IST and the month to come...

I am now at the end of IST (In-Service Training), a two-week training period at Tubaniso, the Peace Corps' training facility just outside of Bamako. The first week was spent on technical training, such as learning the methods to construct various Water and Sanitation facilities, including latrine slabs (already had that one down!), irrigation systems, drinking water wells, etc. The second week, with our homologues, involved learning meeting strategies in order to better assess the needs of our community and encourage community involvement, and thus sustainability, in our projects.

It has been somewhat of a long two weeks sitting through these training sessions. Quite frankly, I am ready for a vacation, which is great because I am about to embark on a three-week excursion through this expansive country with my sister. Our plans right now include heading East into the city of Djenné on Sunday, December 19th after she flies into Bamako, taking a 5-day guided hike through the cliff-side dwellings of Dogon country, spending a few days at my site, celebrating New Year's Eve in Ségou, enjoying a few relaxing days on the banks of Lake Manantali in Mali's Western Kayes Region alongside monkeys and hippos, before heading back to Bamako for a day or two before my sister flys back out on January 7th. Unfortunately no Timbuktu... there's some sketchy characters up there.

After this vacation, I plan to return to site and begin laying the foundation for my remaining two years of service. The first step is to form a Water and Sanitation Committee in my village. Once we do that, I can hold discussions with the villagers on what projects we will tackle together to improve their living conditions. The first two items on my agenda are hand-washing education and replacing the two broken pumps currently in the village. On Thursday, I received a cost estimate from SETRA, the local pump manufacturer, for the latter. The next step is to discuss with the village their contribution to the project, including financial, labor, and material contributions; then to write a funding proposal through the SPA (Small Project Assistance) program of U.S. AID for the remaining amount.

A busy final week at site for 2010...

Pig Pickin', Peace Corps Mali style.

After an amazing southern-style Thanksgiving in Ségou, complete with a pig pickin’ and some Eastern North Carolina-style vinegar barbeque sauce I prepared, I had some trouble getting back to site the following day.

After waiting 8 hours, the bashɛ (bush taxi) finally arrived after dark. The driver asked me to pay double the normal fare, sit on the roof, and told me they might not even be able to take my bike. Also considering the fact that after the bashɛ ride, I would have to bike back from my market town in the dark, I decided to cut my losses and spend a couple more days in Ségou before taking another bashɛ back to site the following Sunday.

With my timeframe constrained and only 5 days remaining at site before heading back to Ségou Saturday (today) in order to catch Peace Corps Transport to Bamako for IST (In-Service Training) and my sister’s subsequent visit, I had a busy week ahead of me.

First off, I wanted to complete my Water and Sanitation Baseline Survey, including my supplemental women’s garden survey. I was able to successfully accomplish this task, and in a previous post I went through my intentions from the information gathered therein.

I also wanted to complete an additional Baseline Survey on Food Security, which involved interviewing five men and five women in different concessions throughout the village. I succeeded in completing those by Wednesday morning. I was happy to find that my language has improved to a point where I could be successful on these surveys, even without the aid of my homologue, Lassana, who had gone to Dioro.

Unfortunately, as part of the Food Security survey, I learned some very troubling information regarding the diet of the majority of villagers. Namely, most families have insufficient supplies of food to feed their families during the hot, harvest, and/or farming seasons (covering the months of April through November). This includes millet supplies, the staple of the Malian diet, going bare. When this happens, most families look to borrow food from neighbors while also reducing the number/size of their daily meals. Additionally, most families do not eat enough vegetables throughout the year, often less than once a day, although there isn't a strong consensus on which seasons are the hardest hit.

On Thursday, I began working with Lassana, who had returned from Dioro to work on repairing my ɲɛgɛn (latrine).

'Seliba' festivities and my 'Malian family'

Malian men and boys are currently in the fields every day, harvesting ‘ɲo’ (millet). Unlike the machinery found in the West, Malians perform all of their agricultural duties with simple, antiquated tools. This is a small blade used for harvesting the millet grains from the stalk. I helped my 'jatigi' Koka for a day, and the work is painstaking and repetitive. Millet is the Malian staple grain in most dishes, such as 'to' and 'basi,' which are both generally served with sauce.

Currently we are in the midst of the harvest season and most of the village men spend every day cutting ‘ɲo’(millet) in the fields, while the women pull peanut plants from the field, bring them back to the concession, and pick them off the roots. The rice harvest season is just beginning, and some of the men in my village are spending time in neighboring villages to help with that harvest, as we do not have rice fields in our village.

My 'jatigi' (host-father) Koka, and two of his young boys, Lassana and Abdoullaye, working in the ‘ɲo’ fields.

A village woman 'susu(ing),' or pounding, ‘ɲo’ to separate the grain from the stalks.

With all of this work, the arrival of the Muslim holiday of Tabaski, also known as Eid al-Adha in Arabic, or ‘Seliba' in Bambara, was a welcome distraction. ‘Seliba’ was Wednesday, November 17th. I have previously described ‘Selideni,’ the holiday commemorating the end of Ramadan, and generally, ‘Seliba’ is celebrated in exactly the same way, with a few subtle differences.

The day before 'Seliba,' five 'misi' (bulls) were slaughtered throughout the village. Normally, 'Seliba' involves the slaughter of mainly 'saca' (sheep), but they apparently were not as available in the markets as usual. Refer to my end of Ramadan ('Selideni') pictures for the more gruesome details. I bought two large piles of 'misi sɔgɔ' (beef) to give to my 'jatigi muso' (My host-father's wife) Mama to cook for the next few days, including the breakfast I hosted on Thursday.

My spiffy 'Seliba' threads - an outfit I got tailored in Ségou out of the fancy 'baizan' fabric. It is stiff, waxy, and uncomfortable, but stylish in this country.

Although Muslims always pray five times a day, the main prayer for 'Seliba' takes place in the morning at 9AM. I joined the villagers, lined up in several rows facing East on rugs, in the field between the two school buildings to participate.

Some Initial Reconnaisance...

I am back in Ségou to celebrate Thanksgiving amongst my Peace Corps peers. I am going to get an entry up on the Muslim holiday of Tabaski (‘Seliba’ in Bambara) later, but I first wanted to post an update on the work I am embarking on in my village.

Currently, I am still within the timeframe before IST (In-Service Training, December 6th through the 17th) where we are to spend our time integrating and learning the language. I feel very comfortable on those terms, and I have also nearly completed my Baseline Survey to assist in determining the most critical water and sanitation needs of my village.

However, I am currently working on gathering initial information to repair the two broken water pumps in the village. Through some initial reconnaissance work, I have found out that the two broken foot pumps in the village actually used to be India-Mali pumps, which are the hand pumps widely used across the country, and therefore are more easily maintained.

One of the abandoned, broken foot pumps in my village.

Apparently, approximately 7 years ago, there was a widespread outbreak of Cholera in the village, which caused many deaths throughout the village. The Malian government decided that the problem was the hand pumps, so they switched the two pumps to foot pumps in June 2004.

An example of an 'India-Mali' hand pump, common across Mali.

I couldn’t understand what logic was behind that, because regardless of what type of mechanism is used, the pumps are still accessing the same aquifer, the same water. But my sector head found out that the concern resulted from the fact that people in my village do not wash their hands with soap as a general rule. A person infected with Cholera could use the hand pump, in-turn infecting the pump, and spreading the disease to the hands of any subsequent users. Then those users would eat with unclean hands, and infect themselves.

October at Site - Integration and Starting Some Work...

Over the past few weeks, I have felt many gratifying highs and some dispiriting lows. Fortunately, the lows that I have experienced have only been health related, and once I push them out of the way, I feel confident in my abilities and the experiences to come.

I have felt that over the course of my recent time in village, my language skills have improved ten-fold. I am confident in my abilities to communicate with locals on really any necessary topic, and I am able to understand much more of their day-to-day conversations amongst themselves, even with their fast-paced speech. I still need to continue to work on my skills in order to better harness an ability to have deeper intellectually stimulating conversations, but I have plenty of time to work on that.

I am also excited to report that I have begun work on my baseline survey. The baseline survey is a host of questions I intend to ask the dutigi (head of household) in each concession (each extended family) in my village, and is designed to ascertain the water and sanitation practices currently utilized. These include issues related to drinking water quality and availability, ɲɛgɛn (latrine) availability and construction, common illnesses which affect the community, community organizations currently in-place, the community’s desire for a Water and Sanitation Committee, and the women’s garden. I will compile the results of this survey and use them as a guide to determine where my efforts will be best served.

Thus far, I have learned that several of the precious few wells in village go dry throughout the hot season, making the availability of water scarce. Assisting the villagers in repairing the two broken foot pumps is a high priority for me, but building deeper wells may also be required to further address this concern. I have also yet to come across a family in-village who washes their hands with soap, most only use water before eating, and most do not wash their hands after using the ɲɛgɛn. Therefore, I plan on performing some handwashing animations/demonstrations to convince villagers of the practice’s importance to their health. This is just the tip of what I believe this baseline survey will uncover in the coming months.

Mali's Cinquantenaire...

'Sira, a ma ɲe.' (The road was bad.) Because of all of the rain we had been getting during the rainy season, the road to the commune seat had large, deep pools of standing water. Normally I would bike, but instead I opted to tag along on this 'misi wotoro' (cart pulled by two bulls). Not the most comfortable ride, but better than the alternative.

The Cinquantenaire de l’Indépendance, the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of Mali’s Independence was September 22, 2010. This was a big deal throughout the country, including my small community 100 kilometers east of Ségou.

My jatigi's son, Abdoullaye Diarra, keeping the steady hand on the bulls during the ride to the festival.

It was towards the end of the rainy season, and with all of the rain we had gotten, to bike anywhere required wading knee-deep in standing pools of water. So instead, I took a ‘misi-wotoro’ (bull-cart) into my commune seat/capital, which doubles as my market town, approximately 4 kilometers away from my village. I was surprised to see the richness of the culture that was on display so close to my quaint little village.

Some local children posing for the camera. This was all them...

I arrived into the center of town around 11AM. The Mayor of the commune was speaking to the crowd over the loud speaker to fervent ovations. After the mayor finished his speech, a group of local men in traditional hunting/militia clothing fired off sporadic rounds of blanks from their shotguns while dancing along the side of the crowd.

A group of teens, one row of men in purple, one row of women in blue and white striped-shirts and green berets, marching into the center of the festivities. Note the shirts the men are wearing: 'My Dream Barack Obama.'

Next, a group of young teens in berets marched into the center of the crowd to perform to a series of military marching commands. My favorite part… note the purple ‘My Dream Barack Obama’ shirts the young men were wearing. Barrack Obama’s face and name is plastered all over everything from sandals and jeans to playing cards and barber shops. But it is especially entertaining to me considering the man has nothing to do with the nation’s independence.

The first 'jacko' to make an appearance. This is the 'saca,' which is Bamanakan for sheep. Sheep are raised heavily for meat and wool in the region.

Feastin' at Ramadan's end...

My first experience with a celebration in my new village was 'Selideni' (Eid ul-Fitr), the holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan, Islam’s holy month of fasting. On Thursday, September 9th, Lassana, my homologue, guided me to an open field between the two primary school buildings in village for prayer. After the hour-and-a-half prayer session, we were led to a small crossroads in the middle of the village, where women from each concession came and placed a meal in the middle of the men gathered. Each meal was served in a communal bowl, and after the elder got up and mixed all of the sauces, there was a mad-dash for the men to grab what they saw was the best-made dish. To my surprise, they even allowed some of the kids to run and swipe the best dishes, deviously running clear across the village to eat away from the elder's gaze. All of the many bowls were the same dish, ‘kini ni tiga dɛgɛ naw’ (rice with peanut sauce).

After the rather rushed/chaotic lunch, men from throughout the village gathered in four separate regions within the village. Each region slaughtered one ‘misi’ (bull/male cow). The afternoon was spent slicing up the bull, making sure to make use of every ounce of meat on it’s hide. Once sliced, the men divided the bull into 85 different piles. Each pile received it’s share of muscle, fat, esophagus/stomach lining, organs, etc. Once sufficiently prepared, a man took orders for piles, and they read out each name, one by one, placing the purchased piles in bags, sacks, plastic bowls, or whatever was available at the time.

I spent the next two mornings with the village men, who bounced from concession to concession for ‘daraka’ (breakfast). For each day, we could eat at about 5 different concessions. To my surprise, each meal was exactly the same: ‘kini ni tiga dɛgɛ naw ni misi sɔgɔ.’ Apparently that is the signature dish in the region, only to be broken out for special occasions. And make no mistake, it is good. But after eating the same meal 5 times in a row, a little variety would be welcome.

The slaughter of the bull in pictures (Disclaimer for the faint of heart: Do not continue if you are at squeamish at the site of butchering):

Village men hold down the bull while the throat is cut.

A Day in the Life... My First Month as a Volunteer

My homologue, Lassana Diarra, the tallest Malian I've known, and myself in my new Malian threads, called a 'bornɛ.' 

I have just completed my first month at site as a volunteer. It has gone rather smoothly, with my time thus far being spent integrating into the community and continuing to learn the local language of Bambara. This past Sunday, I made my first trip into Ségou since being installed. I will be staying here in Ségou for a week for language training with my fellow regional volunteers.

A quick aside about the people of Mali… Tuesday at lunch, I went to get my hair cut. As I was leaving, after negotiating the price of my haircut down by half, the men asked me to stay and drink tea with them. I told them I would, but I am very hungry and want to get something to eat. One of the men then told me his family is about to eat, and asked me to join them. So I walked with him to his family’s house a block away, and ate a very good meal of rice, onion sauce, fish, cabbage, and carrots. They even offered me a spoon, but I told them in Bambara, “I am a Malian now. Eating with my hands is good.” So I ate out of the communal bowl with five other men. But that is just one of many stories which illustrate the uncompromising hospitality of the Malian people.

I figured that I would give you all a quick rundown of my daily activities at this point. Again, Peace Corps encourages us to take at least the first 3 months of service to simply integrate into our communities and learn the language, so there is not much in terms of work happening right now.

Aisseta Traoré, one of the local village women, proudly holding up a peanut plant she grew in her plot of the women's garden. Aisseta is one of the many women who like to constantly joke with me about being a Diarra, her 'joking cousin,' by calling me a donkey, telling me I eat beans, etc.

Sworn-In!

I am now officially a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Mali! Yesterday morning, at the American Embassy, myself and 80 fellow Peace Corps Trainees in my stage, including 18 trainees in Water and Sanitation, were officially sworn-in as Peace Corps Volunteers. We spent the night out in Bamako, before coming back to Tubaniso for one last night tonight. Tomorrow, we will be splitting off to our respective regional capitals. I will spend 3 nights in Ségou, after which I will be installed Wednesday in my village for my two-year post. Times, they are a changin'!

2010-2012 Peace Corps Mali Water and Sanitation Volunteers (Thanks, Lindsey for the Pic!).

Homestay: The Final Week

An old tree in my homestay village. It appears that some other type of vine/tree has overtaken it to give the tree this unique look.

Sunday, we left our homestay sites for the last time to head back to Tubaniso before swear-in on Friday at the US Ambassador’s residence, and all of the shenanigans that go along with it. Next Sunday, we will begin the trek to our permanent sites to begin integrating into our respective communities.

Homestay really flew by, and I became fairly close to my host family, considering the language barrier. It was sad to leave so soon, and I am planning on visiting them again when my Bambara improves. Below is a brief summary of the week that was…

My 'immediate' host family. Adema Doubia, my host-father, is back-right. 

Another one of my 'immediate' host family. In the back row are Adema's two wives,  Aminata Coulibaly and Miriam Samake.

I arrived back at my homestay village on Friday, August 20th. On Sunday, Isa, my host-uncle of around 21 years of age, took my Bambara-English-French study materials to make copies 10 km away at our market town. He is very motivated to learn English, and plans to go back to school in October, after the growing season.

Another picture with my host family. From left, Drissa, Solomen, Isa, Sitafa (or as I call him, 'Stephan'), myself, and Lameen.

My Site Visit to the Ségou Region as 'Maliki Jarra'

Scattered trees within the agricultural fields just outside of the village.

We have just returned from our initial visit to our respective sites for the next two years. I have been placed in a small village of around 1,400 people in the Region of Ségou, approximately 100 kilometers east of the city of Ségou, the regional capital. Due to my very persistent homologue, just after I finally got used to my Malian name in Homestay, I now have a new name… Maliki Jarra. This week certainly had it’s ups and downs, but I am excited about my new village.

The following is a brief rundown of the happenings at site…

The small mud-mosque located near the center of the village.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Myself, my fellow PCTs, and our homologues woke up at Tubaniso, ready to split off to our respective regions and sites. Hannah and I lucked out and got Peace Corps transport into Ségou, instead of having to negotiate Mali’s public transportation system the entire way. After a three-hour ride from Bamako, we arrived at the Peace Corps bureau in Ségou around 12:30pm, where I met Therese, the volunteer whom I am replacing. We then went to a local transportation stop, at which time my homologue, Lassana, left separately on his motorbike to spend a night with his third wife, who lives in a village approximately 30 kilometers from my site/his home.

A bush taxi headed for my market town 4 kilometers south of my village was waiting at the transportation stop when we arrived there around 1:00pm. A throng of people were already there ready to go, but the bush taxi waited for two more people to completely fill out the vehicle, and we left around 4:00pm after Therese pulled off some bargaining/haggling in Bambara.

The trip on the bush taxi was very, well, ‘cozy.’ There were five of us crammed into the last row of the taxi, and half-way through, one of them actually stood up, yelled at the driver to stop, and he went and sat on the roof instead. The bush taxi negotiated some very rough dirt roads, with large sporadic pools of water.

Site Announcement: Ségou Region

Our sites were announced today at Tubaniso. I am headed to a village of approximately 1,200-1,500 people; about twice the size of my homestay village. It is located in the region of Ségou, and is approximately 100 kilometers east of the city of Ségou. It is a Bamanakan village which predominantly practices Islam and speaks Bambara. The villagers are primarily farmers and fishermen. The village has four butigis (small food/supply stores), a primary school, two water pumps (one of which hasn’t worked in four years), and several improved large diameter wells. Similar to my homestay site, the houses are made of mud construction. I will have cell phone coverage in the village through Malitel.

I will be replacing the last of two consecutive volunteers placed in the village. It appears that they have implemented several current projects, which I will be continuing, including a fish farm, a community women’s garden, and community well construction. However, I look forward to evaluating the village’s needs in my first several months and implementing new projects to meet these needs throughout my term of service.

Tonight at dinner, I met my homologue, Lassana. Each volunteer is assigned a homologue, who is a well-regarded member of the village tasked with helping the volunteer implement their projects. The man is huge and looks like a football player from the states. He is maybe the only Malian I have met taller than me, and seems to be very outgoing and jovial. He only speaks Bambara, so communication is difficult at the moment.

Over the next couple of days, we will be in classes together here at Tubaniso. On Wednesday, August 11th, we will depart in the morning for my village in Ségou via my first foray on public transportation in Mali. Should be an interesting trip. I will stay at my site until Wednesday, August 18th, at which time I will head back to Tubaniso, debrief on Thursday, and head back to homestay on Friday, August 20th. I will try to post again at debrief.

Homestay, Part II

Today, we took a Peace Corps transport vehicle back to Tubaniso from our homestay village. The dirt road to our village from the national road is in utter disrepair, which even in dry days requires the most rugged of the land rover-type vehicles Peace Corps employees. Last night around 3AM, it began raining, and the rain continued, hard, until about 4PM. The driver had to navigate through several rivers and gullies the rain had caused, but we made it out, soaked gear strapped to the roof be damned.

We just completed our second stint at our homestay villages. Since we last left Tubaniso on Wednesday, July 21st, we have spent 18 days in our small village of 800 people in the Koulikoro Region of Mali. A lot has happened since my last post, so I will try to fill you all in on the details...

An adjacent concession in my homestay village, behind cornfields.

The 'kalanyoro' (school) in my homestay village. We spend most of our classes underneath the large tree in the center of the picture.

A view of the mud-construction gazebo in my concession.

10 days into Homestay...

So us Water/Sanitation and Health trainees just returned to Tubaniso, the Peace Corps training facility, after our first 10 days of homestay. During homestay, each trainee is paired with a host-family in a local Malian village in order to adjust to the culture prior to our actual deployment to our respective sites.

We will stay in our homestay sites for the next two months before we depart to our sites for two years. During the two months in our homestay sites, after a couple of weeks, we will head back to Tubaniso for a couple days for training within the water/sanitation sector. This is where I am now, until Wednesday morning. Just a quick note... I do not have any internet access whatsoever at homestay.

Thursday, July 8th, our stage was informed of our homestay villages. I was headed to a small Bamanankan village of about 800 inhabitants with 7 other Water/Sanitation trainees. Our Peace Corps transport vehicle departed around 2pm, and we headed off through the hectic roads, through Bamako, around 5 miles past the airport.

We then turned off onto the most grizzled dirt road, completely unmaintained and marked by huge 3+-foot deep trenches all throughout, filled with muddy water. The road was lined with agricultural fields of the local villagers. After driving down this road for about 7 miles, we were able to see the fringes of our village.

When we drove into the center of the village, we could hear and see the fete that they arranged for us. We were briskly ushered out of our car and into the center of a ring of villagers. Four musicians, two playing the native wooden xylephone, two playing local percussion instruments, were at the front of the circle, providing the music for the fete, while an older man in colorful garb and a large ceremonial hat would sing in spades.

Us eight trainees danced in the center of the circle, as the villagers laughed at us Toubabs. Several times, the music would stop, and we would be sent to our seats along the inside-fringe of the circle. A village elder would get up and speak between the dance sessions.

At one point, I was instructed to stand and receive gifts from the village. One man handed me 10 kola nuts, a traditional token of gratitude, while another man handed me two live roosters, held by the legs. I took both of them at the same time, the kola nuts with my right hand and the roosters with my left hand. I heard a gasp from the crowd – the left hand is considered dirty in Malian culture. But they do understand that we are just learning the culture, so all is good.

Training in Tubaniso...

So last Thursday, I arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for Staging. After some brief orientation, and a fun night and good food out on the town with my fellow 80 Malian Peace Corps Trainees, we took a bus up to JFK Airport in New York City and flew out Friday night to Paris, and then to Bamako. After our flight was delayed a few hours, we finally arrived in Bamako around 11 pm.

The Peace Corps Trainee concrete huts with straw-thatched roofs at Tubaniso, the Peace Corps Mali training facility outside of Bamako.

We moved into our huts that night, and had a snack in the refectoir (the kitchen). We are staying in three-person concrete huts, with straw-thatched roofs. The huts actually have electricity, with a ceiling fan and light! It has made sleeping in the heat and humidity of the rainy season very much bearable. I have a small twin-sized mattress with a mosquito net.

Our latrines are basically a concrete pad with a surrounding concrete structure. There is a hole in the concrete pad for the toilet, and a shower head as well. This training village, Tubaniso, is very much a halfway village of sorts, with many elements of the rural villages we will be placed in combined with a few creature comforts, like plumbing and electricity.

The terrain here is mostly plains with very green trees and shrubs. It is not quite as arid as I expected, but it has been in the 80's an 90's with high humidity, being the rainy season. We were told that it is very possible to see monkeys here on the site, but I have only seen lizards, cockroaches, and lots of mosquitoes and flies so far. It is exciting to know that non-American forms of wildlife are around, though.

The past couple days have been full of training courses, including safety and security, medical, food and water treatment, and other standard core subjects of the Peace Corps. We have been getting accustomed to Mali meals, receiving additional vaccinations, and beginning our malaria medication. We are now getting used to life in a much more rustic setting. Today, I washed my clothes by hand for the first time.

The Packing List

I am all packed and ready to jet out tomorrow to Philadelphia for staging. Below is my obligatory Peace Corps Packing List. I found these incredibly useful on the blogs of other current and former volunteers, and used them and the Peace Corps' recommendations extensively in my preparation. This list includes packed items and items I will wear to staging on my person. I am at about 72 pounds for my checked luggage, so I made the 80 pound limit. A special shout-out to my former coworkers who put up with all of my online shipments of discounted gear.

Clothing

• 2 - Lightweight Pants
• 6 - T-Shirts (3 - Cotton, 3 - Lightweight)
• 8 - Socks (6 - Athletic, 2 - Dress)
• 1 - Sweatpants (My pseudo-sleeping bag if it were to actually get cold)
• 1 - Sweatshirt (Ditto)
• 1 - Lightweight Rain Jacket
• 2 - Baseball Caps
• 1 - Visor
• 1 - Swimsuit
• 4 - Lightweight Long-Sleeve Collared Shirts
• 14 - Boxers
• 1 - Dress Shirt, Tie, Dress Pants
• 3 - Shorts (2 - Basketball Shorts, 1 - Lightweight Khaki)
• 1 - Belt
• 2 - Prescription Glasses (1 - Regular, 1 - Transitions)
• 2 - Sunglasses (1 - Prescription, 1 - Cheap, Biking Glasses)

Final Preparations...

So I am sitting at my aunt's house in Boone, NC trying to relax and let everything sink in. I sold my last piece of furniture on Thursday, my last day of work was Friday, I sold my car on Friday, and moved out of my apartment on Sunday.

The past 6 weeks have just been a blur since I officially found out I was going to Mali. Between finishing up at McGill Associates, catching up with friends and family one last time, buying gear and packing for Mali, selling and donating much of what I owned, closing out finances, learning French through Rosetta Stone, and tying up other loose ends for the Peace Corps... it's just been exhausting, but not in a bad way.

At this point, I feel relatively well-prepared for my service half-way across the world. I have a few more financial obligations to fulfill, including paying off my student loans with the money from selling my car (very excited about this one!), but otherwise I should have the next few days to simply relax. The only thing I regret is not obtaining a regular passport, but at least my no-fee passport from the Peace Corps will be good for traveling up to 3 months past service. I think my family would appreciate me coming home at that point, anyways.

I have already packed my bags for Mali, but am right at the weight limit. I am going to try to downsize my gear to give myself a little more leeway and make traveling around the country a little less awkward.

So the next few days will be spent with family and enjoying my final few days in the states. I expect to eat well, enjoy some final hiking in the beautiful mountains here in WNC, and just get my mind right for the big adventure. I will have my cell phone until Friday night, at which point I will dismantle it and throw it away at JFK Airport, symbolizing the shift away from the conveniences of the Western World.

At this point, I can only guess what my emotions will be, and how my experiences will go from that point on. I know my service in Mali will be challenging, fascinating, grueling, exhilarating, and everything in between... but right now I think I can rest assured, knowing I have prepared myself well.

Peace Corps Application/Departure Process Timeline (Updated)

07/23/09 - Attended Peace Corps Information Session in Asheville.

08/12/09 - Application submitted.

09/04/09 - Final Letter of Recommendation received by Peace Corps.

09/15/09 - Phone call from recruiter.

09/23/09 - Interview at Appalachian State with recruiter, during which I was informed of her intent to nominate.

09/23/09 - Submitted fingerprints for legal background check.

09/29/09 - Officially nominated for a math teaching assignment in 'non-french speaking Africa' for July or September departure. (During interview, the recruiter told me the nomination would be for July, but when she went to put it in the system, the program was full, and the nomination became September.  However, when I asked whether a July deployment was still possible, she added a note into the system stating I would accept July.  Future correspondence from the PC has all noted a July or September deployment.)

10/21/09 - Submitted medical/dental evaluation forms.

11/03/09 - Peace Corps receives medical/dental evaluation forms.

12/04/09 - Medical/dental clearance received.

12/12/09 - Legal clearance received.

12/26/09 - Provided notification of PE certification (!) to Peace Corps.

02/17/10 - Received 'February Check-in" email from PC describing placement process.

05/07/10 - Received email from PC Placement Office requesting updated resume.  "Once I have received your resume, your file will be passed on to the Education Desk Placement and Assessment Specialist for further review."

The Home Stretch!

Well time has been flying by ever since accepting my Peace Corps invitation. I feel like I have two full-time jobs right now, my job as a civil engineer in Asheville and my preparation for service in Mali. Seems everyday, there is an essay to write, forms to fill out, a language to learn, belongings to sell, finances to square away, and/or items to buy. It's a mad-dash to the finish-line right now, but the excitement continues to build.

I just got back from a week-long vacation with my sister in Alaska. It was an amazing time, and a great distraction from the hectic pace that is life on the home-front right now. As of now, this was by far the furthest trip I have ever taken (previous was Denver), but of course that is all about to change. We spent our time in the Alaskan wilderness; hiking around Anchorage, sea kayaking in Seward, and, of course, a four-day backpacking trip in the backcountry of Denali National Park and Preserve. Although the weather was less than ideal, in the end we came away with an amazing experience filled with both challenging and rewarding moments and indescribable views. And I survived my own recklessness when I purposely stood less than 20 feet away from a 1,400-pound bull moose, so there's that...

Yup, that's me this guy is sizing up!

For me, Denali was definitely the highlight. I love just about any outdoor excursion, and personally, although sightseeing is certainly enjoyable, nothing beats actually getting your hands dirty and experiencing a place first-hand. Kinda goes along the same lines of my Peace Corps decision... why just visit a region as a tourist when you can actually live the culture and help to make a difference there as well?

My sister and I backpacking through Denali.

A view of mountains and bog from Day 2.

Aspiration Statement

Each Peace Corps Trainee is asked to submit an Aspiration Statement prior to departure. This statement is to lay out expectations for your Peace Corps service and the strategies you plan to use to be successful. Below is the one that I just submitted (warning: I am one wordy SOB)...

A. The professional attributes that I plan to use, and the aspirations that I hope to fulfill during my Peace Corps service:

Throughout my career as a civil engineer, I have learned to tackle problems first-hand with an approach that combines creative thinking with resourcefulness. When evaluating any project, it is important to be able to look at it from many different angles. Rushing into a particular solution can result in unnecessary complications during construction or implementation, and can also end up costing the client more time or money than an alternative solution. This ability to evaluate all angles of a problem will prove vital while tackling projects during my time in the Peace Corps. In order to ensure success, it will be important to pensively approach each project and implement it in a manner that will be sustainable for the future. Simply solving the problem is not the goal. The goal must include self-sustainability. Therefore, I will work to ensure that an intellectual infrastructure is implemented within the local community such that in the future, they can tackle similar issues internally without the need for international aid.

My experience as a teaching assistant, coupled with experience working alongside both design teams and clients during my professional career, has taught me how best to relate to people in order to develop a productive and fulfilling professional relationship. While serving in Mali, I will use these skills and build upon them throughout my service in order to gain trust within the community. This trust will afford me the capability to effectively teach the local community the skills needed to sustain the development goals of the applicable water and sanitation projects.

B. My strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs:

Mali's Rich Musical Heritage

One of the many benefits of serving in the Peace Corps is the ability to experience first-hand the culture of a new land. I have always been fascinated by the many rich cultures that permeate the entire continent of Africa, whether through classes taken in college, the many great sculptures found in the Smithsonian African Art Museum in Washington, DC, or through the many great African musicians that have found their way to my ears over the years.

Two artists in particular have taken on a new meaning to me over the past week: Salif Keita and Oumou Sangaré. I have listened to both artists frequently over the years, and have just found out that they are both from Mali, the country I will find myself in beginning July! I would recommend both these musicians to anyone, whether joining me in Mali or not.

Salif Keita (right).

I first found out about Salif Keita after watching the movie "Ali" back in 2004. He contributed the song "Tomorrow (Sadio)" to the movie's soundtrack. The song, with its hauntingly beautiful and moving vocals, a Keita trademark, led me to discover a rich catalog of music from this prolific artist. The man truly has one of the most striking and distinctive voices, not only in all of Africa, but the world. I'd recommend his album "Folon" as a great starting place - it features some great uplifting tunes such as "Tekere," as well as aggressive and rhythmic movements with Funk and Afro-beat elements like "Sumun."

Oumou Sangaré.

I found out about Oumou Sangaré much later, sometime in 2009. But her music is just as impressive. Like Keita, its her vocals that stand out the most. Although I can't understand her lyrics (yet? maybe after PC training?), her voice truly reaches through her music and places the listener in a somewhat hypnotic trance. Backed by some great native instruments, such as the harp lute and various percussive instruments, this music has a very traditional feel. I have only heard her greatest hits compilation "Oumou," but this album is definitely worth picking up.

I know that these two artists are just the tip of the iceberg (probably the wrong analogy for Mali?!) for this great land, and that makes me all the more excited to experience the rich and diverse culture that Mali has to offer.

Invitation has been Accepted!

I received the formal invitation package from UPS on Friday, and officially accepted the invitation same-day. Today, logging into the 'My Toolkit' feature on the Peace Corps website shows this gem:

Application Status

You were nominated on September 29, 2009.

Status

Congratulations! You have accepted an invitation to serve in Mali. See below for further details.

Evaluations required to become an Trainee

Dental

Complete. Peace Corps has completed your dental review. There are no dental holds on your account at this time.

Legal

Peace Corps has completed your initial legal review. There are no legal holds on your account at this time.

Medical

Complete. Peace Corps has completed your medical review. There are no medical holds on your account at this time.

Place

Complete. Peace Corps has completed your placement review. There are no holds on your account at this time.

PLACEMENT required to become a Trainee

Invitation

Congratulations! You have accepted your invitation to serve in Mali. You will soon be receiving additional information from your country desk, the travel office, and the office of staging about preparing for service.

So there you have it, I am officially Mali-bound. I turned in my passport and visa paperwork on Saturday and am now working on my revised resume and my aspiration statement. I also received Rosetta Stone for French, Levels 1 & 2, on Friday, and have been working my way through that as well. One of these days I'll need to start packing and selling off my car and furniture. So much to do, so little time... but damn is this exciting!

Some post-invitation musings...

It's a funny thing, this Peace Corps application process. Back in August when I first applied, I was looking extremely forward to the opportunity to serve in this organization. Regardless of where I would be placed or what I would be doing, it would be one of the greatest challenges and most incredible experiences of my life. I would have the chance to help a community in need all the while experiencing a foreign culture first-hand and forging bonds that would last a lifetime. The actual assignment was secondary, I knew I would love the experience regardless.

Then the nomination came in September; math teacher in non-french speaking Africa. I was told the nomination was subject to change, and that only about 50% of applicants end up serving in the capacity of their nomination. But there it was, a tangible position and location staring back at me, giving me something to latch myself onto.

When you have almost a year to think about something as life-altering as the Peace Corps, you dream about what your experience might be like. You picture yourself teaching a class of 50 students in the middle of a lush forest in sub-saharan Africa. To you, it all just begins to seem so right.

Then I recieved the phone call this past Tuesday, telling me something vastly different from what I had pictured. A water/sanitation engineer, in a french-speaking country, and in an arid land in Africa. Subconciously, I felt a slight dissapointment. I was excited, no doubt, but the experience I had dreamed about for a year would never happen. Now it was a new dream, a new experience.

As soon as I put down the phone and filtered through my thoughts, I quickly got back to that state I was in back in August. The desire, the excitement was still there, no matter what the position or location. It just got buried under a mirage.

So I guess the point of my rambling is that with the Peace Corps, you will rarely, in the end, end up with the position you expected. But now that the application process is over, I could not be more thrilled with the result. And this new challenge, this new experience; I am confident that it will be more rewarding than I could have ever imagined before that Tuesday phone call.

Just got the invite! It's Mali!

Just got the following email from the Placement Officer!

"I have good news. The post has accepted my proposal because they feel that your engineering skills are valuable to the program and that you would be a good fit. The program is a Water and Sanitation Engineering program in Mali leaving July 1st. We normally do not send invitations out via email but because of the time constraints I want to be sure you have adequate time to peruse the materials. I have attached the Volunteer Description as well as the online book below. You will receive an invitation packet in the mail in about 3 days. Please follow the directions for letting us know your decision. Again, it will be important for you to refresh your French as much as possible to have at least a base going in. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns and congratulations!"

This moved faster than I could have imagined just a day ago.  Yesterday, I was debating whether it was too late for a July invite, and the lack of September dates in Africa had me concerned.  Today, I'm invited!  I'm really speachless.

July 1st.  Mali.  Water and Sanitation Engineering.

"Refresh your French."  Yeah, ummm, any ideas on how to LEARN French best I can before July??

Un défi inattendu - Mike in West Africa!?!

Just got off the phone a couple hours ago with a placement officer in the health skills field. I was originally nominated for a math secondary education position in non-french speaking Africa, but as the Peace Corps seems to often do, they threw me a bit of a curve ball.

She said that she would like to invite me into a WATER/SANITARY HEALTH EXTENSION position in FRENCH SPEAKING Africa! Leaving early July. Wow. That's pretty loaded.

Apparently my job description would be either dealing with local health officials in an urban area to design and install water and sanitary sewer facilities, or traveling to local rural areas teaching the local populations how to construct latrines and facilities to maintain clean water.

She also mentioned what I knew would be a significant challenge - I would have to learn not one, but TWO languages during training; those being French and a local ethnic language. Normally people have to have prior recent experience in French to be considered for deployment in this region. I took french early on in high school, some ten years ago!

I must say that I have mixed emotions right now. For the most part, I am absolutely thrilled that I have the opportunity to serve in the Peace Corps, and go to Africa, my region of choice! I am somewhat disappointed about the job change, however, as I was looking forward to working in the education sector and felt that I would be strong at it. But I also understand that I am more qualified for this job based upon my experience in civil engineering, and should probably trust their judgement.

The Speculation Game...

I just found an unofficial Peace Corps website, http://www.peacecorpswiki.org/timeline, which provides a list of departure dates currently known. This information is apparently provided by applicants who have already received their invitation from the specific country.

Because I am about to burst with anticipation, I've been doing a bit of speculating with this information.

I was nominated for a math teaching position in non-french speaking Africa departing between July and September. From what I gathered from my interview, a science teaching position seems to be the fallback.

Last Friday, I received an email requesting my latest resume, and it stated the following:

"Once I have received your resume, your file will be passed on to the Education Desk Placement and Assessment Specialist for further review."

The minimum notice before departure is 6 weeks, while the maximum is 3 months. The invitation apparently is preceded by a call from the placement officer. And I have found that some people get this call within a week after the email, others still months away.

Below is the list of departure dates from the wiki website for my nominated months. I have eliminated the countries that are french speaking, and placed what are my most likely destinations, those being in Africa and non-french speaking in italics.

Peace Corps Application Process Timeline

I've seen other volunteers post a timeline regarding their application process.  Although not yet complete, it is interesting for me to see how far (read: lots and lots of waiting) I've come to get to this point, and I hope it can help provide future applicants with some guidance on the process.  Here it goes...

07/23/09 - Attended Peace Corps Information Session in Asheville.

08/12/09 - Application submitted.

09/04/09 - Final Letter of Recommendation received by Peace Corps.

09/15/09 - Phone call from recruiter.

09/23/09 - Interview at Appalachian State with recruiter, during which I was informed of her intent to nominate.

09/23/09 - Submitted fingerprints for legal background check.

09/29/09 - Officially nominated for a math teaching assignment in 'non-french speaking Africa' for July or September departure. (During interview, the recruiter told me the nomination would be for July, but when she went to put it in the system, the program was full, and the nomination became September.  However, when I asked whether a July deployment was still possible, she added a note into the system stating I would accept July.  Future correspondence from the PC has all noted a July or September deployment.)

10/21/09 - Submitted medical/dental evaluation forms.

11/03/09 - Peace Corps receives medical/dental evaluation forms.

12/04/09 - Medical/dental clearance received.

12/12/09 - Legal clearance received.

12/26/09 - Provided notification of PE certification (!) to Peace Corps.

02/17/10 - Received 'February Check-in" email from PC describing placement process.

05/07/10 - Received email from PC Placement Office requesting updated resume.  "Once I have received your resume, your file will be passed on to the Education Desk Placement and Assessment Specialist for further review."

05/08/10 - Emailed revised resume to recruiter.

... To Be Continued...

Motivation Statement (or.. why the heck is Mike doing this??)

I figured the best way to kick off this blog is to answer the question I have been asked just about every time I tell someone about my decision to join the Peace Corps... 'Why would you do that??' Of course, I understand that some people may never understand and accept it (Hi Mom!).

Below is an essay I submitted as part of the application process to describe just that...

Motivation Statement

Our culture, at its best, celebrates our nation’s diversity. As Americans, we have taken from many distinct cultures to create our own wholly unique society. It is in this tradition that I hope to learn from a new culture: their customs, their viewpoints; and share this experience at home. At the same time, I plan to instill our sense of unity and our ideals with people abroad. It would truly be an honor to fully immerse myself in a foreign culture, learning more than I can imagine, all the while representing our nation’s culture abroad.

During my college experience, one course in particular helped shape my outlook on foreign culture and the world as a whole; AAS 341: African Politics. I took this course outside of my curriculum to pursue my fascination with global history, but I ended up taking away much more. In this course, I learned about African culture, including the way African villages operate prior to Western contact and the different ways they cope with their surroundings. For instance, many Africans historically use the concept of fractals to analyze their natural environment in lieu of our staples of mathematics and science. These are not inferior practices by any means, just different. Both approaches have their own strengths, and should be respected.

But one part of this course affected me the most; the downward spiral that the continent has taken ever since its resources and its people were first taken advantage of by the outside world. And I was shocked to learn that many of the NGOs which operate in Africa, dispersing food and shelter to the needy, only exacerbate their problems. When Westerners come to Africa and hand out food and shelter, the native population becomes dependent on aid. Due to this dependency, the NGOs are supported with further funding, continuing the continent’s downward spiral.

The Peace Corps, however, is different. It affords its volunteers the opportunity to make a real difference, by educating the native population on how to not only care for themselves, but thrive both in the context of their region and globally. Instead of instilling dependency, this program affords independency. It is this cause that stirs a passion within, to give back to the world and have a positive impact on a whole community.

I am at a point in my life where I have gained valuable knowledge and occupational skills through my education and my four years in the workforce. I have proven myself adept not only at the technical skills required for engineering, but also the communications skills required to effectively coordinate projects to completion amongst clients and coworkers. The Peace Corps would provide an opportunity for me to challenge these skills in a new and exciting environment, providing invaluable experience to draw upon throughout my career. More importantly, I feel that I am now in a prime position to move from the private sector to the Peace Corps and truly have a positive impact on a community in need abroad.

A quick introduction to the blogosphere...

My name is Mike, and I am currently working as a civil engineer in the Appalachian mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. I spent my formative years between Naugatuck, CT, Holly Springs, NC, and West Townsend, MA, before jetting off (or sledding, to be more precise) to Syracuse University in Upstate New York for college. After earning my degree in 2005, I spent three years practicing civil engineering at a firm in Northern Virginia, just west of DC, before moving to my current abode.

Ever since my senior year of college, I have strongly considered joining the Peace Corps. After four years, I finally took the plunge and decided to apply last August. Although I am currently in the midst of the most successful and enjoyable time during my professional career, I still have that itch to have a lasting impact on a community in need, all the while experiencing a foreign culture first-hand in a way that traveling as a tourist could never provide. My only hope is that if I am chosen, I can leave as much of an imprint on their community as they are sure to leave on me.

Those who know me will know that I have not exactly been quick to the whole social networking frenzy. I finally caved to Facebook earlier this year, and this is now my attempt to enter into the blogging scene... so I guess what I'm trying to say here is, this is a bold, new frontier for me, so bare with me as I get my feet wet.

My hope is that this will become a place for me to, should I be chosen, share my experiences abroad with friends, family, and anyone else interested in the Peace Corps back home, while providing them with the ability to interact with me along the way. I will use this blog as an outlet for me to air my inner thoughts, my successes, and my frustrations along the way. Its cathartic, so I hear!