tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68878149408340378912024-03-13T18:51:19.405+00:00SEMPER REFORMANDAPablo PCV in Mauritania
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God" Matthew 5:9Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-92222810164745435312008-11-06T12:11:00.004+00:002008-11-06T12:22:43.990+00:00Things happen for a reason<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHUwRjtcooNAmXcSMrN7s3MA42JHEbqpYprw8NGVMUtFsU0oVqqBVDfBBHt-AcXx8U36oMMl1OjoP-NgJaIG76KUqo4SHV8rq7OAt7k1N3jzzNJve-VW-i-8YcR5ZPuAOYqcdPcGj0RNb/s1600-h/IMG_0541.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHUwRjtcooNAmXcSMrN7s3MA42JHEbqpYprw8NGVMUtFsU0oVqqBVDfBBHt-AcXx8U36oMMl1OjoP-NgJaIG76KUqo4SHV8rq7OAt7k1N3jzzNJve-VW-i-8YcR5ZPuAOYqcdPcGj0RNb/s320/IMG_0541.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265518597184186994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJi1MoRZ8OM1S2jP56cPVbYJZ9ccy-Da5PG2Z3euwkZaYCsz4Q6JOOAUxPNqqBIO2WY3vfugGi_r8USLKiBpH1zFtpT9aP0mcSN1TyLocqysFcF3R6een4ZmGyjMx9supfKIJENt1Od9d/s1600-h/picture+3.jpg"><br /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">During her first year of service as the first ever Peace Corps Volunteer in Guerou, Andrea encountered a number of obstacles- <i style="">different culture, language, weather, a conservative community and being an American non Muslim woman promoting Girls Education and Empowerment</i> - which a weak minded person could hardly deal with them. Andrea courageously managed to get the people used to an westerner living among them, established productive relationships with the community, opened a Girls Mentoring Center and, most importantly, recruited 13 wonderful young girls who are interested in improving their lives through education. To put it briefly, Andrea set in motion the consuming task of paving the rough road for future generations of Peace Corps Volunteers in Guerou. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">For her second year and with a new <i style="">male</i> partner on board (I know it sound like a misogynous comment but gender plays a fundamental role in Mauritanian society) we set up our main goal for this next year: <b style="">making the Girls Education and Empowerment Program and, therefore, our GMC sustainable in Guerou</b>. What this exactly means is that if one day Peace Corps decide to pull out of Mauritania in case of an emergency, administrative order or political conflict (as we have lately seen in Mauritania) the community in Guerou would be able to run the program efficiently by themselves; after all this is a program that should be managed by the people in Guerou, and for the people in Guerou. To achieve this goal, we need to assemble a strong network that includes different key community actors - local government, educational corps, women cooperatives, NGO’s - that understand that it is in their interest to promote Girls Education and empowerment, not only to please the demands of a specific sector in the community but to improve the well being of their society and benefit future generations of Mauritanians. <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Before I continue with my story, I’m forced to explain why Girls Education and Empowerment is such an important program and why are there thousands of individuals all around the world promoting such project. <span style=""> </span><u>Educating and empowering girls is a vital effort that will help tackle other problems that affect our world gravely</u>. There are several compelling benefits associated with this endeavor, which include the reduction of child and maternal mortality, improvement of child nutrition and health, lower fertility rates, enhancement of women’s domestic roles and their political participation, improvement of economic productivity and growth, and protection of girls from HIV/AIDS, abuse and exploitation. Girls Education yields some of the highest returns of all development investments, yielding both private and social benefits that accrue to individuals, families and society at large. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is worth highlighting that girl’s education in Mauritania faces several socio-economic and socio-cultural constraints such as the high costs of school expenses, lack of schools installations (the ratio of secondary to primary schools is just 1 secondary to 21 primary schools at the national level), burdensome daily household chores at their own homes, early marriages and pregnancies (1 in 4<span style=""> </span>girls is married by age 12, 1 in 2 girls by age 14 and 3 in 4 girls by age 17), discriminatory social representations of women’s roles devalue girls education, sexist<span style=""> </span>attitudes conveyed in the curriculum and school manuals reinforce traditional representations of girls (number of female teachers in secondary schools was 374 to 3167 men in the 2003-04 year), among other things. Although the Mauritanian Government has made incredible progress promoting girls education through the implementation of new compulsory educational laws, <b style="">there is so much to be done.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">While writing on this blog, I’ve compared my Peace Corps service with riding a rollercoaster.<span style=""> </span>Every day that passes by brings new experiences and emotions, and trying to grasp so much information at once turns into a real challenge. Like all high adrenaline attractions, however,<span style=""> </span>there is always a short moment when the rides slows down so you can take some air, regain concentration and prepared yourself for the next big slope that is waiting ahead; and that invigorating moment<span style=""> </span>is what I exactly experienced this past two weeks. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After celebrating some religious festivities with our Mauritanian friends, everything started to work out pretty smoothly. This break gave Andrea and me the opportunity to settle down and analyze the road lying ahead of us. We had the opportunity to meet people that were willing to support us in our Girls Education and Empowerment (GEE) activities. During these productive meetings, we received good ideas from the community and incorporated them into our action plan for this year<i style="">. </i>It seemed that the complicated task of putting together the GEE puzzle in Guerou was finally underway. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>However, before we got ourselves to ahead, we received some unfortunate news: the majority of students in Guerou that took the BAC (test that students all around the Francophone world take to get into University) this year failed it, so they have to repeat their last year of Lycee. What does that mean? Well, there was extra number of students and not enough of school facilities to place them, so <span style=""> </span>the room where we had our GMC had to be given back to the Lycee. <span style=""> </span>Yes you got it right; they shut down one of the few solutions that they have to resolve their BAC problems to satisfy a short term necessity- Kinda bizarre huh? I must admit that after receiving the news, Andrea and I felt hopeless. Where can we find another place to move our GMC in a town like Guerou? To make the things worse, the girls were constantly calling to ask us when we were going to start activities. What where we going to tell them? That we had no GMC?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""> </span>That night we had dinner with Yousef, a French Teacher and a good friend of ours, and sadly told him the news and even most importantly, asked for his opinion. He told us that his friend, the new Educational Inspector of Guerou, may have a solution or at least know somebody that could gives us some directions on what to do.<span style=""> </span>The next day we met the inspector who, after having a short talk about our work and our recent news, generously offered us an extra room that he had in his new bureau. Although we were kinda skeptical about his promise, once we saw the room everything changed. It was awesome and perfect for our GMC. With tiled floor, electric fans, pleasant area, big garden and in a nice building, the phrase “things happened for a reason” really struck me. That next day, Andrea and I hired a “donkey kart” to move all our material from the Lycee to our new GMC and, with the help of the Girls, we cleaned the entire building; our new GMC. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">Life sometimes works in a bizarre way. On Monday night I went to sleep with a feeling of hopelessness and bitterness in my heart, but on Thursday morning, I woke up feeling energized, excited and with a ton of ideas to implement in our new GMC. Ill Hamdouillah. </i><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-22080383451100201622008-10-18T17:04:00.000+00:002008-10-18T17:19:18.051+00:00An effective NGO<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvYfPrhAE6Zos0JWuUW-aKltaNff_ZYSVHkimciZHEJEEqXyXUo_fgl4z78RFj5Z6ReQP-evcr5RCa1E2o5mtyl_yUaFgao6GvhYhZQuEbiJ6wEFFcfQCvxe9DJGQWBIISwNdDsl2mFWu/s1600-h/IMG_0438.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvYfPrhAE6Zos0JWuUW-aKltaNff_ZYSVHkimciZHEJEEqXyXUo_fgl4z78RFj5Z6ReQP-evcr5RCa1E2o5mtyl_yUaFgao6GvhYhZQuEbiJ6wEFFcfQCvxe9DJGQWBIISwNdDsl2mFWu/s320/IMG_0438.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258543907751551730" border="0" /></a>World Vision Sponsored Children in the Assaba Mountains<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">During my International Relations courses back at the UNLA (my college in Morelia), one of the recurrent debates that we had with my classmates was in relation to the importance that NGO’s posses in today’s international order. On one side of the debate, there were people that stated that in today’s globalized world, where power is more diffused and decentralized, NGO’s play a vital role in promoting social and economic development, they serve as institutions that hold governments accountable and also promote global awareness on issues that affect people all around the world. To put in another way, NGO’s are the voice of the global civil society and they represent its interest to the international community. <span style=""> </span>On the other hand of the debate, there were people that were skeptical about the true impact that NGOs can make in the world. It is true that NGOs are more important today than 30 years ago, but the only institutions that can really transform the world are the global governments. Although NGO’s can promote awareness on some global issues, they usually don’t produce major changes on the global political agenda. During these debates I usually sympathized with the latter group, being really skeptical about NGO’s true impact in the world. However, all that changed this past week. </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">So before I write about my NGO experience, I’m going to do a small recap of my first month in Guerou. Ramadan is finally over and it was a great experience. During this time I had the opportunity to learn more about Mauritanian culture and Islam, breaking fast with families got me involved in the community, made some good friends, <span style=""> </span>got to know the family’s of the girls that go to the GMC and I improved my French and Hassaniya language skills. Also, in regard to my recreational activities, I found a place where I can play X-Box and Playstation 2, watch European soccer games on the weekends and apparently I joined a soccer team for next month’s tournament. Additionally, I found a nice place to live in an area called <i style="">Babi- Salaam </i>-“The door of Peace”- with two great Mauritanian friends called Cheikh and Moktar, who work in a NGO called World Vision. Last but not least, Andrea is back from her vacation trip so that makes things even better. Thus, my first month in Guerou has been an awesome and it also prepared me to start my activities at the Girls Mentoring Center and school.. </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Okay, so now back to my story. The last day of Ramadan, my friend and World Vision Coordinator, Cheikh, invited me to take a trip to some villages located in the Mountains of Assaba to deliver food, aid and clothes that Irish families sent to the children of the Assaba. Since there was nothing that required my participation in Guerou that day, I gladly accepted Cheikh’s invitation. So we met at the WV Bureau, packed some supplies and started our adventure on a Toyota Land Cruiser, which is similar to the Peace Corps “Vomit Comet”. During the 5 hour bumpy trip, we literally drove through the rocky mountains without roads or tracks whatsoever (the landscape resembled the one in the Lion King Movie), and passed by people riding in camels, tons of cows and some random villages. Although I already had similar humanitarian experiences like this one back at Mexico, it really struck me how there is societies that live so far away from what we call “civilization”, in places that seem to lack the special distinctiveness that would stimulate someone to live there. </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">After getting kind of lost and the “really dark night” already upon us, we finally arrived to our final destination. The place was a vast flat piece of land with three mud houses, two <i style="">Haimas</i> or tents, and tons of cows where three big families live. One thing that didn’t change was the warm hospitality that Mauritanians have, which received us with food, tea and camel milk. At first everything seemed so natural, it seemed that people didn’t really care that there was a “foreigner” among them, but once the light up a bonfire and light illuminated the terrain, I could see and hear the expressions of astonishment of the villagers once they saw me. The children where motionless, some frightened, while the adults just whispered among themselves. A little girl, finally had the courage to walk to me, but instead of stretching here hand to greet me, she touched my face for 10 min trying to understand what was so “different” about me. That night I went to sleep with 15 children putting attention on every movement I did and woke up the next morning with those same kids staring at me. Creepy but true LOL.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">The next day, the World Vision staff started to deliver food, clothes, money and even goats to the families of the sponsored children. <span style=""> </span>It was a powerful thing to see how people, that may never meet each other in person, can bring so much joy and happiness with just a small donation. Moreover, thanks to all the World Vision donations that come from Ireland, the children of the Assaba Mountains also have an elementary school that World Vision also built two years ago and a food program that can help the kids continue their studies without any nutrition problems.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">The World Vision trip helped me regain the faith that had I lost on international institutions. Organization such as World Vision still continue to promote a better understanding of the ”real and imbalanced” world that we live in, and even most important, they try to solve such inequalities by creating a constructive bond between families that want to assist others and those people that really need their help. Of course, I know that like any other human institutions, NGO’s have their flaws and malfunctions, and they should always find themselves in a constant process of improvement for the sake of humanity. Nevertheless the important thing is not to see and judge their failures but to analyze their contribution in the unending task of making this world a much better place; and that I also hope to accomplish with my Peace Corps job in Mauritania. <i style="">Inshallah <o:p></o:p></i></p> <qtl style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); position: fixed; left: 305px; top: 80px; z-index: 9999;"><qtlbar style="display: block; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255); cursor: move; width: 100%; height: 25px; direction: ltr; text-align: left;"><a target="_blank" href="http://qtl.co.il/aff"><img style="border: 0pt none ; margin: 2px;" src="http://qtl.co.il/favicon.ico" /></a><a style="position: absolute; right: 20px; top: 1px;" target="_blank" href="http://qtl.co.il"><img title="help" style="border: 0pt none ;" src="chrome://qtl/content/help.png" /></a><img title="close" style="position: absolute; right: 2px; top: 2px; cursor: pointer;" src="chrome://qtl/content/close.png" /></qtlbar><qtlql 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href="http://search.babylon.com/web/During%20my%20International%20Relations%20courses%20back%20at%20the%20UNLA%20%28my%20college%20in%20Morelia%29%2C%20one%20of%20the%20recurrent%20debates%20that%20we%20had%20with%20my%20classmates%20was%20in%20relation%20to%20the%20importance%20that%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20posses%20in%20today%E2%80%99s%20international%20order.%20On%20one%20side%20of%20the%20debate%2C%20there%20were%20people%20that%20stated%20that%20in%20today%E2%80%99s%20globalized%20world%2C%20where%20power%20is%20more%20diffused%20and%20decentralized%2C%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20play%20a%20vital%20role%20in%20promoting%20social%20and%20economic%20development%2C%20they%20serve%20as%20institutions%20that%20hold%20governments%20accountable%20and%20also%20promote%20global%20awareness%20on%20issues%20that%20affect%20people%20all%20around%20the%20world.%20To%20put%20in%20another%20way%2C%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20are%20the%20voice%20of%20the%20global%20civil%20society%20and%20they%20represent%20its%20interest%20to%20the%20international%20community.%20On%20the%20other%20hand%20of%20the%20debate%2C%20there%20were%20people%20that%20were%20skeptical%20about%20the%20true%20impact%20that%20NGOs%20can%20make%20in%20the%20world.%20It%20is%20true%20that%20NGOs%20are%20more%20important%20today%20than%2030%20years%20ago%2C%20but%20the%20only%20institutions%20that%20can%20really%20transform%20the%20world%20are%20the%20global%20governments.%20Although%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20can%20promote%20awareness%20on%20some%20global%20issues%2C%20they%20usually%20don%E2%80%99t%20produce%20major%20changes%20on%20the%20global%20political%20agenda.%20During%20these%20debates%20I%20usually%20sympathized%20with%20the%20latter%20group%2C%20being%20really%20skeptical%20about%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20true%20impact%20in%20the%20world.%20However%2C%20all%20that%20changed%20this%20past%20week.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo%20before%20I%20write%20about%20my%20NGO%20experience%2C%20I%E2%80%99m%20going%20to%20do%20a%20small%20recap%20of%20my%20first%20month%20in%20Guerou.%20Ramadan%20is%20finally%20over%20and%20it%20was%20a%20great%20experience.%20During%20this%20time%20I%20had%20the%20opportunity%20to%20learn%20more%20about%20Mauritanian%20culture%20and%20Islam%2C%20breaking%20fast%20with%20families%20got%20me%20involved%20in%20the%20community%2C%20made%20some%20good%20friends%2C%20got%20to%20know%20the%20family%E2%80%99s%20of%20the%20girls%20that%20go%20to%20the%20GMC%20and%20I%20improved%20my%20French%20and%20Hassaniya%20language%20skills.%20Also%2C%20in%20regard%20to%20my%20recreational%20activities%2C%20I%20found%20a%20place%20where%20I%20can%20play%20X-Box%20and%20Playstation%202%2C%20watch%20European%20soccer%20games%20on%20the%20weekends%20and%20apparently%20I%20joined%20a%20soccer%20team%20for%20next%20month%E2%80%99s%20tournament.%20Additionally%2C%20I%20found%20a%20nice%20place%20to%20live%20in%20an%20area%20called%20Babi-%20Salaam%20-%E2%80%9CThe%20door%20of%20Peace%E2%80%9D-%20with%20two%20great%20Mauritanian%20friends%20called%20Cheikh%20and%20Moktar%2C%20who%20work%20in%20a%20NGO%20called%20World%20Vision.%20Last%20but%20not%20least%2C%20Andrea%20is%20back%20from%20her%20vacation%20trip%20so%20that%20makes%20things%20even%20better.%20Thus%2C%20my%20first%20month%20in%20Guerou%20has%20been%20an%20awesome%20and%20it%20also%20prepared%20me%20to%20start%20my%20activities%20at%20the%20Girls%20Mentoring%20Center%20and%20school..%0D%0A%0D%0AOkay%2C%20so%20now%20back%20to%20my%20story.%20The%20last%20day%20of%20Ramadan%2C%20my%20friend%20and%20World%20Vision%20Coordinator%2C%20Cheikh%2C%20invited%20me%20to%20take%20a%20trip%20to%20some%20villages%20located%20in%20the%20Mountains%20of%20Assaba%20to%20deliver%20food%2C%20aid%20and%20clothes%20that%20Irish%20families%20sent%20to%20the%20children%20of%20the%20Assaba.%20Since%20there%20was%20nothing%20that%20required%20my%20participation%20in%20Guerou%20that%20day%2C%20I%20gladly%20accepted%20Cheikh%E2%80%99s%20invitation.%20So%20we%20met%20at%20the%20WV%20Bureau%2C%20packed%20some%20supplies%20and%20started%20our%20adventure%20on%20a%20Toyota%20Land%20Cruiser%2C%20which%20is%20similar%20to%20the%20Peace%20Corps%20%E2%80%9CVomit%20Comet%E2%80%9D.%20During%20the%205%20hour%20bumpy%20trip%2C%20we%20literally%20drove%20through%20the%20rocky%20mountains%20without%20roads%20or%20tracks%20whatsoever%20%28the%20landscape%20resembled%20the%20one%20in%20the%20Lion%20King%20Movie%29%2C%20and%20passed%20by%20people%20riding%20in%20camels%2C%20tons%20of%20cows%20and%20some%20random%20villages.%20Although%20I%20already%20had%20similar%20humanitarian%20experiences%20like%20this%20one%20back%20at%20Mexico%2C%20it%20really%20struck%20me%20how%20there%20is%20societies%20that%20live%20so%20far%20away%20from%20what%20we%20call%20%E2%80%9Ccivilization%E2%80%9D%2C%20in%20places%20that%20seem%20to%20lack%20the%20special%20distinctiveness%20that%20would%20stimulate%20someone%20to%20live%20there.%0D%0A%0D%0AAfter%20getting%20kind%20of%20lost%20and%20the%20%E2%80%9Creall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href="http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=During%20my%20International%20Relations%20courses%20back%20at%20the%20UNLA%20%28my%20college%20in%20Morelia%29%2C%20one%20of%20the%20recurrent%20debates%20that%20we%20had%20with%20my%20classmates%20was%20in%20relation%20to%20the%20importance%20that%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20posses%20in%20today%E2%80%99s%20international%20order.%20On%20one%20side%20of%20the%20debate%2C%20there%20were%20people%20that%20stated%20that%20in%20today%E2%80%99s%20globalized%20world%2C%20where%20power%20is%20more%20diffused%20and%20decentralized%2C%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20play%20a%20vital%20role%20in%20promoting%20social%20and%20economic%20development%2C%20they%20serve%20as%20institutions%20that%20hold%20governments%20accountable%20and%20also%20promote%20global%20awareness%20on%20issues%20that%20affect%20people%20all%20around%20the%20world.%20To%20put%20in%20another%20way%2C%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20are%20the%20voice%20of%20the%20global%20civil%20society%20and%20they%20represent%20its%20interest%20to%20the%20international%20community.%20On%20the%20other%20hand%20of%20the%20debate%2C%20there%20were%20people%20that%20were%20skeptical%20about%20the%20true%20impact%20that%20NGOs%20can%20make%20in%20the%20world.%20It%20is%20true%20that%20NGOs%20are%20more%20important%20today%20than%2030%20years%20ago%2C%20but%20the%20only%20institutions%20that%20can%20really%20transform%20the%20world%20are%20the%20global%20governments.%20Although%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20can%20promote%20awareness%20on%20some%20global%20issues%2C%20they%20usually%20don%E2%80%99t%20produce%20major%20changes%20on%20the%20global%20political%20agenda.%20During%20these%20debates%20I%20usually%20sympathized%20with%20the%20latter%20group%2C%20being%20really%20skeptical%20about%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20true%20impact%20in%20the%20world.%20However%2C%20all%20that%20changed%20this%20past%20week.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo%20before%20I%20write%20about%20my%20NGO%20experience%2C%20I%E2%80%99m%20going%20to%20do%20a%20small%20recap%20of%20my%20first%20month%20in%20Guerou.%20Ramadan%20is%20finally%20over%20and%20it%20was%20a%20great%20experience.%20During%20this%20time%20I%20had%20the%20opportunity%20to%20learn%20more%20about%20Mauritanian%20culture%20and%20Islam%2C%20breaking%20fast%20with%20families%20got%20me%20involved%20in%20the%20community%2C%20made%20some%20good%20friends%2C%20got%20to%20know%20the%20family%E2%80%99s%20of%20the%20girls%20that%20go%20to%20the%20GMC%20and%20I%20improved%20my%20French%20and%20Hassaniya%20language%20skills.%20Also%2C%20in%20regard%20to%20my%20recreational%20activities%2C%20I%20found%20a%20place%20where%20I%20can%20play%20X-Box%20and%20Playstation%202%2C%20watch%20European%20soccer%20games%20on%20the%20weekends%20and%20apparently%20I%20joined%20a%20soccer%20team%20for%20next%20month%E2%80%99s%20tournament.%20Additionally%2C%20I%20found%20a%20nice%20place%20to%20live%20in%20an%20area%20called%20Babi-%20Salaam%20-%E2%80%9CThe%20door%20of%20Peace%E2%80%9D-%20with%20two%20great%20Mauritanian%20friends%20called%20Cheikh%20and%20Moktar%2C%20who%20work%20in%20a%20NGO%20called%20World%20Vision.%20Last%20but%20not%20least%2C%20Andrea%20is%20back%20from%20her%20vacation%20trip%20so%20that%20makes%20things%20even%20better.%20Thus%2C%20my%20first%20month%20in%20Guerou%20has%20been%20an%20awesome%20and%20it%20also%20prepared%20me%20to%20start%20my%20activities%20at%20the%20Girls%20Mentoring%20Center%20and%20school..%0D%0A%0D%0AOkay%2C%20so%20now%20back%20to%20my%20story.%20The%20last%20day%20of%20Ramadan%2C%20my%20friend%20and%20World%20Vision%20Coordinator%2C%20Cheikh%2C%20invited%20me%20to%20take%20a%20trip%20to%20some%20villages%20located%20in%20the%20Mountains%20of%20Assaba%20to%20deliver%20food%2C%20aid%20and%20clothes%20that%20Irish%20families%20sent%20to%20the%20children%20of%20the%20Assaba.%20Since%20there%20was%20nothing%20that%20required%20my%20participation%20in%20Guerou%20that%20day%2C%20I%20gladly%20accepted%20Cheikh%E2%80%99s%20invitation.%20So%20we%20met%20at%20the%20WV%20Bureau%2C%20packed%20some%20supplies%20and%20started%20our%20adventure%20on%20a%20Toyota%20Land%20Cruiser%2C%20which%20is%20similar%20to%20the%20Peace%20Corps%20%E2%80%9CVomit%20Comet%E2%80%9D.%20During%20the%205%20hour%20bumpy%20trip%2C%20we%20literally%20drove%20through%20the%20rocky%20mountains%20without%20roads%20or%20tracks%20whatsoever%20%28the%20landscape%20resembled%20the%20one%20in%20the%20Lion%20King%20Movie%29%2C%20and%20passed%20by%20people%20riding%20in%20camels%2C%20tons%20of%20cows%20and%20some%20random%20villages.%20Although%20I%20already%20had%20similar%20humanitarian%20experiences%20like%20this%20one%20back%20at%20Mexico%2C%20it%20really%20struck%20me%20how%20there%20is%20societies%20that%20live%20so%20far%20away%20from%20what%20we%20call%20%E2%80%9Ccivilization%E2%80%9D%2C%20in%20places%20that%20seem%20to%20lack%20the%20special%20distinctiveness%20that%20would%20stimulate%20someone%20to%20live%20there.%0D%0A%0D%0AAfter%20getting%20kind%20of%20lost%20and%20the%20%E2%80%9Cre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href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/associates/link-types/searchbox.html?tag=qtl0e-20&creative=374001&campaign=211041&adid=0NM007JMM5JYDBDT13Y6&mode=blended&keyword=During%20my%20International%20Relations%20courses%20back%20at%20the%20UNLA%20%28my%20college%20in%20Morelia%29%2C%20one%20of%20the%20recurrent%20debates%20that%20we%20had%20with%20my%20classmates%20was%20in%20relation%20to%20the%20importance%20that%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20posses%20in%20today%E2%80%99s%20international%20order.%20On%20one%20side%20of%20the%20debate%2C%20there%20were%20people%20that%20stated%20that%20in%20today%E2%80%99s%20globalized%20world%2C%20where%20power%20is%20more%20diffused%20and%20decentralized%2C%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20play%20a%20vital%20role%20in%20promoting%20social%20and%20economic%20development%2C%20they%20serve%20as%20institutions%20that%20hold%20governments%20accountable%20and%20also%20promote%20global%20awareness%20on%20issues%20that%20affect%20people%20all%20around%20the%20world.%20To%20put%20in%20another%20way%2C%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20are%20the%20voice%20of%20the%20global%20civil%20society%20and%20they%20represent%20its%20interest%20to%20the%20international%20community.%20On%20the%20other%20hand%20of%20the%20debate%2C%20there%20were%20people%20that%20were%20skeptical%20about%20the%20true%20impact%20that%20NGOs%20can%20make%20in%20the%20world.%20It%20is%20true%20that%20NGOs%20are%20more%20important%20today%20than%2030%20years%20ago%2C%20but%20the%20only%20institutions%20that%20can%20really%20transform%20the%20world%20are%20the%20global%20governments.%20Although%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20can%20promote%20awareness%20on%20some%20global%20issues%2C%20they%20usually%20don%E2%80%99t%20produce%20major%20changes%20on%20the%20global%20political%20agenda.%20During%20these%20debates%20I%20usually%20sympathized%20with%20the%20latter%20group%2C%20being%20really%20skeptical%20about%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20true%20impact%20in%20the%20world.%20However%2C%20all%20that%20changed%20this%20past%20week.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo%20before%20I%20write%20about%20my%20NGO%20experience%2C%20I%E2%80%99m%20going%20to%20do%20a%20small%20recap%20of%20my%20first%20month%20in%20Guerou.%20Ramadan%20is%20finally%20over%20and%20it%20was%20a%20great%20experience.%20During%20this%20time%20I%20had%20the%20opportunity%20to%20learn%20more%20about%20Mauritanian%20culture%20and%20Islam%2C%20breaking%20fast%20with%20families%20got%20me%20involved%20in%20the%20community%2C%20made%20some%20good%20friends%2C%20got%20to%20know%20the%20family%E2%80%99s%20of%20the%20girls%20that%20go%20to%20the%20GMC%20and%20I%20improved%20my%20French%20and%20Hassaniya%20language%20skills.%20Also%2C%20in%20regard%20to%20my%20recreational%20activities%2C%20I%20found%20a%20place%20where%20I%20can%20play%20X-Box%20and%20Playstation%202%2C%20watch%20European%20soccer%20games%20on%20the%20weekends%20and%20apparently%20I%20joined%20a%20soccer%20team%20for%20next%20month%E2%80%99s%20tournament.%20Additionally%2C%20I%20found%20a%20nice%20place%20to%20live%20in%20an%20area%20called%20Babi-%20Salaam%20-%E2%80%9CThe%20door%20of%20Peace%E2%80%9D-%20with%20two%20great%20Mauritanian%20friends%20called%20Cheikh%20and%20Moktar%2C%20who%20work%20in%20a%20NGO%20called%20World%20Vision.%20Last%20but%20not%20least%2C%20Andrea%20is%20back%20from%20her%20vacation%20trip%20so%20that%20makes%20things%20even%20better.%20Thus%2C%20my%20first%20month%20in%20Guerou%20has%20been%20an%20awesome%20and%20it%20also%20prepared%20me%20to%20start%20my%20activities%20at%20the%20Girls%20Mentoring%20Center%20and%20school..%0D%0A%0D%0AOkay%2C%20so%20now%20back%20to%20my%20story.%20The%20last%20day%20of%20Ramadan%2C%20my%20friend%20and%20World%20Vision%20Coordinator%2C%20Cheikh%2C%20invited%20me%20to%20take%20a%20trip%20to%20some%20villages%20located%20in%20the%20Mountains%20of%20Assaba%20to%20deliver%20food%2C%20aid%20and%20clothes%20that%20Irish%20families%20sent%20to%20the%20children%20of%20the%20Assaba.%20Since%20there%20was%20nothing%20that%20required%20my%20participation%20in%20Guerou%20that%20day%2C%20I%20gladly%20accepted%20Cheikh%E2%80%99s%20invitation.%20So%20we%20met%20at%20the%20WV%20Bureau%2C%20packed%20some%20supplies%20and%20started%20our%20adventure%20on%20a%20Toyota%20Land%20Cruiser%2C%20which%20is%20similar%20to%20the%20Peace%20Corps%20%E2%80%9CVomit%20Comet%E2%80%9D.%20During%20the%205%20hour%20bumpy%20trip%2C%20we%20literally%20drove%20through%20the%20rocky%20mountains%20without%20roads%20or%20tracks%20whatsoever%20%28the%20landscape%20resembled%20the%20one%20in%20the%20Lion%20King%20Movie%29%2C%20and%20passed%20by%20people%20riding%20in%20camels%2C%20tons%20of%20cows%20and%20some%20random%20villages.%20Although%20I%20already%20had%20similar%20humanitarian%20experiences%20like%20this%20one%20back%20at%20Mexico%2C%20it%20really%20struck%20me%20how%20there%20is%20societies%20that%20live%20so%20far%20away%20from%20what%20we%20call%20%E2%80%9Ccivilization%E2%80%9D%2C%20in%20places%20that%20seem%20to%20lack%20the%20special%20distinctiveness%20that%20would%20stimulate%20someone%20to%20live%20there.%0D%0A%0D%0AAfter%20getting%20kind%20of%20lost%20and%20the%20%E2%80%9Creally%20dark%20night%E2%80%9D%20already%20upon%20us%2C%20we%20finally%20arrived%20to%20our%20final%20destination.%20The%20place%20was%20a%20vast%20flat%20piece%20of%20land%20with%20three%20mud%20houses%2C%20two%20Haimas%20or%20tents%2C%20and%20tons%20of%20cows%20where%20three%20big%20families%20live.%20One%20thing%20that%20didn%E2%80%99t%20change%20was%20the%20warm%20hospitality%20that%20Mauritanians%20have%2C%20which%20received%20us%20with%20food%2C%20tea%20and%20camel%20milk.%20At%20first%20everything%20seemed%20so%20natural%2C%20it%20seemed%20that%20people%20didn%E2%80%99t%20really%20care%20that%20there%20was%20a%20%E2%80%9Cforeigner%E2%80%9D%20among%20them%2C%20but%20once%20the%20light%20up%20a%20bonfire%20and%20light%20illuminated%20the%20terrain%2C%20I%20could%20see%20and%20hear%20the%20expressions%20of%20astonishment%20of%20the%20villagers%20once%20they%20saw%20me.%20The%20children%20where%20motionless%2C%20some%20frightened%2C%20while%20the%20adults%20just%20whispered%20among%20themselves.%20A%20little%20girl%2C%20finally%20had%20the%20courage%20to%20walk%20to%20me%2C%20but%20instead%20of%20stretching%20here%20hand%20to%20greet%20me%2C%20she%20touched%20my%20face%20for%2010%20min%20trying%20to%20understand%20what%20was%20so%20%E2%80%9Cdifferent%E2%80%9D%20about%20me.%20That%20night%20I%20went%20to%20sleep%20with%2015%20children%20putting%20attention%20on%20every%20movement%20I%20did%20and%20woke%20up%20the%20next%20morning%20with%20those%20same%20kids%20staring%20at%20me.%20Creepy%20but%20true%20LOL.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe%20next%20day%2C%20the%20World%20Vision%20staff%20started%20to%20deliver%20food%2C%20clothes%2C%20money%20and%20even%20goats%20to%20the%20families%20of%20the%20sponsored%20children.%20It%20was%20a%20powerful%20thing%20to%20see%20how%20people%2C%20that%20may%20never%20meet%20each%20other%20in%20person%2C%20can%20bring%20so%20much%20joy%20and%20happiness%20with%20just%20a%20small%20donation.%20Moreover%2C%20thanks%20to%20all%20the%20World%20Vision%20donations%20that%20come%20from%20Ireland%2C%20the%20children%20of%20the%20Assaba%20Mountains%20also%20have%20an%20elementary%20school%20that%20World%20Vision%20also%20built%20two%20years%20ago%20and%20a%20food%20program%20that%20can%20help%20the%20kids%20continue%20their%20studies%20without%20any%20nutrition%20problems.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe%20World%20Vision%20trip%20helped%20me%20regain%20the%20faith%20that%20had%20I%20lost%20on%20international%20institutions.%20Organization%20such%20as%20World%20Vision%20still%20continue%20to%20promote%20a%20better%20understanding%20of%20the%20%E2%80%9Dreal%20and%20imbalanced%E2%80%9D%20world%20that%20we%20live%20in%2C%20and%20even%20most%20important%2C%20they%20try%20to%20solve%20such%20inequalities%20by%20creating%20a%20constructive%20bond%20between%20families%20that%20want%20to%20assist%20others%20and%20those%20people%20that%20really%20need%20their%20help.%20Of%20course%2C%20I%20know%20that%20like%20any%20other%20human%20institutions%2C%20NGO%E2%80%99s%20have%20their%20flaws%20and%20malfunctions%2C%20and%20they%20should%20always%20find%20themselves%20in%20a%20constant%20process%20of%20improvement%20for%20the%20sake%20of%20humanity.%20Nevertheless%20the%20important%20thing%20is%20not%20to%20see%20and%20judge%20their%20failures%20but%20to%20analyze%20their%20contribution%20in%20the%20unending%20task%20of%20making%20this%20world%20a%20much%20better%20place%3B%20and%20that%20I%20also%20hope%20to%20accomplish%20with%20my%20Peace%20Corps%20job%20in%20Mauritania.%20Inshallah"><img style="border: 0pt none ; margin: 2px; display: inline;" src="http://www.amazon.com/favicon.ico" /></a></qtlql><qtlmain style="margin: 0pt; padding: 10px; min-width: 200px; min-height: 0px; max-width: 450px; max-height: 300px; display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204); overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: auto;"></qtlmain></qtl>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-77449933134041714092008-09-12T07:42:00.000+00:002008-09-12T07:53:55.744+00:00Il Hamdoulillah<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgYf9RHSHbX-iQcBJqAYRKCI6DKHMNqrsBpNF8IU0ZXtjNJurEj2_VUXPOvG5PZ9V19rbaZLQEUVUSDrgwmkzi7yuyreTDZImYQTC9IMhxJtblOvssEgQ08L9Z_jJDOuUXY0guBz3Jb9r/s1600-h/IMG_0162.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgYf9RHSHbX-iQcBJqAYRKCI6DKHMNqrsBpNF8IU0ZXtjNJurEj2_VUXPOvG5PZ9V19rbaZLQEUVUSDrgwmkzi7yuyreTDZImYQTC9IMhxJtblOvssEgQ08L9Z_jJDOuUXY0guBz3Jb9r/s320/IMG_0162.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245039150376462242" border="0" /></a> Sign indicating you're entering Guerou<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLON3BJZeDyOHFSxWhyphenhyphenAm-scK9IQgWTRgNf01AqSsY3Wh-YBQP-1QPQy40QkXad1PO6tn50M-eJrFzyPYgZLPIIV6aSPBVAs-hb_eLh-XTigkwYXMzgBKvxw2TIX1lKoYdLMxC6NirG7g/s1600-h/IMG_0327.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLON3BJZeDyOHFSxWhyphenhyphenAm-scK9IQgWTRgNf01AqSsY3Wh-YBQP-1QPQy40QkXad1PO6tn50M-eJrFzyPYgZLPIIV6aSPBVAs-hb_eLh-XTigkwYXMzgBKvxw2TIX1lKoYdLMxC6NirG7g/s320/IMG_0327.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245039161482514194" border="0" /></a> With Ambassador Boulware and Mark during Swear in Ceremony<br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:130%;" >Il Hamdoulillah <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:130%;" >Starting new life is always a rough test for the human spirit. It takes a great amount of energy, courage and patience to grasp the alien environment that surrounds us and, most of the times, overwhelms us. However, starting a new life and adapting to a totally different country, society, culture, language, and environment; now that’s a heck of a challenge. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:130%;" >During the nine hour drive from Rosso to the region of Assaba, I noticed a huge change in the panorama since my last visit 4 weeks ago during Site Visit. What used to be a dry and sandy landscape turned into beautiful green and vivid scenery that bear a resemblance to the oasis’s so often described throughout the Bible. We also stopped in a different town to eat <i style="">Mishui</i> -roasted lamb and my favorite Mauritanian meal- where it tasted way better than the one in Aleg. <span style=""> </span>What did not change however, was feeling the same adrenaline running through my entire body when I saw the sign announcing that we just reached Guerou, my home for the next two years <i style="">Inshallah</i>. <span style=""> </span><i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:130%;" >So far, my assignments for the first month is to introduce myself to the community, establish several constructive relationships and let the people know why in the world is an American, called Pablo, doing in Guerrou. My site mate and only PCV in Guerrou, Andrea, (which I will always praise for the great job she has done here) will be leaving on a really well deserved vacation for a couple of weeks, so basically I’m going to be on my own during this time. The daunting part is that the month in which I just arrived concurs with Ramadan, one of the most important festivities for the Muslim Ummah. Ramadan is a month where ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance into the future, ask for help in refraining from everyday evils and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deed. Muslims do not eat or drink anything from dawn until sunset. What I’ve heard from other PCVs and also noticed is that during Ramadan people are usually in a devoted religious mood and simultaneously very exhausted due to the lack of food and fluids that they usually intake. <span style=""> </span>Don t get me wrong, this could be an awesome opportunity to experience and learn from the Mauritanian culture and Islam- after all, that’s the Peace Corps premise and one of the main reasons why I decided to come to Mauritania. However, if I was the one fasting in this hot weather -like I did for one day- let say I would not be in a mood to be socializing with people, especially with a <i style="">nasrani</i> like me. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:130%;" >So having the current situation in mind, I decided to take a walk through the city and try to make some friends. As I was expecting, the first people I met all asked me the same questions over and over again: Are you fasting? Are you Muslim? And although I tried to avoid responding to such inquiries, their persistence made me give them away a “No” for an answer. Most of them just laughed and continued the chatter while two of them immediately lost interest in me and even refused to shake my hand. However, before I started to feel discouraged a vibrant “Salam wualey kum” just caught my attention. A tall, aged black African with a big smile greeted me and kindly invited me to break fast with him. So I spent the next four hours with Mamadouh, the driver for the city’s Hakem, and met his wonderful family, talked about how is life in Mauritania and USA, described our jobs and, of course, practiced my feeble Hassaniya. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="font-size:130%;">My dad usually says that it doesn’t matter how old you are or how much things you have lived, there is always a first time for everything. Well once again, he is right. That was definitely a great evening full of new experiences. I recruited my first two girls for the GMC (or at least that’s what both Mamadouh’s daughters said), I experienced my first big sand storm which blinded me for a moment, and, most importantly, I broke fast during my first Ramadan in an Islamic country. That was a delightful moment; a moment where a Christian and Muslim shared the same bread, tea, Zrig (Mauritanian drink that is a mix of water, milk and sugar), dates, but more significantly, we joyfully shared our ideas, thoughts and dreams. </span><i style=""><span style="font-size:130%;">Il Hamdoulillah – The glory be to God. .</span> </i><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-2854554848636785542008-09-05T13:28:00.000+00:002008-09-05T13:39:09.147+00:00Rollercoaster Experience<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzI6Jpfsc8DAash-K-AXvkM892OdsG2iLz_TkDhS2dn7LNpaDaMRpXwQPNeF16cZupZaZM8kV8m6Ubnfdt8qMbKuDIVZ8ZyRJ__gx2HMYgcbe_uqMUKKMKZnZjj1mektgGSWdtUr4PBen/s1600-h/DSC_1342.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzI6Jpfsc8DAash-K-AXvkM892OdsG2iLz_TkDhS2dn7LNpaDaMRpXwQPNeF16cZupZaZM8kV8m6Ubnfdt8qMbKuDIVZ8ZyRJ__gx2HMYgcbe_uqMUKKMKZnZjj1mektgGSWdtUr4PBen/s320/DSC_1342.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242530677025986226" border="0" /></a> My buddy Zach and me after Swear in Ceremony<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fAFasYI3D5CI-CORRkOXV3c422Gu8yLnNk-vpadYWL1C-J2DfwT3tlCq5BCg9u238ieZFhSESlFmrnKa1Q8D8zpBVbREDV8crFDqVc0Q9KpHS4B5ZBuUuM3lFwfzXAv6elsMdnCprJPa/s1600-h/DSC_1348.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fAFasYI3D5CI-CORRkOXV3c422Gu8yLnNk-vpadYWL1C-J2DfwT3tlCq5BCg9u238ieZFhSESlFmrnKa1Q8D8zpBVbREDV8crFDqVc0Q9KpHS4B5ZBuUuM3lFwfzXAv6elsMdnCprJPa/s320/DSC_1348.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242530684085859538" border="0" /></a> With Hailey during the swear in party wearing our sick clothes.<br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >The days when I used to go to the madrassa for my Hassaniya language class in Mbalal; playing soccer in the sandy field with my Mauritanian friends; the GEE tech sessions at Rosso; eating camel burgers in the Mauritanian” McDonalds” with my friends; but even most importantly, the days when I was called a Peace Corps Trainee are finally <b style="">over</b>.<span style=""> </span>The truth is that so much has happened in my life during the last week of <i style="">Stage</i> that it feels like if I’m riding a rollercoaster without an end. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >So just for a fast recap, after leaving Mbalal I headed back to the Peace Corps Center back at Rosso to prepare myself <span style=""> </span>to swear in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. To achieve this, I had three days <span style=""> </span>to take a language proficiency test in Hassaniya, elaborate an essay on my cultural exchange during Pre Service Training<span style=""> </span>and another one on the GEE Tech sessions that we had during the last month. If I failed to realize one of these duties, my S<i style="">wear In</i> process would be delayed for another two weeks or so. However with the help of God and some studying time, everything went pretty smoothly and without a hassle. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >So after finishing this series of formalities, I had basically two days to rest and enjoy all my friends for the last time in the next 4 months, I had to get ready for swear in ceremony and party, and last but not least, prepare myself for my next assignment:<span style=""> </span>being a Girls Empowerment and Education Agent in the city of Guerou. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >The <i style="">Swear In Ceremony </i>was tremendous. Although it was kind of a low key ceremony due to some Peace Corps budget restraints, we had the honor to count with the Ambassador of the US to Mauritania Mr. Mark Boulware and his wife Ms. Boulware; the PC Director in Mauritania: Obie Shaw and other important PC officials such as Damien and David Salomon; and a great number of current PCV which were so helpful and supportive during the past two months. During the ceremony, all the trainees sat down and listened to an encouraging dialogue from Obie, three speeches in local languages by some trainees and, at the end, the Ambassador formalized our status as Peace Corps Volunteers making us swear-as in a presidential inaugural ceremony- to fulfill the objectives and mission of the Peace Corps.!! WHAT GREAT MOMENT WAS THAT!! I felt like all this happiness, joy and energy rushing through my veins waiting to get liberated; and it was a great timing for that desire, because up next was the <b style="">Swear in Party</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >So once the night arrived and we finally finished cooking all the food for the party (by the way Mexican Style food) we all headed to the Hotel Chemama in the PC trucks and joined all the current Peace Corps Volunteers to have this big party “the American style”: dancing to hip hop music, drinking smuggled alcohol from Senegal, people dressed up in silly outfits (including me as you can see in the picture) and all the rest of the things that can happen in a place filled with 100 Americans in a foreign country.<span style=""> </span>It was a blast for us and a nightmare for our security officers – who had to take care of the needed, if you get what I’m saying- and the Mauritanians that lived near the hotel. <span style=""> </span>I know that describing the party and looking at all the pictures may make us think that we are the classic dumb Americans that like to party without limits the “spring break” style and not the ideal and humble Peace Corps Volunteer that’s not interested in such juvenile recreations. This could maybe be true, but believe me and in at our defense, after two months of learning a new language, living in a conservative country and struggling with an extreme weather, environment and, for some people, sickness, I think we needed a really good break and the swear in party gave us exactly that. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >So after all this, it was time for me to get ready to leave for my final site: Guerrou. Although I have only been in Mauritania with the PC people for two months, I really felt a sad saying good bye to every person. It was during the time of hugs and kisses and waving good bye when I felt that the exciting, challenging and transformative part of our PC experience was finally going to start. Of course, the past two months where challenging and difficult but we always had the option of going back to the Center and interacting with people of our same culture if we felt bad or lonely. But this next phase is not going to be like that anymore, and that is <b style="">good</b>. Going to your new site, meeting new people, integrating into the community and making them accepting<span style=""> </span>you because of who you are,<span style=""> </span>working in your sector and learning <span style=""> </span>the culture and language without the help of PC facilitator is what Peace Corps is all about.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: arial;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >So all this happened in less than a week and I can already feel that I’m not the same person that I was 5 days ago. The first part of my Peace Corps service is finally over and I would say that it ended “con broche de oro”. <span style=""> </span>Now, it’s time to start another episode full of challenges and emotions in Guerou. Thinking about it and retaking what I wrote at the end of the first paragraph, this is really a Roller</span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: arial;font-family:";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">Coaster that I’m riding in; and the name of the ride is called “The Peace Corps experience”.</span> </span>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-83364497557456196762008-08-26T12:53:00.000+00:002008-08-26T12:57:00.379+00:00Decir Adios<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="" lang="ES">Hay cosas a las cuales nunca me he acostumbrado a hacer, incluso si me encuentro haciéndolas constantemente. <span style=""> </span>Una de esas es el de decir adiós. Siempre que me encuentro en un aeropuerto, estación de camiones o incluso parada de taxis; me gusta ver las diferentes formas en que la gente expresa sus sentimientos al decir adiós o al recibir a un ser querido. A pesar de que cada quien tiene su a manera peculiar de comportarse durante esta situación, la gente que mas capta mi atención son aquellas<span style=""> </span>que tienen una gran facilidad para dejar ir a personas importantes en su vida. Para ellos el decir “adiós” es algo tan normal en la vida, y claro que lo es; pero en mi caso, el despedirse de esa manera es algo que me costaría mucho hacer. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="" lang="ES">Mi vida ha sido la de vivir en un constante cambio. <span style=""> </span>El mudarme continuamente desde que era pequeño, el decir “adiós”, lidiar con entornos nuevos <span style=""> </span>y empezar una nueva vida debería ser algo al que debería estar totalmente acostumbrado. <span style=""> </span>Al recordar la vez que me despedí de mi familia en Alaska o de mis seres queridos en México, produce en mí todavía un sentimiento de tristeza. Sé que este todo este constante cambio trae consigo cosas de las cuales podemos beneficiarnos como el madurar como persona, el aprender a adaptarse a diferentes entornos, conocer nuevas<span style=""> </span>personas, lugares y culturas <span style=""> </span>y, en mi caso, tratar de fortalecer mi relación con Dios. Pero la realidad es que el estar en constante cambio es duro; necesario pero duro. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="" lang="ES">La razón por la que estoy hablando sobre este tema es porque este domingo me toco despedirme de mi familia y amigos en Mbalal. Para ser sincero, nunca creí que iba a desarrollar una gran relación con varias personas de Mauritania durante los primeros dos meses de mi servicio. Al ver el gran grupo de personas que nos despidió con regalos y abrazos, me hizo sentir una vez más el sentimiento del que he estado escribiendo. Mi estancia en Mbalal fue toda una gran experiencia para mí. Es increíble lo que aprendí en un pueblo donde no hay electricidad o agua potable. Aprendes a valorar y respetar la cosa más importante que tenemos en la tierra: <span style=""> </span>tu prójimo.- sea americano o de Mauritania; cristiano o musulmán, blanco .<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";" lang="ES"><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:100%;" >Ahora me encuentro en el centro preparándome para “jurar” como un Official Peace Corps Volunteer el jueves ante el embajador de USA en Mauritania y otros oficiales. Sin embargo de la misma manera, me encuentro una vez más preparándome para decir adiós a mis compañeros de Peace Corps y empezar una nueva aventura en Guerrou que durara poco menos de dos años. Una vez más, es hora de prepararse para el cambio y nuevas experiencias. Que me espera alla? No lo sé completamente. Lo que si se es que con la ayuda de Dios, el apoyo de mis seres queridos y mis experiencias pasadas; creo que estoy listo para este nuevo reto. Inshallah</span><br /></span>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-7412822633765923052008-08-25T09:49:00.000+00:002008-08-25T11:45:21.533+00:00Pictures of my last week in Mbalal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaYWnJcv5zPUmofmYAwzTCBShLrwGAUDVOFOcdgxXlIrDXNlNY3ZdWM9ua1hjMDIHXzPA5d0uqNDMOwq369rMM_3BKbPKxxGCG3cMRQPbkkPi8yJgmUJe1Tc2zJhSBNCzccHXIpIZnyWl/s1600-h/IMG_0253.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaYWnJcv5zPUmofmYAwzTCBShLrwGAUDVOFOcdgxXlIrDXNlNY3ZdWM9ua1hjMDIHXzPA5d0uqNDMOwq369rMM_3BKbPKxxGCG3cMRQPbkkPi8yJgmUJe1Tc2zJhSBNCzccHXIpIZnyWl/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238407657060960706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM6Z7HO-KWVyveQXYv8Qzwm_2pk71MfCiiW_WXreLlsCO9siVm3q6GX68aeAx_b7FoyW7cytkMatijD4N1v4UhMw1KMnL3FueM2n-Shw3hJOPhAkX_Ku77cZ5MFKO7EqhRC6SS-j1dSqJ/s1600-h/IMG_0250.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM6Z7HO-KWVyveQXYv8Qzwm_2pk71MfCiiW_WXreLlsCO9siVm3q6GX68aeAx_b7FoyW7cytkMatijD4N1v4UhMw1KMnL3FueM2n-Shw3hJOPhAkX_Ku77cZ5MFKO7EqhRC6SS-j1dSqJ/s320/IMG_0250.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238407661120751778" border="0" /></a> GEE Volunteers and the Girls in Rosso<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPWXXtqDBZ3OqhLqoEmHs2u-ivGiEZgk4foehSPQ5qbZb3LEbk4-FmuzrfZOqCh9d9oUyN4jOMAOfo_auoEJWZhbXiRBAhnI6ld_ZIR7jfb25PHQDwaBRO2xULXI8TWclENJyTbRdk382/s1600-h/IMG_0241.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPWXXtqDBZ3OqhLqoEmHs2u-ivGiEZgk4foehSPQ5qbZb3LEbk4-FmuzrfZOqCh9d9oUyN4jOMAOfo_auoEJWZhbXiRBAhnI6ld_ZIR7jfb25PHQDwaBRO2xULXI8TWclENJyTbRdk382/s320/IMG_0241.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238407671256850226" border="0" /></a> Look at the Shirt lol<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UiUodn39Nci-8hRKLFqdlcjYRUq2oWHhwaB7_oQFKfIuF67oVFZS4ybQ0YNTY4Jsztv4_YtVdiu9ED7riS5AsJOZq-2Y0yKJbCRdS6N8pbLGk4osK8WHRM8MPm7Ng9X9Nu_WgQTCHYKI/s1600-h/IMG_0268.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UiUodn39Nci-8hRKLFqdlcjYRUq2oWHhwaB7_oQFKfIuF67oVFZS4ybQ0YNTY4Jsztv4_YtVdiu9ED7riS5AsJOZq-2Y0yKJbCRdS6N8pbLGk4osK8WHRM8MPm7Ng9X9Nu_WgQTCHYKI/s320/IMG_0268.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238398198521992978" border="0" /></a> My Sister Mineya helping me with laundry<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3KmFDD9kqNE49c3uNKW_7M-wN92tG0q88ssxiT2zuML6ooZYIvlnb-rjnQ9lpcsh5ul6W50bu3smOuHbUCexow8TUeysvqUDxD_OY7R0SpuIehNKeJRbocQwoWqY4JgjqenEytKpCnIZ/s1600-h/IMG_0259.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3KmFDD9kqNE49c3uNKW_7M-wN92tG0q88ssxiT2zuML6ooZYIvlnb-rjnQ9lpcsh5ul6W50bu3smOuHbUCexow8TUeysvqUDxD_OY7R0SpuIehNKeJRbocQwoWqY4JgjqenEytKpCnIZ/s320/IMG_0259.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238398205151634146" border="0" /></a> My brothers Mineya and Habib<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjua98Le7I7bxUSJrSq2RQHSHct-q0YPlM1FufbcIqeHVgZigj8siRVatn2iQebg7FrNRtJnQwKyq8efK2PktSW4SvX3itmzpO4VjMbYIcYk2S70nyCxYPFW-yrpfX_rFHNrb0NpspBQISO/s1600-h/IMG_0251.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjua98Le7I7bxUSJrSq2RQHSHct-q0YPlM1FufbcIqeHVgZigj8siRVatn2iQebg7FrNRtJnQwKyq8efK2PktSW4SvX3itmzpO4VjMbYIcYk2S70nyCxYPFW-yrpfX_rFHNrb0NpspBQISO/s320/IMG_0251.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238398206740162546" border="0" /></a><br /> The Girls that Elise and I worked with during our GMC modelPablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-20305850942533645402008-08-15T14:43:00.000+00:002008-08-15T15:22:35.002+00:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX2zKNg3N6fnVWwcCEpH0OaLQpgERc7ktY1dyWZsXOs2RcU8g9CruU8QvzD3HnNzbmZoi1khOPk1_jyBGCvGmz-Bvo8CAxKc8QA_cMvzyoRiCeorbHgxSAgOobIaUGvELZLwi6gGFiKJI/s1600-h/Mulafa+girls.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX2zKNg3N6fnVWwcCEpH0OaLQpgERc7ktY1dyWZsXOs2RcU8g9CruU8QvzD3HnNzbmZoi1khOPk1_jyBGCvGmz-Bvo8CAxKc8QA_cMvzyoRiCeorbHgxSAgOobIaUGvELZLwi6gGFiKJI/s320/Mulafa+girls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234765012693481586" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBKukDazf0qdxX623HYXch2qnA3yHY07jNP9YbpDu1F79VO1PwZcUBhQiSxLQJRh_cjm8r15uZPyiwkyMKEiWXGgOi2nsgL6tNx8vcLo19GGDNHV1TX2LbJYZf2-YSjK8pGAtHk_NpTof/s1600-h/IMG_0143.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBKukDazf0qdxX623HYXch2qnA3yHY07jNP9YbpDu1F79VO1PwZcUBhQiSxLQJRh_cjm8r15uZPyiwkyMKEiWXGgOi2nsgL6tNx8vcLo19GGDNHV1TX2LbJYZf2-YSjK8pGAtHk_NpTof/s320/IMG_0143.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234764512782726978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UELFMSwEdvPvFRKGMsP0xuJ4ICVJuiSjjKXyZwLVRCSb0Um4Gu4ijD32AS8q3b7PvvAGJoycvS2WmgtiBZ5qDkAekbK64aEViF-yUAfWcSlfwklWgrUhvMOv4qm2J3TNgnfprhPBKQCN/s1600-h/Rajel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UELFMSwEdvPvFRKGMsP0xuJ4ICVJuiSjjKXyZwLVRCSb0Um4Gu4ijD32AS8q3b7PvvAGJoycvS2WmgtiBZ5qDkAekbK64aEViF-yUAfWcSlfwklWgrUhvMOv4qm2J3TNgnfprhPBKQCN/s320/Rajel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234763429763114482" border="0" /></a><br />This post is to let you guys know that despite the recent Coup d'etat in Mauritania and the<span id="KonaBody"> Report that Al Qaeda's North Africa wing has called for Jihad in Mauritania to establish Islamic rule after a military junta ousted the country's elected president; I'm doing fine. Things have been going on normally in my site, so don't worry (for those of you who where worried lol). Of course if something bigger comes up, then the PC will chose any required action plan. So well I go to go Ill have more details for you next week<br /></span>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-50729358613934465872008-08-10T14:27:00.001+00:002008-08-10T14:38:55.983+00:00A day with Moctar Ould Da<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZhKVsKoXBJdNwFVTev5FF6NjCd2wb9Y9kCb9VaFKe1Jd09FoqnjyFVT_m6xdyiUQh6tG3-j1El5OgMNsRDpaRDbYQGH77trDz0f6ezI4b6x7A_OOOHe-iZbZcSvV42OHqjqNlvybQcJp/s1600-h/IMG_0067.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232898001101024786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZhKVsKoXBJdNwFVTev5FF6NjCd2wb9Y9kCb9VaFKe1Jd09FoqnjyFVT_m6xdyiUQh6tG3-j1El5OgMNsRDpaRDbYQGH77trDz0f6ezI4b6x7A_OOOHe-iZbZcSvV42OHqjqNlvybQcJp/s320/IMG_0067.JPG" border="0" /></a> Two Mauritanian facilitators and Friends<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmp2mHfgK_W65FkudKayvssHEEtB6yPbiEtdJtmrVKv96StkvTVaQBz9yIipTa6CZfm-09T-o8xgoNdDCyl0hPCc7G5c6NDE4W8UJmmArHp0PwZTYNrFKizr0Ej-rT24payWWRcZGDC58/s1600-h/IMG_0082.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232898008645635058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmp2mHfgK_W65FkudKayvssHEEtB6yPbiEtdJtmrVKv96StkvTVaQBz9yIipTa6CZfm-09T-o8xgoNdDCyl0hPCc7G5c6NDE4W8UJmmArHp0PwZTYNrFKizr0Ej-rT24payWWRcZGDC58/s320/IMG_0082.JPG" border="0" /></a> My room back at Mbalal. My matela, mosquito net, suitcase and water filter<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGerwKauugkDAUPyUDy1YEMCLmt5ZldGZeNk-e2IbVpACca8jAq9dit5wpTwZoouXyJcdT1IWak7FmiRV-CCTAa5-NTartiV1xkGA4BLcQFbiNCUPqm23E5Fxph7MQx-oPrdb0QvwYKzE/s1600-h/mbalal+gee.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232895899151174722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGerwKauugkDAUPyUDy1YEMCLmt5ZldGZeNk-e2IbVpACca8jAq9dit5wpTwZoouXyJcdT1IWak7FmiRV-CCTAa5-NTartiV1xkGA4BLcQFbiNCUPqm23E5Fxph7MQx-oPrdb0QvwYKzE/s320/mbalal+gee.jpg" border="0" /></a> GEE Group at Mbalal. The person laying down is Rajel my facilitator<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswvgPSb_n3dXTF9HH75RA6EL5FKzCcZXhiFI2W6S5VPsEaJGMZufRxFta8iWMHUCMj_owuk6u46qIU9LP8KGjqKNT7Bc_-JqRaL96Mpo9p3J2w2JPJUjwWkB8lXZDH2WvZszZ3HxGMT9F/s1600-h/n6006501_38448763_9999.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232895900500036002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswvgPSb_n3dXTF9HH75RA6EL5FKzCcZXhiFI2W6S5VPsEaJGMZufRxFta8iWMHUCMj_owuk6u46qIU9LP8KGjqKNT7Bc_-JqRaL96Mpo9p3J2w2JPJUjwWkB8lXZDH2WvZszZ3HxGMT9F/s320/n6006501_38448763_9999.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is how you eat at Mauritania<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div align="justify">So far, all the things that I’ve posted on my blog have been random thoughts about my experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania. The Mauritanian culture, my goals, the GEE program, language lessons and site visit have been themes that have dominated most of my blog. I have not, however, written about how does a normal day in my life look like. What is my schedule? What do I do? Where do I live? At what time and what do I eat? Do I do some sports?. So therefore, the purpose of this post is to answer these simple and basic questions. Hope you like it.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">Like all you know, I’m in the first phase of the Peace Corps process called Stage. The purpose of this phase is to introduce the local culture and language to the trainees so they can prepare themselves for the next two years of their service. So right now, I find myself in a small, but beautiful town called Mbalal, where there is no electricity or running water. I’m with three other PC trainees (Amanda Dillon, Amanda Butcher and Eric Bell) and my language facilitator called Rajel, who also teaches philosophy in a High School in a city called Kaedi. I live with a big and awesome family where Im having a great time. I have 6 brothers and 7 sisters. So Im pretty busy all day.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">So after giving you this petit intro, I will describe a normal day in the life of Pablo Solorio or in my Mauritanian name Moktar Ould Da at Mbalal.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">I wake up at 7:00 am everyday and take my breakfast which is usually peanuts, bread and porridge (ATOLE). After that, I leave to my school or Madrassa where my language class starts at 8:00am and ends at 12:30pm. During class we discuss Mauritanian culture, of course learn language and joke a lot. After that I usually go back to my family’s Khaima (like tent) and practice my super Hassaniya skills with them. At 2:00 pm I usually eat Marrow wu Il Hutt, or Rice and Fish from a communal bowl where everyone eats at the same time with their right hand (using your left is a offense because usually that’s the hand you use to wipe your you know what with lol). After that I rest a little and read some books and wait to back to language classes at 4:00pm.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">After class is over at 7:00pm, the other trainees and I usually go for a walk to the date garden and the soccer field where we see the locals play soccer. Once we head back to our houses, I take my usual bucket bath and take dinner with my family, which usually it is spaghetti with meat. After that I go back to my room and get my well deserved naptime. OH I FORGOT. Tea is the national drink in Mauritania, Drinking tea with a family shows that you respect their culture and is a sign of friendship. I brought this up because Im easily drinkinf 10 cups of tea daily. Sounds crazy but its true.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">Any questions on my blog, please feel free to ask. <em>Masselem</em> </div></div>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-32482881542911981112008-08-06T13:03:00.000+00:002008-08-06T13:53:21.371+00:00First Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7KgHWmXP6kR3YFyXaPugdKQK0u7jOM3D1QufWEFaB6qWOkwqXvDOzN8DI8xzhlb8eYwb9AGtkvNgU1W4rPeG2AxSkYwuUMKQUWrax5uPWzSlUIXROJiTDiTL-XtshsYNFYOi0CZpxYAq/s1600-h/IMG_0189.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7KgHWmXP6kR3YFyXaPugdKQK0u7jOM3D1QufWEFaB6qWOkwqXvDOzN8DI8xzhlb8eYwb9AGtkvNgU1W4rPeG2AxSkYwuUMKQUWrax5uPWzSlUIXROJiTDiTL-XtshsYNFYOi0CZpxYAq/s320/IMG_0189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231391175297308818" border="0" /></a><br />Its been a month and a half since I arrived to Mauritania. Its been a month and a half of experimenting new feelings, sensations; getting to know new places, people, cultures and languages. The result of all this melange of things has made me establish new goals in my life and, of course, new fears.<br /><br />My language lessons are going pretty awesome, family is good, Mauritania is super hot and well Today we just received news thats there has been a Coup d'etat in Mauritania. So far nothing big to worry about, regarding my security.<br /><br />I'm a person that likes to evaluate constantly the things going on in my life. Why do I like do this? Well I think I learned this from my parents. I know that this approach makes life seem like if its a race, where the only outcome is to win or loose, to succeed or to fail ; and certainly life is not like this. But in the future, when I look back at my life and think about what did I accomplish during my life, I would like to say what the apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 "I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith.The victor's crown of righteousness is now waiting for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on the day that he comes, and not only to me but also to all who eagerly wait for his appearing. And so far, this month and a half has been a great blessing.<br />PD; I KNOW THIS BLOG DOES NOT MAKE A LOT OF SENSE, BUT IM RUNNING AOUT OF TIME HERE AT ROSSO.Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-50608727563767840052008-07-30T13:18:00.001+00:002008-07-30T13:39:16.141+00:00Back From Guerrou<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilm8ecviVAUJzihMwnIn_atZ_OOdcMwz2nT34LAvEQTIIdmagCi_99TALXLZNh8SYbIzr5PGsiZSiS7ZwEuOKZUxh8-DSsCY3IRMxBsdYv9QpIdirF92NGcMY-_9s15bO-1xrMlbQS9_WI/s1600-h/IMG_0154.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilm8ecviVAUJzihMwnIn_atZ_OOdcMwz2nT34LAvEQTIIdmagCi_99TALXLZNh8SYbIzr5PGsiZSiS7ZwEuOKZUxh8-DSsCY3IRMxBsdYv9QpIdirF92NGcMY-_9s15bO-1xrMlbQS9_WI/s320/IMG_0154.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228800823293773890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaftx99Iwc4NCdC5RRs2P8lGmGFnd6Nv4QqGKRRvMyYaEqcLsuWvFGNbHn9barxsy5CS0RH8cxQYWURphnJiOqvBZhfAE59JPMD8_-3NOgMus7_hvd7Hq1S2_C0om530K9Pibokv0lsqZG/s1600-h/IMG_0156.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaftx99Iwc4NCdC5RRs2P8lGmGFnd6Nv4QqGKRRvMyYaEqcLsuWvFGNbHn9barxsy5CS0RH8cxQYWURphnJiOqvBZhfAE59JPMD8_-3NOgMus7_hvd7Hq1S2_C0om530K9Pibokv0lsqZG/s320/IMG_0156.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228800842160673618" border="0" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After five interesting and eventful days at the Assaba Region, site visit is finally over. I'm back at the Peace Corps Center at Rosso ready to write about my experiences and expectations for the next two years living in Guerrou. So let us begin LOL. <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The first part of this trip was, of course, the ride from Rosso to Kiffa. <span style=""> </span>I left on Tuesday morning and had a 10 hour drive on our Peace Corp Truck called “The Vomit Comet”, where I had the opportunity to get to know more about the volunteers that are going to be living with me in the Assaba Region (The group on the picture). I also had the chance to contemplate the beautiful and diverse landscapes that Mauritania has to offer, ranging from big sand dunes to big mountains covered in trees and huge rocks. <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Once we got to <span style=""> </span>our Assaba Regional Capital, Kiffa, we met all the current volunteers<span style=""> </span>serving in such region. Most of them have almost completed their PC service. I also finally met Andrea, the Super volunteer (I say this because she has done an outstanding job in Guerrou overcoming huge obstacles) which I’m going to be working closely for the next year at Guerrou. The first night we had a welcome party full of food and stories from the current volunteers. We also toured Kiffa, met some government officials and went to the market. The next day, Andrea and I got into a Taxi Brousse and left to my future home: Guerrou. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Like I wrote on my past blog, Guerrou is a big and rich city. It has a population of 21,000 habitants; two big markets, restaurants, big houses and has all the basic services that a community needs. The main economical income source is money sent from Mauritanian immigrants working in Europe, Senegal, Mali or other countries at Central Africa. One would think that this situation would persuade a society to be a little more open and hospitable towards foreigners, but it’s not like that. In fact I noticed it since the first moment I got there. <span style=""> </span>It was amusing to see how people reacted when they saw Andrea and me walking down the street. There were a few that greeted us with overwhelming joy; several hided in their houses waiting for us to pass by; and of course the majority of people that just stared at us like if we were from another planet and probably asking themselves why in the world are two “Nasranis” (word that means Christians or in this case “white” persons) doing in a place like Guerrou?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""> </span>During my time in Guerrou, Andrea kindly introduced me to some government officials like the Hakem and Police Chief, women cooperatives leaders, my counterpart, some of her friends, <span style=""> </span>and of course, the Girls that I’m going to be working in the GMC. After getting to know the girls and some information about the people at Guerrou, there is no doubt in my mind that my work is going to be a complex task. People at Guerrou are really conservative and traditionalist; and of course, they are wary of foreigners that try to teach girls how to play a more active role in their community. However, after listening to the girls of the Center sing “Old Macdonald had a Farm”, I understood that the huge responsibility that lays ahead of Andrea and me, is definitely worth it and achievable. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After spending three days at Guerrou, Andrea and I headed back to Kiffa where we had a Mexican Night eating burritos, pico de gallo, beans and some other food that the volunteers cooked for us like Ice Cream and Borwnies. Al though I didn’t have the opportunity to interact with the majority of the volunteers that are going to be living in Assaba during the first month of stage, after this experience I believe it’s a very strong and supportive group which Im going to be happy to live with. That last night at Kiffa was a great occasion, an occasion that I know its going to be repeated constantly during the next two years. <i style="">Inshallah.</i> <span style=""> </span></p>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-26488369780583113382008-07-30T07:01:00.000+00:002008-07-30T07:19:57.008+00:00Some Mauritania Pics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioE8nbRaTfBI1A_2-g_gEJGaMDy0rcI7iI63PW5suAU_GqLWKF50uInCM6mcfpRuEs8-ejXYDlsf2TvgWzC74PH2YpXbt8AAq92qBdiJ16bQrMSZrnUNcdx4LsJjMmGyF84gkwD1vMjTRH/s1600-h/camel+burger.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioE8nbRaTfBI1A_2-g_gEJGaMDy0rcI7iI63PW5suAU_GqLWKF50uInCM6mcfpRuEs8-ejXYDlsf2TvgWzC74PH2YpXbt8AAq92qBdiJ16bQrMSZrnUNcdx4LsJjMmGyF84gkwD1vMjTRH/s320/camel+burger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228701067383161538" border="0" /></a> !!CAMEL BURGER!! This baby, believe it or not, is very tasty.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHe7pt-e8exL2oD8i5w7bexSmV3leW7c7Seq4wMnZj97e51oG3YG-OJy1rftHnUsWIdu1b_IbMehXbwDwG9MjPPNW5bD1Ct3X52XQ_T_9TIcwUmzyvXwtbzC9DGaqsYGVItODltwYRm6R/s1600-h/IMG_0189.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHe7pt-e8exL2oD8i5w7bexSmV3leW7c7Seq4wMnZj97e51oG3YG-OJy1rftHnUsWIdu1b_IbMehXbwDwG9MjPPNW5bD1Ct3X52XQ_T_9TIcwUmzyvXwtbzC9DGaqsYGVItODltwYRm6R/s320/IMG_0189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228701071681824098" border="0" /></a> Thats me inside of a big sand dunne in Guerrou. I'm definitely going to Sandboard<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCo7P_9HZ-YDSohhaNxaUDMvX0Li3m8D3p1Lcy9Fp3qlEgWKeskyLuABTYCDRwclFAk3MqGJM4q_4AsjlLfwAfKyEFvonHUwOCf-C-wyh5mkXgmlxdbel1W48u8b9uBuGe1GdL8qGceDTD/s1600-h/Airport.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCo7P_9HZ-YDSohhaNxaUDMvX0Li3m8D3p1Lcy9Fp3qlEgWKeskyLuABTYCDRwclFAk3MqGJM4q_4AsjlLfwAfKyEFvonHUwOCf-C-wyh5mkXgmlxdbel1W48u8b9uBuGe1GdL8qGceDTD/s320/Airport.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228699913385592306" border="0" /> This is the group of PCV Mauritania 2008-2010 . This picture was taken in the Atlanta Airport before we departed to Dakar Senegal.</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhiV7H_1RPy7JMBRyrZhXnlD86_qyYabyxe2Mf7KKQmZU4w3oe6w4YX0Fa8SeoKIGZ5JHqq_HgaKC-MrofQEDDwN-k67g76IQ5CvQp_GC2IYl2XH3Cw5yVWK2r6RFrPYUpvOOxFLzPf_4/s1600-h/IMG_0167.JPG"> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhiV7H_1RPy7JMBRyrZhXnlD86_qyYabyxe2Mf7KKQmZU4w3oe6w4YX0Fa8SeoKIGZ5JHqq_HgaKC-MrofQEDDwN-k67g76IQ5CvQp_GC2IYl2XH3Cw5yVWK2r6RFrPYUpvOOxFLzPf_4/s320/IMG_0167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228699919966561874" border="0" /></a>Andrea is the current PC volunteer in Guerrou and a great person. I'm going to be working with her the next year promoting Girls Education and Empowerment.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED6RyzN8QpUjl_Aes7zCX5FglsBZfkBJV-qfCDvyq5_Vkl-phyphenhyphenS9DE9kzdkJL6AM2rDvKbrxJnTk9SFuOG_gfJbYyl-ISuq17qrnIcruW-DsZrov7whTZYiopwHQcnDSEfCpLYI71hS9b/s1600-h/IMG_0165.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED6RyzN8QpUjl_Aes7zCX5FglsBZfkBJV-qfCDvyq5_Vkl-phyphenhyphenS9DE9kzdkJL6AM2rDvKbrxJnTk9SFuOG_gfJbYyl-ISuq17qrnIcruW-DsZrov7whTZYiopwHQcnDSEfCpLYI71hS9b/s320/IMG_0165.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228699928061484898" border="0" /></a>And this is the main reason why I'm here at Mauritania: Girls Education. This is the group of girls that Andrea recruited at Guerrou. THEIR AWESOME.Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-76954488711364583412008-07-27T19:37:00.000+00:002008-07-27T19:41:46.237+00:00Next Target: ????<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKZnK3I6UH0Ye7pjSi2oPOb2W0rlDDYq_ajxLUD2U7ztU5-GtPquZv06oLRJVCzUoeElRJAHzwE8jYRpiSDAm3qoYzCh45_D0pqXGUVXiNEt5-WgD79zU6KNg5vg3-Caf458dyNPKChF8/s1600-h/How+far.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227781217540390994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKZnK3I6UH0Ye7pjSi2oPOb2W0rlDDYq_ajxLUD2U7ztU5-GtPquZv06oLRJVCzUoeElRJAHzwE8jYRpiSDAm3qoYzCh45_D0pqXGUVXiNEt5-WgD79zU6KNg5vg3-Caf458dyNPKChF8/s320/How+far.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">After several days of intense waiting and having vague thoughts about my unknown assigned place, site announcement is finally over; C’est finit. It definitely was a great event and well planned by the staff and current PC volunteers who drew a huge map of Mauritania on the sand and placed nametags on the cities that we were going to be situated. One by one, the Program Director’s started to call out the names of the trainees announcing what would be our fates for the next two years of our lives. Noahdibhu, Atar, Celibaby, Rosso, Kifa, Ayoun, Nema where some of the cities mentioned and after waiting one of the longest half an hours of my life, I finally heard Madame Siham, the GEE Director, call my name: !Luis Pablo Solorio, your going to…!<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">Well my site’s name is Guerrou. The cultural report that Siham handed me over reveals that Guerrou is a big and beautiful village that’s 55km away from Kiffa, the regional capital of Assaba. The population is about 21,000; Moors are the predominantly ethnic group; it’s a very conservative and traditional site; and Arabic Hassaniya and French are the most spoken languages. It appears that Guerrou has all the basic services that a city should have (some friends are going to spent the next two years without electricity or running water). There is a Girls Mentoring Center (GMC) which Andrea, the only PCV at the site, just courageously opened to address the problem of a high dropout rate among female students. Besides teaching English, computer and other academic lessons at the GMC, I will also going to be partnering with other international organizations such as World Vision, UNICEF and UNFPA; local organizations such as Women’s Co-ops and Parents associations; and the local Government officials, to promote Girls Education and Empowerment at Guerrou.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">I will be leaving the Peace Corps Center at Rosso tomorrow morning. The ride is supposed to be an 8 hour drive with other 8 trainees. We will arrive first to Nouackchott and then we will take the road to Kiffa. Once we get there, I will meet with Andrea and leave with her to Guerrou the next morning so she can introduce me with Government Officials and active members of the community. I’m going to stay in Guerrou for one week to get to know the place and other work related information.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">Although I don’t know what to exactly expect, I am very excited to be at Guerrou. It is definitely going to be an awesome PC experience, filled with different types of emotions and feelings. Yet again, this is one of the reasons why I decided to come to Mauritania and I know that with the help of God, it’s going to be awesome. <em>Inshallah</em></div>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-75557662150999118522008-07-19T23:12:00.000+00:002008-07-19T23:40:32.493+00:00The next great step<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7GBUZihlQkwqFw3TU7ys9wYpP-49nMXn9Ea2m5eA-BKGNnOrwgRJdSM1Paol33PHHmfj0dRtG2yi_ecv2453mqe3JASxJl2JP5I50a-lpaC6X9BgOirzDZN8OLlRGRgREgBT5v-_JyOh/s1600-h/IMG_0117.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7GBUZihlQkwqFw3TU7ys9wYpP-49nMXn9Ea2m5eA-BKGNnOrwgRJdSM1Paol33PHHmfj0dRtG2yi_ecv2453mqe3JASxJl2JP5I50a-lpaC6X9BgOirzDZN8OLlRGRgREgBT5v-_JyOh/s320/IMG_0117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224869803868269810" border="0" /></a>The melody of guitars and garbage cans used as drums rocking the sandy and hot Mauritanian atmosphere; the quiet but obvious noise of people typing on their laptops letting the world know about their lives as PC trainees through emails, facebook or blogs; people kicking a soccer ball around sharing their PST experiences; while others try to recover after a month of battling an intense and different environment. This seems like a normal day at the nice Peace Corps Center at Rosso Mauritania but actually, it’s not. Something is about to happen and all these activities reflect an attempt to calms our impetus and get our minds prepared for the next step in our great adventure: <i style="">Site announcement and visit. </i> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Ever since I received my Peace Corps invitation kit on that snowy day in Alaska on the 25<sup>th</sup> of February, I imagined this upcoming moment. I’m definitely excited about being part of such a splendid endeavor like Girls Education and Empowerment Program. In whatever part that I get assigned at the Islamic Republique of the Mauritanie, I will give my best effort to promote the universal goal of human and gender egalitarianism. However, I must confess that that there are some questions that trouble my mind. Will I be at a big city or will I stay at the brousse? Is it going to be in the hot, intriguing and Moor north? Or will it be in the tropical and relaxed African south? Will I have a partner or will I be on my own? Will I have an existing Girls Mentor Center or will I have to start form scrap? </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Well, on Monday we will get the answers to our multiple questions and, in a sense, we will find out what our lives are going to be for the next two years. Yes, the moment is almost here and even if we want to, we can’t stop it. If there is something sure, is that site announcement <span style=""></span>will rock our worlds. <span style=""> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Inshallah.</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6887814940834037891.post-78807473457555205482008-07-16T13:43:00.000+00:002008-07-16T14:59:39.987+00:00Mauritania, the sunshine state.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSErllhyphenhyphensCM6lzpAze4OqSC-9ou7x5kezGjAH3RQhb2fF1R-OJTO-cKirAxk5KcHXBNuOytfJq-Z8F06CJNfSGz28glgraHN-97lxTC8BXMAvGVryLFqkEeLTVE1YUXBNtiQB5OZjxb4G/s1600-h/IMG_0120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSErllhyphenhyphensCM6lzpAze4OqSC-9ou7x5kezGjAH3RQhb2fF1R-OJTO-cKirAxk5KcHXBNuOytfJq-Z8F06CJNfSGz28glgraHN-97lxTC8BXMAvGVryLFqkEeLTVE1YUXBNtiQB5OZjxb4G/s320/IMG_0120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223625151151439842" border="0" /></a><br />Well, finally the time came. After waiting for 5 long but awesome months, I find myself in the sand dunes of Mauritania. There is so much say, to describe, to do, to show; so thats why I finally decided to open my blog account and share with you my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania working as a Girls Education and Empowerment Agent.<br /><br />Its been one month since I got to Mauritania with other 75 PCVs. Its a very diverse, nice and prepared group which makes this experience way cooler. After living inside the PC center at Rosso for a week, I was sent to a small village at called Mbalal with other 3 volunteers and an awesome facilitator called Rajel to learn to speak Arabic Hassaniya. I'm living with a nice and BIG family that has graciously opened their doors to me. (picture: Habib and Mineya are my siblings.)<br /><br />So far is has been a great Peace Corps experience, but don't get me wrong, of course I miss home, family and friends. I know that the road laying ahead of me is going to be tough, sometimes lonely and difficult but this is what I signed in for, and with the help of God, Ill continue to have an awesome time and impact the lives of other people. <span style="font-style: italic;">Inshallah</span>Pablohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02022860383223907889noreply@blogger.com3