I have made it to the 11 month mark and I can’t seem to believe it. I have finished my first year of teaching in Benin and boy let me tell ya I kind of like the whole being a teacher thing and getting my summers off. But, really I do not get a break. I am taking two kids to Nati for the National Spelling Bee June 24th-26th and then taking three girls to CAMP GLOW in Porto-Novo for a week. Should be a lot of fun! I, personally, have not been further than Parakou so I am pumped as well. I am going to meet with the parents today and Monday before taking their kids all the way north. I went to Cotonou and got the money for travel to Nati. And I struggled to get the money from the mayor for CAMP GLOW travel for the girls. Everyone/thing moves so slowly here or is it that we move way too fast in the states? Hmm good question. Anyways, got all the money I need for the kids and we are off and running to catch the taxi, the bus and maybe a moto here and there. It is so funny, Benin is the size of PA and we have to take so many means of travel just to get up north. The roads can be atrocious, but I guess it would not be quite the voyage otherwise. Thank you to all those who made the trip possible and donated!!! The kids really appreciate it!
Saw a lunar eclipse here in Africa the other night. It was so neat. I guess the villagers chant and scream at the sun to leave the moon alone for hours and hours until the sun moves away from the moon. Haha I think that is so interesting, but I can’t see myself doing that….all in the name of culture/village life. I have been super busy…tried to get some new chalkboards up in my school because the others were falling down on teachers, including me, hard to read/write on, and teeny tiny. BUT you know what they were like how about in October and you will pay for it-it will be a present from you and we will put your name on it and everything…and maybe throw in some English books for the kids. You know why I am here—to help the school to organize ways to make their school better so when I leave they can DO IT on their own…so no I am not paying for it. It will cost maybe 40$. They said yea yea we will get around to it..the amount it costs is not enough to get a grant from Peace Corps and it is such an easy project….I will keep on them because they promised me that the chalkboards will be up by October. I just want the kids to have a decent/safe learning environment for goodness sake. Sorry for the rant. The Directrice is not longer at our school anymore due to a strike during Cultural Days at CEG3. Now, the Censaur is the Director and we have a Philosophy teacher from CEG1 who is the Censaur. I am going to have to get used to him now for my last year teaching here in Benin. When I went to do the averages and report card, he was being very pushy and asking me/over my shoulder to make sure I was doing everything right. I have only done it a million times, no one else had a problem with what I was doing. I spent 4 hours on a Friday to finish all the grades..had a headache. C’est la vie ici au Benin! Tomorrow is always a new day….keep looking ahead-never look back!
I attended two GAD (Gender and Development) dinners. They were very successful. Because of GAD and its supporters, the girls of Benin are able to attend school and learn how to be successful women in the future. The girls got to go to work with a MAMA and learn about her job and how she makes a difference in the world. The girls said they would like to be nurses, doctors, lawyers, and even teachers. I was very proud of them. I can’t wait until CAMP GLOW when we get to hang out with tons of girls for a week! It is going to be so much fun. We are going to talk about health, play games, independence, technology, etc…yay! Thanks to all those who have donated!
Life in Lokossa has been great. The day I have to leave is going to be a hard one for sure. I have suffered through one hot season and now I am loving the rainy season. But, sometimes it can still be unbearably hot here for me. The sun just takes over. The cockroaches tend to come out more at night, so I have my cockroach sandal that I use and kill them. Then of course the giant ants come and eat them up and leave no trace…maybe a wing or two but that is it. Gives me hope to never see them again, then night comes. Since school is done for a few months, I find myself super borrreeeed!!! I read books, clean my house, listen to music, go for walks, went and took pics of Lokossa the other day so everyone can see a little bit of my town, and play with Kea, my dog. She is expecting to have some babies soon. I feed her and then she gets sick…prego for sure! Now, that should be interesting with a bunch of puppies around. Yikes! Haven’t been sick like before—seem to be used to the food and water or something. Who knows—just count my blessings. I still get the normal weirdo rash on my body—right now it is on my lower back and left forearm..weirdo for sure. Don’t worry, I have powder coming out my you know what, medicine for the itch…etc.
Well I just came from CEG3 because I had parents come to me and say they talked to the administration guy who deals with the money for the school and he has no idea/clue about CAMP GLOW and what I am doing with the girls….why didn’t I come to the admin first etc with my ideas…that is absolutely crazy-everyone knows about it. I talked to the Directrice a million years ago/Director, Surveillant, Secretaries…everyone…so I do not know what he is talking about and he was not available to talk to me today…he is never available…just wanted to clear the whole “situation” up. He doesn’t have a say in the situation anyways since Peace Corps family and friends have donated and the mayor has paid for transportation. OMG! I have done everything to get these girls interested, money from the mayor, and permission from the parents-tout-. The parents are fine with them going and it’s all paid for so….no one communicates here-erks me to no end. Anyways, everything is fine. I just can’t stand the communication issue here. I communicate with everyone-everyone says wow that is a cool idea—thanks Kayla that is nice of you. Whatever. We are going to have a great time and that is it! So enough of my jabbering/anger talk. LOL :P
I named a baby Jayden. It means “thankful.” He is super cute and his is very light skinned for an African baby. They called him Yovo at first. Now, he wakes up about every hour to eat. I hear him cry. Yea, Mama Mayo wakes up every hour to feed him. Here, sometimes the babies are force fed/when they breast feed sometimes it is not long enough. Water is also given to the baby…not good. I try to talk to the Mamas around Lokossa and in village that it is good to breast feed until about 2 years old for the nutrition factor and water should not be given…etc. I have also talked to families to try to get them to put Moringa in the foods that they give their children for added vitamins. We can put moringa in the sauce, boille (bwee), grind it to make a powder. The idea has made a lot of eyes open a little wider because it is not difficult to find moringa. They can just pick it off a tree. Some people can even use it for income if they have moringa trees close to their homes. People will come buy it. Also, peanuts are very important for protein that we can eat with boille (bwee) or tapica which btw is amazing here. Never thought I would say that. The secretary just had a baby boy on Tuesday. She now has four boys. Boys, boys, boys, we need some baby girls around here.
List of things I miss from the states:
1. Pizza
2. Chicken Wings
3. Cream Sticks
4. Washer/Dryer
5. Snow
6. My car/any vehicle
7. Hair Straightener
8. Fast internet
9. Sleeping in on Sundays (too many drums!!!!)
10. YMCA/GYM
11. Margaritas
12. Wii
13. Applebees
14. Apple Pie/any pie
15. My bed
16. Vacuum
17. No bugs in the winter
18. Holidays
19. English language
20. Reeses/Candy Bars-so expensive in Cotonou
21. Traffic Laws
22. Watching Basketball on TV
23. Eyebrow Waxing at Wal-Mart every couple of weeks
24. Wal-Mart
25. Save-a-lot
26. Walgreens
27. Shaving my legs regularly
Could probably go on and on….respect from men…etc….
I will be home in 6 months for a couple of weeks. How exciting! Can’t wait to spend Christmas and New Years with the familia! Yes, I miss speaking Spanish sooo sooo much! Well that is all for now! Everything is going as good as it can go! I am going to be quite busy with Spelling Bee, Camp GLOW and training with the new volunteers. I can’t wait to meet everyone! Bon voyage!
Miss and love you all! See you soon!!! Check facebook out for pics...
