One Month, already?!

Les Cascades De La Soumba Dubréka

Guinean-style dress

It's been a month since I arrived in Guinea, and while it's been quite the rollercoaster I can definitely say that I've been learning a lot. Guineans are some of the nicest, most welcoming people I've met and the sense of community here is unlike anything I've ever experienced. People here actually make time for one another and intentionally greet one another in the street as a message of "I'm here and I see you", which I find so powerful and something I hope to retain when my service is over. I'm also now starting feel much more integrated into my host family and am slowly feeling more comfortable around everyone. 

Every day I feel more and more "at home".

I recently had my first water pump experience, where I became the subject of Sunday morning gossip as everyone got to watch the weak American girl carry a bidon (water storage container) up the road. I've also learned how to get rain water from the well in our compound to do laundry, which is all done by hand here. In doing all this, I've not only realized how weak I am, but also have gained an admiration for all of the women here who are able to walk effortlessly carrying a bucket of water on their head to provide for their families. I've also been able to see how meals are prepared, and have slowly started helping my family with cooking and hope to be able to be more involved with time. The food here has definitely been part of the adventure of living here, but I've enjoyed being able to try new things, while also being able to find better tasting familiar foods (i.e. avocado and pineapple). I've also been able to buy fabric and get some clothes made here, I got two dresses made for the equivalent of $3!

As for training, my days are 8am-6pm of what basically feels like non-stop teaching. In the mornings I'm an assistant in a French class where I help some of my fellow trainees (or stagiaires) learn French, and in the evenings, after all the sessions are over, I teach our formateurs (trainers) English. It's been a really great experience being able to actually teach people and apply what I know. At the same time, it's challenging to find a balance between training, spending time with my host family, and also giving myself time to relax. Some days are easier than others, but whenever I have a difficult day I try to remember why I had a good day the previous day. I also constantly remind myself to be humble and stay humble because this work isn't about me and it never will be. 

It's also been nice to continue to get to know and spend time with people in my cohort. Recently we all went on a group field trip to the waterfalls here in Dubréka and it was a much needed day of relaxation in a really beautiful setting. It's also been fun to have people come over/stop-by my house, since it's on the way to where a lot of people live, it's been nice to introduce my fellow trainees to my host family almost like a child introducing their friend from school to their parents. 

Overall, I've been really enjoying my time in Guinea thus far and can't wait to see what the future holds!