Malaria, Gardens, Mangos!

Hey friends!

This post is long overdue, my apologies! The month of February was full of health/sanitation and garden related trainings and seminars. I’m prepared to give you so much new and exciting information on malaria, gardening tips, neem lotion, and community lead total sanitation methods! To start out, the anti-malaria initiative is in full swing battling evil mosquito season which is back full force as well. So far 10 out of 14 regions in Senegal have been universally covered with bed nets, meaning every sleeping space should have a net in those regions. This is great in theory, but it’s likely that only 50% of villagers actually use their nets. Other anti-malaria methods in practice are residual indoor insecticide spraying, rapid diagnostic tests and malaria prevention medicines supplied by the government to all health posts.

On top of all that, us sweet little volunteers are trying our best to promote the use of neem lotion in our villages. We're planning a neem tourney in the Kolda region, going to each big market in the area for a week long stint. I recently did a demo at the hospital on how to make the lotion.

local woman volunteering to help stir the lotion mixture

It went pretty well and people were excited to receive little gift baggies of the cream after the show. The goal is to get people talking about it and eventually to get people buying and selling it locally.

At our conference in January, we were given 12 beautiful vibrant flashcards designed to quiz people on their knowledge of malaria and how to properly use their bed nets.

local family showing off their bed net knowledge!

One of the health workers at my hospital, Carlos, has been very enthusiastic about this pilot project and has been helping me sensitize villagers while recording information and observations along the way. Thank you Carlos! You are so very helpful.

Also in February I attended a five day CLTS training, Community Lead Total Sanitaition. The goal of CLTS is to get the community to contribute and take responsibility for their own lifestyles and choices by promising to end open air defecation and to lead themselves in a total sanitation effort.

Our volnteer group and village leaders

There has been more emphasis towards clean water access rates in urban settings but now they are working toward a goal for rural setting with help from volunteers. Two out of the five days we spent venturing out to two different volunteer villages to see the process first hand. 

Hanging with my Tamba friends about ready to start the session

We had the locals show us around and draw a map in the sand of their community space. Then eventually we asked them to point out where they go to the bathroom. This seems like a strange and blunt question when you’re just meeting someone, and it was, but the point was shock value and shame in order for them to openly admit that they open air defecate and so does everyone they know.

Drawing the community map in the sand

After a few simple and graphic demonstrations showing how germs transfer from your poop to a fly to your food, the connection was made between their rapid, unnecessary sicknesses and their habitual restroom routines. Afterward they promised they would join together in solidarity to use their resources and begin digging toilets. Here's some pretty perfect reactions of disgust after our demonstrations.

Afterward, we talk to them about the importance of hand washing with soap, filtering water to drink, as well as anything and everything sanitation related. There’s a lot of work to do in these areas and with behavior change like this, sometimes it can be the most difficult. I’ll be working alongside of my health committee to go around to nearby villages using the CLTS approach soon enough!

The village celebrating, happy to commit to ending OAD! Success!

The Peace Corps Agroforestry genius, Youssafa, came to my village and held a little garden training at my school the other day! This wasn’t quite as shocking as observing where people poop, but it was still fun. He taught people how to double dig a garden bed, how to make natural pesticides using local ingredients, how to crop using companion planting, and how to make a pepinere.

The people that came were very enthused and engaged which was a great sign. Also great news!! Finally I have my school well project underway. It took a while to search, but we have a good well digger now! He’s starting the digging this week. When I first arrived here, the lack of water sent my school garden project straight to hell which was somewhat disappointing and discouraging, but I’m not giving up! Soon enough both schools will have a nice well followed by the installation of a nice water pump followed by flourishing gardens! 10 million times easier and more practical! Yayy clean and easy water for everyone!

Even more amazing news...mango season is officially here. Watch out. They’re ripe and falling from the sky!

There’s this hilarious and somewhat intense game the children play which has been the object of my amusement for the past couple weeks. When they hear a mango hit the ground from the tree, whoever can get up and run to it first gets to eat it. They’ll literally drop whatever they’re doing and sprint like their lives depends on it. I even saw my host sister get tackled to the ground the other day. It can get ugly. But who wouldn’t go to extremes for a perfectly ripe unbelievably juicy fresh off the branch mango? With my own private tree in the backyard, I don’t have to run. :) sorry kids!

There's this one damn mango that hangs right in the middle of the entryway to my shower area. I hit my head on it almost everyday. Cannot wait until its ripe!