Arriving in **** a few days back the village engulfed the Peace Corps trainees dancing and clapping in a parade toward our training center. Once there the parade became a circle dance, then all sat for the introductions between the trainees and their new families. We sat facing each other as if we were experiencing the last moments of cultural quarantine, I soon met my family and my sisters.
Dad runs an apprenticeship center for rural students that have fallen out of the school system, aiming primarily at giving them work in the rural areas in order to slow the rural exodus of youth. Woodworking, Tailoring, Car Mechanics, and Agriculture are among the apprenticeships offered. Yesterday, sister led me through the fields of Teck and palm trees, while eating the red skin of palm nuts, to join brothers clearing the fields with Machetes for planting . Nou Fo, a middleschooler, carries 3 ft wide basins full of water back and forth from the creek or water pump, a bucket full hurts my neck, Mother is due to give birth soon, but still has the energy to pestle Manioc into paste involving full upperbody thrusts in the mortar in order to attain the right consistency.
I had an appreticeship of my own today with the women who taught me to wash my clothes à la African. The scrubbing motion is a true challenge to master but incredibly effective when well executed.
We are double digging a garden in Ag. Class and I spent time in the garden with teacher spreading organic pesticides made of basil and other plants, learning the trees, the nitrogen fixing plants. I get to do this for 2 years ! what work, what good sleep after long days… feeling well, miss you all, love, chris
