Off to Kaiaf...

Hello! I just typed something really long about what I have been doing and then earased it...so hope I can remember everything. First of all, I am doing great in The Gambia- safe and healthy- learning so much and trying to take it all in.

We are all leaving for our training villages tomorrow morning, therefore, I will have no internet access until early January so please write if you can :) Also, if you have a cheap calling card or skype, try calling my gambian cell phone #706 0750 from a US phone try 01122070600750 or 0012207060750. If you are going to send anything for the holidays, food items are great like koolaid packets, granola bars, protein anything, and mac and cheese!! Though a letter means more to me than anything else.

We have been learning about the culture intensely. Everyday we have language classes and learn about traditional customs. Today we learned about ceremonies like the naming ceremony which we will all participate in next week when we get Gambian names! There are also circumcision ceremonies for both men and women. Unfortunately, female genital mutilation is still a common practice throughout The Gambia.

Some other things we have learned about was how to eat with out hands from the food bowl, how to use a squat toilet (no prob), and using local brooms and household items. I am really looking forward to arriving in KAIAF- my training village. I will be there with 3 other volunteers but we will be in different compounds. There, we will learn technical, language, and culture skills before being sent to our 2 -year posts!

One of our sessions was on the history of the country which was great to learn about. African history is very deep and goes through many ups and downs. I wish I could write more about it, but if you have time to look it up, please do so. Our teacher was telling us about the economic situation- EVERYTHING is imported...even though peanuts/peanut oil is so plentiful, there is no infrastructure to turn the raw material into sellable goods. Frustrating. I have so much to learn and my mind is racing with all the projects I could work on for 2 years. I'm sure I'll come up with a ton more sitting in my village hut for the next 10 weeks as well.

Anyways, keep in touch, love and miss you all. Write or call if you can.
Happy Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years!

Love,
Maggie

Salaamaaleekum

Hello all! Greetings from Kombo, The Gambia. We have been in country for 5 days now and have started our intensive language and cultural training. We've visited a reptile park, the beach- BEAUTIFUL ps, and done only a little wandering-I'll be looking forward to more of that and chatting with people!
On friday, we all move to training villages- mine is called Kaifa and I will be learning Mandinka. The language is going okay, challenging, but I have great teachers!
Write me if you can, at my address. I'll get back to you- slowly :) Thank you to The Millars- my first letter was from you! Very exciting!
Fo naata- see you later!

Leaving tomorrow!

Hello! As I am finishing up all those last minute things- packing, making phone calls, and downloading everything I can onto my ipod...just wanted to thank EVERYONE for there support and calls the past few weeks! I am so excited to arrive in The Gambia and to live there for 27 months.

Tomorrow, we all meet in Philly (woohoo!) before departing from Newark, NJ on the 5th. I look forward to meeting other like minded individuals and beginning my training as soon as we get to Banjul.

Email or write me whenever you can- I will try to keep in touch as well :)

Love and miss you all already!