Well, training is officially halfway over, and a fast month
it has been. It’s been up and down, but I must say that I am learning a great
deal, being stretched and challenged, yet supported and encouraged.
My home here is part of a row house. I have 2 rooms and a
private backyard and pit latrine for bucket baths under the stars- my favorite.
I have three little host sisters and one host brother, Mustafa, who is six
years old and has the world’s most endearingly mischievous giggle.
My first day in village was my naming ceremony. My host mom
lent me an African complet to wear with headwrap and earnings and took me to
the village alkalo. The other trainees in village were there with their
families. My name for the next two years is Yamundow and my toma, or namesake,
is my little sister. After we received our names, the village alkalo gave a
speech, welcoming us into th
e community, and saying that we were all one. Then there was a great deal of dancing. In the afternoon, there was a cultural show with more drumming, dancing, and traditional performers who danced and breathed fire.
e community, and saying that we were all one. Then there was a great deal of dancing. In the afternoon, there was a cultural show with more drumming, dancing, and traditional performers who danced and breathed fire.
Every day I study Wolof with my Language and Cultural
Facilitator (LCF) with two other Peace Corps Trainees. I enjoy this a great deal
and find it’s easier than expected, though slow. Here they say, “Ndanka, Ndanka
mooy jappa golo ci nay bi,” which translates to “slowly, slowly, catches a
monkey in the bush.” In essence, be patient, work hard, and it will come.
Training has also been full of technical how to live in The
Gambia things, including bicycle maintenance, gardening, the beliefs of Islam,
and what it means to be in the education system here. We just completed a week
of model school in which we had the opportunity to teach Gambian 5th
and 6th grade students. It’s a fascinating challenge here with
education. The official language of the country is English so school is in
English. In one classroom, you can have students that speak Mandinka, Wolof,
Pular, Serehule, and Jola and a teacher who speaks Manjogo. Learning to read,
hard enough already, is further complicated by the fact that these languages
are not written languages. There is little print in the environment, and very
few adults speak the English the children are receiving instruction in. The
children essentially have no exposure to literacy. My job is to work with early
grade teachers and develop skills particularly in literacy and general support
for other subjects. I will be observing teaching, giving feedback, working with
teachers to develop more interactive teaching methods, and co-planning and
co-teaching with my counterparts. It feels like a pretty tall order, and I need
to learn more about teaching English as a foreign language. Come September I
will move to my permanent site and will have a better idea of what my school
will need.
One month down, 25 months to go!
