Bob Marley, clean water, smooth jazz

Greetings lovely people!

It’s officially been wayyy too long since I've written in this thing! It's been a little over a year since I've been living in my village now and thankfully things have been coming together nicely. In the beginning of May, my middle school English club had its first meeting. I was hoping for a club with a fun vibe, far from the strict work environment they feel in the classroom, something that would grab the attention of young teenagers and inspire them to learn English in an interesting way. Since it was the anniversary of Bob Marley's death that following Friday and since they worship him here, we decided to pay tribute. The topic of the day was children's rights and duties, so we ended up jamming to his soulful music while picking apart the lyrics of "Stand Up For Your Rights". I figured it was suitable :)

That following Monday, I had my first meeting with my elementary school girls club! We began by playing fun icebreakers out in the sandy school yard and simply spending the rest of the time talking and getting to know each other.

50 girls showed up! I was thrilled. They were extremely shy at first but I have high hopes they'll eventually open up and feel safe and comfortable to talk about the important issues in their lives. If the club continues on through the summer so they have a positive outlet to look forward to.

A little less than a year ago, World Vision built a beautiful new school for the youngsters at the edge of my town. After visiting and hanging out with the kiddies every chance I could, I realized there is no clean water anywhere nearby for them to drink. It turns out the school pays about 30 bucks for the local caretaker to fetch water from the nearest well every day, which is a good distance away in a private compound. 30 bucks may not seem like a lot, but it is for them. I figured this was an unnecessary expense which could be better spent toward a school garden for the children's meals. With the extra grant money I had left from fixing the middle school well, we went ahead and starting digging at the kindergarten too!

With only a few more meters to go, the children and staff couldn't be more excited and relieved. The mere presence of the new well struck a chord with the school guard and without any hesitation he began building a giant fence for the garden. Since the rains have started regularly in the past two weeks, the garden will be our next focus.

The end of May went out with a bang. My friends and I decided to take a load off and head up north to St. Louis for their famous annual Jazz Festival.

We danced every night, walked along the beaches and sat along the hotel poolside while our ears delighted in the authentic jazz music.

It was four days of mayhem as we navigated our way around the French Colonial style city, flooded with European tourists and fine dining from all over the world.

I can't explain to you how confusingly diverse this country is! In the south you are surrounded by lush mango filled jungles and powerful waterfalls, then you drive a couple hours and you are in the blistering heat of the desolate desert trying to dodge camels crossing your path. Drive a few more hours and you're in the bustling tourist cities of Dakar and St. Louis, way out of the comfort of your quiet peaceful village life existence.