A New Sun

Well, it’s official, we’re Peace Corps Volunteers.

On December 8, 2017, Peace Corps Senegal swore in 51 new volunteers in the Agriculture and Agroforestry sectors. Local NGOs, work partners, and officials gathered in Dakar to participate in our transition from Trainees to PCVs. It was a morning of celebrating achievement, supportive words, and… bus trouble.

After swear-in, snacks, sodas and endless photos, it was time for the rubber to hit the road. Bright and early on the 9th, we loaded our belongings into a car and began the trek to our permanent site.

In the regional capital we met up with Demba, our Cultural Integration Facilitator (CIF). Demba was chosen by our host community and previous volunteer to be our liaison in village. During training, he attended a conference with us to discuss issues related to volunteers’ successful integration. As our CIF, an unpaid position, Demba’s role is to introduce us to our family, the community, village chiefs and local officials. He is our culture coach, mentoring us as issues arise and helping us navigate daily village life. He has gone well beyond the call of duty for us in this transition period and continues to be our number one ally at site.

Upon arrival in site, before we even saw our home, Demba arranged a community meeting for us to meet key community figures. Over the next week, most mornings were spent with our host family, and most afternoons with Demba, systematically greeting every house in town. Later, he accompanied us to meet local governmental officials. He and his family continue to welcome us by inviting us to their home to study, practice language and relax. Demba takes time out of his work schedule during the week to teach us Pulaar and answer questions.

Right now our “work” is primarily focused on getting to know our community.

Most of our days are occupied by greetings in the community, work in our personal garden, and language study. Children of all ages shuffle in and out of our compound, interested in our books, projects, and candy. We visit neighbors, village chiefs (of which we have 4, each representing a different part of town or ethnic group), shopkeepers, farmers and gardeners. During the week we spend time at the nearby Master Farm, a demonstration farm and garden initiated by Peace Corps and managed by a local, respected farmer. We also take excursions to neighboring villages and towns to better familiarize ourselves with the area and explore potential opportunities for work projects and partners.

No two days are the same. We try to stay faithful to a weekly routine in order to not become complacent with different aspects of integration. Even so, our American ambition for productivity, scheduling and punctuality is often thwarted by the unpredictability of village life.

Often, we experience growing pains as we adjust to cultural differences such as expectations for interacting with people and the concept of time. We make mistakes; language blunders, missteps in the community, and cultural faux pas. However, each day begins with a new sun. Astronomically speaking there are some holes in that logic, but each day we try again, learn more, and grow together.

We are now one month into our 24-month service in Africa. While the days are sometimes long, the month has flown by. We are excited for all that lies ahead.