Living Situation

I feel really lucky that I'll be staying in a compound with a family. The head of the compound is Ebrima Sarr who is also MondoChallenge's In-Country Manager. Living in the compound  are his two wives, his mother, his two sisters in law, three nieces, six children and various animals including cows, donkeys, cats, dogs, chickens and goats. Once again Meagan, last year's volunteer filmed the living accommodations I'll be using. I hope it comes up with this post. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldiIoXaUQRw  I'll have a lockable door, a sitting room, bedroom with table and bed with mosquito netting and a private courtyard that contains the bucket shower and "drop loo" (British words for a hole in the ground.) 

Three meals a day will be prepared by the women in the compound. Breakfast typically consists of cous. (A porridge made from the millet we use as bird food!) Lunch is the big meal of the day. Both lunch and dinner normally will be rice with either a fish or peanut based sauce. 

Five or six times a day, we'll be drinking Ataya (a strong green tea heavily sweetened with sugar.) Here's what Meagan had to say about this custom.  " Each family has their two attata glasses: small clear, octagonal shotglasses. And these two glasses are used all day, every day. They are rinsed at the start of the brew and then passes from person to person (men first, then women, then children) at least 7-8 times in one sitting - or as many pots of the green tea as can be had while there is still flavor escaping the leaves. It's more than a mouthful of sugary tea, it's a mouthful of community and ritual and history. It's what you do, it's custom, and it's delicious! I hardly ever refuse, unless it's after 3 o'clock when I know I won't sleep. I don't think about who had the glass before me, or whether they've had the sniffles that week. I have to let that one go, at least 3 times a day." 

Something to think about, huh???