Just a little update on what I've actually accomplished...
Well to be honest, not a whole hell of a lot. The first month was spent just trying to figure out how to live. The rhythms of life, the functions of the people, the responsibilities of each family and the members within it. Language is still a very sturdy barrier, that received much attention in the early goings as it will continue to receive such attentions.
I've made some good relations in the villages so far, not as many as I'd like, but I'm the first white person to live there, so it will take a little longer to move past the novelty of my presence. I've finally gotten most of the kids to stop being afraid of me. Since I'm the tallest person in the village by nearly a head have a heavy tendency to gawk and the giant white thing. I know that it will all come in time-pray for some patience to come my way.
My first project will be to establish a tree nursery. As far as I can tell, the biggest problem is the lack of tree coverage. Minimal shade, lets the sun bake the soils of their gardens into useless dust. Also with a lack of trees the winds have the few vegetables at their mercy and are bringing the sand dunes down from the north. I hope to have a significant number of trees growing successfully for the next volunteer to instruct the people in their various uses.
Hopefully a well project will follow the nursery. With the rapid growth of the 4 neighborhoods that comprise my little slice of the world, the water supply will be outpaced relatively soon. By getting a well constructed in the next year, hopefully we can buy some time for villages to address this problem themselves without the twinge of resource competition challenging their judgments.
Whatever come after that is yet to be thought of and seen, but I'm sure I'll get bored enough and think of some other cool, back braking activities to throw myself into.
