My Next Bog Adventure

For everyone that did not receive this, this is a full description of what I will be doing in Benin.

Enjoy....

Dear All,

I am writing to announce that I have received the honor of serving as a volunteer for the Peace Corps! I will be serving for 2 years and 3 months in Benin, Africa (West Coast). I will be working within the Small Enterprise Development program. My duties are to help grow and sustain profitability for small artisans (carpenters, masons, etc.), NGOs and GOs. I will work alone with these and sometimes with other volunteers. Even though Benin is a tiny country (about the size of Connecticut) it has been split into 12 counties with 3 volunteers (PCV) per county.

On July 1, I will be leaving for my staging area which is my orientation place. I do not know where this is. I will spend 3 days with other PCVs getting my necessary immunizations and learning everything I need to know. Sadly, I will be leaving the country on its birth (July 4) and not returning permanently till September 2010. I get 2 vacation days per month that accrue while I am there and can take up to 14 days off in a row and travel wherever I want. (If anything important and sudden were to happen while I am in Africa, I am able to come home.) I get a diplomatic passport during my term of service, so I get treated as a diplomat not as a tourist. Everyone is encouraged to visit if you are willing and want to. From July 5 till September 5, I have an intensive orientation that will teach me the language (French) and the culture. I work 24/7 for that entire 3 month period. From then on I will be working full time.

Now for the fun stuff....

Living Conditions:
I will be living in a mud brick hut...i repeat, a MUD BRICK HUT with a thatched roof, or if I am lucky a corrugated, tin roof. There is no running water nor electricity. I will have access to the internet when needed at my work place or other places. I will be living by myself in this hut, but in a village with locals. The bathroom is a latrine or a hole in the ground separate from my house. To shower, I have to fetch the water from a well in the village, boil it and then wash.

Transportation:
When I land, I will be handed a motor cycle helmet and a mountain bike. Even though there are over 50,000 km of highways adn roads, only about 4,000 km are paved. The helmet is because the taxis in the country are mopeds or motorcycles. My main mode of transportation will be my mountain bike.

Safety:
Many of you will read how unsafe Africa is nowadays, with many coups and civil wars, but do not worry, Benin is 1 of 3 successful democracies in Africa and has been stable since 1991 when they had their first election. On top of that, within one week of arriving I will mark out a "rescue/safe zone" that is designated as a emergency pick-up zone. This is used if there is ever a national emergency when the state department does not think it is safe to be there anymore. The Peace Corps' given full use of the US military if there is ever an issue like this, but this rarely ever happens. On top of that, I have daily check-in calls after my first three months, after which I am on my own and no longer with all the other PCVs.

I am extremely excited and nervous at the same time. This is yet another stage in my life that I will attack with as much excitement and hard work that I can. I am excited to learn a new trade and about a new culture. I have never been to the "real" Africa before. It will be fun and exciting, not only for me but my family that will see a whole new side of me that I did not even know I had until December 4, when I had my first interview for this.

If anyone wants to come visit me in Africa, maybe in another country other than Benin, maybe Ghana which is close I would love to share my experience, just it will have to wait until after September 4. If I forgot anyone please feel free to forward this on to others. If you have any questions, let me know. My email is todd.odess@gmail.com.

Love you all,
Todd