After 10 weeks of language, rice, host families, and getting muddy with hands-on learning, I'm happy to say that 24 trainees were sworn in as Volunteers at the Ambassador's house in Tana today. We (me and two other volunteers, plus a staff member) fly north tomorrow to buy house supplies and move in. I just checked the weather--a relatively cool 89 degrees in Sambava, but it feels like 104(!). Keeping in mind that it's fall going into winter here south of the equator!
In response to an email question, some of the projects we've been working on in the past two months in addition to language and cultural training and the obligatory bureaucracy: building fuel-efficient cookstoves, building "hotboxes" to conserve firewood, intensive rice planting (aka SRI), the reforestation process, building compost piles and other soil improvement, some animal husbandry, and some erosion control. We have In-Service Training in 3 months, where we can work on more site-specific project information.
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Rowan,
ReplyDeleteI've been following your Blog from here in Grand Rapids. We've had 80 degree days and a forecast of possible snow this weekend. Today is Cinco de Mayo.
I tried sending you a text, too, but I don't think that it works and it probably uses up your cell phone time. I may not have had the exact correct number either.
Keep us up to date on what life in the North is like.
Mike McGuire
So what's your site like?
ReplyDeletemike