Before the end of our training, we visited our permanent sites for a few days to meet our families, get a feel for the village and area, and check out our houses. I couldn't be more happy. My village is very small with only 12-13 main compounds (around 150 people). My family is also small by Gambian standards . My compound includes my host father, Ebrima, mother, Fatou, their son's wife, Fatou, and her 5-month old son, Ebrima. Their son, my host brother, is currently in Senegal.
This village has never had a volunteer before so they are very excited. As soon as the Peace Corps Land Cruiser, in which I was riding, came into sight of the village, the children playing in the fields and tending to the cows began running behind the car yelling "Fatou, Fatou." One of my health counterparts (a female teacher in the nearby middle school), that I had met with previously, had told the village about me briefly so they knew my name. As soon as I opened the car door, the children grabbed my hands and brought me to a small gathering where women from the village had begun to bang on plastic bottles and containers with their hands. Everyone started clapping. Different women and children would move to the middle of the circle. They danced fast moving their legs and feet with more rhythm than I will ever have. I moved into the middle of the circle a few times to make a dancing fool of myself, flailing my arms and legs with happiness. After the drumming died down, my host father, Ebrima, presented me with gifts from the village: a chicken, bread, rice, and oil - all for dinner that evening. It was a really incredible welcome.
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HEY Fern, I love your narration of what you see,hear, experience, and learn! What an exciting welcome for you in a strange land, so heartwarming. Really happy for you.. Love Margaret (& Tim)
ReplyDeleterenee said Suppp Ferneranoo. Renee here from Ms.Agudas class 3rd period and just wanted to say that i think your awesome and i hope that you havt a cool time up there and yeaaaah. Coool : ) Talk to you laterr(:
ReplyDeleteOctavia said: Heeeyyy!! whats good? ummmm, just wanted to put a comment and say that what your doing is cool and learning about different cultures and stuff... i would really consider doing this in the future. (: keep posting its really interesting, and if you can, please tell your new family i said hi. (ms. agudas avid class)
ReplyDeletedaaron said to say hiii and welcome to the gambia thing. i hope all i well and that you r enjoying ur time in the gambia
ReplyDelete...
HELP SAVE THEE ENVIRONMENT :)
Aaliyah said:Hey I just want to say how amazing and exciting your cultural experince is.I hope there will more when experince more. I think it is awesome. so yeah ummm..talk to you later.
ReplyDeletehey fern. this is kbreaun. i just want to wish you the best out there in Gambia. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Fern,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your remarkable experiences. Your description of the African warmth, both temperature wise and socially, is very inviting. I'd love to hear what school is like in your village. By the way, stick a candy bar in Yaya's hand and I see a remarkable resemblance to a younger Nelson.
We are having a brief January thaw after a couple of very cold weeks. Jan and I have been enjoying lots of ice skating at places like Harvey Pond and Robin Hood Park. I'm trying to imagine what it would be like to explain ice skating to your family.
I have just finished reading Walker's blog. Sounds like he is having an incredible experience as well. Hannah leaves Quito this morning for the Andean high country where she will be for the next 12 weeks. We are anxious to hear about her experiences.
We have been mesmerized by the news from Haiti of the aftermath of the earthquake there. So many tragic losses and, fortunately, so many positive responses from people and countries from all over the world.
I'm off now to run with Lenny and your dad. We'll be thinking of you as we engage in our weekly discussion and resolution of the world's problems.
Dan
A warm hello from Westmoreland! Boys are just off to school and I do need to get ready. I think I will share your blog with my 3rd grade class. I am thinking that it would be so, so very nice if even just for one day, ALL, people in our "village" would be so warm and kind. How great would that be? Looking forward to reading more, stay safe.
ReplyDeleteLori and family
Hi Fern,
ReplyDeleteI was rereading some of your blogs and I am so impressed by your experience and how well you write. I feel I am reading a novel by a published author! The closeness of the community there and the way they treat each other makes me feel badly that we don't have more of that here in the US. We sure could learn alot from them. Tell your family hello from Westmoreland and Happy Valentine's Day to you !!Jan
Just read that Gambia was part of the British Empire in 1815. Do you see any evidence of British influence there today?
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