Wait... what?!

Upon installment at site, Peace Corps generally introduces each volunteer to city officials, including police and government. If you don't remember what my installment was like, check back to November 2007, but it was unlike any other PCV. I didn't meet anyone in particular. But I found out later that we actually didn't have a mayor because President Wade kicked him out, probably because he was being corrupt someway or another. So when a mayor was elected in March 2009, I wanted to meet her, this Aida Mbodj, official mayor of Bambey, at last. She was quite talked about since most of Wade's party lost elections all over Senegal except a handfull - Aida is one on his team. Good or bad? Not sure.. She has been really active her first few weeks - cleaning up and has some good ideas to help the population, but of course I hear that from her supporters. So anyways, I waited until this week to arrange a meeting - and what an interesting meeting it was!

I went to the mayor's office Monday, but was unsuccessful. I came back on Friday, and she was still out of the office, but I was told she would be in Saturday so I should come back around 10 and find her then. So I did, and she was in a meeting, duh! Would she just be waiting for me?! Of course not, she doesn't even know I want to meet her. So I went home and came back around 11 and attracted the attention of her brother, Bira. He approached me and was wondering what I was doing and who I was, why I was this white girl greeting everyone in front of the mayor's office. I introduced myself and explained a bit that I just want to meet with Aida and talk to her about my projects in Bambey, that is, if she has time. As she has been quite active in Bambey with neighborhood clean-ups, I explained to Bira my compost project. Well, this sure got his interest and so he said I can meet her at her house at 6. But I wouldn't be allowed in, I should just wait by the door since she will be coming home from a different place at 6. Sweet! Sketchy... but sure!

So since I'm so integrated, obviously I didn't show up at 6, but rather called Bira at 6:45. He didn't answer but texted me that he'd call me right back. From here it just gets wierder! 5 minutes later he said I should go to the house and wait outside under a tree: she's coming. Okay! But then around 7:30 he calls me again. "Are you there? Waiting?"
Yes, Bira, is she still coming home?
"Yes, wait there"
So obviously he got off the phone with me and called the guard, since he then came up to me and was like, "Bira called and asked if there was a toubab waiting out here. Are you waiting to see Aida?"
Yes
"Okay, I'm supposed to let you inside"
Great! So he get's me a plastic chair and sits me in the courtyard to wait. By this time, its getting dark. But then the most beautiful SUV pulls in. (I know I've been here a while but this is nicer than any car my parents have owned!) The driver tells me to get in. Wierd, where is he taking me? --- okay! He takes me to the other house Aida was at, about a 3 minute drive away. He walks me into the house and Aida is waiting:
"Ouria Mara! How are you? Come sit!"
Aida was in a room with 5 other men but only 2 were introduced as her assistant mayor and a neighborhood rep. I explained that I've been here like a year and a half and then she asked me about my compost project. I explained that we've been collecting since December with about 10 houses and have a donkey cart driver and we manage it with a women's group. Then she said how she wants to contact my partner in Dakar that sells the garbage cans and ask how many she can buy. She said she wants me to meet with all the women's groups of Bambey and teach them this project. We can get together next week to talk more specifically about this and for her to get contact info from the Dakar partner, but less than 10 minutes after the greetings, I was walking out of the house saying : WAIT, WHAT JUST HAPPENED!!???!

Bambey has over 60 registered women's groups.
I have 5 months left of service, but enough planned that I probably won't be a site more than 2 1/2 months before COSing.
Aida wants me to teach 25,000 people how to separate and compost their trash. Hmmmmm

And this story only gets better: Today, I went to see Djebaye, my charet driver to ask when we are going to go door to door to get more people's down payment on their garbage cans to put in another order. During this meeting, Astou Kan, the women's group pres walks up, furious. They had a huge, yelling fight and after 20 minutes, it was decided to completely stop the project. We are no longer collecting compost since Djebaye wasn't really doing his job of collecting like he said he was. I didn't know how bad it really was until Astou Kan brought me to her house and showed me.

So how are we suppose to make a project work for the entire city if we can't convince a donkey cart driver to collect at 10 houses consistantly?