (originally paid $145). Email me if you're interested!

Work Supplies:

- Grafting knife and shears. If you’re an AgFo, PC will give you these tools, but if you have or prefer high-quality American stuff, bring it.

- Bungie cords. Very useful for strapping things to cars, bikes, charettes, and rigging things around the house.

- Carbiners. If you have some, bring them. Again, good for traveling and rigging things.

- Multi-tool or pocket knife. Not necessary, but helpful to have if you have one.

- Office supplies: extra pens, pencils and sharpie, big organizer folder for paperwork, college-ruled notebook, letter pad, envelopes, rubber bands, paper clips. This stuff is not necessary, but it comes in handy when you are overloaded with paperwork, handouts, and manuals at PST, and then when you get to site and still can’t get away from this stuff. You can buy most of these things in Senegal, but they’re scarce and of poor quality.

- Clipboard. Yes, I’m a nerd, and I love my clipboard. I use it almost every day- in the house, in the garden, in the fields.

- Good scissors.

- Seeds. You can get seeds here in Senegal, but you might want to arrive with some of your own. Get heat tolerant varieties. If you’re into trees, consider buying African Moringa seeds from ECHO. They are flourishing in our garden, and if you plant them when you install at site, they will be sizeable trees by the time you head back Stateside. Nobody in Senegal has seed-bearing trees yet, to my knowledge.

- Duct tape. It solves most problems. Bring a roll if you can fit it.

Home Goods:

- Cocoon tropic weight sleeping bag. It does get a bit chilly at night during the winter months, and I have yet to see a blanket for sale here. Bring a lightweight sleeping bag, or swipe your blanket from the plane. This sleeping bag is perfect for winter temps in Senegal. Also available on Amazon.

- Cocoon silk sleeping sack. This is one of my favorite things we brought. It’s super lightweight, packs down small, and dries quickly. Can be used like a sleeping bag or sheet on a bed. Also available on Amazon.

- Sheets. Many people bring a set of sheets from America. You can easily get sheets made from Senegalese fabric, or buy second hand sheets in the market, but it can be nice to have one pair for when you install, since you might not have time to get some made or buy some beforehand.

- American pillow. Not necessary, but I have yet to see a comfortable pillow in Senegal. They are all overstuffed and made of foam chunks, so if you value a good pillow, bring it.

- World map or other wall decorations. I brought an old NatGeo insert fold-up map, and it’s a fun reference for our host family when talking about America, Senegal, and the world.

- Kitchen supplies: big knife, small knife, vegetable peeler, garlic press. Most volunteers eat most or all meals with their families, so this stuff may not be important to you. If it is, bring it from America or buy it in Dakar. The knives available everywhere else in Senegal are crap, and I have yet to see a peeler anywhere.

- Foodstuffs. If you’re into food, and/or think you might want to occasionally cook for yourself, it can be nice to bring along some staples and comfort foods if you have space in your luggage. Peter and I packed what we wanted, and filled the rest of our weight-quota with food and snacks. It was a bit cumbersome at times, but I would say it was worth it. In addition to snacks (see below), we brought: Annie’s Mac n Cheese, nutritional yeast (so good on popcorn, and in rice!), and soy sauce (you can find it here, but we didn’t know).  You could also bring spice mixes (check out these spice tins from Teeny Tiny Spice Co, available on Amazon Prime), soup mixes, and dip mixes. We did not bring spices, and were able to find a good range of staple spices, except dill. If you like dill, bring it! I have yet to find it in Senegal, even in Dakar.

Random stuff:

- Resistance band. If you plan to exercise at site, this is a great lightweight tool.

- Dry bag.  Good to have for rainy season travel, but not necessary.

- Collapsible laundry hamper. I brought an old fold-up one from Target, and while it’s totally not necessary, it’s really helpful for transporting stuff and/or keeping it together during your transient first few months in country, as well as once at site.

- Fabric bags. I carry one of these Envirosax or ChicoBags with me at all times. They’re great for groceries, random gifts of produce from counterparts, neighbors, or strangers, or random stuff you end up needing to transport.

- Ziploc bags. Bring some of varying sizes. They come in handy for lots of things, from keeping your cell phone dry to storing seeds to keeping snacks fresh.

Incoming Trainees: enjoy your last few weeks in America! Spend as much time as possible with family and friends, and indulge in all that you love in America, be it food, drink, live music, temperate weather, pets, clean spaces, laundry machines and dishwashers, oh I could go on…  Read your pre-departure materials and know what you’re getting yourself into, but try not to sweat the small stuff. Get familiar with Wolof (a few hours is enough- many of you will be learning and speaking other languages), and don’t worry if you don’t speak a lick of French (I don’t, and I'm just fine. I wouldn’t recommend spending time to learn it at this point).

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to shoot us an email.

We’re looking forward to meeting you and welcoming you to Senegal next month! We’ll see all of you soon in Thies, maybe even at the airport in Dakar. Until then, have fun, get excited, and eat a slice of good pizza for me!

Jamm Rekk,

Kaitlin