My future site: Mampatim

TODAY WAS LIKE CHRISTMAS! All of us have been eagerly awaiting the news: the day we would be told about our homes for the next two years and all about the villagers we'll be helping! It was exciting the way the staff did it. Theres a map of Senegal painted on the basketball court here at the center. They blindfolded us and individually led us out to stand on the court where our villages would be!

 On 3, we all took our blindfolds off revealing our perminant locations and the volunteer friends we'll be seeing everyday!

Mampatim!!!!!!!!!!!! my new village in May!! woooo! I had a fairly good idea I'd be in the Kolda region since that's about the only area that speaks Fulakunda, but it was still exciting to learn about my specific village! Turns out its pretty large, about 3,080 people! If you can't find it on the map, its cool. I'll try my best to describe it! Since Senegal is kinda shaped like a pacman that's facing with its mouth to the east (its mouth being the Gambia river).

 I'll be south central of the Gambia. Mampatim is right off the main paved road (the red dot) that goes between the city of Kolda to Velingara.

 I'm the first volunteer the village has ever had, so I sure will have my hands full! My new host dad is the chief of the Mampatim, which will give me some legit props and security :) I'll have my own hut with grass roofing and a cement floor, including my own fenced off backyard for private bathroom and shower activites! I'll be visiting the village on Tuesday with my host volunteer Dave who lives 15K west of me in Dabo. There's about 8 other incredible volunteers relatively close, but my friend Cybal will be the closest, only 6K away!

Crazy thing is I'll now be 12 hours south of Thies. Whew! Long car ride to the center! Regardless, Kolda is supposedly lush and green and tropical and full of monkeys and mangos and bananas and waterfalls! Hells yeah!

Gots to pack up for the Mbour village stay again tomorrow. I'll be back to the center on Sunday! Love you!!