a bread oven in village

A woman counterpart of mine has been asking me to find a way to build a bread cooking oven in village...

so far this is the most promising design: http://www.mha-net.org/docs/v8n2/wildac04b.htm

there are also solar ovens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cooker

Natural Resource Mgmt and Fertility rates - Excerpt from college course material

Hoping to integrate family planning/ birth control into Natural Resource Mgmt. work here, I remembered having saved some course material on the subject of fertility rates from Humboldt State University Professor Dr. Paul Blank's Geography course called "Global Awareness." Here is an excerpt from a study unit called "Population" :

" Experience has shown that fertility declines as a result of modernization and industrialization, and only when a level of material security is guaranteed to most of the population. The rate at which fertility declines will determine whether global population levels off at eight billion or twelve billion during the next century. Some of the most important incentives to fertility decline are:

* The transition from an agricultural to an urban-industrial society. In this situation children cease becoming income-earners and become more of a burden, as parents have to provide them with education to succeed in the modern world. This is an incentive to reduce family size.

* The lowering of the infant-mortality rate. This gives parents confidence that most of their children will survive into adulthood, ensuring at least one child to survive to take care of them in their old age. When parents become more confident that their children will survive, they begin to limit family size. Studies have shown that there is a lag of about ten years between the introduction of infant hygiene and reduction in birth rates, so there is a temporary population rise, but this is followed by a permanent decline. One of the most dramatic impacts of infant hygiene is the introduction of infant rehydration formula. IRF is a major savior of children afflicted by diarrhea--the number one killer of children in the developing world.

* The education of women and their entry into the workforce. When women get access to education and earning power, they claim more power over their family-planning decision-making, and most often choose smaller families.

* The provision of birth control. Recent research in Bangladesh and elsewhere has found that if birth control and family planning information is made available, people will adopt it if it makes economic sense for them to do so. It turns out that there is a high latent demand for birth control in many societies, even those at a low level of economic development. "

Theory, Reality, and photos

- One of my favorite aspects of Peace Corps life is the ability to do immediate confrontation of Theory and Reality. I am able to read about the developing world in any publication, from the NY Times to a college textbook, and do immediate, on the ground application and critiques of the literature . "Application" could be going out to research about my village's level of knowledge concerning family planning and giving immediate feedback to villagers, after reading about the pressure of high birth rates on the environment. But this freelance application of research papers and news articles brings with it quite a bit of responsibility. Since my word, as a white westerner (an African-American volunteer has told me that it is not at all the same for him), is taken so seriously (nearly as the word of God), I'd better get my information right on often very important issues of health and well-being. One publication that I have very much enjoyed reading and applying is "World View Magazine," so I've added a link to the online edition of the magazine on the right-hand side of this site. - I will also be uploading more photos but not all will appear on the blog. Follow the photo link on the right to my see more...

Imam's 'sermon'

Imam's 'sermon'
Originally uploaded by parisdelhi.

On the day following Ramadan, the Imam leads prayer in the morning and then gives a much awaited sermon. This year's sermon was about many things including not passing on rumors or talking about other peoples' business, that we should only say what we have seen with or own eyes. Everyone gets dressed up in their finest garb for the occasion.

the result of poverty

the result of poverty
Originally uploaded by parisdelhi.

It seems that when people are poor, they often impoverish their future just to get by.

Gingari Kumuka (Ramadan festival)

Gingari (Ramadan festival)
Originally uploaded by parisdelhi.

Bassirou, a friend from my neighborhood, has been teaching me much about Islam and its practices. The photo is from the celebration on the day following the holy month of Ramadan.

establishing a garden

establishing a garden
Originally uploaded by parisdelhi.

Using John Jeavons' double digging techniques we have been establishing a dry season garden. The shelter in the background houses sheep who provide manure that, once broken down, is used in the garden. It appears that creating a good dry season garden can be much more profitable than risking the dangerous trip to nearby Nigeria. Many young people see Nigeria as the only way to earn enough money to buy a motorcycle, but it appears that a quality garden can do the same without all the risks.

First monthly village clean-up

First monthly village clean-up
Originally uploaded by parisdelhi.

The village has decided to come together every first Wednesday of the month to clean the public areas. The chief (in yellow on the right), in consultation with the public, has decided that beginning January 1st 2007 any animal left roaming will cost the owner a 1 dollar ,or 500 franc, fine. The decision was taken by the village after discovering the negative health effects and loss of valuable manure caused by roaming animals. The photo is of the launch of the first village clean-up, where recently Red Cross trained students explained to the public the importance of a clean village.

Baobob tree and clan (family) meeting house.

The Baobob tree and the colorful clan (family) meeting house to the left are next to the market place of which you can see a couple shelters, used for cooking on market day, in the foreground.

the neighborhood mosque

the neighborhood mosque
Originally uploaded by parisdelhi.

This is the mosque (the closest to my house) where I have been learning to pray. We are in the Imam's neighborhood, so it is the religious center of the village.

the promise of the west

Here is an article that I feel very much reflects the attitude of folks in my village concerning emigration as a means to escape poverty. As the article states, those who have emigrated to richer areas such as Europe, the US, or even neighboring Ghana, are hailed as success stories by their peers. The article also mentions that the "well to do" families in Africa are supported by money sent back by relatives that have emigrated to Europe or the US and this is also the case in my rural village of 3,000. In the article a man is quoted saying: "Many young people think they have to pass through Europe in order to succeed in life," this is also the belief of most all of the youth here. I have conversations everyday with youth who tell me about everything they have tried in order to succeed and they say that they would jump on a row boat and paddle into the Atlantic to reach Europe even if there was a 50 percent chance of death: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56132&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=SENEGAL In addition I have added a link to “IRIN news from West Africa” to the side bar on the right-hand side of this blog. I find that many articles on the IRIN site reflect my daily experiences here.