Gettting on the internet has been more difficult then I imagined! It will be far easier once I have my own place and I'm at my site. Right now however, at our training site, it's nearly IMPOSSIBLE!! This will be a brief update as I have probably about 10 minutes on the internet available. My goal has been at least one update a week. So bear with me please and I will try to return to that schedule with gusto after Christmas.
Christmas?
Say what?
It is hard to believe that yesterday was Christmas considering it's 90 degrees outside, I rarely look at a calendar, and I live in a Muslim country. Christmas season came and went without any announcements, santa clauses, crowded malls, Salvation Army bell ringers, or hours of radio Christmas carols. It’s been extremely bizarre to say Merry Christmas.
Though I missed my family dearly, Christmas in Guinea was blissfully beautiful. We celebrated in Conakry with a couscous stuffed goat, fried chicken (courtesy of moi), mashed potatoes, grilled liver (seriously amazing!!), and a plethora of other amazingly, tantalizingly, delicious fair. We shopped for a few of the items at a grocery store in Conakry and couldn’t believe the prices in comparison to our humble marché in Dubreka. A 1 kilo block of cheddar cheese was 438,000 Guinea Franks, the equivalent of about $70 US!!! A bag of frozen chicken was 125,000 GF, around $17 US. We listened to Christmas carols as we ate at our directors absolutely stunning home with tiled floors, white walls, and gorgeously detailed archways and architectural details. It felt for several hours that we were in a San Diego cottage style row house. But when we left, the dust, French yelling, and smell of grilled meat and rice on the street quickly snapped us back to down town Conakry. Oh what a Joyeux Noelle!!
My Guinean name is Fatou Sylla!! Pronounced Fah-too See-lah....first name, last name :-). And when I come home everyday from school I have about 15 kids tackle me at the gate yelling, "Fatou, Fatou, ça va? Ça va?" It's the best homecoming ever.
My family is extremely artistically talented. My little sister, Mah Benti - 13, is a beautiful singer and writes her own music. My little brother, Modia - 16, is a break dancer and has his own break dance group that performs around the Base Cote, the coastal region of Guinea. He also sings and writes music. We have dance competitions at night and act out Nigerian movies lol! My mothers, who previously approached me with caution, now greet me with, “Ma fille”, or my daughter, with a tender kiss on my cheek or forehead. I’m a part of the family now J
I found out this past Thursday where I’ll be working, with what organization, and what I’ll be doing after my training in February!!! We had our interviews last week, and this past Thursday, after a week of painstaking patience from all the volunteers, we received the news. It was an extremely exciting day that we’ve all been waiting for since we first opened our invitations to Peace Corps.
Drum roll please……
For the next 2 years I will be living and working in LABÉ!! Labé is one of the most beautiful cities in Guinea. It’s the second largest city behind the capital of Conakry and is located in the Fouta region. With cragged mountain plateaus and breathtaking waterfalls, it is the most lush and scenically beautiful region of the country. The temperature is the coolest of the regions in Guinea because it’s situated at the highest altitudes in Guinea. It is the most sought after placement by volunteers.
The region is populated by Fula people, which in Guinea are called Peul. They are considered the most economically inclined, and also the most physically beautiful. I will be learning Poular, which is the same as the Fulani language (big up to lil Wey, I’m working with your people)! I’m extremely excited about this because there are Fulani people all over West Africa (including Liberia), which makes it a great language to learn for working within multiple people groups across several countries. This is also the region that is known for its artistry. I’ll be working with a federation for artisans in downtown Labé, helping them develop innovative marketing techniques, organizational and business development, and entrepreneurship training. I will also be working with a microfinance institution and health insurance company catered specifically to artisans as well. The website for the federation is www.artisans-guinee.org/fepal/fepal.htm
I’m still in awe at how fortunate I am to have received this placement. Since I first started my Peace Corps application, I’ve gotten everything I’ve asked for. God has been extremely specific in answering my prayers. I wanted to work in a francophone sub-saharan African country in community and economic development. After being told that there would be no more hiring for the rest of 2011, I was asked to come to Guinea against all odds, which couldn’t have been more perfect because not only does Guinea fit my criteria, but it’s right next door to my family’s home of Liberia. After finding out Guinea would be my new home, I researched the country and knew immediately that I wanted to work in the Fouta region. But after finding that it was the most sought after with very few placements, I had let go of the idea that I would be placed there, opting to be grateful for whatever I received. However, in the end, not only did I get the Fouta, but I’ll be in the second largest city in Guinea, another difficult to obtain placement. ANNNNND working with artisans. Over the past year, God has given me idea after idea for marketing artisan products in West Africa.
All things come together.
I cannot stress enough, how important it is to dream. I have believed for a long time that the reason why the bible says that God gives us the desires of your heart is because he is the one who places those desires there from the beginning. Imagine this. When you were created, God placed inside of you the seeds of your purpose, knowing you would be forever drawn to that desire and accomplish something specific. Don’t ignore those dreams in your heart. Because they are the pathway through which you will affect the world. That is where your purpose lies.
And once you realize what those desires are….BE SPECIFIC. If you want to build a house, don’t just stop with the dream itself. Imagine every nook and cranny, each door and fixture, the size and greenery of the land. And go then go further than that! Imagine each chair, couch, table, curtain, carpet, and flooring. Then go FURTHER! Each piece of clothing, each vase, each plate, each painting must have a name and a place.
Take the dream God has given you and go as far as your mind will let you with it.
Why?
Because it will grow so large in your heart, that you can do nothing else but achieve it J
Monday, December 26, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Febreeze Ain't Got Nothin on a Pit Latrine
This week has been one of the most frustrating.
And absolutely rewarding!
I can't believe I've only been here for less than 2 weeks! It feels like I've been here for a couple of months already. And I don't know if that's a good or bad thing lol!!!
This past Saturday I moved from Conakry to Dubreka, a town about 60 kilometers from the capital, to begin technical and INTENSE language training. I have moved in with my host family also, which is a Muslim family with 1 father with 3 wives.....and at least 30 children.....living in a huge compound! The father is the Minister of Security for the new government in place and also the Colonel of the Police for the Dubreka prefecture. Which means he is very wealthy by Guinean standards. And also means that I get many amenities that other volunteers are not getting....such as a beautiful modern bathroom, a large room, a fan, ELECTRICITY, and a chauffeur every now and then :-).
But I try not to rub it in too much, because there’s problems with that too. Like the electricity is selective and the beautiful bathroom has now been given to his son who just came to visit from Germany. So I now have a pit latrine. And Febreeze ain’t got nothin on a hole full of ****. Pardon my French.
My brother oldest brother here is the director of a primary school and an excellent teacher. So every night after 6 hours of language training, I come home to more language lessons. Lately they’ve been making me translate Nigerian movies to them, which is hilarious for those of you who have EVER watched a Nigerian movie.
The town we’re staying at is gorgeous. It’s right at the foot of the mountains and is very lush with lots of mango, banana, papaya, coconut, and guava. There is a waterfall, river, and lake close by. The sunsets and sunrises, the freedom of the children, their laughter, and love, and being immediately accepted into a family is simply beautiful
Everything definitely isn’t a bed of roses…..I woke up at about 4am Tuesday with 2 monstrous cockroaches crawling on my face!! YES….MY….FACE!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!! That was my worst nightmare coming to Africa, and it has happened within the first 10 days! I freaked out and didn’t sleep the rest of the morning. I have bug bombed my room and I sleep with a head net on (yes, its as funny as it sounds). The language training is very difficult. I THOUGHT I was fairly fluent in French, HA!! I am speaking in another language all day and at times I don’t know if you can put anything more in my brain. I’m often still tired from jet lag and the HEAT. Imagine being in heat all day with no relief of anything cold or even cool. When the lights go out at night and there isn’t any electricity, it can be very scary and lonely.
But in those times, I’ve gotten have amazing times with God, and I’ve witnessed how beautiful the moon can be when there aren’t any street lights. In such incredible heat, I’ve been able to savor a fresh orange in the middle of the day. With such few resources, water has become a precious commodity. Without constant television, I’ve had the privilege of building wonderful relationships with my family and friends.
Today, I was feeling pretty sick, with a headache and cold symptoms. I was hot. And I was in information overload mode after translating Nigerian movies all night. And today was an allllllll day language day without the occasional break that economic development courses usually provide. I was finding it hard to focus. I wanted to go home and call it a day. I was done. But I began thinking, I can go home right now, and that would be fine. Or I can push past my feelings and do more than mediocre. I can do my best. And from that I will gain far more than a language class, I will gain perseverance. This time more than any other is a time of growth. The choice is mine.
And I chose to push through. And I had a breakthrough. In my last language class today, after feeling completely inadequate for most of the day, I crossed a bridge. We had intense conversations about philosophical concepts, and I spoke with clarity without any grammatical mistakes! So much so that my classmates and teacher applauded me on my progress .
You have a choice each and every day. To follow your every emotion. Or decided to commit to what is more important than the feelings that seek to hinder you. The best feeling in the world is when you push past something difficult to the other side.
Push beyond the negative, beyond your emotions, to see something beautiful exactly where you are. It’s difficult. But the end result can be absolutely stunning :-)
Why?
Because We Oughta
It's difficult to load pictures where I am right now so bare with me!! They are coming soon! And they're gorgeous :-)
And absolutely rewarding!
I can't believe I've only been here for less than 2 weeks! It feels like I've been here for a couple of months already. And I don't know if that's a good or bad thing lol!!!
This past Saturday I moved from Conakry to Dubreka, a town about 60 kilometers from the capital, to begin technical and INTENSE language training. I have moved in with my host family also, which is a Muslim family with 1 father with 3 wives.....and at least 30 children.....living in a huge compound! The father is the Minister of Security for the new government in place and also the Colonel of the Police for the Dubreka prefecture. Which means he is very wealthy by Guinean standards. And also means that I get many amenities that other volunteers are not getting....such as a beautiful modern bathroom, a large room, a fan, ELECTRICITY, and a chauffeur every now and then :-).
But I try not to rub it in too much, because there’s problems with that too. Like the electricity is selective and the beautiful bathroom has now been given to his son who just came to visit from Germany. So I now have a pit latrine. And Febreeze ain’t got nothin on a hole full of ****. Pardon my French.
My brother oldest brother here is the director of a primary school and an excellent teacher. So every night after 6 hours of language training, I come home to more language lessons. Lately they’ve been making me translate Nigerian movies to them, which is hilarious for those of you who have EVER watched a Nigerian movie.
The town we’re staying at is gorgeous. It’s right at the foot of the mountains and is very lush with lots of mango, banana, papaya, coconut, and guava. There is a waterfall, river, and lake close by. The sunsets and sunrises, the freedom of the children, their laughter, and love, and being immediately accepted into a family is simply beautiful
Everything definitely isn’t a bed of roses…..I woke up at about 4am Tuesday with 2 monstrous cockroaches crawling on my face!! YES….MY….FACE!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!! That was my worst nightmare coming to Africa, and it has happened within the first 10 days! I freaked out and didn’t sleep the rest of the morning. I have bug bombed my room and I sleep with a head net on (yes, its as funny as it sounds). The language training is very difficult. I THOUGHT I was fairly fluent in French, HA!! I am speaking in another language all day and at times I don’t know if you can put anything more in my brain. I’m often still tired from jet lag and the HEAT. Imagine being in heat all day with no relief of anything cold or even cool. When the lights go out at night and there isn’t any electricity, it can be very scary and lonely.
But in those times, I’ve gotten have amazing times with God, and I’ve witnessed how beautiful the moon can be when there aren’t any street lights. In such incredible heat, I’ve been able to savor a fresh orange in the middle of the day. With such few resources, water has become a precious commodity. Without constant television, I’ve had the privilege of building wonderful relationships with my family and friends.
Today, I was feeling pretty sick, with a headache and cold symptoms. I was hot. And I was in information overload mode after translating Nigerian movies all night. And today was an allllllll day language day without the occasional break that economic development courses usually provide. I was finding it hard to focus. I wanted to go home and call it a day. I was done. But I began thinking, I can go home right now, and that would be fine. Or I can push past my feelings and do more than mediocre. I can do my best. And from that I will gain far more than a language class, I will gain perseverance. This time more than any other is a time of growth. The choice is mine.
And I chose to push through. And I had a breakthrough. In my last language class today, after feeling completely inadequate for most of the day, I crossed a bridge. We had intense conversations about philosophical concepts, and I spoke with clarity without any grammatical mistakes! So much so that my classmates and teacher applauded me on my progress .
You have a choice each and every day. To follow your every emotion. Or decided to commit to what is more important than the feelings that seek to hinder you. The best feeling in the world is when you push past something difficult to the other side.
Push beyond the negative, beyond your emotions, to see something beautiful exactly where you are. It’s difficult. But the end result can be absolutely stunning :-)
Why?
Because We Oughta
It's difficult to load pictures where I am right now so bare with me!! They are coming soon! And they're gorgeous :-)
Friday, December 2, 2011
Guinea, une semaine premiere!!!!
I AM HERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRE!!
We arrived in Guinea on Monday evening after 24 hours of flight! My process for getting to Guinea is honestly a testament to how God will back you up. Incredibly, I got EVERYTHING done before I left that I needed to get done, literally down to the last minute before boarding the plane at JFK downloading last minute books, making phone calls as the plane pulled off for Brussels.
Let me start with Knoxville. I got to the airport and checked in 11 pounds over weight. I could not afford to have overages on my luggage. However, after my dad talked to the gate agent, they waived the fees!! I made it safely to my plane and after a stop in DC, I arrived at 9:30am in Philadelphia. However my bags did NOT arrive as safely as I did. Both of my bags were destroyed by United Airlines! Literally, they looked like the hulk had punched a hole in the top of both of them....how? Je ne sais pas lol. But obviously if they didn't make it from Knoxville to Philadelphia, they definitely weren't making it to West Africa! My ipod also stopped working on my way to Philadelphia. Crazy...everything was shutting down!! I started to get anxious thinking what if this is a sign that I'm in the wrong place....but with God and a positive attitude, allllllll things are possible.
My lovely friend Ginika drove 2 hours into Philadelphia to pick me up from the airport, took me to Walmart for new luggage and an mp3 player, helped me pay for my new bags, and dropped me off at the hotel with a gift certificate from Barnes and Noble. I arrived at the hotel with 30 min to spare until staging started!! What an amazing gift she was and blessing to me!!
I re-packed everything that night, and arrived at the airport under weight!! With a 2 hour bus ride from Philadelphia to JFK and a 6 hour wait in the airport, I was able to make some great phone calls to people I want to partner with in several development projects I'm working on. It was exactly the motivation and reminder I needed to stay focused on the purpose of my journey.
The entire way to Guinea, I kept making amazing connections -- the director of education for USAID Guinea, Miss Guinea North America, a female Gambian entrepreneur. The closer we got, I couldn't believe that I was actually on my way to Guinea. That when I landed, I would be in my home for the next 2 years.
The past week has been AMAZING!! French is so much easier to learn when you're immersed, and I'm getting closer and closer to fluency each day! The Guinean people are extremely welcoming, as are most Africans that I've met in my travels. They all are curious as to how I speak French so well, and wonder where I'm from. I have also been asked for a visa to the United States a couple of times, and to begin the process towards wifedom as well, which is to be expected lol. The food is similar to Liberian food, which is great for me!! The exchange rate is about 7,000 Guinean Francs to $1. My co-workers are great, and are all dedicated to development and working on projects in their home towns and abroad. I will be working in a larger city (exactly what I wanted ) with microfinance institutions, community economic cooperatives, and NGO's (which is exactly what I anticipated). I will be working independently on several projects (which is exactly what I hoped for).
Sitting on the roof top this morning overlooking the ocean learning about the economics in Guinea, the GDP, the negative factors that affect the economy, governance, and where we could fit in this entire equation, I was absolutely in awe that I was working where my passion lies.
I move to Dubreka tomorrow where I will meet my host family for intensive language and technical training. I am continuing to make connnections and learn all that I can. I can't wait to share with you more adventures and all that is happening!! Pictures with my next post!!
When you are passionately pursuing your purpose, the deepest desires of your heart, despite attacks against your progress....you will prevail. Now, more than any other time is the time to start something you've always dreamt of doing.
Why?
Because We Oughta :-)
We arrived in Guinea on Monday evening after 24 hours of flight! My process for getting to Guinea is honestly a testament to how God will back you up. Incredibly, I got EVERYTHING done before I left that I needed to get done, literally down to the last minute before boarding the plane at JFK downloading last minute books, making phone calls as the plane pulled off for Brussels.
Let me start with Knoxville. I got to the airport and checked in 11 pounds over weight. I could not afford to have overages on my luggage. However, after my dad talked to the gate agent, they waived the fees!! I made it safely to my plane and after a stop in DC, I arrived at 9:30am in Philadelphia. However my bags did NOT arrive as safely as I did. Both of my bags were destroyed by United Airlines! Literally, they looked like the hulk had punched a hole in the top of both of them....how? Je ne sais pas lol. But obviously if they didn't make it from Knoxville to Philadelphia, they definitely weren't making it to West Africa! My ipod also stopped working on my way to Philadelphia. Crazy...everything was shutting down!! I started to get anxious thinking what if this is a sign that I'm in the wrong place....but with God and a positive attitude, allllllll things are possible.
My lovely friend Ginika drove 2 hours into Philadelphia to pick me up from the airport, took me to Walmart for new luggage and an mp3 player, helped me pay for my new bags, and dropped me off at the hotel with a gift certificate from Barnes and Noble. I arrived at the hotel with 30 min to spare until staging started!! What an amazing gift she was and blessing to me!!
I re-packed everything that night, and arrived at the airport under weight!! With a 2 hour bus ride from Philadelphia to JFK and a 6 hour wait in the airport, I was able to make some great phone calls to people I want to partner with in several development projects I'm working on. It was exactly the motivation and reminder I needed to stay focused on the purpose of my journey.
The entire way to Guinea, I kept making amazing connections -- the director of education for USAID Guinea, Miss Guinea North America, a female Gambian entrepreneur. The closer we got, I couldn't believe that I was actually on my way to Guinea. That when I landed, I would be in my home for the next 2 years.
The past week has been AMAZING!! French is so much easier to learn when you're immersed, and I'm getting closer and closer to fluency each day! The Guinean people are extremely welcoming, as are most Africans that I've met in my travels. They all are curious as to how I speak French so well, and wonder where I'm from. I have also been asked for a visa to the United States a couple of times, and to begin the process towards wifedom as well, which is to be expected lol. The food is similar to Liberian food, which is great for me!! The exchange rate is about 7,000 Guinean Francs to $1. My co-workers are great, and are all dedicated to development and working on projects in their home towns and abroad. I will be working in a larger city (exactly what I wanted ) with microfinance institutions, community economic cooperatives, and NGO's (which is exactly what I anticipated). I will be working independently on several projects (which is exactly what I hoped for).
Sitting on the roof top this morning overlooking the ocean learning about the economics in Guinea, the GDP, the negative factors that affect the economy, governance, and where we could fit in this entire equation, I was absolutely in awe that I was working where my passion lies.
I move to Dubreka tomorrow where I will meet my host family for intensive language and technical training. I am continuing to make connnections and learn all that I can. I can't wait to share with you more adventures and all that is happening!! Pictures with my next post!!
When you are passionately pursuing your purpose, the deepest desires of your heart, despite attacks against your progress....you will prevail. Now, more than any other time is the time to start something you've always dreamt of doing.
Why?
Because We Oughta :-)
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