Sustainable Tree

Their eyes are somber and tired, from watching the rains fall; their hands are rough, calloused painted the color of the soil that they spend hours bent over seeding row after row of peanuts, corn and fornio. To understand and merely appreciate their dedication and work of the field, one must join them.

You know, I haven't stepped foot on American soil in over a year and half, but as I meet new volunteers and strangers who pass by, they tell me that life in America is great and wonderful, and comparitively easy to life here...almost too easy.

So, I'm taking off my white gloves, bending over, sowing my own yard and planting row after row of corn and peanuts and new trees. So far, I've blanketed my entire backyard in corn and planted nearly 300 trees around the community. At the end of the day, my hands (and feet) are blistered from my hoe and the tough ground I have up on the mountain-but I have a newfound appreciation and definition of hardwork and can't wait to see and taste the outcoming product. One day (or in a few months) the children and teachers will shade under my trees and eat wonderful, nutritous sauces from their leaves...and out of all of my projects, nothing is more sustainable than a tree!! What isn't sustainable....running water in Africa. Our forage is broken in our village, so while we are WAITING for someone to come to repair it (maybe the same man who has a machine for my well, INshallah), people are resulting back to there old ways of using creek water to drink .....the cases of severe diarrhea and stomach parasite cases have increased at the health post in just these two short weeks. So, myself as well as the doctor and the health community volunteer are going from house to house to educate villagers on the importance of using bleach in their water...sustainble, probably not, but it's education...and every little bit counts toward something.

As for other projects and "work-related" activities, the project of constructing a well in a small mountain community has been put to a hault. We've hit rock that we can't dig through with our hands...so what do we do? We do what all Africans do best...we wait...wait until the rains leave, the water table lowers and we find a nice man who has a machine (or dynamite, even better!!) to come and help us. That is the way it works here....things just take time and life is measured by the time of season.

Thinking of sustainability, i reflected on my service thus far. Where will my precense sit in West Africa after I'm gone? Good question....in a tree? on the walls, in murals, yes, sadly small things, but you know...I've accepted the fact that I'm a grassroots kind of gal...and like to do things seda, seda (small, small).

Looking back, my service was and still remains to speed by in whirlwind formation. I arrived, learned (ing) foreign languages, been evacuated from a country, nearly trampled by an elephant, and continue a different way of life. Although quite frusterating the majority of the time, and sometimes disappointing (my well project) it's quite a fantastic time and I'm learning just to live in the moment and be happy living here.

Nostalgic for America, yes, of course, but one day I will be nostalgic for this place...haha...that is funny to think about. Tomorrow, I am practicing what I preach and going to visit a waterfall that apparently changes lives...I'll keep you informed.