PST

I began including a glossary of acronyms in pretty much all my research papers as every government agency or organization, including the non-governmental type (NGO’s) seem to love them. So I’ll include a glossary of acronyms here as well which can help you navigate through the post while enhancing its authenticity since PC uses a lot of acronyms. (Not all acronyms will be mentioned and consistency of using acronyms will not be followed since, this is not a research paper!).

PST- pre-service training

IST- in-service training

MST- mid-service training

COS- close of service

PC – Peace Corps

TG – The Gambia (also AF/TG, Africa, The Gambia)

PCV – Peace Corps volunteer

PCT – Peace Corps trainee

PCVL – Peace Corps volunteer leader

RPCV – returned Peace Corps volunteer

Pre service training is what I’m doing now in Thies Senegal. I’ll be here for six weeks (until April 11 from Mar 7) by when us Gambian volunteers will make the trek down to our country to finish PST. We’ll swear-in in The Gambia.

What else? I’m not sure how much to share or how much is interesting so I’ll err on the side of caution and dance on the border of potentially too much information and not enough information.

So I’m able to post at all because today was just our site and medical interviews. Senegalese volunteers also had a language interview/test since the official language in Senegal is French and Wolof is common throughout the country. In TG however, we just need English and one local language to get by which is why we have no test yet. But after today we dive into our language, tech and culture training so I probably won’t have much time to post after this.

I’ve been punctured in both arms with typhoid and meningitis and started talking Mephalqquine and Doxycycline for anti-malarial treatment (and have been bitten at least five times which isn’t too bad). Mephalqquine is the stuff that can give you vivid dreams and/or mild psychosis (…cool), and is taken once per week which is why we are taking Doxycycline every day for two weeks while we let the Mephalqquine slowly work its way into our bloodstream. I was hesitant to try Mephalqquine as I already have quite the vivid imagination and dreams but wanted to give it a go because it would be nice to not have to take malarial meds every day as is needed with the Doxy. Taking malaria meds lightly, i.e., not taking them can separate you from Peace Corps; they’re quite serious about us taking every prevention possible against malaria which I’ve heard (so is not necessarily true as it’s hearsay) can infect as much as fifty percent of African volunteers in Senegal and/or The Gambia. And while malaria can be treated in most cases, it can also progress quickly in the case of falciparum malaria which is the most dangerous as well as the most predominant in W. Africa (according to the W. Africa Lonely Planet). This one is dangerous because it can cause cerebral malaria putting you into a coma and can lead to death, not to scare anyone. Like I said, Peace Corps makes your safety their number one priority to make it our number one priority. In addition to the shots (first of many) and malarial drugs we were issued a huge medical kit packed full of goodies that will help combat most stomach upsets (bound to happen) and practically every other kind of upset. PC also provided us with one of the best water filters available which uses porous ceramic and activated charcoal. For times of hiking and travel there are fifty issued iodine tablets but this is the least and most expensive preventative measure given to us, and doesn’t produce great tasting water. I also brought a Steripen back home which is 99-100% effective in killing parasites and viruses using ultra-violet radiation. We also got a dropper for chlorine to add to the water as an extra cautionary measure (with the recommendation of three drops per liter of water).

But my stomach is going to get upset. I just hope I can stay as healthy as possible during PST which is probably our busiest and craziest time of service. I’m really thankful I was able to hit up a natural food store before service, (even though it was expensive!) as I think the wellness tablets have really helped with, well, my wellness :) They are packed full of awesomeness including garlic, Echinacea, zinc, etc. (and no I have not researched where all the ingredients come from, I’m sure it’s full of stuff from around the globe). I’m just very grateful to feel as good as I do for the lack of sleep I’ve had, and for the region that I’m in and the amount of stuff we’ve been doing.

Heat exhaustion is the other primary concern. They recommend at the very least three liters of water per day which equates to three large Nalgene bottles worth. Staff and PCVLs try to drink 4 L per day and if you are outside doing laborious work, you double the amount. It gets really nice and even kind of cool in the evenings and well into the mid ninety’s (deg F) in the day. It is a dry heat which is nice but potentially dangerous as it doesn’t always feel as hot as it is, at times. This worries me a bit as it’s technically winter. I’ve heard it can get up to 130 deg F in the summer but again, that’s just hearsay for the moment.

What else? There are about sixty four or so active volunteers in TG and about twenty in our PST group. There are about fifty Senegal PCT’s where that program maintains around 250 active PCV’s. We go to site, aka begin our service in May as volunteers that have been in for two years prepare for their COS. This is the first year that TG and Senegal have trained together for the first half of PST. The training site here is quite posh for PC. I share a room with seven other girls. Each bunk is equipped with a mosquito net. We have consistent electricity and running water. People can take showers every night if they wanted to (in a separate building, also separate from the flush toilets). I’ve only washed my feet since coming to country and don’t plan on taking a shower for a few more days. The flush toilets have sprayers attached to the side of the wall. We are encouraged to use no more than four squares of toilet paper per flush. The sprayer was researched compared to wiping with paper and was found to be much more hygienic. It uses more water but renders less need for paper which helps keep their plumbing clear. Tree roots are a problem with plumbing here in addition to toilet paper.

Breakfast is from 7-8am and consists of French bread and spreads and hot tea. Today there was a pre-lunch/ late morning snack of French bread and spicy beans and Nescafé or tea. I don’t know how common that is but it was a lovely boost and source of protein as that first breakfast doesn’t last long. Tea is just the Lipton black stuff in individually wrapped paper but for some reason tastes wonderful with the bread and jelly and butter. Lunch is served in large bowls. Four or five people can sit around a bowl (shoes off, sitting on the floor). Meat and meatless options are provided. The bowls are filled with rice and vegies and meat (unless vegetarian) in the middle. You eat what’s in front of you and can take from the center to put in front of you to eat. When eating with a family, the host mom can portion things out for you. You can use a spoon or your hands. Whatever you use it’s only with the right hand. The left is for wiping and is not used for eating or greeting or anything else (I wonder if there are left handed people here in these countries or if they always just learn to be right handed…?). At dinner we had our own plates that we could serve ourselves on from the larger serving plates.

Our first dinner was spaghetti noodles with parmesian (for the vegetarians) where cheese is an expensive luxury in Africa that can’t be afforded by many volunteers. Also served was a spicy sauce and salad. So far I love the food here! It’s flavorfull with just enough spice. The spice is too much for some volunteers but I love it and couldn’t be more pleased and grateful for the food we’ve been getting here.

My site interview was really exciting for me. This determines, or helps to determine where I’ll be living and working for the next two years so it’s kind of important. I don’t know if I just had super low expectations when coming in (which I kind of did after hearing stories from so many other PCV’s) but so far I’ve been really impressed with the organization of these programs. I mean, I’m not at site yet so that statement could change but the PCVL and country coordinator seemed very excited to have me on their team and more than eager to work with me and my prospective research ideas for the best placement. They asked how I feel about the bush and I told them about Fairbanks and they said I’d be perfect. Our PCVL also loves the idea of peeing in the snow and how it stays out there for about nine months until it melts unless you cover the yellow with more snow and making yellow patterns down the edge of snow banks etc. I’ll be assigned my language tomorrow which will be Mandinka, Wolof, or Fula.

I’m really happy! I had no idea what it would be like to be here, obviously. How scary or difficult or foreign, and oddly, just like with India, I feel kind of at home here which is good since I am home, well close to it, for the next two years (excited to get to The Gambia!). PST here has been a really nice and smooth transition as there are plenty of staff that speak English and plenty of amenities. I was prepared to be launched into a host family’s house without much of anything for this training. But they give us a couple weeks of language before that so that we won’t be absolutely worthless regarding the language. By the end or our 9 week training we have to pass a proficiency test and score at least an intermediate level in the language. By the end of service, it’s possible and likely to be fluent, depending on how often we use it.

I think that’s all. I know I’m not there, wherever there is for those reading, but I am still here and would love to stay updated with all of your day-to-days to. If you don’t keep a blog you should send me emails or letters! All of the love and support mean more to me than you can know and is probably a big part of the reason why I can feel so good to be where I am right now.

I’ll try to keep this updated as often as I can. From the sound of it though I’ll probably be in the bush. I never could figure out my solar charger and it was too large to take. People here have awesome little solar chargers that do work and that can fit in the palm of my hand. I don’t think any of them are powerful enough for a laptop computer though. If you don’t here from me for a while and can’t stand it I do have a cell phone number, courtesy of Peace Corps, while in Senegal as part of the safety precautions with the upcoming second round of elections here. I believe if you want to make a call from a landline you dial +221 or 001221 (you can google it too) and then 77 883 8486. I hear that it’s only two cents per minute on Skype which sounds great! But I have no credit to call anyone now and don’t know when I’ll be able to get credit. I think it’s quite a bit more for me to make international calls. So, I’ll leave it at that. That phone number will change when I go to TG. Will try to keep you posted before then, hopefully!

Love and Peace and hope and rainbows.