What Dry Season Means

(Pictures to come)

 I’ve spent time in Namibia, walking miles under the hot sun tracking wildlife, collecting camera traps, and performing various scientific inquiries... but at the end of the day, I always had water available. Having two large rain catches and a water well near my house in Sierra Leone, I did not concern myself with water during the first few months of dry season. That quickly changed when water became scarce. The last of the dragonflies had fledged and the bottom of my cement water cache became dry and pitiful. The thought of using an entire bucket (2 gallons) to bathe seemed ridiculous. I’ve since grown used to bathing with 2-3 liters. Three Nalgene water bottles to be exact. Had I known the large yellow containers Rachel (previous Peace Corps Volunteer) left were meant for water storage, I would never have cut them to pot plants. Dry mouth and dirtied, that’s the one decision I’ve regretted here. But you have to laugh at yourself once in a while. My efforts have since increased from drawing water out of the water well…to walking down to the water side (spring) to pull water and carry water up the hill. With dishes, clothes, and plants it starts to add up. Not to mention the amount of water I drink in a day (2-4 liters)! Just Imagine! I manage to get by with an average of 6 buckets in a week! I’d use even less if I could, but I’m constantly getting myself dirty scrambling after chameleons, jogging, and playing with dirty bobos (young boys). But at least their mango-stained hands leave me smelling fresh, right?

But dry seasons not all bad! Dry Season is a time of easy travel, community events, and cold drinks. Schools put on sport programs and picnics, encouraging students to work together with their houses (a house color is chosen for each student) to train and build a small house for the upcoming sports. Likened to that of a track meet, students participate in various tract events representing their house. Our school has 4 houses: red, blue, yellow, and Griffindor!... actually the fourth is white, I just couldn’t help myself.

Learning the Library:

Thanks to the African Library Project (ALP), our library is sporting a surplus of American novels! From Nancy Drew to Animorphs…even Harry Potter! ALP is an organization that has donated thousands of books to various schools/libraries across Sierra Leone. Not to mention the countless other African countries they have helped. I find that increasing the diversity of books in our library has allowed students to open their eyes to new perspectives around the world. Such books offer a gateway to new ideas, including careers these students have never considered. So thanks to ALP our library is stacked full of beautiful books –the best learning resources a village could ask for! My sincere thanks to the African Library Project!

There’s just one setback. I find that students continue to go and use the same Sierra Leonean textbooks. One reason in part, because their teachers use the same book(s) to teach. So despite having such resources, I found my students seldom expand beyond their comfort zone. A formidable challenge, but one I’m willing to accept!

This week I’m trying a new library activity! I call it “Smart pas mark”. It’s Krio and it means just as it sounds, smart pass the mark (or as we say, genius). My activity asks several questions over a specific topic of interest. The questions reference books and page numbers. Students have to work to find answers by reading from different books on display. It sounds simple, but many of these students have never learned to use a table of contents or index. Even the ability to turn the page of a book gently is something many of us take for granted. Students will have the opportunity to submit their answers in a box. During assembly I’ll award one lucky student with correct answers. This week the topic is Mt. Everest!

My last Adventure?

It’s difficult for some Sierra Leoneans to understand why an individual would want to spend two days climbing the highest mountain in West Africa, Mt. Bintumani. But that’s just what we did. Its true, we suffered. But those that contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength (Rachel Carson). And our reserves got us to the top! The journey began alongside three companions: Larissa, Lawrence, and Nicole. A group of sporadic, nature-enthusiasts whom I wouldn’t have traded the world for (they’re also fellow Peace Corps Volunteers).

It was a journey just reaching the base of the mountain. So we did our best to meet with friends along the way. Our friend Karen was kind enough to house us. We devoured her food, played with puppies, and teased pikindem (children). Hopefully our thanks were sufficient. Thanks again Karen!!!

We started the climb in Senecoral, a small village at the base of Mt. Bintumani. The children were on us like bees on sugar, grasping our hands and repeating the few English words they knew. We did our best to greet in Coronko. And in doing so, we made new friends. The villagers were kind to us, providing us with food, water, and an area to pitch our tents. We left late morning after negotiating for a guide with the town chief.  Before we knew it, we were already on our way. We traversed through agricultural fields, crossing muddy channels over lain boards and bamboo. Fortunately for us, fresh pineapple was one of the crops we passed. And we were ecstatic when our friend Sheku presented us with one. We enjoyed them near a cold flowing stream. After our break the incline became apparent. I was in the rear inspecting every leaf and fruit. It was my first hike through “intact” rainforest, and I wanted to make the most of it. “Intact” though it was, I learned there were more efforts needed. A nearby snare had caught a small species of arboreal porcupine (brush-tailed porcupine?). The creature itself had a rattle on the tail, reduced spines, and large incisors (perhaps to eat tree cambium or hard fruits). I suspect science knows very little about it. Despite joining our guide in dining on bush meat, I hoped there would be more conservation efforts in the future. As this area was home to a high diversity of life, a “hot spot” you could say. In fact, the path was little more than an animal trail. And it became increasingly difficult as the incline grew steep. I was thankful for the thick vines that acted as handholds and the shade provided by the canopy overhead. Some 12 miles later, light broke through overhead. Before I knew it, we had emerged, crawling onto an open plateau. Clumps of grasses made up the landscape with large boulders scattered about, similar to pictures I had seen of New Zealand. We had reached Camp 2. We washed at a nearby stream and setup camp. Next we found ourselves inhaling banana and groundnut paste (similar to peanut butter) on bread. We sat exhausted until our curiosity got the best of us. We explored the plateau and overlooked the blanket of green. We found ourselves standing at the edge of the Earth. My companions began displaying their yoga skills. And they couldn’t have picked a better spot! If we weren’t laughing, we were listening to the calls of nature. Birds, frogs, and unknown creatures called from the canopy below. My most memorable moment was listening to the echoing calls of the wild Western Chimpanzee alongside Larissa. Most inspiring! I felt my heart fill with passion for Mother Nature. And we hadn’t even reached the top!

The Summit:

We packed and set off for the last leg. Baboons watched us curiously as we trekked through their territory. An occasional bark reminded me of their presence. After easy walking, we saw Mt. Bintumani in the distance. She was the mother of mountains here.  But to face her, we’d have to climb another mountain. When we reached a tower stood before us. We continued climbing between the crags, gripping the Earth’s grass as support. We were climbing a wall. And when we conquered we may as well have been above the clouds. We collapsed and enjoyed the view for what seemed an hour. We placed a stone and left a message in the rock pile climbers have so characteristically left all around the world. A memorable trip I’ll never forget.

And just in time!
Look, the rains have come.

Until next time,

Matthew Solberg

Mangoes

Don’t tell me you know what a mango is. Because unless you’ve been to a place over-barren with mango trees like Sierra Leone, you most certainly do not. March and April have been a wonderful time full of ripe mangoes. Who’d a thought these delicious fruits would come during the driest part of the year? With no rains and scarcity of water, it’s hard not to see these fruits as a gift from above. Few children go hungry during this time of year. I constantly find small bobos up in the trees with bamboo poles, doing there best to pick the most beautiful mangoes strewn with yellows, oranges, or blushes of red. I quickly realized there are in fact, many different types of mangoes. Cherry mangoes, Guinea mangoes, grape mangoes, and smaller mangoes I have yet to learn the name of. I love each and every one. And I’ve joined the children in eating numerous mangoes a day!

I thought I would dedicate an entire blog entry to food! Perhaps this will answer some questions you've had about my life here as a Peace Corps Volunteer?

What I eat on an average day:

Many a day I wake up lying in bed waiting for that familiar call. There’s an echo in the distance, a glimpse of hope, and then I hear it again, “Hrraaaaaaaaaaap PoPppparaa”. No, it’s not an elusive bird species. It’s one of my neighbors selling “hot pop” (rice porridge). I throw clothes on, scramble outside, and throw greetings every which way until I reach. Its hot rice porridge mixed with sweet canned-milk syrup. It warms the body, and gets me ready to face some 60 students I will meet each period. Game face on, I garment myself in formal attire. I make my way towards school, doing my best to dodge sticky hands from neighboring pikindem (children). When I reach school I have the opportunity to get fresh bananas from a woman I simply refer to as “auntie”. They’re nothing like the imported bananas we have become so accustomed to in the states. Sierra Leone has opened my eyes to another world of bananas. My favorite bananas are short, fat, and sweeter than you could possibly imagine. They may as well be yellow torpedoes of deliciousness.

  During school we get a 30 minute lunch break. I race students to the 3 small stands we refer to as the “market”. Lunch ranges from beans on bread (home grown beans are cooked with onions, oil, and meat) to fufu (cassava root beaten and formed into small soft dumplings in a peppery soup). Many of my fellow teachers joke about my “need” to have lunch daily. Here in the village it is common for community members to only have two large meals of rice and plazas a day. We simply refer to my midday routine as my daily beans.

After school, I greet one of my favorite community members, Mr. Kainde. In addition to being a great person, I find Mr. Kainde to be one of the best cooks in the village. Many a time I find myself greeting Mr. Kainde and his delicious food! This counts for my early dinner. Dinner usually consists of rice with plazas (sauces) from a neighbor or nearby cookery (Mr. Kainde). Cookeries are small sit down stands that sell rice with plazas. Plazas include cassava leaf (my favorite), potato leaf, beans, tola root, green green, ect. Basically any kind of edible leaf, root, or seed beaten and mixed with salt, oil, onions, and fish. When I cook, I make Spanish rice, potatoes, eggs, or spaghetti. As much as I love rice... I find myself eating it everyday.

So what have a learned about Sierra Leonean culture and food?

1) No spoons needed!
2) You should never eat with your left hand (that’s the hand you wipe with)
3) Sierra Leoneans sit when they eat. I was called a “babu” (chimpanzee) when I was eating while walking. I suppose I resembled one slightly…
4) Meat is passed through the hierarchy of eaters.
5) There can be sharps things in food (bone splinters and fish spines), as most parts are consumed.
6) Valued guests/strangers are often left to eat alone or given a separate plate as a sign of respect.


Meat?

My village does not regularly get fresh beef. Its available at times, but there are no cows in our immediate area. This leaves chicken, goats, and bushmeat. Bushmeat is one of my struggles. At times I wonder what I'm eating. And I do my best to educate my community about the conservation of wildlife and natural resources. I find when an animal has already been killed, whether I eat it or not will not change the behavior. So it is challenging. But like everyone else in my community I want a healthy diet. Thus far I know I've eaten some species of monkey, Maxwell's duiker, and a brush-tailed porcupine.

Snacks?

Fruits in season: mangoes, pineapple, oranges, grapefruit, papaya
Nuts: ground nut (similar to peanuts), cashew

My favorite?

ground nut paste (similar to peanut butter) with banana on bread. Its my power snack