Composting Project

As I have said before, it is a slow start as a first volunteer at a new site working with Small Enterprise Development. There has never been a volunteer in Bambey – which honestly has its perks along with downfalls. People see white skin and think money so ask me for it ALWAYS but there is no one to really compare me to in matters of personality and language skills. Other volunteers can’t go a day without hearing about their “anciens” or predecessor. But this has also been frustrating in terms with work. Agriculture volunteers work with trees and plant things every day, health volunteers work at health centers, teachers at schools, eco-tourism at campements… get the idea? I tell Senegalese that I work with small business and they say: “I have a small business! Work with me!” Yes, you and everyone else have a boutique selling the same thing. Those aren’t the people I want to work with. But as a SED volunteer, I can do just about whatever I want. It has just taken a long time to figure that out and who I want to work with. 10 months and 3 days in country – I found a permanent work partner who will be come my replacement volunteer’s counterpart.

AstouKan is a women’s group president interested in getting a compost project started in Bambey. I gave her a “test” when I went to Kedougou. I printed out over 50 invitations to hand out to the neighborhood. I got back and met with her. All the invites went out and she let a few officials know. I still had to figure everything out with the movie but I was in shock that she did everything I said!

There were a ton of technical problems on Wednesday, the day of our “town meeting”. First, I arranged to have a projector from a doctor at the health center. No problem right? Except that he forgot that he had an all-day seminar Wednesday. Should have been fine but power went out making them run late. So at 4, an hour before my meeting, I went to World Vision, called their director and got him to say it was ok for me to borrow theirs, even though a week prior, they said no. So all set right? Got the room set up at the Mayor’s Office and then the projector wouldn’t cooperate with my computer. Meanwhile, I had a friend at a cyber trying to help and set up speakers, which also weren’t working. So an hour and a half of fooling around with this, the other projector shows up. Now I have 2, but neither work. I called people from World Vision, had just about everyone who knows anything about computers come and look , meanwhile, Senegalese are starting to filter in the room to watch the display of a very stressed out toubab rather than a professional presentation. Finally, at like 7, someone sends for their manager of a microfinance organization to come with his laptop. Of course his works! So we played the movie, without very loud speakers, but at least everyone got the idea. Only 25 people showed up, but that’s just how it goes. People said I need to have live music, or at least a DJ and lots of food in order for people to come. AstouKan was also bummed more people didn’t show but there isn’t a whole lot we can do: except to go door to door in the neighborhood to let everyone know… sweet.

The day after all this, I stopped by AstouKan’s and talked with her about what to do. She said she didn’t want to wait too long until we pick out a site for the compost facility. I mentioned that I will be going on vacation in a month, for a month so (without even asking questions about that) she said Monday is when we will go to the mayor’s office to plan it out. After that, we will sit down and plan a budget. If that meeting goes well, I will write up a demand for money from the Peace Corps Partnership Program. The PCPP is pretty cool. I will fill out paperwork on information about my project, how many people it will benefit and what my goals and objectives are. Whatever money is budgeted, my community will have to provide 25%. PC will put it up on a website and people can check it out and donate money online. Can you do that for me? For the application to be complete, I need 5 names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of individuals, businesses, schools or foundations interested in donating to the project. If you are interested in being a part of this list, please e-mail me at keuhn.kira214@gmail.com and I will thank you forever! I will let you know of this more when I get to that point, but my goal is to have the application complete and turned in before Europe in like 3 weeks. (eeeeeeeeeee!!!)

So as for work, I am much happier knowing a compost project is under way. If I can get a good start to it for my replacement volunteer, he or she will have a much better start that the 10 months it took me to get going. So let’s hope the next few weeks go well: going door-to-door, explaining the project, teaching separation techniques of organic and inorganic trash, budget planning and learning my way around messed up African political systems! Wish me luck!