We A Bin Smol

The past three years of my life people have been telling me I should be a teacher.  So it seems only fitting to combine my passion for wildlife conservation with education. Who says I can’t do both? Peace Corps has offered me a unique opportunity to integrate with the people of Sierra Leone and continue to do what seems to be, what I do best...
and that’s Teachin Science!!!

My first class in Tinkonko, Sierra Leone during training

I landed with 43 other Peace Corps Volunteers in Freetown, Sierra Leone on July 19^th. I believe it’s accurate to say we hit the ground running.
 

Salone 4 at the Independence Day Football Match

 

With my biological family in Oregon, I never considered the possibility of being adopted by another family. But that wasn’t the case when I arrived in Bo for training. Upon arrival I was adopted by a friendly Mende family, the Hotaguas. I remember my 5 year-old sister, Josephine crying as she was thrust into my arms. We have been inseparable since. There is many a time my pale appearance frightens African toddlers. But I believe their parents get as much pleasure out of it as I do. Since move-in, the Hotaguas have managed to tolerate my endless consumption of food, and the presence of toads within their food jars. I am still working with them on snakes.

My sisters Halema and Mami J (Josephine)

My African name is Dauda Hotagua. I have 3 brothers, 3 sisters, 2 grandchildren, several aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. I’ve become accustomed to meeting new family members each weekend. I sketched a family tree, but I find myself continuously adding more and more branches. With large extended families in Sierra Leone, it’s more like a forest. And as the first Peace Corps Volunteer to stay with the Hotagua’s, I continue to have countless opportunities for cultural exchange. Thus far I have learned to wash my clothes by hand, beat kasava leaf (kasava and rice are staple foods), juggle boku pikindem (many children), and to always pack extra food and water on long excursions with my friend Jeff.
 

Beating kasava leaf and catchin toads at the house

 

I will be serving as a junior secondary and secondary (middle school and high school) science teacher in Madina Junction, Sierra Leone. Madina is far northwest about 10 miles from the border of Guinea and just a stone’s toss away from the Outamba-Kilimi National Park. OK National Park is home to forest elephants, pygmy hippopotamus, chimpanzee, crocodiles, and countless other critters waiting to be discovered. I have a beautiful science textbook just outside my door! I couldn’t have asked for a better placement!

The children greeting us during our first village visit to Tinkonko

 

The people of Sierra Leone are extremely grateful to have us. Sierra Leone’s education system and infrastructure were greatly affected by the war. Since its stability in 2010, I’m among the 4^th Peace Corps group (Salone 4) to return since the war. During our welcome ceremony Ambassador Steven’s words resonated with me, “Uneducated youth in Sierra Leone are a ticking time bomb, they can be used for any means”. So with our presence along with currently serving Peace Corps Volunteers (and the work from past PCVs), we hope to make a difference through education, integration, community development, and secondary projects. With deforestation, exotic trade, and bush meat prevalent in Sierra Leone I have my work cut out for me.

Language training at its finest

Special Thanks to my uncle and my friend Annie for taking photos!


A wi go si bak (I’ll see you again in Krio),
Matthew Solberg