Video: Several kids from the neighborhood, along with my brothers and sisters, crowded in around me with so much anticipation that I couldn’t even open the box. When I finally was able to light one of the sparklers, they were so amazed it was as if I had actually brought Las Vegas fireworks to Sibanor.
Never in my life have I felt comfortable talking about body functions. But this is Peace Corps. And now, my most frequent topic of conversation is about poop. And since I know you’ve all been wondering, let’s talk about poop.
I finally caved and gave into my lifelong hatred of cats.
The stray neighborhood cat was purring incessantly outside my bedroom window and after hours of sleeplessness, I finally decided to get up and see why it was crying so loudly. It was, after all, my fault the cat was homeless and hungry in the first place.
In late November, I had the opportunity to participate in Student Leadership Trek, a new Peace Corps program in The Gambia. Three teams of six volunteers each taught leadership sessions to Grade 10 students over the course of two days. In total, we were able to reach six schools, biking from one village to the next to deliver our curriculum that focused on goal-writing and teamwork.
My new niece was given my Gambian name, Fatoumata, and my host sister says she will call her “Jessica.”
