Camp: Environment Day

In the Thies region there are 8 SED (business) PCVs in my stage and only 2 Agriculture PCVs, today was their day to shine. Emily and Erin put on an amazing environment/ micro-gardening/ composting day today, completely in Wolof I might add. I found the day to be particularly fascinating, but it was evident that some of the girls are starting to get really tired and we had some problems with participation. Katherine and I are the only two volunteers not assigned to a team of girls because we are dong logistics type things so it has fallen upon me to be Bad Cop. I Bad Cop well if I do say so myself. The two problems we're having are:

1. Girls complaining that they have head and stomach aches. Cause: dehydration. Solution: Drinking water. Problem: Bombey happens to be in Senegal's salt basin which means that the water salty and has a slightly odd taste. The girls are claiming that it's making them sick. All of the PCVs are drinking and it's not making us sick so it's not making them sick. My favorite was one a girl who lives in Bombey told me that the water was making them sick. They had the choice to participate or sleep in their rooms by themselves.

2. Girls claiming that we are in the sun too much and they can't take it. Yes, it is hot. Yes, we are outside. But, we did the gardening sessions during the early morning and late afternoon so they can handle it. I did enjoy when, after a prompted her, a girl told me she never walks to the market, to school, or to see friends in the sun. Lies.

That being said, the girls are being great sports the vast majority of the time and a couple of them are absolute rock stars and really impress me with the level of intensity, curiosity, and just general energy they are able to keep up.

Emily and Erin, after we had planted trash around the campus, had girls pick up various containers to use in container gardening. They learned how to mix soil with manure, create a container garden, how to seed things, and how to make compost at home. I know it was interesting for me and that I learned things and there were at least a couple of girls who really, really, really enjoyed the day.

We did our usual games and arts and crafts and after dinner tonight we played a trivia game. It was a long day in the sun.