Workin' in Guinea

OK, so I am all finished with trainings (at least until mid-service)!!!! This means I am starting work! After several months of intense trainings I was ready to start my own thing and use some of the information I learned.

I know everyone back state side is wondering “What are you doing over there?” Well let me give you a run down of what I have done in the past two weeks. I have been going to my towns “hospital” a few days a week. I often just spend my time there talking to the doctor giving him as much information that I know about Malaria (which does not come from MANGOS! Which I am often told here), family planning (it really is cheaper to only have 5 kids compared to 30 no matter what a Guinean tells you), and fun stuff like sanitation (WASH YOUR HANDS!!!). I also have been giving vaccinations to the children for Polio and dispensing vitamins to help counter-act malnutrition. I have gone/helped with one informational class about women excision (which is mortifyingly aweful). Because the class was in Pular, I really didn’t get a lot of it, but the general idea was burned into my brain. I hope by just me sitting there horrified the other Guinean men in the class understood the significance of everything.

There is also a Youth Association for Development in my town which I have been going to. I was invited to sit on the board, giving fresh ideas and a female voice to the group. I am very excited to work further with them. It is a group of over 50 “older teenagers” who are motivated to learn and change some things in my town, which I think is great! I am really hoping to do some cool things with them.

When I get back to my site I will be starting my garden which I plan to plant moringa trees to give to people all around my village. (PLEASE
http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa/moringa-tree/
, it really is amazing). I go to weekly meetings with my woman’s group as well as I will be starting savings and loans groups amongst them in the next few weeks. Which I hope will encourage the women to save money over the summer break for their children’s educational fees for the upcoming fall school year. Otherwise, I am working on improving my French (which I will confidently say is getting a lot better) and I am struggling to learn Pular, which I am determined to learn.

So that is how I occupy my time. Sure beats a 9-5 doesn’t it!

One last thing, special thanks out there to Aunt Bonnie and fam, Aunt Betty and Uncle Dan, and of course the ’Rents for all of the amazing packages, Danie thanks for the postcard. Also congrats to all of those who are GRADUATING this JUNE!!! Chrissy-baby that means you! Whoot whoot!!! And can’t forget those how are just excited for the school year to be over and move on to the next year, Creekview Elementary 3rd grade as well as OLH 5th grade classes!!!! YAY summer!