Dry season gardening

My women’s group is amazing. They always come to meetings I hold, and actually take action! I have been encouraging gardening since I arrived, and this year I have seen drastic improvements. The shared women’s garden is not only functioning, but the majority of women have also created personal home gardens. Although there is still limited diversity in what they grow, they are using it for meals and selling surplus at the market. Here are some photos of their hard work.

Well at the women's garden

Watering

Trenched mangos! Hoping to graft them this year.

Women's group meeting to collect seed and tree sack orders

Filling up buckets at the hand pump to water the gardens

Home garden

Women's group president's home garden

Personal garden near the women's group garden

Another home garden

Group garden

Kids helping get water to water

Personal garden

Onions

Onions

Tomatoes with support!

Eggplant

Bitter eggplant

House boat

A few of the men in the region decided to get a boat commissioned. I am now a partial owner. We would like to take a longer trip up or down the river, although as of now, we just take it out on the Gambia River to escape to heat of hot season!

Rob's host dad, Weliba, Rob & Ian

Getting the boat down to the water on a donkey cart

BOAT

Sunset

Kedougou Training of Trainers for Tree Nurseries

Working with Trees for the Future and Yaajeende, we had 60 Senegalese from different villages come into Kedougou for a two day training on how to make proper tree nurseries. Ideally, these people will go back to their villages and hold meetings teaching people in their areas how to do them as well. It is a great way to start the AgroForestry work season!

Initial meeting in Salemata to invite people from the area

Training

Filling tree sacks

Lining up the nursery well!

Myself and Antoine Bindia

Myself and Telli Toure, women's group president in Nangar

25th Birthday

My 25th birthday fell right after WAIST this year and Ashleigh and I decided to celebrate by going to Mbour and Warang. I hadn’t been there before and wanted to taste the specialty liqueur that the Belgiums make. It was a really relaxing couple of days with delicious food! Plus, it's a big birthday, quarter of a century! CRAZY.

Blue Africa campement

Making friends on the beach

Warang

Ashleigh in front of Warang

Tasting area

Garden/pond

Happy Birthday to me!

WAIST

My second West African Invitational Softball Tournament was great! While we were on vacation in Guinea, Whitney and I convinced a bunch of Guinean volunteer to come up, and they had a full team! Our region decided to have the theme of “geriatrics,” and all dressed as old people. Although we didn’t win any of our games, it was a great opportunity to see volunteers and socialize. My homestay from last year, although they were out of town, were kind to let Ash and I stay there again. We went bowling, had a talent show, and went to the beach. It was a great time.

Headed out dancing

View from the roof

Ashleigh hanging out on the roof

Hanging out on the roof

Lighthouse

Walk down to the beach

Lighthouse beach

Shade umbrella

Rob making calamari from scratch!

Kaolack, jungle theme

Gou Crew!

Guinea has the runs...

Headed out to the bowling alley

Softballing

Dakar's "gods & goddesses"

Cape Verde

In order to celebrate Carnival (mardi gras), we went to the former Portuguese colony of Cape Verde where there is a strong Carnival culture. I went with two girls from my region, Ashleigh & Katie, and another girl who came into country with me, Whitney (who I also recently traveled with to Guinea). We went for just a week, but were able to see beautiful beaches, eat delicious local food, hike a volcano (the highest peak in the island chain at 2,829m/9,382ft), and celebrate Carnival! It really felt like a (much needed) vacation!

Cape Verde Islads, and where I went.

Fisherman in the capital, Praia

Ashleigh & Katie, lunch on the water

First night out!

Delicious meal

Booking our Fogo adventure with a travel agent that only took cash

Praia

Going out with our friend Faren

Buckets full of pigs

Tarrafall

Beach

Town on our drive to Tarrafall

Hanging out by the water

Sao Filipe

Hiking Mt. Fogo

Local wine made near the volcano. Locally known as Cha, and delicious!

The "end of the world"

Hiking down

Children playing around

Drive down from Mt. Fogo

Post hike

Another night out on the town

Our costumes!

Carnival parade