Beach at Brufut- What a GREAT 4th of July!
Tesito - building a dike around the women's rice fields
Well construction in the women's garden.
I just got a new camera, so will be able to take more pictures for next month!
05 July 2009
Just a glimpse...
Beach at Brufut- What a GREAT 4th of July! Tesito - building a dike around the women's rice fieldsWell construction in the women's garden.
04 July 2009
Happy Independence Day!
Hope you are all enjoying the summer festivities; BBQs, fireworks, lightning bugs, watermelon, and being around friends and family! We had a party of our own this afternoon with American food and a baby pool at our boss' home. It was so nice to still get to celebrate the 4th despite being an ocean away!
The past few days, we've had an All-Volunteer conference where we were able to share project ideas, new PC administration rules, and talk about our experiences thus far as PC volunteers in the Gambia.
One initiative that we, as a whole, are working on is a Malaria Bed-Net Campaign. While I was living in the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, I remember being frustrated at mosquito net distribution efforts because (a) they distributed them in the city, where people have more access to resources and disposible income, (b) they would distribute them with no education, and (c) donors thought that if everyone had a mosquito net, malaria wouldn't exist. This was very frustrating.
Now, I am living in a rural area of West Africa where people cannot afford bednets, they can't even buy them within a 5 hour radius. Although people are aware of malaria and the risks involved to some extent, more education is definetly needed. Medical services are scarce in rural areas and local medicines can only go so far in prevention and treatment of Malaria.
I'm not a big fan of fundraising and asking people for money, but supporting bed net distribution and sensitization is something that you can help with from home. Against Malaria is working with current and past PCVs in The Gambia to, hopefully, bring a whole container of low-cost, insecticide treated nets here for distribution. We will be helping with education and sensitization along with the distribution of nets. Also, a generous donor has agreed to match our donations dollar for dollar. Each net costs less than $5, so with the match, $5 can buy 2 nets. Epidemiological studies have suggested that for every 20 bednets used 1 life is saved.
You can donate at http://www.AgainstMalaria.com/maggierudick . Thanks for your help!
The past few days, we've had an All-Volunteer conference where we were able to share project ideas, new PC administration rules, and talk about our experiences thus far as PC volunteers in the Gambia.
One initiative that we, as a whole, are working on is a Malaria Bed-Net Campaign. While I was living in the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, I remember being frustrated at mosquito net distribution efforts because (a) they distributed them in the city, where people have more access to resources and disposible income, (b) they would distribute them with no education, and (c) donors thought that if everyone had a mosquito net, malaria wouldn't exist. This was very frustrating.
Now, I am living in a rural area of West Africa where people cannot afford bednets, they can't even buy them within a 5 hour radius. Although people are aware of malaria and the risks involved to some extent, more education is definetly needed. Medical services are scarce in rural areas and local medicines can only go so far in prevention and treatment of Malaria.
I'm not a big fan of fundraising and asking people for money, but supporting bed net distribution and sensitization is something that you can help with from home. Against Malaria is working with current and past PCVs in The Gambia to, hopefully, bring a whole container of low-cost, insecticide treated nets here for distribution. We will be helping with education and sensitization along with the distribution of nets. Also, a generous donor has agreed to match our donations dollar for dollar. Each net costs less than $5, so with the match, $5 can buy 2 nets. Epidemiological studies have suggested that for every 20 bednets used 1 life is saved.
You can donate at http://www.AgainstMalaria.com/maggierudick . Thanks for your help!
The Beekeeper, The Fisherman, and the PCV
After a long day of Tesito, I walked back to the tree where I rested my bike. I was exhausted, it was the heat of the afternoon, and the only things on my mind were taking a bucket bath and wondering what mystery sauce would be on my rice for lunch. As I was about to take off, I saw Janga, the village beekeeper, and Amadou, one of the fishermen. They were also helping at tesito.
Janga had a flat tire. Frustrating. I decided to stop go over and help him and Amadou fix it. Amadou is really good at fixing things, I had a bike patch kit, and Janga had a pump. Between the three of us, we fixed the flat tire fairly quickly. Without each of us, Janga would have had to walk his bike home. I had to chuckle; things always just seem to work out perfectly, don't they?
We all begin down the path from the rice fields to the village. Maybe a kilometer into the trek, Amadou's chain breaks. Again, the three of us stop and are able to fix it together. We laugh again, and back on the path.
About half way through the 8 km bike ride, I was ahead of Amadou and Janga (mostly because my bicycle has breaks and pedals, unlike most of the men's bikes in my village) and must have hit one too many rocks, and POW...flat tire... Are you kidding me?! I'm hungry, thirsty, dirty, and tired...thankfully, I knew Amadou and Janga were shortly behind me. Amadou makes some sort of comment how the three of us together is just bad luck. I felt very differently. They were able to help me, and we all made it back to village for lunch- 1 hour, a chain link, and 2 bike patches later.
Yeah, I suppose it looks like bad luck- all 3 of us with bike problems; what are the chances of that? But really, I think we had the best luck of all. We were all able to help each other. Without myself, Amadou, and Janga, we would have all been stuck and had to walk home.
You never know when you're going to be in a bind and chances are, there will be someone to help you out. Let's keep this thing going...There are so many things we can do in the states which might inconvenience us SLIGHTLY, but can make someones day- stop and help someone fix their flat tire, help your neighbors carry in their groceries, invite an elderly neighbor over for dinner. The possibilities are endless!
Janga had a flat tire. Frustrating. I decided to stop go over and help him and Amadou fix it. Amadou is really good at fixing things, I had a bike patch kit, and Janga had a pump. Between the three of us, we fixed the flat tire fairly quickly. Without each of us, Janga would have had to walk his bike home. I had to chuckle; things always just seem to work out perfectly, don't they?
We all begin down the path from the rice fields to the village. Maybe a kilometer into the trek, Amadou's chain breaks. Again, the three of us stop and are able to fix it together. We laugh again, and back on the path.
About half way through the 8 km bike ride, I was ahead of Amadou and Janga (mostly because my bicycle has breaks and pedals, unlike most of the men's bikes in my village) and must have hit one too many rocks, and POW...flat tire... Are you kidding me?! I'm hungry, thirsty, dirty, and tired...thankfully, I knew Amadou and Janga were shortly behind me. Amadou makes some sort of comment how the three of us together is just bad luck. I felt very differently. They were able to help me, and we all made it back to village for lunch- 1 hour, a chain link, and 2 bike patches later.
Yeah, I suppose it looks like bad luck- all 3 of us with bike problems; what are the chances of that? But really, I think we had the best luck of all. We were all able to help each other. Without myself, Amadou, and Janga, we would have all been stuck and had to walk home.
You never know when you're going to be in a bind and chances are, there will be someone to help you out. Let's keep this thing going...There are so many things we can do in the states which might inconvenience us SLIGHTLY, but can make someones day- stop and help someone fix their flat tire, help your neighbors carry in their groceries, invite an elderly neighbor over for dinner. The possibilities are endless!
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