Not an SPCM, MP update, Going to Waga

March 26^th

So you remember Sentimental Peace Corps Moments 1 and 2? Well, one of the girls came back to visit me this morning. I found out when I woke up to her knocking insistently on my door. Not my gate, which hardly anyone can open, but my door. Thank goodness I lock my screen door, otherwise she might have been knocking on my mosquito net! After a few greetings and several minutes of discussing her coming back “later”, she finally left. I closed the gate, and put a nail to lock the flap so no one can reach in and lift the latch. I went to use my latrine. I hear a knocking on the gate. I wash my hands and open the gate and in she runs. I ask what she's doing. She replies that she came back! Well, yes, I did notice, but why? No reply. I laugh, and take her by the arm and escort her out. Later, I tell her. Not in 5 minutes, ok?

Later, sitting in my courtyard around 3:30pm, I hear a knocking, right when I was getting up to use the latrine before going back to work. The timing these kids have! Tonight, the gate is locked, no more early wake-up calls.

Moringa Project plugs along. I found out today that only about 30 out of 100 of the tree protectors have been made (you know, the ones ordered back in December), so now that the money has finally come in I told them that we'd buy the 30, but to not make any more, and I'll approach the schools about planting soon, in between a packed sensibilization schedule next month. Goodness! Got a text from the director of Ecole C, saying that now he's on vacation so maybe we can talk about the well next week. I got this 20 minutes before I planned to call him about it. I guess that's another thing we'll squeeze in! I hope we can finish the application by mid-April so we get the money in time to dig before the end of the dry season. Too bad it's so hot right now, this would have been easier in January, but at least we'll know it's deep enough to reach water all year long! I did get a copy of some grant applications for wells, so now I at least have an idea of what kinds of materials and costs are involved so that when the director is ready to start, I'll have all of my paperwork pretty much finished.

Leaving village on Wednesday to go to Ouaga for work, and to go to the COS party for Super Stage! I know they still have a few months left, but the idea of being here without them is very hard to contemplate. What are we going to do when nearly 70 volunteers finish their service and leave all at once?