From PCT to PCV

On Friday my training group swore in as Peace Corps Volunteers. The ceremony was held at the US ambassadors house here in the city and it was a really special day. It felt a little bit like high school or college graduation, especially because we all wore outfits made in matching African fabric (and we looked damn good if I do say so myself.)

Myself and Devin (a fellow Saare Samba trainee) were selected to give the trainee remarks; me in Wolof and Devin in English.

So here's our speech:

We welcome you this afternoon on behalf of the health and community development and environment and natural resource management trainees. Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate swearing in as Peace Corps Volunteers. It is with sincere gratitude and great pride that we address you on a day that marks the beginning of what we hope will be a full and beneficial two years of service to the communities of this beautiful country.

It is difficult to explain the wide range of emotions we have experienced on a regular basis. Or how humbling it can be to relive the same world a second time, starting anew as Mandinka, Fula, or Wolof. We will do our best, and if our speech gets a little too inspirational for you just blame our President, Barack Obama, or Oprah – I mean Lucia Cruz.

Before coming to the Gambia, one of the hardest parts of leaving home was the anxiety we felt about what we might encounter when we got here. We worried about getting sick, not having electricity, being lonely, and eating strange food. But our friends and family said we will save the world. And we are, with every cup of attaya we drink.

Now that we are finally here we are realizing that we were right all along. We got sick, and then we got over it. There is no electricity, and we’ve never appreciated the daylight more. Of course we get lonely, seeing as there are always atleast 50 children around us at all times. And the food? Rather strange. Especially the cheeseburgers, calzones, and macaroni and cheese we got in Sara Samba.

But besides confirming our suspicions, this training experience has taught us things we never expected to know. We have learned that despite the many different stories and many different roads that have brought us here today, it is because we share a common goal and a common philosophy by which we try to live our lives: that our gifts are many and our opportunities are boundless; that to whom much is given, much is expected; and that to live a full, important life is not easy or simple. It can actually get rather messy.

Dirty feet, ram sacrifice, unfortunate linguistic misunderstandings, bird decapitation by younger host brothers, and dusty bike rides followed by even dustier breakdowns have tested our patience and drastically altered our standards.

Though each of us has encountered something different, it is impossible not to relate to one another’s stories and observations.

One trainee spent the first few days in village asking his host family what everything was called and writing it all down in his notebook – resolved to retain as much vocabulary as possible. He began using his terms everywhere until one day at lunch his LCF asked him why he was saying “come breastfeed” instead of “come eat”

Another trainee was enjoying throwing a baby up in the air while the mother calmly said what the trainee thought meant, “he’s loving it – do it again.” Only later discovering that she had been saying over and over again, very patiently, “He doesn’t like that. You’re scaring him.”

We have learned that having a sense of humor can go a long, long way, like 30 k of walking through the bush long.

We have learned about the emotion of love, and that even in your 60’s, young Gambian men want to marry you.

We have learned that it’s not necessarily a good idea to follow baboons around. We have learned the power of seeing the sun rise and the sun set in the same day.

We have learned what it’s like to be a friend, a neighbor, and a family member rather than a tourist. We have wondered if our families are talking about us and learned that yes, they are, and it’s about how much we ate for breakfast.

For all these lessons learned, we much thank those who have helped us get to this point. We would not be here today without the support and encouragement of: our incredible LCFs, who held our hands, let us cry, and did more for us than anyone has had to do since we were six; The amazing Peace Corps Medical Staff, who tirelessly explained the best way to manage diarrhea, over and over again; the training manager, who provided a calming presence despite a hectic schedule; the assistant training manager, who always made us laugh; the technical trainers, for teaching us the subtle nuances of Gambian culture and romance; the drivers, for safely navigating the mean streets of this country and for their liberal horn usage; the Peace Corps Office Staff, for keeping the paperwork Out of our hands; and the volunteer trainers, for becoming our friends and mentors while opening our eyes and making the unknown a lot less scary.

A special thank you also to our host families for welcoming us as new Gambian sons and daughters. All the success we experience in the next two years will be in large part due to the foundation of language established on their bantabas, around their fires, and while sharing their food bowls.

The poet Mary Oliver says, “Everyday I walk out into the world to be dazzled, then reflective.” It is an honor to be a part of a group of people who are so enamored with the world, with diversity, with justice, with opportunity, and who are equally reflective about our responsibility to help those around us better themselves and their communities.

We have learned so much already about resiliency, acceptance, patience, small pleasures, flexibility, and finding the humor in every situation. And in these areas we have excelled.

As we look ahead, we hope to excel in many other ways, especially those that bring lasting benefit and sustainability to the people that will become our families, and the places that will become our homes. If the next two years are as fulfilling as the past two months, it is obvious that we have much to look forward to. Thank You.