tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15745221332921911782024-03-19T04:24:01.430-05:00mussings of madnessJournal of a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Grenada, RPCV Senegal, West Africa focusing in beekeeping and cultureM.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-17513821984780396472016-05-27T11:04:00.000-05:002016-05-27T11:04:11.437-05:00Bye Grenada & Hello again Minnesota<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sadly I have not updated the posts here as I hoped I would have. I've been home now for 6 weeks and will try to do better of updating here and on another blog I will be writing on for my new position, which I will also write about.<br />
<br />
Below was written my last week of service while still in Grenada.<br />
<br />
__________________________________________________<br />
<br />
My year in Grenada is finishing up this week I am finishing projects, saying good byes, and packing up. I do not think this is the end of Grenada for me. I really enjoyed this island. And heard or was told that in the lower Caribbean, it truly is one of the friendliest and nicest island.<br />
<br />
In this past year I was able to:<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Meet with 50 established beekeepers and 30 people interested in
beekeeping, assessed their knowledge and resources to understand
feasibility of needed trainings, equipment and appropriate technologies.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Documented known 86 beekeepers and kept a contact list of 31 interested
people for the Association and others use.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Offered assistance to all and worked one-on-one with 16
beekeepers trouble shooting problems, learning and sharing best practices
and using appropriate technology and techniques for the limitations of the
island. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Monitored and evaluated skills and advancement over the course
of working with each of the beekeepers.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Supported the Ministry of Agriculture extension agent with
visiting beekeepers to assist them in their ventures. Knowledge and
expertise was shared in terms of exporting, value chains in Grenada and
importing of goods beekeepers would need. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Created and implemented course curriculum specific to the
island of Grenada: Introduction to Successful Beekeeping: What you need to
get started and Bee Pests, Disease & Integrated Pest Management:
Understanding and Identification. Training 25 people over all these 2
courses given multiple times and locations to make it more available.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Created, managed and communicated through Facebook page, Gmail
and WhatsApp application to keep beekeepers, interested people and public
aware of events, classes and information. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Through further research and fieldworks, capturing of information
from beekeepers and other people on the island Ms. Wannarka correlated,
designed and wrote 160-page electronic book “Honey Bee Plants in Grenada,
Eastern Caribbean: Nectar, Pollen,
and Propolis source plants” to assist beekeepers, interested people,
farmers and others conserve and increase bee plant fodder and knowledge on
the island. The book was sent via email, WhatsApp and the Facebook page to
beekeepers, interested people and other contacts made through the past
year.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;">Attending monthly was able to
attend the St. George’s University Bee College in May 2015 and there met 14
other beekeepers from the Caribbean and Florida University that she kept in
touch with and shared information with.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;">Assisting Belmont Estate, an Agro-tourism
historic plantation. Specifically helping with their Goat Dairy project one day
a week with communication from a U.S. based manager to the Belmont estate
office handling the payroll, encourage staff and oversee overall process. This
allowed Ms. Wannarka to see and understand the financial and payroll process of
a business on the island. Working with the staff of the Goat Dairy Project and
Belmont estate was a pleasure.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;">Liaisoned with other organizations on the island to share her
expertise and knowledge with. Grand Bras Estate is a historic 100-acre farm
that employs 20 people for year around vegetable production. Through discussion
using bees for pollination was found to be possible and helpful to improve the
vegetable crop in a few fields on a trial basis.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Attended
community meetings such as GRENED, Grenada Education and Development Programme;
SADO, St. Andrew’s Development Organization and Grenada Creole Society Meeting
and Lecture in Concord, St. John’s. Ms Wannarka also participated in a panel
for STEM Opportunities in the Peace Corps Webinar for Western Pennsylvania to
share Peace Corps and Response experience</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">There is no comparing this service to my last in Senegal, West Africa. There are many cultural similarities, but everything else now looking back at it with a month+ perspective is good. </span></div>
</div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-73534935876851485042016-02-18T10:09:00.000-06:002016-02-18T10:13:46.631-06:00Making of a region specific bee fodder plant list<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Isn't that a mouthful?! And is what I've been doing for the last 3 months specifically for Grenada. I've been gathering for most of the year, finding little gems (like actual island specific plant books-which are very hard to come by on the island due to all the libraries being closed after hurricane Ivan due to damage and $$). And talking to many beekeepers to get their knowledge on paper. I'm sure I'll still miss a few plants but this is a good start.<br />
<br />
While doing parts of a very tedious, monotonous job I listen to podcasts. <a href="http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/12/28/derek-sivers-reloaded-on-success-habits-and-billionaires-with-perfect-abs/">One specifically</a> (Min 16) with <a href="https://sivers.org/">Derek Sivers</a>, reminds us to "document the process" not only for ourselves but for others to be see how the "how the sausage gets made" <br />
<br />
So without a due...here's what I've done to create a bee fodder plant list in Grenada:<br />
<br />
My time in Senegal I was able to stumble upon <i>Plants for Arid Lands</i> which happened to have a list of <i>Bees and Honey in the Exploitation of Arid Land Resources</i>, written by of course well known honey bee researcher Eva Crane.<br />
<br />
Also the<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-VCEF_d6lCkOFNYYkxEdUw4STg/edit"> Senegal Peace Corps Agroforesty Manual</a> also had a list of trees listed as bee fodder, not all of them are "true" but also no one could tell me where the information had come from even though the author was still on staff. And <i>Trees and Shrubs of the Sahel</i> is a awesome book for the West Africa region in general.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uk086lh1vPU/VsNGvNwj2OI/AAAAAAAAC4U/GdDPDdtmYTE/s1600/Trees%2Bof%2Bsahel%2Bfrench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uk086lh1vPU/VsNGvNwj2OI/AAAAAAAAC4U/GdDPDdtmYTE/s400/Trees%2Bof%2Bsahel%2Bfrench.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trees and Shrubs of the Sahel, luckily the copy I found was in English not French</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So between these two lists I combined them and started adding the local names I knew in Wolof, the local language I had learned and worked in. Senegal has 36 languages (per Wikipedia) but Peace Corps Senegal trains volunteers in one of 9 languages (Wolof, Sereer, Mandinka, Malinke/Jaxanke Fulakunda, Pular, Pulla Fuuta, Pular du Nord,French, Bambara)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rE2LOGfnCzI/VsNExWSiJ3I/AAAAAAAAC4E/7Sdi-YoAl4U/s1600/Senegal%2BHoney%2B%2B.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rE2LOGfnCzI/VsNExWSiJ3I/AAAAAAAAC4E/7Sdi-YoAl4U/s400/Senegal%2BHoney%2B%2B.jpg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senegal Honey Bee Fodder List</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This list is currently 171 species using only 4 references (see below). Luckily I had great agriculture volunteers with wonderful language ability to help fill in some of the names as much as they knew. Sadly though this list has never been used for more than personal use. The idea was to create a simple identification booklet for beekeepers to learn terms and identify plants. Similar to this below<br />
<div style="margin-left: 24pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wndq-9jkpg0/VsNGqZLdHPI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/ocpCRth6zh8/s1600/Bee%2BVocab%2Bbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wndq-9jkpg0/VsNGqZLdHPI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/ocpCRth6zh8/s400/Bee%2BVocab%2Bbook.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Booklet from Mali to teach French vocabulary to beekeepers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-left: 24pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
References:</div>
<div style="margin-left: 24pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
Crane, E. (1985). Plants for Arid Lands. In <i>Bees and Honey in the Exploitation of Arid Land Resources</i>. International Bee Research Association.</div>
<div style="margin-left: 24pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
Sidibe, D., Djitte, C., Constant, A., & Blass, C. (2012). <i>Peace Corps Senegal Agroforestry Manual</i> (Second.). Theis, Senegal: Peace Corps.</div>
<div style="margin-left: 24pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
Traucht, M. (2009). <i>Working with Bees in The Gambia</i>. The Gambia.</div>
<div style="margin-left: 24pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
Von Maydell, H.-J. J. (1990). <i>Trees and Shrubs of the Sahel</i>. Weikersheim: Margraf.</div>
<div dir="rtl" style="margin-right: 24pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -24pt;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
After I came home November of 2014 after my Peace Corps service was finished I kept looking for honey bee fodder lists. Not all lists would be pertinent as there are multiple breeds of honey bees and they are location specific. For example, African bees that were in Senegal, can not survive in my native Minnesota due to the cold, but also African bees are 10% smaller than Apis mellifera we have in northern climates, therefore some of the plant fodder might be different too.</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 24pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LGaLIDxE534/VsNJbe_uqtI/AAAAAAAAC4w/eT7w2S4N-uc/s1600/Apis%2Bdistribution%2Bmap%2Bapimonda%2Bbees%2Btwitter%2Bsept%2B17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LGaLIDxE534/VsNJbe_uqtI/AAAAAAAAC4w/eT7w2S4N-uc/s400/Apis%2Bdistribution%2Bmap%2Bapimonda%2Bbees%2Btwitter%2Bsept%2B17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="ProfileHeaderCard-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">
Apis distribution map via Apimonda (@apimondiabees)</div>
twitter September 17, 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So each list needs to be looked at from a location and Apis breed to see if a world bee fodder list can be made, which from what I can find has not been made, documented, updated, or put online. Which with all the technology we have there are many applications for this information. <br />
<br />
Currently I have 49 literature reference sources for nectar, honey dew, pollen and propalis sources that I have started a new list specifically for Apis mellifera (honey bee) with around 2800 plants. Now what to do with the list.<br />
<br />
Spring of 2015 I traveled to Grenada to work with beekeepers and kept my eyes open for any references specific to Grenada/Caribbean that I could find on bee fodder as well as what the beekeepers could tell me of plants. Many names are in local common names, not Latin/scienctific names. Also what do I do with all this data which is plant nomenclature, which changes over time. So my list might have duplicates due to name changes from having references sources from 1945 to present day.<br />
<br />
Again I was luckily to stumble upon <a href="http://entsoc.org/entomology2015">Entomological Society of America</a>'s 2015 conference that did a wonderful job of putting all of the sessions online. At the beginning of the conference <a href="http://ecnweb.org/">Entomological Collections Network</a> presented for the first day. The stress was putting your data sets online so they can be found, used and added by others. I contacted a presenter for more information, but since it was entomology not plant based it only pushed me to do more research.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J8lSUlGjqEY/VsNQ4GbvmqI/AAAAAAAAC5U/cfQ6IfCcE6U/s1600/Encyclopedia%2Bof%2BLife%2BScreen%2Bshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J8lSUlGjqEY/VsNQ4GbvmqI/AAAAAAAAC5U/cfQ6IfCcE6U/s400/Encyclopedia%2Bof%2BLife%2BScreen%2Bshot.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Encyclopedia of Life website screenshot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Somehow I had a link from <a href="http://eol.org/">Encyclopedia of Life</a>, I believe was from a conversation from the <a href="http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honeybee/extension/caribbean_bee_college.shtml">Bee College from May of 2015</a> when it was mentioned. Luckily I looked around and figured out that the website not only has common names in multiple languages the entire site is very easy to use with information pulled from various sites, integrating information. <br />
<div style="margin-left: 24pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rz4-SjdmIeA/VsNL1EEEY-I/AAAAAAAAC5A/Npyju5gxclc/s1600/Insta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rz4-SjdmIeA/VsNL1EEEY-I/AAAAAAAAC5A/Npyju5gxclc/s320/Insta.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day in my life updating "the list" follow me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mayhemmadness5/">@mayhemmadness5</a> Instagram</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-right: 24pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -24pt;">
<div dir="rtl">
Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is very handy to make ever changing plant lists in and also check the most correct name. Currently I'm almost through the 2800 plants I have in my list with updating the taxonomy. Next I'll cross reference my list with the 4 books I have been able to find on the island with Grenada flora to see how many actual bee plants are here.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QWVqsmEbExo/VsXtExVwMcI/AAAAAAAAC50/JGNn740OoEY/s1600/IMG_3118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QWVqsmEbExo/VsXtExVwMcI/AAAAAAAAC50/JGNn740OoEY/s320/IMG_3118.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I would do without books but these specifically have been wonderful!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Once I have my short list of plants, I'll design a small pamphlet to be used by beekeepers, farmers, and other interested people to identify bee plants but also to encourage preservation, conservation and plant more of them through out the island. </div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 24pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
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M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-8714629438519241692015-11-26T14:10:00.001-06:002015-11-26T14:10:39.290-06:00Grenada: Work & Life on the island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Working anyplace new is intimidating, interesting, integrating and always makes for good story. Grenada is no different. The island life is a good one, relaxed, always close to a beach and a drink of choice. That is unless you have work to do. Beach and drinks aren't much of a distraction, 'liming' or hanging out happens all the time so there isn't a prescribed time to do so, so it happens all the time. Making those who do it all the time looked down upon by those who don't and 'work' (which I'll discuss later)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7sIevEMa1Xk/Vldh8yjDucI/AAAAAAAAC0o/opTPokR9dOE/s1600/IMG_2378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7sIevEMa1Xk/Vldh8yjDucI/AAAAAAAAC0o/opTPokR9dOE/s320/IMG_2378.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflecting sun on Grand Anse beach in St. George's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
People here on the island are great. If you walk by and don't want to be bothered they inherently know it and will leave you alone, most of the time. If you greet people as you walk by, as you should in most countries I have lived, they will greet you back politely, sometimes even ask 'how is your day?' If someone calls to you here, and it's other than your name or a proper title. Proper being Miss, Mam, Lady, etc versus improper; babe, baby, honey, sexy. You can simply raise your hand, open palm at them to acknowledge their presence and they will stop. Most of the time. This simple acknowledgement is quite amazing, like a secret power that you may not notice unless someone tells you it and then you see how it works.<br />
<br />
Same happens in the public transport, which are passenger vans that hold typically 18 people but can squeeze in 22. This sounds awful, but the most time spent in a bus is maybe an hour, with windows open (no spirits to make you sick here thankfully) and on curvy roads with slick seats the cramming of people make it impossible to move actually making the ride MORE comfortable. I found the same in Senegal, when wedged between two people you can sleep, relax and forget where you are.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dZovePpGEmc/Vldi9J_AUrI/AAAAAAAAC0w/mpgLJx-Wvbo/s1600/IMG_1418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dZovePpGEmc/Vldi9J_AUrI/AAAAAAAAC0w/mpgLJx-Wvbo/s320/IMG_1418.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buses and traffic on Market Hill road in St. George's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Conversation is optional again on the bus. You should greet the bus upon getting in and typically if you talk about anything else people may ask you more questions or converse depending their mood or personality. When you put in to the exchange they give back, but if you don't neither will they. It's quite interesting.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m9D00T2uJYQ/VldlI8rx32I/AAAAAAAAC08/2LGTSKWXNag/s1600/IMG_2372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m9D00T2uJYQ/VldlI8rx32I/AAAAAAAAC08/2LGTSKWXNag/s320/IMG_2372.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurry view of the fish market in Grenville</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Work culture is even more complex. There are good jobs and not good jobs, there is also almost 50% unemployment, so you would think any job is a good job. Not the case. There seems to be a feeling of entitlement that people need a 'good' job, if they are capable of the job. Agriculture makes up most of the economy and you see plenty of vegetables, crops and fruits in the market, and I see farmers and know many of them for my work, but the labor force doesn't seem to be proportional.<br />
<br />
In Senegal, being subsistence farmer, everyone, man, women, children worked the land. In Grenada, you would think that this would be the easier work to have with the largest payout but yet people have a small garden or plot, but I hardly see it as an 'everyone' can do this approach. I hate to think what Grenada will be like if this continues as the people I do see working the land are older (40+).<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
I find the island to be very tolerating of other people, their ideas, religions, and customs. There are probably at least 8 religions on the island even though it's predominately catholic. I've also heard of many other Caribbean people on the island along with Indians, Syrians, Germans, Brits, Belgians, and of course Americans. There are mixing of these groups at various times, but there are definitely segmentation of each group as well in the larger culture.<br />
<br />
I very much enjoy this place, people and atmosphere, but there are definite underlying inter-personal and larger political issues at play here that makes this place difficult to get much done. I know I say this after posting what I have been able to do after 6-months, but I can easily see more that could be done or accomplished in the same amount of time if a few more things were in place.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Some people hate change. They don't hate you. If you get confused
about that, it's going to be difficult to make (needed, positive,
important) change in the future." </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Seth Godin Blog November 4,
2015</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Futurist Cecily Sommers writes "[t]he four forces of change are resources, technology, demographic and governance." in <i>Think Like a Futurist. </i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 24pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
Sommers, C. (2012). <i>Think Like a Futurist: Know What Changes, What Doesn’t, and What's Next</i>. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-79421773065549646602015-11-10T21:07:00.001-06:002015-11-10T21:07:15.486-06:00Grenada: Six Month Work Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<![endif]-->Monthly reports are part of most Response volunteer's life. Luckily I do not have to do the Peace Corps reporting that is now computerized matrix to input numbers based on objectives. Lots of monitoring and reporting. It's great to understand whats going on, but it's really difficult to understand what is really happening on the ground through those numbers. I understand needing the quantifying of our very undefinable jobs as Peace Corps volunteers. Here on Grenada, the 27-month volunteers have very specific roles as Teaching Assistants for primary schools for reading development skills.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eei1gbupP3k/VkKq6Hr3hRI/AAAAAAAACzc/9-kU-cEjxCo/s1600/IMG_0341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eei1gbupP3k/VkKq6Hr3hRI/AAAAAAAACzc/9-kU-cEjxCo/s320/IMG_0341.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Peace Corps St. Lucia office</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other Response volunteers work with children with learning and behavior challenges at a school and children's home, respectfully, another at the national museum and me with the beekeeping association on the island. <br />
<br />
As nice as it is having a defined job description, what is the likelihood you do any or all of them when you get to a developing country? It's depends upon the expectations of the organization and their resources frankly. As most Response positions on the island, expectations were high and what we would be able to accomplish and semi-unrealistic. It's hard to get someone to come down from a cloud. Even worse when they are unwilling to see what's on the ground to work with or lend a hand. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U0jm2bGOPRo/VkKqz8t0dkI/AAAAAAAACzU/8Ss2hl-oRsE/s1600/IMG_0448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U0jm2bGOPRo/VkKqz8t0dkI/AAAAAAAACzU/8Ss2hl-oRsE/s320/IMG_0448.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of the Sub office where my office is</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This an edited summary report that I've submitted to my partnering association, Peace Corps, and other partners I have on the island. There are sections for my recommendations to the partner organization and Peace Corps/Response as well a list of my major collaborators that I have left off but very valuable to document and share. Also I have added pictures where possible to help illustrate :)<br />
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
____________________________________________</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">History of Partnering
Organization</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Formed in 1998, Grenada Beekeeping Association (GAB) was
formed from fourteen young persons that took a 2-week beekeeping course
organized by Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
Initial funding came from Agency for Rural Transformation (ART) and the
National Development Foundation (NDF). Until 2009, the Ministry of Agriculture
(MoA) also provided subvention and a technical officer from the Veterinary and
Livestock Division of the MoA had been assigned full time to assist GAB
members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their office at the Ministry of
Agriculture Extension office in Grenville. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoQuote" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in;">
“Over the period 2002 to 2008, the
number of registered beekeepers increased from twenty-seven to fifty-seven; the
number of hives in use increased from 810 to 1710 units; and honey production
increased from 13,324lb to 28,129lb. (These figures can be verified from
official statistics.) Present estimates indicate that the number of hives has
dropped to 1400, but the yield per colony has increased because of better
beekeeping practices. This is mainly due to the efforts of GAB to improve the
ability of beekeepers and to have beekeeping equipment and materials available
at most times, and at reasonable costs to beekeepers.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Previously the association had been a co-host to the
Caribbean Beekeeping Congress (2011), participated in World Food Day Celebrations
(2009) and the week of Agriculture (2010) along with producing a GAB news
bulletin (2009) but has not been sustained. In the past the Association ordered
wood goods (hive & hive products) and equipment in mass, stored it in a
container and sold it to beekeepers as needed. A small profit was made from
resale of honey and goods. On April 1, 2011 became a registered incorporated
body.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Currently and for the past 5 years GAB has faced many
challenges. First the lack of subvention from the Ministry of Agriculture and
the increase of tariffs on imports has made purchasing a bulk order of goods
nearly impossible. In this time many beekeepers have started to import goods
themselves (typically from Trinidad) or make them on the island. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since 2010, there has been a change of policy on the import
of ‘breeder queens’ from outside of the island. This is still a challenge that
is a topic of conversation between GAB and MoA presently and as of October 2015
200+ queens have been purchased and brought in via GAB and MoA and purchased by
beekeepers on the island. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peace Corps was contacted and the Association requested a
response volunteer to help specifically to develop the beekeeping industry in
Grenada and expand membership to maximize potential. Specifically by identifying
good genetic material, training 20 in an intro to beekeeping course, train 10
trainers in advance queen-rearing for Trainer of Trainer model, produce 500
queens for local beekeepers and region, develop a queen rearing manual specific
to Grenada.</div>
<div style="margin-left: 24.0pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
Ministry of Agriculture, F.
and F. (2015). <i>2010-2011 Annual Agriculture Review Grenada W.I.</i> St.
George’s Grenada: Ministry of Agriculture.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dp-Ndp9bfgc/VkKrtF1qwqI/AAAAAAAACzk/mM9wHQiImEs/s1600/GBA%2BLogo%2Brevamped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dp-Ndp9bfgc/VkKrtF1qwqI/AAAAAAAACzk/mM9wHQiImEs/s200/GBA%2BLogo%2Brevamped.jpg" width="161" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grenada Association of Beekeepers logo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Focus of work
Activities</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With financial and political challenges and lack of
resources faced by the association the volunteer has identified these potential
short term goals:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Collaborate with beekeepers on
best practices, challenges, solutions, goals and gaining feedback throughout
the process</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Creating ongoing training
programming for beekeepers, public and partnering shareholders’ staff</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Identifying good genetic stock for
queen rearing to increase honey production and training of trainers to do so as
well</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Assist in increasing overall
knowledge of bees, nectar, propolis and pollen sources</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Assist in developing beekeeping
industry in Grenada and assist in increasing public knowledge of the industry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Major Accomplishments</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From the time I have arrived on island April 16, 1<sup>st</sup>
day of work was April 20<sup>th</sup> until October 31<sup>st</sup> (6 months
of service) I have accomplished:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">Met personally with 43
beekeepers/interested people in beekeeping21 of those visited their
apiary/bee yard<br />
15 of the visited apiaries we
worked the bees that day</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Met 12 extension officers,
ministry officials, St. George University contacts, other individuals that work in the
agriculture industry</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Met the Grenada Association of Beekeepers
Executive Board along with the Chief <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Veterinary</span> Officer for the
Ministry of Agriculture </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Followed up with Ministry of Agriculture Chief Veterinary Office (via email) specifically for filling out paperwork on Grenada
clearance for honey to be accepted into the U.K. for beekeepers to enter
London Honey Show October 29-31<sup>st</sup> 2015.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Had check-in meeting
with Peace Corps Associate Country Program Director, current and previous Grenada Association of Beekeepers' President to put 2 months of planning in
place. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Met with Peace Corps Associate Country Program Director, 2 Executive Board members and previous Association President to discuss and clarify overall plan
with Response volunteer as it pertains to training. Volunteer is to take
the lead and consult with Association as needed.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C3YFCpV2cRY/VkKsXmFMlgI/AAAAAAAACzw/jtZrWkBp5Io/s1600/IMG_0800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C3YFCpV2cRY/VkKsXmFMlgI/AAAAAAAACzw/jtZrWkBp5Io/s320/IMG_0800.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group of attendees of the Queen Rearing Course at St. George's University at the Bee College</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Attended the 4 day St.
George’s University Bee College in St. George's </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Attended GAB membership
meetings (3 total) and The Goat Dairy board meeting &
On-Farm Workshop</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Discussed, researched and
wrote Response Counterpart Workshop proposal with assistance of my Associate Country Program Director fellow Response volunteers and 27-month volunteer </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--zl-F25VXCk/VkKtknw-6bI/AAAAAAAAC0E/gGChklq2Tbw/s1600/Caribbean-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--zl-F25VXCk/VkKtknw-6bI/AAAAAAAAC0E/gGChklq2Tbw/s320/Caribbean-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Goat Dairy Project at Belmont Estate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Training and Courses:</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Met, followed up and wrote
proposal with 4-H Extension liaison for St. Andrew’s, on
term-long project for 12-16 year olds on pollinators, habitat and
conservation
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Emailed Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
(IICA) and </span>National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) or Caribbean
Vocational Qualifications (CVQ) certification about current and past
trainings held in regard to beekeeping (none as of lately nor in the near
future)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Followed up on status of
reply from T.A. Marryshow Community College on access to Mirabeau farm
school and course syllabus for Apiculture they teach</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Created overarching
syllabus with 10 courses that I thought would be beneficial to beekeepers
and potential beekeepers in Grenada and shared it with the membership </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Followed up with past
teachers of beekeeping courses on the island </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Drafted “Introduction to
Successful Beekeeping: What you need to get started” outline, wrote
PowerPoint with overview of GAB membership</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Finalized power point
presentation and needed resources for Intro class, further reviewed and
added classes to overall syllabus for beekeeping classes</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Identified interested
people that would be interested in the beekeeping class and make record of
their contact information. Collaborated to identify potential stakeholders
and community partners to communicate via posted letters in the next week
or two about the details on the classes being held</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Met and planned additional
meetings, trainings and brainstormed agenda with the
Ministry of Agriculture Extension Agent for Beekeeping; presented
Introduction to Beekeeping course and additional course syllabus to
membership meeting</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Met with Ministry of Agriculture Extension Agent for Beekeeping and Chief Veterinary Officer to discuss ideas planned for moving forward with
trainings. Letter was drafted and sent to Principal at T.A.
Marryshow Community College for access and use of Mirabeau Farm School </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Set time, dates and place
for Introduction to Beekeeping class, sent letters to potential
stakeholders and community partners about details of class with assistance
of Ministry of Agricultural Extension Agent and Office in Grenville. </li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--DIpxnzXlp8/VkKu02EXrpI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/HnFw3KcrroI/s1600/Introduction%2Bto%2BBeekeeping%2BCourse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--DIpxnzXlp8/VkKu02EXrpI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/HnFw3KcrroI/s320/Introduction%2Bto%2BBeekeeping%2BCourse.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flyer for 'Introduction to Successful Beekeeping: Getting Started in Beekeeping"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Contacted 20 interested
people that expressed interest in the beekeeping class via phone, email
and in persn </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Emailed or whatapps’ed
another 20 partnering individuals, 16 Peace Corps volunteers & staff,
16 NGO’s and partnering institutions, 25 attendees of the Bee College to
alert and invite them to the class.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Taught class to 7 people
and have another 14 signed up for another class held in October for total
of 21 for 2 classes.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yvX-yC5aZBk/VkKvWVPHOKI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/y8RLHs3aZJ4/s1600/Pest%252C%2BDisease%2B%2526%2BIPM%2Bflyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yvX-yC5aZBk/VkKvWVPHOKI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/y8RLHs3aZJ4/s320/Pest%252C%2BDisease%2B%2526%2BIPM%2Bflyer.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flyer for "Pest, Disease and Pest Management: Identification and Understanding"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"></ul>
<div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Planned 2<sup>nd</sup> class
on Pest, Disease and Pest Management with Beekeeping Extension Agent and
SGU Lab Researcher to be held in October</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Taught Pest, Disease and
Pest Management class to 3 beekeepers, hope to offer this again in late
November and late January. </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Additional Community Partners:</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3;">Attended GRENED meeting to
better understand community need and how organization assists youths in
the community</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Partnered with Belmont
Estate to create simple business and action plan for bees to be
established on the estate, including training of trainer for estate to
also train staff on better understanding and best practices (ongoing 2 pg
word document emailed)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Attended Saint Andrews
Development Organization (SADO) planning meeting for Rainbow City event in
Grenville happening before Carnival to assist beekeepers in preparing for
possibly exhibiting</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Met with Grand Bras Farms
to discuss pollination benefits to the farm and best practices having bees
on the property</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pj0v_5BaARo/VkKte-vdvVI/AAAAAAAAC0A/yakH9ULlEIo/s1600/Caribbean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pj0v_5BaARo/VkKte-vdvVI/AAAAAAAAC0A/yakH9ULlEIo/s400/Caribbean.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Bras Farm, a historic estate that is now being used for short crop and vegetable production</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Research, Networking and Organizing</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Drafted project plan for
self-started projects, events, and notable dates</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Continued researching and
compiling world honey, pollen, and propolis plant sources to create
Caribbean and Grenada specific plant lists</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Wrote, applied and my abstract was accepted
for Apimondia, an international beekeeping
conference being held in Seoul, Korea September 15-20, 2015</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">Networked with many people
on the island along with inquiring about resources on the island for
beekeepers and the association</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Potential Projects
for Rest of Service</b></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4;">Plan and draft “Nectar,
Pollen and Propolis Plant Sources’ outline, write PowerPoint, layout and
create plant identification manual for Grenada specific plants
(PowerPoint, list of resources, images and people; small ¼ page booklet
identification manual on plants) Tentatively set for late January and
start mentioning it to potential attendees mid-late December</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4;">Offer ‘Intro to Successful
Beekeeping’ and ‘Pest, Disease and Integrated Pest Management’ courses on
ad-hoc basis in January-March.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4;">Plan and draft “Beekeeping
Basics:1<sup>st</sup> year of Beekeeping in Grenada’ outline, write
PowerPoint, layout and source apiary for hands on examples for class
(PowerPoint, list of resources, images and people; apiary; protective gear
for attendees) Tentatively set for February and start mentioning it to
potential attendees January</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4;">Plan and draft “Bee and
Hive Anatomy’ outline, write PowerPoint, source needed items for bee
dissection-pinning boards, microscopes, tweezers (PowerPoint, list of
resources, images and people; apiary; protective gear for attendees)
Tentatively set for March and start mentioning it to potential attendees
February.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4;">Continue attending GAB
membership meetings as needed; following up and assisting beekeepers with
questions and work alongside with them when possible in their apiaries.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4;">Continue communicating
with GAB membership, Grenada MoA & extension officers, beekeepers and
interested people, partnering organizations who have shown interest in
beekeeping (i.e. 4-H, Belmont Estate, Grand Bras) and any others who ask
assistance of information.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4;">Continue to network and
research potential contacts on and outside of Grenada for information,
best practices and further information on techniques, plants, and
resources. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4;">Continue to offer support,
solicit feedback and constructive criticism from work partners, class
attendees and Peace Corps staff and volunteers. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span></div>
</div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-59646991572108190142015-11-04T09:41:00.004-06:002015-11-05T16:14:03.218-06:00A request<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So my birthday is in a month (December), I have no clue what I'm going to do yet for it, but I would like to make a request for letters, cards (simple handwritten doesn't need to be crazy), postcards and 3" x 5" photos (holiday photos!! or just fun ones) sent to me here on the island. I love getting mail! Feel free to have people traveling send me ones to-I love seeing new places! <br />
<br />
Send them to:<br />
Megan Wannarka <br />
P.O. Box 766<br />
St. George's, West Indies<br />
Grenada</div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-84800150344561024132015-10-28T12:16:00.000-05:002015-10-28T12:16:40.189-05:00I have been...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
very productive! I would have said busy. But I truly hate the idea of 'busy' as an excuse to be human, be accountable, and simply care.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhfqrgJNg0Y/VgG1apxyGQI/AAAAAAAACwk/6BP_n07bJxQ/s1600/IMG_1856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhfqrgJNg0Y/VgG1apxyGQI/AAAAAAAACwk/6BP_n07bJxQ/s320/IMG_1856.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Harford Village to the Atlantic Ocean (east)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
On October 16th I've been on island for 6 months. Which is typically where volunteers hit their slump. Honestly this last month I truly did. Yesterday also marked the 32nd anniversary of America invading Grenada. I believe the heavy energy and ciaos leading up to this even it very much felt on the island. Its widely discussed and talked about, noted in church and discussed on tv and radio. It was not a fun time in the history of Grenada. I hope the energy lightens so I'm able to get back to more work. <br />
<br />
<br />
And speaking of work, I feel there is so much work to do here and I've only really gotten feel for things. People are calling me out of the blue asking for advice, assistance or to find out more about bees. (This is always the sign new people are looking for to see if they are really 'needed' someplace, once the unknown people start showing up because word of mouth has spread about you) I've been consistent in the last month or so about the schedule of my week. Monday is administrative tasks, reading, and preparing for the rest of the week. Tuesday-Thursday is assisting beekeepers (1-2 per day) in their apiary if/when possible. Friday is in the office in Grenville where new people show up and introduce themselves along with some beekeepers I know, neighbors of the office come in and check on me and I try and make some rounds around town and say hi to the people I know. Also Friday is 'market' day so it's also nice to get some groceries and say hi to the wonderful ladies in the market right next door.<br />
<br />
<br />
Me and early morning need to make friends, but in the coolness of a rainy morning in the lowland of the country it makes getting out of bed at 4:30-5 am while it's pouring down very hard. Now if it was hot as Senegal where by 9am it's almost unbearable, this would be a blessing and I'd be getting up that early and happy grab a drink of cool water and get it to it before the heat rises past bearable. So instead of 5, 6:30-7 am has been more my norm. I'm work on it...<br />
<br />
<br />
I have made some gains with planning of an Introduction to beekeeping workshop and planning some more training for established beekeepers on the island. This should be 'easy' enough to facilitate. But when it takes 2 weeks for me to send a letter to the needed parties to have it printed on letter head, signed by another person and then usually hand delivered or it will be lost in the mail/system of mail. At which time an action can be taken, even though you've discussed it so thoroughly you would think it already all happened. Multiply that on every resource needed. Thank Senegal I am prepared to present anywhere, but having a room and projector is helpful. Done and done, with backups for both as I know most likely I will use the backups.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lCBiC3WDXno/VgG1p2z_BrI/AAAAAAAACws/o1wMRgIO4Vo/s1600/Introduction%2Bto%2BBeekeeping%2BCourse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lCBiC3WDXno/VgG1p2z_BrI/AAAAAAAACws/o1wMRgIO4Vo/s320/Introduction%2Bto%2BBeekeeping%2BCourse.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flyer for the workshop</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I've added more pictures to my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10106679515025280.1073741857.13948412&type=1&l=cd086054f3">facebook albums</a> and have kept up documenting plants and nectar sources on my <a href="https://instagram.com/mayhemmadness5/">instagram</a> along with just life here on the island. <br />
<br />
Excited to have some more meetings lined up and contacts being past my way in the business/NGO realm here and will assist me in thinking about planning further out if things go well with training. <br />
<br />
I'll post by this weekend an update on my work as I also need to do my monthly report and looking to see what I've accomplished in 6 months and what is realistic in the next 6 months.<br />
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<br /></div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-1531824226015296942015-08-17T08:07:00.000-05:002015-08-17T08:37:11.309-05:00So I forget...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
To write here more often, especially when I have things to write about or generally show people. I've been hoarding it on <a href="https://instagram.com/mayhemmadness5/" target="_blank">instagram</a> and my facebook page. During my service in Senegal we were given a simple 'dumb' phone, that is instead of a 'smart' phone (who comes up with these ideas anyways) it was a simple nokia. Bless nokia's heart for that phone. Something that can survive a lot. I'm not going to go into details...lets say squat toilet and leave it at that. But with iphone's being more available now with resale of older models, they become a 'must' when traveling.<br />
<br />
Due to having an iphone instead of just a camera, photos, videos, and the like simply get sent to instagram or facebook with a few clicks and addition of a caption. Instead of downloading photos to my laptop, editing, uploading to the blog or an album. Hence my blog has suffered.<br />
<br />
I'm trying to right my wrong today but giving a better glimsp of my photo posts, my visuals captured and reasons to what I shoot.<br />
<br />
Typically I will upload photos to my albums on facebook, simply as its relatively fast to upload, many of my friends/people get to see them, along with I can share with a link.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9pZKbTCQ4k/VdHBmX4zbzI/AAAAAAAACsk/lxlkSW2sKXE/s1600/Megan%2BWannarka%2B-%2BMozilla%2BFirefox%2B081715%2B70923%2BAM.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9pZKbTCQ4k/VdHBmX4zbzI/AAAAAAAACsk/lxlkSW2sKXE/s320/Megan%2BWannarka%2B-%2BMozilla%2BFirefox%2B081715%2B70923%2BAM.bmp.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have more than a few photo albums on facebook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So for example I have 3 albums for Grenada already. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10106168671594610.1073741853.13948412&type=1&l=539d7392d3" target="_blank">Grenada-May</a>. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10106555104045880.1073741856.13948412&type=1&l=742f867077" target="_blank">Grenada-June, July, August</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10106544663793230.1073741855.13948412&type=1&l=ac8575f9db" target="_blank">Grenada-Carnival</a>. Most of these pictures are literally taken with my iphone through out the day/week as needed. Typically no reason, sometimes to remember something, or to look something up. Mostly to capture an interesting view or thing.<br />
<br />
I should back up a little and explain that I use <a href="https://picasa.google.com/" target="_blank">Picasa</a> to organize and edit photos. It also has an awesome 'collage' feature. Over all very easy to use when searching for an image as it scans (based on settings) your computer for images constantly. And drag and drop for sorting into folders. LOVE.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PlfMl-s0L1w/VdHCE-D0UKI/AAAAAAAACss/Qo3_u6IkqUI/s1600/Picasa%2B3%2B081715%2B71027%2BAM.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PlfMl-s0L1w/VdHCE-D0UKI/AAAAAAAACss/Qo3_u6IkqUI/s320/Picasa%2B3%2B081715%2B71027%2BAM.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot of my Picasa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other place I typically have photos is on <a href="https://instagram.com/mayhemmadness5/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZh0nfasrGk/VdHSB7GPYXI/AAAAAAAACs8/ao6w4_aytuE/s1600/MeganW%2B%2528%2540mayhemmadness5%2529%2B%25E2%2580%25A2%2BInstagram%2Bphotos%2Band%2Bvideos%2B-%2BMozilla%2BFirefox%2B081715%2B71232%2BAM.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZh0nfasrGk/VdHSB7GPYXI/AAAAAAAACs8/ao6w4_aytuE/s320/MeganW%2B%2528%2540mayhemmadness5%2529%2B%25E2%2580%25A2%2BInstagram%2Bphotos%2Band%2Bvideos%2B-%2BMozilla%2BFirefox%2B081715%2B71232%2BAM.bmp.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Randomness of my instagram</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These are much like facebook are random shots from where I'm at. I have been trying to start taking photos of themes. So far #nectarplants or #honeyplants, as of course this is part of my ongoing research here on the island but in a larger scope (see <a href="http://mussingsofmadness.blogspot.com/p/nectar-pollen-and-propolis-plant-source.html" target="_blank">here</a> if you missed it). But also try to find the local stories, names, and history of this wonderful place. I've had Grenadians abroad tell me how much they enjoy seeing my picture of the island and make them homesick.<br />
<br />
Much of my over arching goal here on the island and the <a href="http://www.peacecorps.gov/about/" target="_blank">third goal of Peace Corps </a>is: To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. Or the way I interpret it, to help Americans get a better sense of places outside of America. Of course people reading this and seeing images I post are not only Americans, but capturing the sense of place, culture and people, giving it some context or description helps anyone better understand something.<br />
<br />
I strive to understand the cultural context of the thing I'm taking a picture of, not just capturing it for the sake of a pretty picture. Typically I ask a few locals what the thing is, how it's used, if it's 'normal'/'known', and usually starts a larger conversation.<br />
<br />
I have found my asking people of different ages and genders about anything will give me a much varied response. A younger generation might know the name and how it's used. But someone older might remember using it or having it around when they are young, the object having a daily use in the household, typically more than one use and sometimes multiple names. This of course generalized and sometimes is reversed as the younger generation travels more broadly and know of more broad use or understanding of the 'thing' in question.<br />
<br />
Much like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnography" target="_blank">ethnography</a>, 'the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures' I want to better understand the 'thing' through the people here, rather than the 'thing' standing alone out of context.<br />
<br />
Of course the 'thing' could be anything. From language, specifically word usage, plants, events, clothing to history. Of course some of these things can not be photographed but having the understanding helps to further understand other things. Everything is interconnected. And then try to explain my own culture, or American culture in general on top of that. <br />
<br />
It's very fun capturing the nuances of a place. Lately I've been reminiscing of things I learned in Senegal that the locals would find 'local knowledge'. Being a playful, teasing culture with many languages, typically 'outwitting' your partner in conversation was always a goal. Having enough understanding of the culture, language and people made you a stronger player in the game. <br />
<br /></div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-81178589183098918232015-08-09T13:41:00.001-05:002015-08-11T20:13:00.313-05:00On-Going Research: Apis meliferia nectar, pollen and propalis sources<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I haven't really written about this per se, I think some people know that I've been working on this since I was in Senegal (2012) and found </span></span>"Plants for Arid Lands" published by International Bee Research Association<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">on the bookshelf which had a small chapter </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Bees and Honey in the Exploitation of Arid Land Resources</i> <span style="font-family: inherit;">by</span> Eva Crane. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Through</span> more and more literature review and a cross-referencing local plant databases/writings with known nectar sources I've gotten to have a pretty <span style="font-family: inherit;">comprehensive</span> list going.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So a little background. There are 7 species of the 200,000 bees that specifically produce honey in massive amounts. These we call honey bees or Apis mellifera. There are races of these that have been breed over time. Much like we have races of humans, we are all still people, we all come from certain places making us <span style="font-family: inherit;">identify</span> with those locations and in some cases even have specialized characteristics. Example of races in honey bees would be Italian (A. mellifera ligustica), Carnolian (A. mellifera carnica), Caucasian/Russian (A. mellifera caucasica) and African <span style="line-height: 115%;">(A. mellifera adansonii)</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6QnBHJ78J1s/VceZIxYiAAI/AAAAAAAACq4/9N-0QJPeO-0/s1600/Tropical%2Band%2BSub-tropical%2BApiculture%2BFAO%2B1986%2Bpg%2B17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6QnBHJ78J1s/VceZIxYiAAI/AAAAAAAACq4/9N-0QJPeO-0/s320/Tropical%2Band%2BSub-tropical%2BApiculture%2BFAO%2B1986%2Bpg%2B17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Tropical and Subtropical Apiculture (1986) FAO</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So of these 7 honey bees in the world, many of them are region specific. As you can see from the map <span style="font-family: inherit;">bee <span style="font-family: inherit;">originated</span> in a few place a<span style="font-family: inherit;">nd migrated into others.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> T<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ypically assisted</span> by humans</span></span></span></span>, bees there <span style="font-family: inherit;">were able to <span style="font-family: inherit;">colonize and <span style="font-family: inherit;">su<span style="font-family: inherit;">rvive. </span></span></span></span>This is due to a few factors, one being food or fodder resources, second being habitat, and third would be climate. All of these factors are interconnected. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSRG2VvUtGU/Vcd3TBz0nhI/AAAAAAAACqI/5f3QaQ7fhLw/s1600/Bee%2Bbreeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSRG2VvUtGU/Vcd3TBz0nhI/AAAAAAAACqI/5f3QaQ7fhLw/s320/Bee%2Bbreeds.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not scientific based, but an idea on differences between race characteristics</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Honey bees are generalist when it comes to plants, meaning they will touch many different flowers for a multitude of reasons. Some for nectar, others for pollen, some for propalis, but few plants can provide more than one of these. The plants themselves are specialized. Also the bee will follow the bloom of one plant until it's finished. So if a mango tree is in bloom it will continue to look for mango flowers until the bloom has ended. </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aTLdxrdlVgM/Vcd4MzJi-RI/AAAAAAAACqQ/zqZkjKve_DA/s1600/Pollinator%2BSyndromes%2B-%2BMozilla%2BFirefox%2B070915%2B100440%2BAM.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aTLdxrdlVgM/Vcd4MzJi-RI/AAAAAAAACqQ/zqZkjKve_DA/s320/Pollinator%2BSyndromes%2B-%2BMozilla%2BFirefox%2B070915%2B100440%2BAM.bmp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Color is also a major part of how pollinators find food</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "inherit",serif;">Evolutionary
plants have created flowers to attract pollinators to increase fertilization
and thus dissemination of themselves. Nectar within the flowers assists in
attracting certain pollinators, such as honey bees, to visit the flower taking
pollen and transferring it to the stigma, or female part, in order to create a
seed. Nectar us a sugar-rich liquid produced by glands called nectaries. Bees
use nectar, mixing it with an enzyme in their ‘honey stomach’ to create honey
once it’s stored in wax comb, water content is evaporated to below 18.2 percent
and is capped with wax. Honey is the main food source for bees in the hive.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "inherit",serif;">Bees also use
pollen, plant’s male gametes, as a food source. Pollen is the protein source
needed for rearing one worker bee from larval to adult stage requires
approximately 120-145 mg of pollen. An average bee colony will collect about
20-57 kg (44-125 pounds) of pollen a year. By natural instinct, bees will
collect only the best entomophily pollen grains that are higher in nutritional
value.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "inherit",serif;">Propolis, often referred
to as bee glue, is used in the hive to seal cracks, crevices or encase carcasses
that cannot be removed from the hive. Typically collected from the sap or resin
of certain trees and small number of flowers. Propolis has been used medically
for its </span><span style="font-family: "inherit",serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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immunostimulant, and antioxidant </span>properties which vary
due to location in which it is procured based on plant sources in the area.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So based on region, in any given place there are bees (everywhere expect Antarctica and the South Pole) there are only 250-300 plants that bees are able to take nectar, pollen and propalis from. And given you need approximately <span style="font-family: inherit;">one</span> million blooms to produce<span style="font-family: inherit;"> one</span> cup of honey, you need many many blooms of those given plants. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Looking at plant phen<span style="font-family: inherit;">o</span>logy (</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life) the way in which these 250-300 plants' blooms appear is also quite amazing. Many of them do not over lap and if they do, there is one in which the bees prefer due to either quantity each bloom produces or more likely the amount of sugar in the nectar. Much like if oranges are in season you'd eat them, but if mangoes came in to season you'd prefer the mango as it's sweeter and juicer. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pBzbBC8K7EA/Vcd7PgtM3MI/AAAAAAAACqc/6ziWZ_OVz6E/s1600/Typical%2BFlowering%2BSeasons%2BNC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pBzbBC8K7EA/Vcd7PgtM3MI/AAAAAAAACqc/6ziWZ_OVz6E/s320/Typical%2BFlowering%2BSeasons%2BNC.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great example of nectar source calendar for Western North Carolina</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Due to climate change and the change of priorities when it comes to research, little has continued to be documented on these ideas (nectar, pollen and propalis source plants and their phenology). Many of the cited literature I have found is from the 60's and 70's. Also at the local level internationally, many host-country nationals are aware of this and have a vast knowledge of these plants. The names they known them by are local names rather than the scientific, but capturing this information and further researching to find the <span style="font-family: inherit;">Latin</span> names and some times specific varieties I believe will be instrumental to maintain and increase honey bee habitat.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kvaOQXlNhC4/Vcd94NILflI/AAAAAAAACqo/gmA5VEpdkEE/s1600/Bee%2BPlants-Ethiopia%2B%255BCompatibility%2BMode%255D%2B-%2BWord%2B080915%2B121804%2BPM.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kvaOQXlNhC4/Vcd94NILflI/AAAAAAAACqo/gmA5VEpdkEE/s320/Bee%2BPlants-Ethiopia%2B%255BCompatibility%2BMode%255D%2B-%2BWord%2B080915%2B121804%2BPM.bmp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example of local nectar source list per <a href="http://peacebeefarm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Beekeeper Richard Underhill</a> from his trip with Winrock International to East Africa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So I have started coll<span style="font-family: inherit;">ecting lists<span style="font-family: inherit;">, as many as I can find and cross referenc<span style="font-family: inherit;">ing them. Most are through <span style="font-family: inherit;">scientific literature. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Eva Crane <span style="font-family: inherit;">(foremost researcher on honey bees)</span> was no slouch, her<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="http://www.evacranetrust.org/" target="_blank">Trust</a> has <span style="font-family: inherit;">40,000 abstracts available<span style="font-family: inherit;"> to search along with her publishing 300 papers and many books over her lifetime. Others are found th<span style="font-family: inherit;">rough beekeepers I<span style="font-family: inherit;">'ve <span style="font-family: inherit;">heard of or found through the wonderful place of the internet. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Most <span style="font-family: inherit;">beekeepers are amazing <span style="font-family: inherit;">people who are willing to help out each other to <span style="font-family: inherit;">further</span> honey bees, hab<span style="font-family: inherit;">itat and generally overall goodness on the plan<span style="font-family: inherit;">et. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Currently I have review<span style="font-family: inherit;">ed many many arti<span style="font-family: inherit;">cles and journals<span style="font-family: inherit;">, 22 of them have viable lists that I'm extracting, <span style="font-family: inherit;">cleaning and adding to my main list. Then sorting<span style="font-family: inherit;">, removing <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">duplicates</span>, <span style="font-family: inherit;">verifying correct taxonomy (</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="_Tgc">science of defining groups of biological organisms on the basis of shared characteristics and giving names to those groups as these tend to change over time especially with plants) and adding in any bloom dates, propagation information or nuance information of the plant.</span><br />
<span class="_Tgc"><br /></span>
<span class="_Tgc">After all of that, I would love to share it on a website such as </span><a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/" target="_blank">Zooniverse,</a> to further have citizen scientists help identify where the plants grow and the bloom pattern in that location, hopefully on a global scale. This information would then assist beekeepers, land owners, farmers, environmentalists, policy makers, and others to maintain and increase habitat and food sources world wide.<br />
<br />
Lack of knowledge is one thing, but in this day and age of information the world is becoming and smaller and smaller place. People want to help bees, I don't believe we need more beekeepers, we need better beekeepers, farmers, stewards, with better information to make a better place for all of use.<br />
<br />
Currently my abstract for this project as been submitted and accepted to <a href="http://www.apimondia2015.com/" target="_blank">Apimondia </a>(the international beekeeping conference), I am looking for support in order to attend and present my abstract in Daejeon, Korea in September. I have contacted various organizations for support as well, but is currently pending response.<br />
<br />
Please feel free to pass this along to anyone who might be interested in the information, I would love to collaborate further on it. Thank you for your time and support.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span>
</span></div>
</div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-37290960256981108672015-07-19T14:25:00.000-05:002015-07-19T14:25:09.364-05:00Grenada:Three Month Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So now that I have a few months here under my belt I can talk about some of the work that I've done. The most common comment I get from people is: is that really 'work' you're doing there, or just having a long vacation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">There are 12 holidays and then many 'fete' or party days, that are taken off of work. Leaving most weeks to be short. But I do believe that most people work hard and play hard too.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">My biggest 'win' for being here after just 9 weeks, was hearing that a passing conversation I had with my host sister is coming to fruition. She happens to work for a large estate (300 acres) and just getting started planting out a few acres and mentioned how bees could help increase production. She mentioned this to her bosses and she mentioned that they had just hired a local beekeeper to but 20 hives out on the land. Now to see if it works.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A short list of some of my work I've done in the short time I've been here:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Met personally with 28 beekeepers/interested people in
beekeeping</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">6 of those my counterpart(s) and I visited their apiary/bee
yard</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">3 of the visited apiaries we worked the bees that day</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Met 12 extension officers, ministry officials, SGU contacts,
other individuals that work in the agriculture industry</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Met the Association Executive Board along with the Chief <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Veterinarian</span>
Officer for the Ministry of Agriculture and the Extension Agent for Beekeeping (this last week-finally)</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Attended the 4 day St. George’s University Bee College in
St. George</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Emailed Inter-American
Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and National Vocational
Qualifications (NVQ) or Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQ) certification
about current and past trainings held in regard to beekeeping (none as of
lately nor in the near future)</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Attended GAB membership meeting (14 people in attendance)
and The Goat Dairy board meeting & On-Farm Workshop</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Networked with many people on the island along with
inquiring about resources on the island for beekeepers and the association</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;">Discussed, researched and wrote Response Counterpart Workshop
proposal with assistance of Mr. Gittens, fellow Response volunteers and
27-month volunteers</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> Met and followed up with Ms. Melissa Tyson, 4-H Extension
for St. Andrew’s, on term-long project proposal for 12-16 year-olds on
pollinators, habitat and importance.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> Partnered with Belmont Estate to create simple business and
action plan for bees to be established on the estate, including training-of-trainer for estate to also train staff on better understanding and best
practices</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> Attended Saint Andrews Development Organization (SADO)
planning meeting for Rainbow City event in Grenville happening before Carnival
to assist beekeepers in preparing for possibly exhibiting</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> Followed up with meeting with Dr. Louison specifically for
filling out paperwork on Grenada clearance for honey to be accepted into the
U.K. for beekeepers to enter London Honey Show October 29-31<sup>st</sup> 2015</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> Created project plan for self-started projects, events, and
notable dates, holidays, etc.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> Continued researching and compiling world honey, pollen, and
propolis plant sources to create Caribbean and Grenada specific plant lists</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> Wrote abstract and applied for Travel Award to attend
Apimondia, an international beekeeping conference being held in Seoul, Korea
September 15-20, 2015 (And had it ACCEPTED, now looking for funding to travel to the event)</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />As you can see I keep 'busy' doing 'work'. Living on an island makes it easy to keep my nose to the grind stone and keep on top of things, as I do need to summit a monthly report to Peace Corps. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Hopefully in the next month (Mid-August due to Carnival taking over now until 2nd week of August) I hope to get Introduction to Beekeeping training going twice a week, and soon after a Pollination/Pesticide course for beekeepers and farmers and hopefully Ministry officials as well. There are many more classes to write, people to get involved, and equipment and resources to procure as well as funding for some of it. I will be visiting more beekeepers in the next weeks leading up to this as well. I believe there are close to 100 beekeepers on the island.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The best complement I got this week from a 27-month volunteer that he thought I was working 'quickly' as things take longer than normal here as change is very difficult for people in general. But learning and doing something different is a whole other beast entirely. <br /></span></div>
</div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-77944375864619770932015-06-22T11:19:00.002-05:002015-06-23T17:30:09.173-05:00Simularities and Differences: Grenada and Senegal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In some ways I dislike the idea of the topic of this post, but in other ways I have realized this is now I figure out my 'new normal' now. By taking what I know (or lived by for the last few years) and compare and contrast it to what I am seeing.<br />
<br />
Strangely comparing was a 'regular' thing in Senegal for Senegalese to do to just about anything. At first I found it very annoying as things are 'better' or 'worse' they are different. Maybe you prefer one more than another, but being 'better' is only 'better' to you. I do not think I get my habit of comparing and contrasting from living in Senegal, but from stereotypes in general.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5KbirTUbZbM/VYnd5yIkiII/AAAAAAAACkc/I8TAOaLHjrE/s1600/0e4badea3e2411e19e4a12313813ffc0_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5KbirTUbZbM/VYnd5yIkiII/AAAAAAAACkc/I8TAOaLHjrE/s320/0e4badea3e2411e19e4a12313813ffc0_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Stereotypes are a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing allows us to make efficient shortcuts and sense-making tools to understand the people and places around us more easily.<br />
<br />
Without a due a few observations:<br />
<br />
<b>Praying with hands open and facing up</b>: Interestingly enough this is done in a few of the churches I've attended and was the common way to pray in Senegal.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Non-verbal communication</b>: Stoups (or what sounds like loudly sucking of your front teeth) is a sign of mostly annoyance but could be also shock, disbelief and amazement. Making a group wait to long in a queue would be taken very personally annoying and cause someone to do 'stoup' very loudly in a public setting in Grenada. Strangely more okay to be done in pubic (in general setting) than in a private (directed toward one person). I've heard grandparents becoming very upset by grandchildren doing it in their presence. <br />
<br />
Clicking with the back of your throat (Idk if this has a name) is also done in both locations for a sign of simple agreement or understanding while not interrupting. (This is also apparently more on the East Coast than other parts of the island)<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Transportation</b>: Small passenger vans with sliding side doors wait till full and bring you along a route based on major towns. Public transportation has a cut off time at night to certain locations and doesn't run on Sunday. This was also is very similar to Senegal. Buses in Senegal and historically Grenada were even painted simularly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xBHqAoLD5pM/VX8kYrsE6fI/AAAAAAAACjY/fJYpXrpJmA0/s1600/Desktop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xBHqAoLD5pM/VX8kYrsE6fI/AAAAAAAACjY/fJYpXrpJmA0/s640/Desktop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right Grenada circa 2009 and left Senegal present day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Head coverings</b>: Many people cover their heads with scarves, hats, stocking caps in Grenada, while in Senegal head coverings for women were standard as is common in Muslim religion, unless it was for a big event where extensions of hair would be added for a more elaborate braided hairstyle. <br />
<br />
<b>Dressing for everyone else</b>: In Senegal it was told to me at some point that your dress reflects your relationship with everyone else. It's a sign of respect to your community, friends and family. In Grenada uniforms and dress are also very important and also show status and class. But I believe this idea of dressing for 'them' is also true here. It's not to be 'seen' but to dress appropriate for the people attending the event.<br />
<br />
I find the most interesting difference in dress being between the 2 churches I've attended. Catholic and Pentecostal. Catholics were very modest and having almost no print even evident in most of the outfits, while the Pentecostal was much more colorful and patterned. Leg and arms could be shown at either, but cleavage and exposed shoulders were almost none. Scarves and light jackets covered any straps and bodices that may have been too revealing.<br />
<br />
<b>Very very welcoming</b>: My initial host families (CBT and at site) in Senegal did not fit this idea, but the other families that adopted me in Senegal very much did. I have never been so well cared for by people that hardly know me. Strangers take you in to their house and you are immediately part of their families. It's pretty cool. Senegal and Grenada both have this down. People here are really quite fun and welcoming and are very tolerant of 'new' people. Even my land-lady/host mom's Catholic church 'claims' me as I've attended a few times and very much enjoy chatting with the congregation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6yxXVCeMDQQ/VX8sUepTJWI/AAAAAAAACjo/RzprXZfyLKU/s1600/IMG_0403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6yxXVCeMDQQ/VX8sUepTJWI/AAAAAAAACjo/RzprXZfyLKU/s320/IMG_0403.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catholic Church in Grenada</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Overall, I've been very happy and living here has been 'easy' on many accounts and this I'm very grateful and blessed.<br />
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M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-34035417820084256742015-06-07T19:15:00.000-05:002015-06-07T19:15:02.655-05:00Grenada: Two Months<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wished I would have written sooner, but I've been busy in good ways and this has given me time to collect my thoughts about this place, people, idea, job and how to talk about being here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar cane fields in the north west of the island</td></tr>
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<br />
First of all, it's beautiful, people are awesome, and the food (lush in fruits and vegetables) is so good and great season variety I feel spoiled. Making a transition from West Africa to here has been easy as I live in the center, also refereed to as the "country" (as apposed to "town"), around people who may work locally in fields, gardens, or groves of nutmeg and cocoa. There is also a few dialects to get used to. Proper English (as I speak it), 'town' English (as someone who went to school but may not speak it as proper as a American or European), 'country' (which has more slang and creole dialect in it) and 'bush' (I can understand what they say, but usually takes it a while to register) An example of 'bush' or 'dialect' would be: Wa go? or What's going? and the answer would be Ay (ah) dey or I'm there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from across from my house waiting for the bus into 'town'</td></tr>
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<br />
Very simplified but reminds me of the greetings in Senegal. Nanga def? or What do you do? and replied with Mangi fi or I'm here.<br />
<br />
The sociocultural atmosphere here is very interesting. The island having so many 'invaders'/'conquers' and others on the island makes it very tolerant of 'other' cultures and religions. There are 5 churches in my town of 2000 people, all of them full on Sundays from the area. But I have seen 4+ more religions represented on the island. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQzRSrleE-Y/VXTY_0OXewI/AAAAAAAACiM/D_8HRfAYQQM/s1600/IMG_0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQzRSrleE-Y/VXTY_0OXewI/AAAAAAAACiM/D_8HRfAYQQM/s320/IMG_0340.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Money! Or the Easter Caribbean dollar 1 EC ~ $.37 or 2.7EC ~ $1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Politics are a whole other ball of wax that I am very slowly learning here. Many people will simply say it's a yellow/green issue, referring to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Grenada" target="_blank">current major 2 parties, liberal National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the conservative New National Party (NNP)</a>. This is only complicated by old held beliefs from the Revolution/Coup/Invasion/Hurricanes. Each having influence on the current state but also hard lines are formed by each that are not obvious but are many sides of each depending upon who you talk to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-04H7Ithmp_U/VXTLgW6zlZI/AAAAAAAAChk/To0-1juXN68/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-04H7Ithmp_U/VXTLgW6zlZI/AAAAAAAAChk/To0-1juXN68/s320/IMG_0669.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YoWsRh_MMBg/VXTYcRZwS8I/AAAAAAAACh0/SpI2cYHE45Y/s1600/IMG_0362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Grand Anse, one of the best beaches in the world</td></tr>
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But alas I do live on a island. Not any island 'the spice island'. It is quite lovely here not only with many great beaches, but also chocolate, alcohol-namely rum, many fresh fruits and vegetables (that from what I see are organic), and lovely fish and sea food. I can easily see how many of the challenges of the island are looked past or not easily seen by visitors. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vd-jNSFfsD4/VXTLDpTUJkI/AAAAAAAAChU/1AXCOIydkPw/s1600/IMG_0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="86" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vd-jNSFfsD4/VXTLDpTUJkI/AAAAAAAAChU/1AXCOIydkPw/s400/IMG_0527.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Anse again</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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My job as a beekeeper trainer and specialist allows me to travel around the island as needed to work with beekeepers, and I have a small office in Grenville, on the east side of the island. 15 minutes by bus from my house.<br />
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I happen to live in the center of the island, which is wonderfully cold due to being at 300 feet from sea level and surrounded by hills and lush forests. The over casts days bring light rain showers in the mornings and afternoons to cool off the 80+ degrees. On the coasts the humidity and direct sun make it feel much warmer, easily sweating through clothing. While here in the center I hardly break a sweat, and if so, I have a river a short walk behind my house that people sit in to cool off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WsodogBN-i4/VXTYlxHeOKI/AAAAAAAACiE/ZaLsuflBEo8/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WsodogBN-i4/VXTYlxHeOKI/AAAAAAAACiE/ZaLsuflBEo8/s320/IMG_0386.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 'host' family, my landlady and her 2 kids who live upstairs</td></tr>
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Sadly with living in a more developed country with cable tv, internet and other modern conveniences (I have a washing machine, fridge, stove, fan) does not allow people to interact throughout the day as much. So to help with this and living in my community but working someplace else, I attend church. Out of the 5 churches, I have attended 2, but have plans to attend a 3rd hopefully soon. This lets the community get to know me, see me, interact with me. The largest church is also attended by my landlady who is also very active in the church. In the past 2 months there have been many social events, fund-raisers and funerals to attend. Also many of this congregation I have seen on a regular basis outside of church. They know where I work, have offered me rides into town, and generally check up on me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y51NMI73RJg/VXTZ4ZjutII/AAAAAAAACik/F2aceeToopU/s1600/IMG_0401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y51NMI73RJg/VXTZ4ZjutII/AAAAAAAACik/F2aceeToopU/s320/IMG_0401.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catholic Church, renovated after Ivan in </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wecvlw0a0SY/VXTZapjB5BI/AAAAAAAACiU/skrkhSYvJsU/s1600/IMG_0403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wecvlw0a0SY/VXTZapjB5BI/AAAAAAAACiU/skrkhSYvJsU/s320/IMG_0403.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior view</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Live band that plays along with the choir</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Overall, I'm very happy and busy which makes it nice to be here. But I always feel like I want more time to do things. Relax, explore, read, work. There are 13 holidays, making 1 sometimes 2 a month, along with other social events that cut out part of the week. There is never a lack of something 'to do' here.<br />
<br />
Current volunteers on the island are teachers working with 1-3rd graders and have a very hard job. They spend much of their time in their communities and at the schools they work, typically walking distance from their houses. Even with a small island (12 miles by 22 miles) it is still sometimes difficult to get together. I have met all of the volunteers but planning events are sometimes seemingly impossible due to logistics (buses only run until 8-9pm to certain parts of the island and not on Sundays).<br />
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As I hope to continue to write about the island and my work, I am also on instagram @mayhemmadness5 to follow pictures more often.</div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-76583421544630245342015-04-11T17:42:00.000-05:002015-04-11T17:42:27.677-05:00And I'm leaving...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
tomorrow on a (red eye) jet plane. Something is very scary about leaving for a year (or more of your life). I packed a week ago but of course the last little bits take up more space than I dedicated for them. Luckily (or not) we are allowed 2 checked bags, and I'm using it all of it. My bags are light, but just have lots of volume due to needing both work and nice clothes and I packed some food. Within a short time I won't own as much.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OP4t1N8Z0Bw/VSmgU8iE49I/AAAAAAAACdg/VEVXraI3k40/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OP4t1N8Z0Bw/VSmgU8iE49I/AAAAAAAACdg/VEVXraI3k40/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yes that is 4 bags, 2 check, 2 carry on</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I hoped to pack less this time around, since I've done this before and it's only for a year. But the need for 'stuff' is sad but true. I can cope, but 'less' is always something I strive for now in life. To lighten myself enough to travel more freely through this world. To carry experiences rather than 'stuff'<br />
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<br />
Also I took an 8-day road trip a 2 weeks before I'm due to leave, the <a href="http://mspfilm.org/festivals/mspiff-2015/" target="_blank">Minneapolis International Film Festival</a> is going on, the <a href="https://www.awpwriter.org/awp_conference/" target="_blank">Association of Writers & Writer's Programs</a> happens to be in town (along with <a href="http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/books/299262081.html" target="_blank">many free events</a>), HBO has a <a href="http://www.hbogo.com/" target="_blank">new app</a> (free for the 1st month) and I've been dying to watch a few of their documentaries that I keep hearing about (namely "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/23/arts/television/review-its-me-hilary-documentary-spotlights-eloises-illustrator.html" target="_blank">It's Me Hilary: The Man who Drew Eloise</a>", "112 Weddings" and "Going Clear: Scientology"). Everything fun happens to happen all at once. Oh and I have a stack of books I would love to read before I leave but that's not going to happen either. :(<br />
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I'm sorry that the photos that I will most likely share in the next year will give you some emotion along of "I want to be there" to "I am jealous of this person's life" PLEASE DON'T BE. I know this is easier said than done. "Emotions are like clouds, if you wait a few moments they will pass" I don't like the idea of jealous towards me or my work. Everyone has an interesting life, regardless of where you are. Everyone has a story to tell.<br />
<br />
My goal is to “Document the moments you feel most in love with yourself - what you’re
wearing, who you’re around, what you’re doing. Recreate and repeat." - <i>Warsan Shire</i> with the photos I will try to take for the next year. <br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6J3XOw1G-AA/VSlz9vSIjII/AAAAAAAACcs/x51N1BPx5z4/s1600/tumblr_lw73pySYmh1r0b5iro1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6J3XOw1G-AA/VSlz9vSIjII/AAAAAAAACcs/x51N1BPx5z4/s1600/tumblr_lw73pySYmh1r0b5iro1_500.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></div>
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But honestly, thank you for all the well wishes, blessings, prayers, thoughts, visits, emails, notes, lunches, dinners, drinks, love sent from afar and hugs! I am very blessed to be doing what I do and can not wait to see what's going to happen!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FTK9dVY_G00/VSmgU25FMdI/AAAAAAAACdc/HqehVkZ--CY/s1600/IMG_0309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FTK9dVY_G00/VSmgU25FMdI/AAAAAAAACdc/HqehVkZ--CY/s1600/IMG_0309.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My view from where I stayed in Minneapolis</td></tr>
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<br />
My mailing address (and is also under the contact tab)<br />
<br />
M Wannarka<br />
Peace Corps Grenada<br />
Upper Lucas St. and Lowther's Lane<br />
P.O. Box 766<br />
St. George's, West Indies<br />
Grenada </div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-66160376050543264212015-03-29T19:53:00.001-05:002015-03-29T19:53:50.070-05:00And So It Starts Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So much excitement, anxiety, and a little fear. On April 12, early in the morning I'll be finally heading to Grenada. I say finally as I applied for this position back in September when I was still in Senegal contemplating quitting for various reasons. When I found out then in October, not only could I not believe it, I was crazy ecstatic. I'm sure other volunteers hated me at the time.<br />
<br />
I was then due to leave early February. Once home I needed to take care of some medical things that could have been taken care of in country, but I was too close to being done in November. Due to this, my leave date was pushed out until April. Making it <b>SIX </b>months that I have know that I am going but can do nothing but sit wait, schedule appointments, go to appointments, get paper work, send paper work and wait for what to do next.<br />
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Gladly having this be my second time with Peace Corps it will be easier in so many ways. I've been emailing volunteers, expats working on the island and others there already to get an idea of what to bring, what I can buy and to get a feel for what to expect. But that is the fun about it-everyday is fun, challenging, unexpected and new. At least it was in Senegal.<br />
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As my friends who like lists, some things why Grenada will be easier than Senegal and what I know I can expect:<br />
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<b>It's a tropical island</b>: Already a huge difference there from the wide ranging geography of Senegal from dessert in the north, strip of vegetation at the coastline and mangrove estuaries to lush low lands in the south and mountainous in the very south eastern corner. The island is about 22 miles long by 12 miles, with<br />
<br />
"The Island Mountains boast a high point of over 2,750 feet, atop Mount
St. Catherine, and a variety of plant life, from dwarf forests,
rainforests and dry forests, to mangroves at the coast, supports a
diverse animal population. The reefs surrounding the island are
beautiful and fun to explore. Colorful tropical fish and other sea life
abound close to shore and are easily accessible to snorkelers and scuba
divers."<br />
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Basically I'll never be bored.<br />
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<b>My job is very specific</b>: My position is working as beekeeping specialist/trainer with a beekeeping association that I will live close to. The association has roughly 40 members. As I have a job description it is a loose idea, as the island has youth development and education volunteers.I'm sure as I'm there my job will be what it needs to be at the time.
Documenting what I do is already part of a volunteers reporting process. I will be the first agriculture volunteer, but there are many NGO's (Non-government organizations) on the island and are very involved in many projects. Something I need to be aware of is who is doing what and making sure not to step on toes or put my foot in my mouth. Sadly a year is a short time in bee calender, so I'm hoping to stay longer. The islands are known to have 4th year education volunteers. (who wouldn't want to stay there?!)<br />
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<b>I'll be in the bush, but one with electricity & running water</b>: I could still do without either of these on a tropical island but it is nice to have them and not have to worry about bringing/creating/storing these resources. I'll be living in Birch Grove, dead center of the island and next to the Grand Etang National Park. Hopefully I will have a view of the ocean. Also living not on the coast should also help for having a somewhat lower mosquito population.<br />
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<br /><iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3901.019582541325!2d-61.668009199999965!3d12.110811850000005!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x8c3818467bf03339%3A0xc825c703bb843050!2sBirch+Grove%2C+Grenada!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1427675765644" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe> </div>
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<b>Not the only white person for miles</b>: This is good and bad. It was nice to be 'special' in Senegal, but also being the only white person just allows them to point you out even more. There is a medical school on the island long with many other expats. Many of the you tube videos I've seen of the island is mostly of white people. Hopefully Grenadians are just as welcoming as Senegalese and take care of me just as well.<br />
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<b>We speak the same language</b>:English is the main language in Grenada and some people speak Creole but it's different than Haitian creole. I'm sure I'll learn some but it will be nice to speak to everyone from the get go and not feel like I'm making an idiot of myself due to my lack of knowledge with language.<br />
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<b>People will visit me</b>:Senegal was hot, complicated and not the easiest place to travel internationally. As for Grenada, you don't need a visa, just a passport and a return ticket. There is a large mosquito population but they do not have malaria just <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/" target="_blank">Chikungunya</a>. It's a virus without a vaccine or preventative medication. Like dengue fever, you have flu like symptoms for a week and then have body aches for a month. Seems like everyone gets it and nothing you'd want to get on vacation. Once you have it you never get it again. Lots of bug spray and keep covered helps. Otherwise the island is a wonderful place to visit.<br />
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I'm sure there are other things, but this is a pretty good list considering it's enough to make my simple life much, much easier. Looking forward to getting there, settled and start exploring and working.<br />
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My address has already been updated on the contact tab and I'll make sure to continue to blog about my work and life there too. Just don't get mad when I post images of a tropical paradise everyday. :)<br />
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As always thank you for reading!! </div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-82921573480473266182015-03-04T14:49:00.002-06:002015-06-10T18:02:05.302-05:00Bees wax and Honey Product Tourney in Kolda<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</xml><![endif]-->This happened back in June of 2014. After traveling to Gambia for bee training, Jessica, an Agro-forestry volunteer who is from the southern region of Kolda decided to organize a tourney training. Which is a series of trainings, usually the exact training repeated, to various villages; usually villages that also have a volunteer to help coordinate people and sometimes food for us. Jessica and I had both attended the conference in Gambia. Jessica's region is more lush with higher rainfall and known for beekeeping and honey. <br />
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<span class="fbphotocaptiontext">So in June 2014 I traveled to Tambacounda to
start a week long tourney or series of trainings. We biked over 150 km in one week, got to see so many
volunteers, (which was a blast) and then spent a day traveling back to my part
of Senegal-literally 17 hours of travel in one day. It was fun and Kolda knows
how to make cake and avocados!!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hk2GSTKz2RE/VEYkIuLKIxI/AAAAAAAACI0/vXXwEChXRps/s1600/Kolda%2Bmap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hk2GSTKz2RE/VEYkIuLKIxI/AAAAAAAACI0/vXXwEChXRps/s1600/Kolda%2Bmap.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toubacouta (near where I live) is on the far left and the first pin on the right is where we started</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span class="fbphotocaptiontext">"Agfo Jessica Moore and Megan Wannarka traveled
through the Kolda region June 18-23 training on using bees wax and honey for
making soap, body creme and lip balm through 5 villages from Tambacounda to
Kolda"-Blurb on PC Senegal's website </span><br />
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<span class="fbphotocaptiontext">I had a lovely time and fully
enjoyed not speaking or hearing barely any wolof for a week since I was in Pulaar land. This southern part of the country identifies as being in Guinea since most of it's goods come from there rather than Dakar, which is also 15+ hours away. So when asked where I was from, saying the Fatick region didn't help. Most volunteers I was with, just said I was from Dakar to simply and what the people there understood.</span><br />
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<span class="fbphotocaptiontext">TUESDAY 6/17/14 First I traveled with my bike (tied down to the top of a car) and traveled to Tambacounda. I think it's the hottest part of the country (farthest right pin on the map) From there I met up with Jess and traveled to Veligara to see an Urban Ag volunteer, Jordan and stayed with her for the night.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Jordan's hut, Jordan on the left and Jess on the right.</td></tr>
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WENDESDAY 6/18/14 The next morning we stayed until lunch and headed south 15km (9.3 mi) to visit Callen and then later meet Danny and go to his village near by to do a training.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View riding into Callen's village.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First stop in Saricoli with Callen and her little!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan soon arrived, with a sweaty dramatic entrance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes the roof over hangs that much and you have to duck to get in. Jess & Callen in front of Callen's hut</td></tr>
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We were soon on a village tour. For a village of 850 people and 15 km from a semi-large city of Veligara, Saricoli is strangely well put together with a water tower, grain storage, a small hospital and a Peace Corps volunteer!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water tower in the background</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went to the top of a 2 story house for the wonderful view. Callen, Dan and Jess</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back to the huts to grab bikes to head to Dan's village.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a few kilometers away is a Master Farm and Dan's village of Fola Nory Demba where we would do our first training.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Farmer's son pulling water-typical thing we all see and do in village daily</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But there are many bees around this one wanting some water!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan turning a mob of kids into polite little ones by greeting every one of them, this took a few minutes)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And once they were calm and I was already taking pictures, group picture was needed AND all of them needing to see it on my camera after.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking back into the village</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan's backyard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cSI3JfnHb7c/VMp9VRNNBeI/AAAAAAAACQg/qLS5wj0C5R4/s1600/100_2332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cSI3JfnHb7c/VMp9VRNNBeI/AAAAAAAACQg/qLS5wj0C5R4/s1600/100_2332.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Tostan sign, a NGO from Theis that works throughout West Africa on female genital cutting among other topics.</td></tr>
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Once in the village and put our bikes in Dan's backyard and getting a tour of his village we make snacks, pulled water for showers and chatted. Soon the rain came. Rain in this region is different that what I got farther north. Once the rain started you literally had minutes until it poured. It rarely poured where I was and typically started as a light sprinkle. <br />
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THURSDAY 6/19/14 The next morning we got set up to do our first training. We went to a neighbor's compound, layed out some mats, our supplies and started building a small fire as people showed up and greeted each other. Since I don't speak Pulaar, Jessica had the honor of leading the trainings while Dan and I assisted.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica greeting the group</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the group</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing samples of what we were going to make.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting the process of making soap</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stirling to get 'trace' so we can pour it in molds, we just used cups</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the variety of people who showed up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica finishing the training and asking someone to pass out samples of what we had made.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LUNCH.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Traveling in another region is so much fun as not only do you get to see volunteers we rarely get to see but also eat food that is only in certain regions. Like above. It's rice or mainly fonio, with ground peanuts, and a leaf sauce on top. I have something similar in my village, but it would be eaten for breakfast and be considered 'cheap'. While this is primarily lunch here and more tasty than what I have. <br />
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After we headed back to <span class="fbphotocaptiontext">Veligara to stay another night with Jordan. Once we found her near the market we found avocados for dinner/snacks</span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jly4jVL4zYU/VMp9aAV1E8I/AAAAAAAACRw/k-LfulNCc30/s1600/100_2380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jly4jVL4zYU/VMp9aAV1E8I/AAAAAAAACRw/k-LfulNCc30/s1600/100_2380.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jess and Jordan walking towards the market</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jordan finding some mangoes in the foreground with a few avocados on a plate in the background<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">FRIDAY 6/20/14 We had an early morning 5:30 AM to make it up to Manda Village where Becca would be with her village. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice paved roads for a change</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5d-c6nccJVo/VMqBG_U3jTI/AAAAAAAACSc/MuDKs-swUnQ/s1600/100_2395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5d-c6nccJVo/VMqBG_U3jTI/AAAAAAAACSc/MuDKs-swUnQ/s1600/100_2395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey house we passed on the way to Manda Vilage</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the scenery starts to change to lush</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Becca's compound</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I have to say through this experience I've learned that each village has it's own character that you can almost feel as soon as you are there. Becca's village was the first realization how different this region of Senegal is. As soon as we arrived Becca's host family took our bikes from us, greeted us, and lead us in the shade with water for us to drink. So lovely and welcoming!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Becca's awning that I fell in love with because of the flowers, also not very common around there, but wish it was. (Becca is on the left)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical breakfast porriage</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g7rZF2kcfBM/VMqBJhmelAI/AAAAAAAACTI/HBB6-wxh1zk/s1600/100_2416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g7rZF2kcfBM/VMqBJhmelAI/AAAAAAAACTI/HBB6-wxh1zk/s1600/100_2416.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Becca's backyard with personal mango tree!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6gCm6mkQaeQ/VMqBKVoZGVI/AAAAAAAACTU/7ikqtFvqVrE/s1600/100_2420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6gCm6mkQaeQ/VMqBKVoZGVI/AAAAAAAACTU/7ikqtFvqVrE/s1600/100_2420.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden area where training would be held.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Certificates!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pRxemMlF3Ck/VMqBLByX4GI/AAAAAAAACTc/OERDo2UR-78/s1600/100_2422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pRxemMlF3Ck/VMqBLByX4GI/AAAAAAAACTc/OERDo2UR-78/s1600/100_2422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T7I93wVJaFI/VMqBL9bfeII/AAAAAAAACTs/_70cEj7GUJA/s1600/100_2423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T7I93wVJaFI/VMqBL9bfeII/AAAAAAAACTs/_70cEj7GUJA/s1600/100_2423.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another volunteer Carson that lived near by also stopped by to attend the training</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkIxETm-Qwc/VMqBMrb3zvI/AAAAAAAACT0/x-85YFI7S3A/s1600/100_2425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkIxETm-Qwc/VMqBMrb3zvI/AAAAAAAACT0/x-85YFI7S3A/s1600/100_2425.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group before we got started. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mbLCLJ83G3s/VMqBNXbZRTI/AAAAAAAACT8/q7gDk1FBs20/s1600/100_2426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mbLCLJ83G3s/VMqBNXbZRTI/AAAAAAAACT8/q7gDk1FBs20/s1600/100_2426.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jess doing her thing in Pulaar.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whole group under mangos about half way done with training.</td></tr>
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We later had a light lunch and waited till it was a little cooler as we finished around noon. Attaya (sweet tea) and naps while I continued to talk bees. This group loved picking my brain. The beekeepers here are very knowing and I would have loved to spend more time working them as they seemed very organized.<br />
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On the way back we started to make the 20km bike ride back to Velingara, drop a bike off and then take a car to Kinkani where volunteer Allie was. This did not happen we were tired and there were no cars to be had, along with Jess's bike needed some maintenance making it hard to pedal.<br />
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We started looking for cars to take us the rest of the way. Problem was it was political season and cars of all kinds were being used with loud speakers to advertise. So when a large transport truck got near we flagged it down instead!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super glad to be in the back to a truck, with bikes, and only had charcoal in it previously.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very empty truck except for us.</td></tr>
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We made it back by 7:30pm which means we had to move quick to get into another car before it was completely dark out. We grabbed a car and were at Allie's at 9:50pm. Sadly I did not take any pictures of her compound, HUGE circular hut, her OR her family, but we slept well with more rain that came that night.<br />
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SATURDAY 6/21/14 We were up at 7am and had breakfast in the garage before walking and meeting the Agforestry Peace Corps boss Demba gave us a lift to Dabo, where we met a Community Economic Development volunteer Alisha. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alisha outside of her circular hut with a long over hanging roof</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand roof except for when having a conversation with your host grandmother</td></tr>
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2 hour pedal into the country to Fode Byoe to see agriculture volunteer Amanda.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More lush next to dirt rodes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica pedaling through a small forest on our way to Fode Byoe.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very large baobob out the edge of town</td></tr>
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This town is Mandinka, which is unusal for this area. This became very obvious when everything that was said needed to be translated sometimes twice. In Senegal, where 10% of people are literate this may happen when people do not speak the same language and typically Senegalese will speak up to 5 languages and sometimes only 1.<br />
<br />
I wasn't sure if this was okay as much is lost in translation. But I guess this is how things are done here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group assembled for our training around 11:30am</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better view of the group</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda sitting watching out training</td></tr>
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Training went well, but I think the translation was a problem. We asked a series of questions at the end of the training to see how much information was retained. No one got the questions right. There were also many children running around, a few people came and left causing the attention span to wane.<br />
<br />
This entire week was a learning experience of how important it is that volunteers are here and how well they know their village, but also how they compare and contrast to the region. Knowing what works better, how better to teach, learn, share knowledge with these people as it's sometimes not as straight forward as one would think. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish balls with sauce over rice for lunch!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Each village was not asked to do lunch for the group or for us as it causes too many people to come to training only for food than for information. Each volunteer simply had their family make us a nice lunch, typically what they would have normally but maybe what they would make for guests.<br />
<br />
I loved seeing the variety of food, huts, volunteers, villages through this region. My region of Fatick was not as varied like this from what I've seen and traveled.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HSPIf5ZQt80/VPddsMLRapI/AAAAAAAACXE/f_EONuLT3oI/s1600/100_2466%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HSPIf5ZQt80/VPddsMLRapI/AAAAAAAACXE/f_EONuLT3oI/s1600/100_2466%2B(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right, Me, Laran, Amanda, Jessica Cho, Jessica Moore. It was very hot by the time training was done.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Around 3pm we headed back out to the main road to catch a car. Again we had trouble finding a car, it was hot, so we wanted to wait and get a car if we could but that wasn't the case. We started to pedal.<br />
<br />
It was hilly on the way there but sadly it was more going up hill on the way back. We had a large town we'd pass on the way back but unfortunately no cars going the way we were or that were able to transport bikes. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XRCxsljeQhM/VPddtSprbAI/AAAAAAAACXY/-5GzxanvpK4/s1600/100_2470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XRCxsljeQhM/VPddtSprbAI/AAAAAAAACXY/-5GzxanvpK4/s1600/100_2470.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lush low part near Dabo</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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SUNDAY 6/22/14 We made it back to Kolda and took a day off to relax, rest, enjoy some shade, showers and email.<br />
<br />
MONDAY 6/23/14 Our last training was held in Kolda city, with another community economic development volunteer, Steph. Her host mom is a bad-ass when it comes to business, which is not said lightly in the least. We had a wonderful turn out. I took pictures of each step. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jess getting set up. Since she speaks pulaar it's easier for her to ask for things.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished samples of hand cream (left) and lip gloss (right)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soap hardening in cups</td></tr>
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Because the group of women we had only a few of them did not understand
Pulaar so instead they asked if the training could be done in Wolof. So I
trained and explained to this group, which was fun!<br />
<br />
Steph also explained some marketing strategies to the group. This group was by far the most promising to work with. They asked questions along they way, were taking notes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steph adding marketing details to our presentation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nSccy0thIIU/VPddwralGII/AAAAAAAACYI/-qdIQGtn3vo/s1600/100_2503%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nSccy0thIIU/VPddwralGII/AAAAAAAACYI/-qdIQGtn3vo/s1600/100_2503%2B(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final group with certificates, sadly I wish we would have done this for each group. </td></tr>
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</xml><![endif]-->Overall, it was a very tiring but great week. My region does not do training tourneys like this but I like the format and it makes a lot of sense when you have volunteers in a region to do a training that would work in so many places. Also having a volunteer there gives them a resource if they decide to try to do it themselves.<br />
<br />
I will be following up with these volunteers this week as doing this is seasonal as they would need honey and wax to make these products. It takes some consideration on the beginning to get something like this going. But if they want to do it, they can.<br />
<br />
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M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-60983171255979900602015-01-12T12:13:00.001-06:002015-01-29T12:23:38.102-06:00West African Trainers of Trainers Conference in Banjul, Gambia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->This happened back in February 3-8 2014 and I wrote about it on Facebook, but now once getting home, being able to relax and go through some of the notes I took from this and other events that happened in the last year. I killed not one but TWO laptops so my writing sadly lessened due to that.<br />
<br />
I hope to write on a regular basis and about the events in the last year as well.<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext">Spending a week in Gambia
West Africa to attend the West African Bee Conference. </span><br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r5U4IVjtfNA/VLQEj1cmW6I/AAAAAAAACNY/QBlLco0Rbwk/s1600/SAM_1441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r5U4IVjtfNA/VLQEj1cmW6I/AAAAAAAACNY/QBlLco0Rbwk/s1600/SAM_1441.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="fbphotocaptiontext">Abuko Nature Reserve</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MyG-4vUCmbg/VLQFwlyUg3I/AAAAAAAACOM/fAvNdZ883r8/s1600/SAM_1463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MyG-4vUCmbg/VLQFwlyUg3I/AAAAAAAACOM/fAvNdZ883r8/s1600/SAM_1463.JPG" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Beekeeper Saikou and one of the boubobs on his land that is a home to many hives</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BQr2kiWF4qc/VLQFxUReF-I/AAAAAAAACOU/MGnh2qHRH64/s1600/SAM_1472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BQr2kiWF4qc/VLQFxUReF-I/AAAAAAAACOU/MGnh2qHRH64/s1600/SAM_1472.JPG" height="320" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Silk Cotton Tree (Ceiba pentadra) are locally known as bee trees as a tree will have many swarms in it</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext">Traveling from my village,
Keur Mallick Fady (see map below), just over the boarder going to Banjul. Staying in Serrekunda
and then traveling a few times during the week daily to BeeCause in Lamin. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TeKWPrHPXlg/VKQrK3RtnpI/AAAAAAAACK4/QqEyrJC51WM/s1600/Gambia%2BFeburary%2B2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TeKWPrHPXlg/VKQrK3RtnpI/AAAAAAAACK4/QqEyrJC51WM/s1600/Gambia%2BFeburary%2B2014.jpg" height="331" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
First day was presentations and getting to know everyone from the 6 West African countries represented with Peace Corps volunteers and staff. Looking back at this, it was so great to meet a few volunteers from these countries, as in-service we very rarely come in contact with them. A few months after many of these volunteers were sent home due to Ebola outbreaks. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6tKNRAOgqBw/VLQBfYqqOXI/AAAAAAAACL0/DQnkdt9Kjyg/s1600/Picture%2B011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6tKNRAOgqBw/VLQBfYqqOXI/AAAAAAAACL0/DQnkdt9Kjyg/s1600/Picture%2B011.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1je9powYZBA/VLQBeulnMzI/AAAAAAAACLw/UJdnTccfUmk/s1600/Picture%2B016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1je9powYZBA/VLQBeulnMzI/AAAAAAAACLw/UJdnTccfUmk/s1600/Picture%2B016.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fOoENsxnBW0/VLQBfvHQEzI/AAAAAAAACL8/hPOm3AbUiKs/s1600/Picture%2B012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fOoENsxnBW0/VLQBfvHQEzI/AAAAAAAACL8/hPOm3AbUiKs/s1600/Picture%2B012.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext">Once acquainted with the various West African
countries experience & examples seen we traveled daily to <a href="http://africabeecause.org/" target="_blank">Bee Cause</a>, a local non-profit that works very closely with locals to improve beekeeping skills, techniques and improves honey and wax quality throughout Gambia. A stunning place that used to be a music camp set in Lamin where we did our
hands-on training. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95oH5QSa1uE/VCb-iF-RYWI/AAAAAAAACC0/KCxRICIJpOg/s1600/Picture%2B204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95oH5QSa1uE/VCb-iF-RYWI/AAAAAAAACC0/KCxRICIJpOg/s1600/Picture%2B204.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A_1xTkxrzt4/VLQC-VHcptI/AAAAAAAACMQ/CVaK_L0GM0c/s1600/SAM_1295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A_1xTkxrzt4/VLQC-VHcptI/AAAAAAAACMQ/CVaK_L0GM0c/s1600/SAM_1295.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the gate the compound just inside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3v6CQgRow_Y/VLQC9mKXc7I/AAAAAAAACMI/qfTmz2AAHpA/s1600/SAM_1298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3v6CQgRow_Y/VLQC9mKXc7I/AAAAAAAACMI/qfTmz2AAHpA/s1600/SAM_1298.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The unusual round style huts with layered bricks reminded me of comb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EkJmDW-XM8U/VLQC-3wNozI/AAAAAAAACMU/6jLySMLtGd8/s1600/SAM_1302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EkJmDW-XM8U/VLQC-3wNozI/AAAAAAAACMU/6jLySMLtGd8/s1600/SAM_1302.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lush area around us with lots of palms, ferns and trees with hives in between</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext">We saw examples of Kenyan Top Bars, Cement and other text
hives; went over apiary management and calender; made catcher/swarm and baited boxes,
worked a few hives at dusk, learned about melting and cleaning wax, making
candles, honey harvesting techniques, as well as honey quality and had a honey
tasting. Very throughout training for many first time beekeepers!</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9K_ya4MKiBM/VLQDo3yJjJI/AAAAAAAACMo/E5DfQTZ1SZc/s1600/Picture%2B029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9K_ya4MKiBM/VLQDo3yJjJI/AAAAAAAACMo/E5DfQTZ1SZc/s1600/Picture%2B029.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical wooden KTB, Kenyan Top Bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JkYczlQN0gA/VLQDoPpZA0I/AAAAAAAACMg/S9XUuTTSIlU/s1600/Picture%2B048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JkYczlQN0gA/VLQDoPpZA0I/AAAAAAAACMg/S9XUuTTSIlU/s1600/Picture%2B048.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking at a wooden small capture hive 5m+ in a Kapok tree, baited and waiting for bees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33FwJcHE8zo/VLQDpO9E0_I/AAAAAAAACMs/oqGzSa8iv9g/s1600/SAM_1312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33FwJcHE8zo/VLQDpO9E0_I/AAAAAAAACMs/oqGzSa8iv9g/s1600/SAM_1312.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hallowed Palm trunk used as a hive, a bit deep though.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Go6707A18M/VLQDqEx3UlI/AAAAAAAACM4/4jbqntvs03s/s1600/SAM_1338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Go6707A18M/VLQDqEx3UlI/AAAAAAAACM4/4jbqntvs03s/s1600/SAM_1338.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Similar cement to Vautier hives</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext">We also visited the Darwin Field Station in the
Abuko Nature Reserve with who BeeCause had started to work with. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KgMRdbfjsPI/VLQEgxpebqI/AAAAAAAACNA/5eZOYx_WKwY/s1600/SAM_1424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KgMRdbfjsPI/VLQEgxpebqI/AAAAAAAACNA/5eZOYx_WKwY/s1600/SAM_1424.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Reserve that has been very well taken care of and wish we would have spent more time here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PA_3afKpf4c/VLQEieRpB8I/AAAAAAAACNI/2GXsmuQNUpE/s1600/SAM_1426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PA_3afKpf4c/VLQEieRpB8I/AAAAAAAACNI/2GXsmuQNUpE/s1600/SAM_1426.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking back into the field station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x43vxqMk9nQ/VLQEi_VpAHI/AAAAAAAACNQ/DKKdY4oxtp0/s1600/SAM_1431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x43vxqMk9nQ/VLQEi_VpAHI/AAAAAAAACNQ/DKKdY4oxtp0/s1600/SAM_1431.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Variety of scenery!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r5U4IVjtfNA/VLQEj1cmW6I/AAAAAAAACNY/QBlLco0Rbwk/s1600/SAM_1441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r5U4IVjtfNA/VLQEj1cmW6I/AAAAAAAACNY/QBlLco0Rbwk/s1600/SAM_1441.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were told not to go too close as there were crocs in the water</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fLwYi3ZIlrQ/VLQFDZ-ifcI/AAAAAAAACNg/EQ6BD7sycUw/s1600/The%2Bgroup%2Bof%2Bus%2Bat%2Bthe%2BDarwin%2BField%2BStation%2Bin%2BAbuko%2BNature%2BReserve%2C%2BGambia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fLwYi3ZIlrQ/VLQFDZ-ifcI/AAAAAAAACNg/EQ6BD7sycUw/s1600/The%2Bgroup%2Bof%2Bus%2Bat%2Bthe%2BDarwin%2BField%2BStation%2Bin%2BAbuko%2BNature%2BReserve%2C%2BGambia.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All suited up to check capture hives and transfer them. Love this photo of the group!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="fbphotocaptiontext">And the highlight for me was visiting beekeepers
Saikou Nyassi, Salifu Jarju, and Bakary Manga in Bwiam and visited there
various apiaries (bee yards). The exposed nests and ground hive were quite
interesting. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ljZCKa0rQBo/VLQFVta6-VI/AAAAAAAACNw/DJ-Bc3YhBls/s1600/10470707_10104755737286290_2858428974353878415_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ljZCKa0rQBo/VLQFVta6-VI/AAAAAAAACNw/DJ-Bc3YhBls/s1600/10470707_10104755737286290_2858428974353878415_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteers Jessica, Darrin, Dodo, Me and <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Beekeeper Saikou. The </span></span>banner says<br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">"More frowning when you are working, and more smiling when you are eating!" in Jola</span></span><span class="fbPhotoTagList" id="fbPhotoSnowliftTagList"><span class="fcg"></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5XDum6Us67Q/VLQFwEMocfI/AAAAAAAACOI/1qC1x2nhh9g/s1600/2014-02-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5XDum6Us67Q/VLQFwEMocfI/AAAAAAAACOI/1qC1x2nhh9g/s1600/2014-02-014.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ground hive that has been here for a few years!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LAkgfTRTQXg/VLQFtEC_YJI/AAAAAAAACN4/c0J8migdxSg/s1600/Honey%2BTastking%2BGamba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LAkgfTRTQXg/VLQFtEC_YJI/AAAAAAAACN4/c0J8migdxSg/s1600/Honey%2BTastking%2BGamba.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local Gambian beekeepers at a local market selling and explaining differences in honey quality and wax products </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TnbNaXkjpUw/VLQFyEkQCAI/AAAAAAAACOg/3Z6rZ1Y-akQ/s1600/SAM_1478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TnbNaXkjpUw/VLQFyEkQCAI/AAAAAAAACOg/3Z6rZ1Y-akQ/s1600/SAM_1478.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local traditional log hives that are used occasionally to bait swarms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are so many pictures! You can see more of them on my facebook album <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10104252906952310&type=1&l=16e901691b" target="_blank">here</a>. This trip was the highlight of my service by far! Some of the volunteers I met on this trip were from Liberia, Guinea and Cameroon which were later evacuated due to ebola. It has been nice to keep in touch with them and see what they are doing now and pass along potential jobs that have seen. Can not wait for the chance to go back and see everyone there!!!<br />
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M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-70396616285756088862014-12-16T17:16:00.001-06:002014-12-16T17:16:42.165-06:00Almost Done & Am<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>"It is that true real inspiration and growth only comes from adversity
and from challenge. Stepping away from what's comfortable and familiar
and stepping into the unknown, the edge." -TED talk Ben Saunders </b></h4>
I am close to about a month from being done with my work in Senegal. While talking to fellow volunteers we discussed how strange it was that we notice we have feelings that are similar to how we felt when we first coming to Senegal. Wanting more personal time and connect to America, read and finish up on personal and PC projects has become front and center as my time winds down here.<br />
<br />
Again thinking about the over all experience here strangely there are similarities between here and a few things I've read. I think they are kinda funny.<br />
<br />
"There enemies are hunger, ignorance, and disease ...serves humanities, inter and Americans." p.21 Making a Difference :Peace Corps at Twenty Five by <span class="author notFaded" data-width="">Milton Viorst</span><br />
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I don't know when I wrote above. My last months in village and in Senegal were too much. Too much of what I didn't know I missed and will miss. Too much love poured out of people who I got to spend 2 years with. Too much of volunteers that I also spent that time with, good or bad. Too much to be said but in too little time to say it all. Too much emotion to put accurately in to words. Too much that I wanted for myself and the people around me, there and now here.<br />
<br />
I've now been home for a month and until yesterday did not feel like writing. It was still too much. People that you thought you knew changed. I myself changed, but couldn't say exactly how. In the 2 years being gone, Minneapolis, my life, my friends, my people, have all changed. Mostly for the better I would like to think. But what has also changed is how I look at them.<br />
<br />
When you return home from being abroad, you have these crazy emotions that you can't quite understand and they come from NO WHERE. I haven't broke down crying at the grocery store, yet. But I have felt angry that some of my people don't share my same view point on the world, which makes me wonder if we ever did.<br />
<br />
Finding time to spend with people while I'm home has been fun and seeing them even better. And the most fun is seeing all my other, sometimes newer, friends who have been abroad while I was too. It's fun to compare thoughts on re-entry (I term I'm not sure I'm fond of yet)<br />
<br />
Slowly I'm sure my too much, won't feel like enough. As it slowly is as I crave more conversation with people, not just my friends, but new people, like I had in Senegal. Every day new, every day something you didn't and could have ever though you'd be doing. Not like America. Every one busy, nose stuck in their phones like it was an oxygen tank for their last breath.<br />
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WAKE UP.<br />
<br />
I know I can't make people see the things I've seen or share my experiences as richly as they ever were in person. Standing there with all the dust, heat, sweat, lovely smell of mango blossoms in the air as you just sit, because it's too hot to do anything else than sit and talk.<br />
<br />
Part of me is sorry, for this rant, for what I feel and how mad I get sometimes at people that are so connected to their machines, phones, time, next that they can see the person beside them, the possibility for learning, an adventure, a friend.<br />
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Then the other part of me is not. The other part sees this as 'The Matrix' or the movie 'Her' (both I highly recommend) and I want to go around somehow unplugging people, waking them up. But no matter how loud I scream or try to get their attention will they get it, understand and even start to believe it's possible.<br />
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So I do what I can. Try to be of service, do what I can with what I have, go where I'm asked and hopefully people will just ask. "Why?" I don't expect to every to jump on a bandwagon and want to do the same thing I do, not in the least. I just want people to open their eyes, hearts, and minds and realize there is no more to life than this, here, and now. Not tomorrow, not even in this next hour or minute. But now.<br />
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When I went to Senegal I hated to say "<a href="http://mussingsofmadness.blogspot.com/2013/12/oh-difference-year-makesor-not.html" target="_blank">Inchallah</a>", if God wills it. It made me think that nothing will get done. Soon after I realized it was for that. It was a reminder to stay present and whoever it is, God, Allah or the Universe, will take care of it.<br />
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M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-86880931915617569452014-10-20T17:30:00.001-05:002014-10-21T03:26:32.534-05:00Q & A's<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So as I finish my 3 last weeks in Senegal me and my fellow stage mates are writing final reports, cleaning and purging our belongings, planning for next steps and handing off keys to our huts to replacements if we have them for our villages.<br />
<br />
Below are some questions I'm sure people wonder about or have brought up in emails with me that I thought would be good to touch on.<br />
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<b>I love seeing your pictures of your life there, but you don't talk about the stories from your village, why?</b><br />
In this blog I have not spoken much directly about my village. I did this on purpose for many reasons. First of which is for my replacement if I have one. Reading someone's blog and trying to get a sense for a village (whether its my replacement or another one after-2nd & 3rd generation, typical villages have 4) is not really a good way to experience a place, people, work, and everything else that goes into it.<br />
<br />
Second, it's so hard to get a sense of the place, people, circumstance in which all this happened in a written story. These are the stories I will tell you if you ask me in person. You will have lots of questions and I will show you pictures. But nothing is every as simple as it is in written form.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OaAurRWT0gU/VET_v-55sYI/AAAAAAAACEI/1gXAvB_n-tM/s1600/100_2695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OaAurRWT0gU/VET_v-55sYI/AAAAAAAACEI/1gXAvB_n-tM/s1600/100_2695.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How about a photo of my dog instead??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>I wish you took more pictures of yourself there with people you know..</b><br />
I'm not here for vacation, I do live here. I don't need to have a photo moment everywhere and it also creates everyone around me asking for me to take there picture. Also most days here I'm dripping in sweat, am thin from simply trying to keep up with the people that live here and otherwise never really look great as I rarely have a large mirror to see myself in.<br />
<br />
I have taken a lot of photos here, but I am very conscience of what I post on my blog as some of these 'kids' now will grow up and if they happen to know my American name, find this blog, see themselves in a photo I took and could be upset with me, or try come find me for a ticket to golden America. I rather avoid all that. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KL65v9JhSYs/VEWMoHVSLXI/AAAAAAAACEs/84aFgzvnFSc/s1600/e844c98fc37444a9a9cbc43c3d5a81cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KL65v9JhSYs/VEWMoHVSLXI/AAAAAAAACEs/84aFgzvnFSc/s1600/e844c98fc37444a9a9cbc43c3d5a81cc.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>You always seem 'happy' or 'well' in your blog posts, you have bad days, right? </b><br />
Also I've tried to write when I'm not in a high or low emotional place. As volunteers in a new place with a small about of language ability and just the nature of Senegal (it seems), makes most simple things seem like climbing a mountain. Every dang day. Until they become easier. Until the shop owner complements you on your wolof because he understands everything you asked him for and doesn't require miming or pointing.<br />
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Along with not writing about some of the not so great things that happen here because they don't just happen here (i.e. ebola) people draw an uneducated mind toward these things and blow them out of proportion when it is what happens when you are not in the happy bubble that is America. Again I hate writing when I am mad as it seems like everything is bad because when you are upset that is how you feel. I try to remember who might read my blog in the future and write to that.<br />
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<b>You mention there are things you don't write about? Why?</b><br />
Sadly this is true. I hate this. I wrote a former blog post about <a href="http://mussingsofmadness.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-things-we-dont-talk-about.html" target="_blank">this</a>. Most of those things (i.e. cultural norms and taboos) are going to vary from place to place. The cultural frame in which sees these things will vary from person to person even if that person is from the culture. In many ways these are important topics but in others writing your frame of reference is only going to be interesting to people that have a similar background (as I would assume most of the readers of this blog are)<br />
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The 'other' things I don't talk about are similar to the things that we wouldn't in America pertaining to you job on this blog as this is about my work and life. So I can't bash my boss even when I think he isn't doing his job, or Peace Corps, even if I disagree with how they handle things. These are conversations to have in person, to be able to fully explain. If you truly love what you do to never complain about it, you my friend, have won the lottery. I'm moving closer to that, but until then, I feel complaining for complaining sake holds no weight. If you think talking about it will make a difference, by all means I will be the first to start screaming. (and I have when needed) But most of the time it doesn't. So save that strength to fight another day and move people by doing. Usually works faster anyways.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_XrcBVkPDbY/VEUBtKwSVGI/AAAAAAAACEU/DUqGVVdNKfY/s1600/IMG_4253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_XrcBVkPDbY/VEUBtKwSVGI/AAAAAAAACEU/DUqGVVdNKfY/s1600/IMG_4253.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite places to watch the sun set</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Have you ever thought of writing your memoir? Or write more?</b><br />
Yes! To both. I would love to write my memoir (I know, I might be a bit young) but it has passed my mind. I'm currently reading/researching doing so. And also am trying to write more and more about my experience here when I can or just the thoughts that I have about my experiences. I have always wondered if my writing DOES anything or CONNECTS to anyone, but the feed back (i.e. emails) I've gotten from people says they do. Long term plan is to eventually write about bees and the beekeepers I have met thus far and will meet when traveling.<br />
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Of course I will continue to write here and maybe while at home reorganize it a bit.<br />
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Always any thoughts, ideas or general feed back is ALWAYS welcome. Thank you for reading!!! <br />
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M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-53065147276338194652014-09-27T13:37:00.000-05:002015-06-10T17:58:13.331-05:00Summary of Beekeeping & 3rd Year Proposal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Like most things in my life recently (past 3 years) the small thought that stirred softly strangely and easily made its way into a larger, possible, plan. My 3rd year position with Peace Corps was the same.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-85vkPuVfMgg/VCMa6YvEkqI/AAAAAAAACAE/FHB5fl-XNk0/s1600/1st%2BQueen%2BSame%2B2013%2B%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-85vkPuVfMgg/VCMa6YvEkqI/AAAAAAAACAE/FHB5fl-XNk0/s1600/1st%2BQueen%2BSame%2B2013%2B%2B(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the queen in the middle of the picture, my first queen bee in Senegal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Before I came I knew that beekeeping was a bygone area of work for Senegal. Primary work was in agriculture but with crop seed extension and making tree nurseries. Sadly beekeeping is a secondary, maybe 'other' project in Senegal’s Peace Corps world. While in Gambia, the small country inside of Senegal, every volunteer, all sectors, are trained on bees as beekeeping is a national commodity and is well known for it. Yes I did ask myself why I didn’t get sent to Gambia, but after visiting and hearing more and more about their president, I understood my personality would be better suited in more forgiving Senegal. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uHFQR0eX9uI/VCbzgGbgT6I/AAAAAAAACCE/74SWU7MXE2M/s1600/PB166684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uHFQR0eX9uI/VCbzgGbgT6I/AAAAAAAACCE/74SWU7MXE2M/s1600/PB166684.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PROFILS, near Mboro, Senegal a wonderful NGO that works in the Fatick region</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Okay back to how this all happened. In my community based training
village (also known as CBT) the first 3 months of my service I was in
Mboro, a sprawling gardening hotbed who's vegetables feed most of the
nation. It also had a beekeeping NGO based from Belgium. The volunteer
we had living in the village knew them and arranged a meeting with the 4
trainees so I could pester them with my broken wolof trying to make it
known that I too, understood bees.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DXE7dMe65JU/VCb6zeeMg2I/AAAAAAAACCk/qIUrS1-EdWA/s1600/PC166788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DXE7dMe65JU/VCb6zeeMg2I/AAAAAAAACCk/qIUrS1-EdWA/s1600/PC166788.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mamadou pointing at his hives in a cashew orchard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Next thing I know I’m in my village, maybe a month or two in, and I need
to charge my phone as my I started having problems with my solar
charger. So I go to the next village 2 km/1 mi away as they have solar
and I was introduced to a few households over there so I could hang out
while my phone was charging. One of the kids in the house notices my bee
tattoo on my wrist and asks about it. Soon someone mentions they have
bees and honey. I asked for them to show me. Mamadou, a lovely older
man, brings me a small cup with honey and comb in it. I asked where it
was from, he said it was his. He was the first of many beekeepers I met
similarly to this. Waiting and making conversation as I’m doing my
thing, and something brings up honey, bees, or beekeepers. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2yt1iElinTE/VCbyFkMkffI/AAAAAAAACBk/eFrrjI5gXfQ/s1600/New%2Bwax%2Bsenegal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2yt1iElinTE/VCbyFkMkffI/AAAAAAAACBk/eFrrjI5gXfQ/s1600/New%2Bwax%2Bsenegal.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning of comb at the Master Farm in Same</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I knew that the NGO I met in Mboro, trained many villages in my
sub-region (maybe around a dozen). I kept finding there beekeepers and
many who wanted me to help, work, train, learn alongside of them.
Beekeeping is very different than in the states due to the heat, bees,
amount of times you can work a hive (maybe monthly compared to the
weekly as I did in the States)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x84WE8Z0FxY/VCbywxWBFdI/AAAAAAAACB0/A_X9U0ohHOU/s1600/P3147201.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey house in Sangako</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AJrSUeH4qd4/VCbzORNcTtI/AAAAAAAACB8/Bw08H8wAxkw/s1600/P3147203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AJrSUeH4qd4/VCbzORNcTtI/AAAAAAAACB8/Bw08H8wAxkw/s1600/P3147203.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ibrah, Salif and Casey (former volunteer) introducing me to beekeeping brothers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tq3sntFIee4/VCbyssuFgdI/AAAAAAAACBs/k8JNCS1KR30/s1600/IMG_4871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tq3sntFIee4/VCbyssuFgdI/AAAAAAAACBs/k8JNCS1KR30/s1600/IMG_4871.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One night of harvesting honey in Sankago</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Taking photos, notes, making calendars, asking plant names, researching
scientific nomenclature, having tools made, getting estimates on
extractors, sourcing other materials and prices were the things I did in
between my other work, when I had time or the conversation presented
itself. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9S-dd6MDd4k/VCbzsJa-R1I/AAAAAAAACCM/68OcQdmX2ZY/s1600/PB016535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9S-dd6MDd4k/VCbzsJa-R1I/AAAAAAAACCM/68OcQdmX2ZY/s1600/PB016535.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local honey being sold in a juice shop in Kafferine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mw2ZTYbTcE0/VCbz-UaNMnI/AAAAAAAACCU/TIx6qC0Pi9Y/s1600/PC046744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mw2ZTYbTcE0/VCbz-UaNMnI/AAAAAAAACCU/TIx6qC0Pi9Y/s1600/PC046744.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Store shelves of honey in Dakar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So from very early on I knew there would be a chance of working with this NGO in a larger broader perspective. The list I made of what I wanted to do looked something like this: <br />
<br />
-Working in the region of Fatick (possibly Casamance & Thies as needed) doing hands-on training with established and new beekeepers/farmers to improve technical beekeeping knowledge.<br />
-Improve honey harvesting techniques and selection to improve quality and price through hands-on training and public and private honey tastings.<br />
-Creating plant bee fodder list in local languages and identification manual to improve understanding, conservation and creation of bee habitat through seed saving and tree nurseries.<br />
-Documenting local best practices to be shared with local, regional, country and international partners through conferences proceedings, journal articles, blog postings and other various forms of media to extend teaching to others.<br />
-Further and strengthen partnerships with NGO's, countries, and Universities through pollination, research and training possibilities. <br />
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In February I had a meeting in Theis and so I made my way back to Mboro to talk and lay out my proposal to the NGO. They agreed and said they would look forward closer to November in hearing more from Peace Corps. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-95oH5QSa1uE/VCb-iF-RYWI/AAAAAAAACCw/JSgUqTKaKwc/s1600/Picture%2B204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-95oH5QSa1uE/VCb-iF-RYWI/AAAAAAAACCw/JSgUqTKaKwc/s1600/Picture%2B204.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fi95TsyQzmo/VCb-r-YqBII/AAAAAAAACDA/31oONkprAL0/s1600/1620830_10104243114022420_1152897676_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fi95TsyQzmo/VCb-r-YqBII/AAAAAAAACDA/31oONkprAL0/s1600/1620830_10104243114022420_1152897676_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2R4ORXBaIPA/VCb-pMqG2HI/AAAAAAAACC4/8agUp9QdQus/s1600/10470707_10104755737286290_2858428974353878415_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2R4ORXBaIPA/VCb-pMqG2HI/AAAAAAAACC4/8agUp9QdQus/s1600/10470707_10104755737286290_2858428974353878415_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".y7.1:3:1:$comment10104755737286290_10104783665023880:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".y7.1:3:1:$comment10104755737286290_10104783665023880:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".y7.1:3:1:$comment10104755737286290_10104783665023880:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0">Fellow Senegal PCV Jessica, Gambia PCV Darrin, BeeCause DoDo, Myself and Beekeeper </span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".y7.1:3:1:$comment10104755737286290_10104783665023880:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".y7.1:3:1:$comment10104755737286290_10104783665023880:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".y7.1:3:1:$comment10104755737286290_10104783665023880:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Saikou Nyassi</span></span>. The banner is in Jola and says, "More frowning when you are working, and more smiling when you are eating!"</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Also in February I was able to attend a West African Trainer of Trainers Conference in Gambia to share, learn, and meet with other volunteers from 5 West African countries. (Facebook photo album <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10104252906952310&type=1&l=16e901691b" target="_blank">here</a>) Then in May, the volunteer that went with me to the Gambia conference arranged a tourney on teaching beeswax and honey based soap, hand crème and lip balm down in the Kolda region, where is known for honey and boarders Guinea who personally has some of the best tasting honey (tastes like apples and is sold quite often in Dakar) (Facebook <br />
<br />
So after all that I had applied in May to Peace Corps Senegal with this outline. And they made decisions soon after that. Some of the positions they posted were not filled and I received a response that saying it was not approved. Sadly I was not happy with this but later found out it had to do with tightening up the programming that we have for Peace Corps in Senegal. I was very sad to hear this I will be moving on to bigger and better things.<br />
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Feel free to to check out my Facebook photo albums I linked to above as I it easier to load many photos there than here. I will also be writing and linking to the more detailed blog posts about my experiences in Gambia and with the tourney training in Kolda.</div>
M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-24243192286774308492014-09-26T06:38:00.001-05:002015-03-29T20:10:56.713-05:00"be you. whoever that is. your purest truth. be a blinding anomaly." - nayyirah waheed<div dir="ltr"><br></div> M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-9787647058508557032014-09-24T14:19:00.000-05:002014-09-29T07:34:02.046-05:00About Here versus There<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One can never truly know a place unless you've been there, even being there for any amount of time, how much do you really know a place?<br />
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The locals don't see the historical land marker because its just something they walk past on a daily basis and don't know what all the fuss is about, although they own dna is attached to the place, the reason, the fight the monument is there. Maybe they don't need to see it externally.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-46-FUZrkn70/UBCfu5BzxrI/AAAAAAAABjA/n8Az1g3xIkI/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-46-FUZrkn70/UBCfu5BzxrI/AAAAAAAABjA/n8Az1g3xIkI/s1600/1.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacred Baobob trees in the desert of Senegal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It is VERY hard to explain this place to people that are not here. Even if you've traveled to a place, living there is different. Here we say Dakar is Dakar and Senegal is Senegal. Which is very true, those places are world apart and the people from those places vastly different. Same with the south of the country. In Kolda and Kedougou, being very close to the Guinea-Bissau boarder, when asked where I'm from I would say my region, Fatick, but then my fellow volunteer that lives there, simply said Dakar (6 hours by car north of me & no where near me) They are so close to Guinea, they think everything north of them is Senegal and they are Guinea. All there food, most things come from Guinea, not Senegal and surely not Dakar (12 hours north by car)<br />
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<br />
Recently listening to a re-airing of a <i>This American Life</i> podcast '<a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/165/transcript" target="_blank">Americans in Paris</a>' David Sedaris makes an interesting point about learning to speak the language of a place...<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />Ira Glass: Someday, David says, he'll be more comfortable in French. His accent will improve, and that daily anxiety will be removed from his life.<br /><br /> David Sedaris :And when it is removed for me, then I probably won't be interested in living here anymore. I'll probably leave.<br /><br /> Ira Glass: Because it'll be just like living back home.<br /><br /> David Sedaris :Plus the more you learn, the more disappointed you wind up being. It's easy to like somebody when you don't know what they're saying.<br /><br /> Ira Glass: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about that, that not understanding somebody makes them seem more interesting than they really are.<br /><br /> David Sedaris : I just assumed that everyone talked about books and movies all the time. That's all they talked about, as far as I was concerned. And then I learned a little bit more, and I realized that they're no different than people anywhere else, that they talk about the same banal things that we all talk about everywhere.</span></h4>
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Which is so true, it's not exotic here, it's not that different than anyplace else. It more or less has what we have, maybe just in slightly different forms of it. I laugh at things that are exactly the same in the two places; fart jokes, driving too fast, checking doors of a car to see which one is open, very long goodbyes, ladies sitting around gossiping among countless others<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kQRNTrLG1to/UNRzY3z13hI/AAAAAAAABjA/uoyUOBs0hZk/s1600/PC156765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kQRNTrLG1to/UNRzY3z13hI/AAAAAAAABjA/uoyUOBs0hZk/s1600/PC156765.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The large taba tree "Cola sordifolia"tree in front of my compound</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other part of the podcast<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Ira Glass</b> Here's something else. There are certain things about French culture, Janet says, that just make life here very pleasant. For one thing, people don't ask you personal questions, where you grew up, where you work, what's your family life, what's your story. You're not constantly explaining yourself. She says she has one friend who she knew for five years before she knew this woman had a grown son. Also, there isn't the same striving, the same ambition to be number one as in the States, especially compared with the corporate law job she used to have, where everybody was expected to put in 60 and 70 and 80 hours a week. Here, that would be seen as very strange. Work just is not that important to most people. </blockquote>
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<b>Janet Mcdonald</b> I'll get tears in my eyes just like-- sometimes I look around the subway, and I look at all these French people, and I'm like, thank you for letting me live here in your country. </blockquote>
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<b>Ira Glass</b> We head outside. </blockquote>
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<b>Ira Glass</b> But you feel like it's your country. But your identity here isn't that of the French person. It's that of an outsider. </blockquote>
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<b>Janet Mcdonald</b> I know. And I think that's what it is to be project girl. I was always an outsider. And I feel most inside right now where I'm most outside. Go figure. [LAUGHS]<br />
That's what's freedom is, though. It's not about nothing left to lose. It's about nothing left to be. You don't have to be anything. I was just thinking about it this morning. It's like I'm an outsider. I will always be a foreigner no matter how good my French gets. I will never really be French no matter how much of a wannabe I am. And yet, I feel that I'm home. I'm just home.</blockquote>
Strangely, when you are you are the only white person for miles around (to quote a dear friend) it is a very odd feeling. And also something that is very hard to describe to another person from another culture and place. I'm not sure if it's possible to transfer the idea accurately or correctly unless they experience for themselves.<br />
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I'm very happy to live here but sometimes it makes your head spin and question what and where 'home' is. That being said when I first got here I was very much reminded I was not in Kansas anymore (trust me I KNOW this is not America) but now being so close to leaving it's hard to know where or what Kansas is like anymore.<br />
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But in case I need a remind of how things might correlate I have <a href="https://vaughansvoice.wordpress.com/2014/09/04/post-peace-corps-sacrifice/" target="_blank">this</a>.<br />
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M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-60908442918006905262014-09-20T13:47:00.000-05:002014-09-20T13:48:07.193-05:00Book Reviews: The Happiness of Pursuit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So as many people would think as a Peace Corps volunteer we have the chance to read many many books through our service if that is how one chooses to spend their time. I am such a volunteer. Thankfully there have been enough paperbacks and e-books to exchange in the country that I haven't read though my continually growing stack (yet).<br />
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As a nice gift for writing a <a href="http://chrisguillebeau.com/mini-city-guide-toubacouta-senegal/" target="_blank">guest blog post about where I live</a> I was sent an advance copy of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Pursuit-Quest-Bring-Purpose-ebook/dp/B00J1IQW6I/ref=la_B003G218QO_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411210880&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Happiness of Pursuit</a>" by Chris Guillebeau. He has also authored <span style="font-weight: normal;"><a class="title" href="http://www.amazon.com/100-Startup-Chris-Guillebeau-ebook/dp/B0067TGSOK/ref=la_B003G218QO_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411210880&sr=1-2">The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future, </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><a class="title" href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Non-Conformity-Rules-Change-Perigee-ebook/dp/B0042FZWC0/ref=la_B003G218QO_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411210880&sr=1-3"> The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World, </a></span><br />
and I also follow his blog at ChrisGuillebeau.com<br />
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Now that being said, I wouldn't read a book just because someone sent it to me. I do have standards. There are 2 ways I determine a good book. How fast I can read it (literally can not put it down is always a good thing) and how many dog ears I leave to go back and write down quotes, other books or authors look interesting to read or something interesting. This book was both!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Everyday had it's challenges and I'm actually very thankful for all of them."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> -Nate Damn about walking across America in 8 months </b></span></div>
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Guillebeau has taken 11 years to travel to every country in the world and while doing so also worked in development and 'travel hacked' his way to be able to so economically. All of which I find very interesting. The Happiness Pursuit is a great read while finishing up my Peace Corps service. Guillebeau's story of traveling around the work is mixed through out other people's stories of their own quests; ie walking across large spaces (America/Turkey), giving up transportation and not talking for 17 years and living a tree for 400 days to save a forest among others. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"Home is where you go where you run out of homes" </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">-John Le Carre </span></b></div>
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His lessions from the journey are great reminders and points I couldn't agree more with! I also have noticed going more in depth with some of the stories he tells in the book on his blog since the release of the book, which I also love!<br />
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Read any good books lately? Any suggestions or thoughts? <br />
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M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-71482167589061063282014-09-20T08:39:00.000-05:002015-03-29T20:10:56.718-05:00Let there be mud on your clothes, nails in your boots, ink on your skin, pain deep inside you. Let it grow and don't be afraid. Start with your own story. " - Green Witch by Alice Hoffman<div dir="ltr"><br></div> M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-16540242372350864022014-09-20T05:46:00.000-05:002014-09-20T05:50:40.459-05:00"Either stand tall, or sit the fuck down." - Mos Def<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-61509863181276823542014-09-19T19:47:00.000-05:002014-09-20T05:50:53.690-05:00"Start ignoring people who threaten your joy. Literally, ignore them. Say nothing. Don't invite any parts of them into your space." - Alex Elle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1574522133292191178.post-57035195725478245422014-09-04T17:01:00.001-05:002014-09-20T05:50:40.483-05:00"Decide you want it more than you are afraid of it."M.A. Wannarkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712794117446275635noreply@blogger.com0