Work

Work has started slowly here, but is quickly picking up. Our first (almost) two months at post was spent getting accustomed to the area, meeting people, figuring out the marché schedule, reading a lot of books, magazines, and online articles, and preparing for the work that would inevitably come our way.
That time is hurtling toward us with reckless abandon. Our schedule is starting to get packed with Fongbe lessons, meetings, excursions, baby-weighings, sensibilizations, and trips to the Cyber to research and post marketing materials. It seems like every day this week we have something on our schedules. To wit: Monday we had a meeting at the local CEG to present an English Spelling Bee project (that PC Benin is putting on--the finals are in Nattitangou in June or at the end of the school year, whichever comes first); Tuesday and Friday we have Fongbe (Fon) lessons; Wednesday we have another meeting at the CEG, this time with an English professor who may become our contact person for the spelling bee as well as a soccer game (we might be starting not only an English club, which would coincide with the spelling bee, but also a girls’ soccer club at the school, with help from our neighbor); Thursday Heather has her APCD (her PC boss) visit; Friday we have a sensibilization on Moringa in Abomey and the aforementioned Fongbe lessons but I also need to research the histoire of the parc and write up information to post on travel websites and meet with my homologue to discuss ideas that I have for the parc (and how to present them to the mayor so we can actually get some reinvestment there). Saturday we have off but Sunday I have my APCD visit and next week is Thanksgiving.
So everything is picking up now. No more whining about having nothing to do. We’re also trying to coordinate “work trips” with other volunteers to visit other parts of Benin, all the while studying for the FSOT, building up mileage before we start marathon training, and trying to avoid explosive diarrhea.
Fun times.

Cheers.