My last day as a Peace Corps Volunteer: 11/11/2009!
But, I won't be back in America until just before Jesus Christo BDay.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Material Dreams
8/24/09
My host sister Freesia is about 13 years old; age can be an abstract thing here where the day of the week is often more important than the year in which you were born. For the most part, aside from a migration from Ghana to Togo when she was just a wee tot, Freesia hasn’t ever really left the Dankpen prefecture. A prefecture is similar to a county. In fact, she’s never really left my village. So copying her older brother’s trip to the regional capital two years ago, courtesy of my predecessor, I wanted to offer his hard working, slightly timid, younger sister the same opportunity to see the bustling city of Kara, the regional capital. We spent two days in Kara meandering the streets and avoiding kamikaze moto drivers and one day in Guerin-Kouka, the prefectural capital of Dankpen, serving a nice transition back to village life. My purpose for doing this was to have her see for herself and possibly imagine a life and future filled with more than water pumps and mud huts. The tall buildings, the paved roads, the electricity, the running water, relative ease of transportation and access to resources all help to keep her focused on her goals, to know that there is more out there. It’s strange to say it, but they give hope for a brighter future and to avoid catastrophes like HIV/AIDS, early pregnancy and abandoning school. If girls like Freesia can see that their dreams are real, tangible, it makes them more inclined to pursue and realize those dreams.
During our plunge into the urban jungle, I was most excited to witness Freesia’s reactions to various scenarios. It was her first time eating in a restaurant, it was her first time staying in a hotel, it was her first time using a flushing toilet and running water, it was her first time eating Fanmilk (think ice cream) and it was her first time seeing and using a computer. She giggled throughout the Microsoft Word and Paint demonstrations. I don’t think she’s ever eaten so well in her life, meat or protein with every meal. We slept in. We gazed at people, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells of big city life. She remarked at how large everything was: the city, the hospital, the market. She noticed all the women riding around on motorcycles, some even driving cars. Where she comes from, girls are lucky to even own a bike. I gave her some money and made her go into the market to buy presents to bring back to her family, teaching to navigate a market five times the size of her village’s as well as managing the funds to buy gifts for five people. Despite all this, what made me happiest was when we finally returned home. Amidst the signature belly laughs of her mother, Kossia, and squeals from her cousin, Hannah, I heard her recounting all of her experiences to her family. Freesia is not the most expressive person at times, but the perma-grin told me a lot. I was and am just happy I could do something like this for her and I am guessing she is too.
My host sister Freesia is about 13 years old; age can be an abstract thing here where the day of the week is often more important than the year in which you were born. For the most part, aside from a migration from Ghana to Togo when she was just a wee tot, Freesia hasn’t ever really left the Dankpen prefecture. A prefecture is similar to a county. In fact, she’s never really left my village. So copying her older brother’s trip to the regional capital two years ago, courtesy of my predecessor, I wanted to offer his hard working, slightly timid, younger sister the same opportunity to see the bustling city of Kara, the regional capital. We spent two days in Kara meandering the streets and avoiding kamikaze moto drivers and one day in Guerin-Kouka, the prefectural capital of Dankpen, serving a nice transition back to village life. My purpose for doing this was to have her see for herself and possibly imagine a life and future filled with more than water pumps and mud huts. The tall buildings, the paved roads, the electricity, the running water, relative ease of transportation and access to resources all help to keep her focused on her goals, to know that there is more out there. It’s strange to say it, but they give hope for a brighter future and to avoid catastrophes like HIV/AIDS, early pregnancy and abandoning school. If girls like Freesia can see that their dreams are real, tangible, it makes them more inclined to pursue and realize those dreams.
During our plunge into the urban jungle, I was most excited to witness Freesia’s reactions to various scenarios. It was her first time eating in a restaurant, it was her first time staying in a hotel, it was her first time using a flushing toilet and running water, it was her first time eating Fanmilk (think ice cream) and it was her first time seeing and using a computer. She giggled throughout the Microsoft Word and Paint demonstrations. I don’t think she’s ever eaten so well in her life, meat or protein with every meal. We slept in. We gazed at people, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells of big city life. She remarked at how large everything was: the city, the hospital, the market. She noticed all the women riding around on motorcycles, some even driving cars. Where she comes from, girls are lucky to even own a bike. I gave her some money and made her go into the market to buy presents to bring back to her family, teaching to navigate a market five times the size of her village’s as well as managing the funds to buy gifts for five people. Despite all this, what made me happiest was when we finally returned home. Amidst the signature belly laughs of her mother, Kossia, and squeals from her cousin, Hannah, I heard her recounting all of her experiences to her family. Freesia is not the most expressive person at times, but the perma-grin told me a lot. I was and am just happy I could do something like this for her and I am guessing she is too.
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