Apprenticeships!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hold on. Most freaking important thing ever. I was walking down the street yesterday, and there was this girl right. So there was this girl... in this basketball jersey... with yellow and really dark blue writing on it. You know what it said? Montreat. Now I've seen Notre Dame shirts, Boise State, the Lakers, everything. But Montreat? How small does that make the world feel right now? I bet its cool, maybe even snowing in Montreat right now. And if it already hasnt I'm sure it will be snowing in Michigan soon Aunt Linda, or Washington depending on where you currently are. Anyways, wow. Montreat.. in Senegal.


So we finally got the summaries of our apprenticeships today. I shall transcribe it, and then give a fabulously witty commentary/not.

I shall reside in Noflaye (which is part of Sangalkam) and work in the Village des Tortues. The apprenticeship will consist of a wide range of activities in the Village des Tortues, an environmental and tortoise reserve. As decided in consultation between GCY Program Manager, Me, and Village des Tortues supervisor, the activities will include environmentla conservation work, park upkeep, translation, and production of English-language materials, digitizing park materials, and leading tours. I will also carry out an independent investigation into the relationship of the park and the local rural community. This will involve defining a project that takes place both inside the reserve and within the local community. It is a very structured apprenticeship in which tasks will be well defined and evaluation of work will be regular. At the same time, it requires initiative on the part of the fellow (me) since some of the work will involve thinking beyond the boundaries of the Village des Tortues and considering environmentla conservation and the community more broadly.

Then Alec, Matt, and I (the three fellows in the Sangalkam Rural Community) have a service project. It will consist of profiling the population of each village (Noflaye, Bambilor, and Sangalkam) including the number of homesteads, people residents in each, ethnicity, and economic activity. This will not only provide an excellent opportunity for the fellows to render a service to the authorities hosting them but also to encounter every family in their village, which is an exceptional way to socialize and become inserted in the community. THey will also gain an intimate portrait of the people and activities amongst whom and which they live.

Lastly(ish) we will work with the local middle school and seek to become involved on a regular basis with the english clubs and computer labs, as well as any possible athletics, so as to interact with Senegalse peers and to use their skills in these areas to the benefit of local youth. These activities will be Fello-initiated, in consultation with menotors.

Whew, that was a lot. So lets see, it does sound pretty amazing right? And I am super excited about it. But this is also the best case scenario, in that it depends a lot on other people, a whole lot can not go right, and there are just cultural factors. As in the reserve is successful.... but every time that Rachel has been there she hasnt seen one person actually working. So if all else fails, I figure I have the study of looking at what role the environment plays in the developing world, and an anthropological look at Senegalise culture. I also have a fear that all I am going to end up doing is giving tours, translating panflets, petting turtles, and cleaning up their poo. All around, its pretty darn exciting, even to know what I might be able to do. I'm thinking of taping the summary to my wall when I move as a goal reminder of what I can do. Rachel also assured us that the first month that we are there, absolutely nothing will get done. Which I'm sure I will be frusturated with, but hey, at least I'll learn a bit of patience. Lots and lots of personal reflection time as well I'm guessing. Okay, nighty night.