Letter #1 (to Diane)
Thursday 6-7-01Hey Sister - Well - we've just arrived in Cote d'Ivoire after two six hour flights. We've had no trouble getting here at all. At the airport, there were Peace Corps staff & volunteers with welcome signs. It made me all emotional to see how genuinely happy everyone was to see us. After a 45 minute bus ride (only about 3 miles on a dirt road), we arrived at a Catholic retreat center where we'll spend three days. Sunday we'll meet our families where we'll live for the next 11 weeks. The welcome was even more gracious here at the retreat center - signs, cheering & drummers! Our training staff, which is all Ivoirian, just can't thank us enough for coming here to share our skills with them. Tonight after dinner there will be a bonfire, more drums, & "a real welcome celebration." Wow.
I left voicemails for Ward & Laila to describe my training class, but in case you haven't heard… there are 30 of us - 20 women & 10 men. I'd guess 10 of us are over 30 years old: me, a woman 55, & a woman about 60. A large bunch are right out of school. What's really cool is to be surrounded by so many like-minded souls - bleeding hearts who want to make a mark on the world. Yay! There are real showers here - no hot water, but I wouldn't use it anyway. It's hot & muggy. I just took a shower & I'm already sweaty again. I suppose I'll get used to it?
Later -
I had to leave the AWESOME welcome party early. The drumming & dancing were too cool. But I needed to get some rest & quiet. We didn't sleep all that much on the flights here - at least not enough for me! The country itself looks a lot like I expected it would. We landed in Abidjan & could see lots of skyscrapers - perhaps 15 or 20, so definitely larger than Toledo. We also came right over a forest of palm trees - very amazing! The drive to our retreat center took us past lots more palm trees & several lagoons. Everything was so green. And, as I expected, there were miles & miles of Ivoirians with a market along the street & homes (shacks) behind that. It wasn't shocking, probably because we've seen so many pictures of that sort of village. But I know, if I were to investigate further, I would find whole families living in one room, no running water, no toilets, no refrigeration, etc.
A 2nd year volunteer ate dinner with us. Kurt is posted near the Liberian border, so in the Western part of Cote d'Ivoire. He's had some good success with projects - finding funds for villages to repair & maintain their water pumps, & helping some women start small businesses. I want to be just like him! Oh happy day - it's pouring outside - perhaps this will cut the humidity a bit!!
Love you, miss you, mean it - Kate
p.s. You should have heard the storm last night - "Rainy Season" doesn't begin to describe it!!