New House in Togo

This is Ann’s mom Sally again.  Today is Andy’s birthday (that’s Ann’s dad), so to celebrate, we called Ann!  She was eating her new favorite dinner—a cold spaghetti dish with a sauce made of peanuts, carrots, onions, and cucumbers.  During the weeks of training, Ann’s “mom” has prepared her meals.  But Ann has had cooking classes, so that she will know how to prepare nutritious meals with local food once she and Nathan are living and eating on their own.  It will also be part of Ann’s job to share nutrition ideas with the women in the village.  Ann says that one trick for adding protein to a common bowl of porridge is to add crushed peanuts to the porridge.  Simple trick, but supposedly it’s not easy to convince moms to try this new idea with their children’s porridge.

Ann and Nathan leave on Saturday for a week-long visit at their new post, a small village in the north of Togo.  They are excited about seeing their new house and making arrangements for needed furniture.  According to Ann, she and Nathan will live like the middle class in Togo.  Their “compound” will be five small, circular huts or rooms (about 12’ X 12’), each with a cement floor, mud walls and a straw, conical shaped roof.  The house will have a bedroom (a bed and a chest), an office, a kitchen, a storage room, and a room without furniture for receiving guests.  All of the furniture will be handcrafted for this house; the bed will have posts for a malaria net.  There will be screens on the windows, because that’s a Peace Corps requirement.  The mud walls will keep the rooms cool.    

Big news from Ann and Nathan is that they will soon become the proud owners of two cows!  Nathan will use the cows to teach farmers in the village how to plow with cows, and the cows will live in the garden behind their new house.  I have a hard time picturing Ann and Nathan as the keeper of cows!  Ann assured me that the cows are not for eating.  Nathan has told her that she can name them and can think of them as pets.  Only challenge is that a cat has been Ann’s experience with pets.  They may get also get a couple of goats, chickens, and rabbits, too.  I hope they send us pictures!

Ann and Nathan have both enjoyed the weeks of training but are anxious to move and to begin work.  They take their final French tests this week and have begun learning some of the local dialect.  Ann hopes to be in the city of Kara during the weekend of November 7-9.  She is certain that she will have internet access then and will at long last update her blog.  Ann is grateful for the cards and letters.  She said that she had received one package of much enjoyed M & M’s!  I hope all of you are doing well.  And many thanks for your thoughts and prayers for Ann and Nathan.

Togo News

This is Ann’s mom.  I talked to Ann (10/16/2008) and enjoyed catching up on Togo news.  As we talked, I could hear the rain falling on the tin roof of the home, where Ann is living during training.  Ann and Nathan will go on November 1 to visit the village where they’ve been assigned to work.  Ann says that the Peace Corps is building a house for them.  While they won’t have electricity, they will have a pump for clean water and will no longer have to boil their water or use bleach to make the water safe.  Once in their new home, Ann and Nathan also hope to have access to the internet.  I’m sure you’ll be glad to get first hand reports from them!

One Wednesday, Ann and two other Peace Corps trainees led a middle school class in a lesson on gender equity.  Ann says that it was tricky trying to explain in French the whole concept of gender to middle school students, who are anywhere from 12 to 20 years old.  Yesterday Ann visited a class, where the students were learning English.  The teacher led the class in singing a “Hello” song in English.  One thing that struck Ann is that the students have no books.  Instead, each student makes do with a slate and piece of chalk.

Nathan and Ann are going through the three months of training in different villages.  Fortunately, the villages are only a few miles apart, and Ann and Nathan are able to spend a couple of nights together each week.  Nathan will be in Ann’s village this weekend.

Three weeks ago, I sent Ann and Nathan a package.  It’s yet to arrive.  Ann has received several letters, including one from Brandon (a college room-mate) and one from Megan (seminary room-mate).  She sends her thanks!  Just for your information, Ann and Nathan are waiting until they complete training to send letters to everyone.  Right now, mailing a letter is too expensive.  As Ann explains, she makes 700 CFA a day.  That’s about $1.50.  It costs 650 CFA to mail a letter!  Picking up a package can be as much as 1200 CFA, so Ann has asked me to hold off sending any more packages.  Once they begin service, she and Nathan will each make 4000 CFA a day.

Ann sends her love to everyone.  She assured me that she and Nathan are both doing well.  No major melt downs!  They are both enjoying the training but are looking forward to getting their own place and beginning the two years of service.   

More News From Togo

This is Ann’s mom again.  I had a wonderful phone conversation with Ann.  She is doing fine and misses everybody.  She hopes to have computer access soon.  She herself will then post a newsy update on her blog.

Ann and Nathan have both been busy with French lessons.  Nathan has been planting melons, while Ann has been learning how to repair the brakes and change a tire on her mountain bike.  Ann said that she is trying to ignore all of the insects and “critters”, but she admitted that she had to ask the woman with whom she is living to come and help her deal with the foot long lizard roaming around her bedroom!  The dry season begins in November.  Meanwhile, it is hot and rainy.  Ann said that her feet are always muddy.  She will have to follow the example of the people of Togo, who take 3 baths a day, in order to stay cool and refreshed.  Nathan, meanwhile, is competing with the other male Peace Corps volunteers to see who can grow the longest beard.  It should be interesting to see pictures of Ann and Nathan in Togo! 

Stay tuned for more news from Togo.

 

 

 

Phone Call From Togo

This is Ann’s mom Sally again.  I just talked to Ann in Togo and told her that I would leave an update on her blog.  It was wonderful to hear Ann’s voice and to know that she is okay.  Nathan is, too.  During training, Ann is in one village, and Nathan is in another village, about 3 miles away.  Ann and Nathan will see each other tomorrow, when Nathan comes to Ann’s village for some joint training.  French classes start tomorrow, too.

 

Ann is staying with a woman named Josephine.  Her son Peter takes her to class each morning.  According to Ann, Josephine is very nice and is pleased that Nathan is living in her home village.  Ann is the third Peace Corps volunteer to live in Josephine’s home, so Josephine is accustomed to cooking for Americans new to Togo.  In fact, for dinner tonight, Ann had pancakes!  “Best thing ever” was Ann’s response to the pancakes.  When we talked, Ann was already in bed reading.  Her book of choice for tonight is Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Krauss.  Maybe tomorrow night she will have French homework.  

 

I have a phone number for Ann and Nathan, which I will gladly pass on to anyone who wants to e-mail me for it (slangford@ctc.net).  Ann and Nathan will share a cell phone.  Ann has the phone right now, because Nathan’s village does not have phone service.  Ann recommends that we all buy phone cards online at www.nobelcom.com.  Supposedly, those phone cards offer the best deal for calling Togo from the U.S.  If you want to text Ann and Nathan, then Ann suggests that you sign up for service with Skype (www.skype.com).   At this point, the best time to reach Ann is from 2 to 6 PM, Eastern Standard Time (or 6 to 10 PM Togo time).

 

Thanks for getting excited about news from Togo!

We're safe and sound!

Hi All,
I am borrowing someones computer and am so glad to have a couple of minutes to email.  Nathan and I are safe and sound.  We have been very busy in training sessions and they are taking very good care of us.  Everything is overwhelming and I find myself nervous often, but slowly I am getting more confident and excited.  It's just crazy to imagine living here for 2 years!  But all that said, we are pleased and they are very pleased to have us here.  The accommodations are modest - I want a hot shower and a comfortable bed.  We sweat all day long.  My hair looks horrible and I'm ready to cut it!  But neither of us are sick and we take comfort that everyone else is in our same shoes.  We've gotten lots of shots, have not slept much, but the food is Americanized - which I'm appreciating now.  Everyone gets along well - they call us Mom and Dad.  We leave on Wed for our training sites.  They told us Nathan and I can see each other as much as we want.  Oh and we got our bikes - I've yet to ride mine.  We are buying a cell phone - probably one for now.  Every volunteer gets one.  I am not sure yet how it works.  I may text you when we get it?!  People say Skype is cheap and mobilecom.com???  You'll have to investigate.  We can't really afford to call you.  We can text, and then you can call.  We get $1.75/day and to mail a letter is $1.25.  But I will send one in the next day or so.  Things are expensive.  Nathan bought me cloth to make a dress for our "engagement anniversary!"  Everyone is jealous ;-)  I can't wait to make a dress!  Nathan is enjoying his French and loves telling his Guinea and Mali stories.  He also played the guitar for everyone last night.  We're both making friends - together and separate.  Last night we went to a bar and had local beer - gross if you ask me!  But I did have an Orange Fanta.  The roads are sandy, the people nice and curious, the clothing colorful.  Well I gotta run...I LOVE YOU ALL TONS!  Nathan sends his love.  We will be in touch soon!!  We miss you tons but like I said, we are enjoying it, I'm growing more confident, we're thankful to have each other, and we're still making a go of this!  Not sure when I can check email again...but I will!!
Love you and miss you!!
Ann Green

re:Safe and Sound in Togo!

Hey, Everyone!  This is Ann’s mom.  I received an e-mail from Kassie, a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, at 5:47 AM this morning—North Carolina time.  According to Kassie, Ann and Nathan arrived safely in Togo last night (September 20) at 7 PM—Togo time.  Kassie writes, “Everyone looks happy and well, and we are happy to have them here!”  Kassie says not to worry, if we don’t hear from Nathan or Ann for a week or so.  As Kassie says, “Peace Corps keeps them pretty busy, and we are helping them transition into life here in Togo.  For now, just know that they are safe and sound and were welcomed with open arms!”  As I receive more information, I will pass it on.  Thanks for your interest in Nathan and Ann!

Philadelphia

Hi Everyone!
Nathan and I are safe and sound in Philadelphia and are enjoying meeting all of our fellow volunteers! We arrived around lunch yesterday and have been in meetings (safety, health, travel, rules, regulations, etc) since then. A few cool facts:

31 volunteers - 16 natural resource mgmt (Nathan) and 15 girl education and empowerment (Me)
Oldest person - 31 (Nathan)
Youngest person - 21 (at least two people)
We're the only married couple
More girls than guys
There are guys volunteering with GEE!
People from all over the US (Alabama, CA, Oregon, Illinois, GA, Ohio, etc)
Tons of people have been to Africa before - and many other countries as well!

Well, I'm off to more meetings. Tonight we are all going to the Italian restaurant Maggianos for dinner. I'm excited for lasagna as my last American meal!

We fly out tomorrow evening for Togo. Vaccines tomorrow :-(