Day 62: Gnit

We had planned to leave for Gnit (a village nearby to visit the market) at around 10am. However, after calling Marian to tell her about our proposed projects, the staff wanted to have a meeting with us to discuss how realistic these projects actually were. Basically, they told us whether the money we had requested from NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) would be available for us to buy resources etc. for our projects. Our group, the agriculture group, had requested 600,000 CFA (about $1200) to install a drip irrigation in a large community garden. We were told that only 400,000 was possible, so we’ll have to see if we can make it work. We might only be able to install a drip ag. system in a smaller, non-community garden.

Anyway, we didn’t leave for Gnit until about 130. We all piled in the back of this truck-like thing, (it look like a vehicle that you might see transporting troops, not a hummer) and started off for Gnit. It was about 10km on dirt roads, and it took about 45 minutes. We reached the market, which was pretty laid back, and shopped around for a bit. Most of the products being sold were produce and livestock. I bought a watermelon, because they are grown here (by the people of Nder and other villages) and they are of really high quality (and cheap too.) Some of the staff and some of the students even bought a sheep that they ate for dinner. (I didn’t participate in that, because I’ve developed relationships with the sheep and goats that live in my compound, and I couldn’t bear to eat one of their friends.)

The ride back to Nder felt shorter, but hotter. To give you an accurate description of the heat, this is what I came up with: Imagine that it’s a really hot day in early August. You’ve just started your car. You get out of your car, walk around to the back, get down on your knees, and station your head so that it directly receives all the exhaust from the exhaust pipe – that was how it felt to have the wind blow in your face…

Anyway, after that pleasant ride, we returned to our compound, where I rested and played some more chess with Ousmane. He then led us to the canal that leads from the Lac du Guiers to the pipeline that takes all the water to Dakar and the rest of Senegal.

For dinner, we had Ceebu Jen once again, but just as the first course. The second course was pasta and beef, eaten with the older men again, with hands of course. I’m starting to get better at eating with my hands…

After dinner, I went to Katie’s house, where there was quite a get-together with all of the students, staff, and villagers. There was plenty of dancing (by everyone) and some drumming, but not as formal as we had experienced in Medina Kouta. Nonetheless, it was a memorable Halloween. (I realize that I describe a lot of these experiences as ones that I won’t forget; please understand that there’s really no better way to describe them to people who back in the US…)