Demystification

We have now been in Niger for a full three weeks and I’m thinking about the possibility of calling this country home for the next two years. Last week we had intense language and crosscultural sessions as usual but there was anticipation in the air because this past weekend our entire stage was bussed off to something so eloquently termed as ‘demystification’ or simply ’demyst’. As the name implies, it is an event that served to unveil some of the mysteries as to what being a Peace Corps volunteer is really like.

In groups of two or three, the Peace Corps Trainees (that’s us) were matched up with a current volunteer in the general area of Niamey and we spent a weekend quizzing the current volunteers, getting introduced to Peace Corps gossip and eating the closest things we’ve had to Western food thus far: pasta with tomato sauce and cheese! Well, if truth be told, it was laughing cow cheese which might or might not count as real cheese but it made the sauce the yummiest I’ve had in Niger and I immediately decided that the laughing cow and I would become close friends for the next two years.

I was assigned to demyst with Kate, a very nice girl from New York that’s also in my language class. Together we traveled slightly north of Niamey to the department of Say and a small village called Youri. The village consisted of several small groups of huts dispersed over an area spanning 30 square kilometers. Quite the village! In such a remote place, it shouldn’t be a surprise that our demyster (the current PCV) is in the agriculture sector which involves advocating more efficient farming techniques and the use of improved seeds. She had started a garden of her own and seeing that lead to another realization; I can’t wait to plant my own garden and eat fresh vegetables of my own. Haha. You can laugh if you want to. This is the farm girl speaking who swore that after 14 years on a farm, she’d had enough and never wanted to get her hands dirty again. Well the reward of a more balanced diet and the opportunity to have another hobby to occupy what I’m sure will be very long days, is worth sacrificing long fingernails for. Speaking of fresh vegetables and fruit. I just learned today that there is no word for them in Zarma. Both fruit and vegetables go by a word that literally translates to “little garden things”.

While at demyst I got a first close look at a mayor’s office. As you might now, I am an MCD which means my job will involve going to the mayor’s office for a few hours every day, getting to know and take part in the execution of local affairs such as tax collection, population records and community development projects. I was very excited about this trip and our MCD technical trainers had given us a set of questions to ask the mayor or his staff. We left our demisters hut-group around 9 am and hiked the 30 minutes it took to get to the mayor’s hut-group only to find the building locked up with no one in site; mayor or otherwise. Definitely a testimony to the importance of the Nigerien expression; “Kala Suuru” (Have Patience). A few kids had come to check out what was going on since the excitement of having a white person close by can best be understood if compared to the thrill of the circus coming to town. The kids stared us down for a while and our demister asked if they knew where they mayor was and when he was coming back. In good Nigerien humor. They responded “Now!” which then turned in to
“soon” when 5 minutes later the place was still locked. As Peace Corps had warned us about the differences in how Nigeriens and Americans perceive time, we waited only a total of 15 minutes and then headed back to the demyster’s hut because it was already approaching midday at which the heat becomes nearly unbearable and we had to spend the rest of the day inside in the cool shade. No wonder things happen so slowly in Niger. It’s too hot to do anything during most of the day and without light, no one can work at night!

In addition to getting out of Hamdallaye for a weekend and seeing what a real post is all about, I had the chance to talk to my mom and boyfriend. That made the already terrific weekend perfect. As you probably have gathered from my previous posts; making the adjustment to Niger culture and learning the language spoken is no easy task. To top that off, the only people I’ve been able to communicate with are other volunteers that despite our current bond were strangers a mere month ago. Needless to say I desperately missed being able to share my frustrations and obtain support from people that I know and trust. It felt like a major weight was lifted off my shoulders after speaking to family.

This week has mostly been spent recovering from demyst in addition to the usual sessions. Things are starting to become more interesting though as we become more accustomed to Niger and can take more liberties in what we do. Tomorrow we are doing a safety and security tour of Niamey and after that we can go in to the capital on our own when we have free time. Tomorrow might be the day that I finally get to upload all these blog entries to site and it might also be the day that I finally get my own cellphone!!! Our concession in Hamdallaye is close to the cellphone tower so reception shouldn’t be a problem during PST and I can only hope it won’t be a problem at post.

Time to go eat the infamous korbo korba – a millet mush that is quite far from my favorite ish here but is increasingly becoming eatable.