Hey Again
Back in the cyber at Porto Novo but I dont have a ton of time so will trytosqueeze as much as possible for now. Thanks for all the comments and support. Training is exhausting but going well. It is split into technical, cross cultural, and language training. I bumped up to levels in french not that that now entirely matters as i just found out my post and will be in a village that spêaks ADJA.

So I am going to be in DOGBO in the mono couffo region of southwestern Benin. I have a "post mate" aka another volunteer (tefl=teaching english foreign language) in my village with me. and several other PCVs are in the region. Im the only health volunteer but it leaves open opportunities for cross sectoral work. The area Im in tends to be more aggressive in terms of being yovoed and harassed by men, etc. but I guess you just have to develop a thicker skin. Ill be working with an NGO and my primary projects will tend to focus on HIV AIDS or SIDA as it is called here. The Couffo region has the highest concentration of AIDS infected Beninese. But as it is, HIV / AIDS really is not as bad for Benin as for many african countries. Malaria is without a doubt the WORST health issue in Benin. Its also frustrating because no one in my host family sleeps with mosquito nets even though they are considerably well off and know the risks, etc. Plus pretty much everyone here thinks they have the Pallu here (paladisme or malaria) EVERY time they are sick. Case in point, yesterday my "papa" woke up sick and says to me "Oh, cathi...its the pallu." Doubtful, but okay. It doesnt help that the health centers will treat for mallaria along with everything else because it is easier than testing what is wrong so people always have the idea that they have malaria.

Okay...so my house. Peace corps Benin actually has the highest housing standards for Peace Corps in West Africa because its been here for 40 years. We all have to AT LEAST have our own private latrine with a cover, private shower room, cement floors and walls (no mud huts for benin) windows and doors with screens and locks, tin roofs, and at least é though preferably " rooms. It kind of depends where you are. So Im pretty happy about that. I have electricity when i get to post for a few hours a day but my nearest source of water will be 200meters away. Thats a long way to haul buckets but what can you do? I think a lot of volunteers hire local kids to do it. While Being in the south unfotunately means that all my papers will continue to be soggy for the next to years perpetually with this nasty humidity, the odds of me having scorpions in my house like in the north has significantly decreased, which pleases me. The town has a pretty big marche, and is closer to Lokassa, another town with pretty much anything you could need in it i am told. My region has grand popo in it==the Big beninese beach resort and the ONLY safe beach to swim at here since the riptides are VERY Deadly. Also apparently there are some hippos who live by me and you can take a little canoe out to check them out which seems interesting since hippos are apparently kind of mean and I would NOT want to be in a little canoe like boat near one. Oh, another fun fact about my spot is that there is a fanmilk depot. Fanmilk just might be the most delicious snack in all of benin. its a togolese product and its kind of like icecream in a capri sun like pouch. Men walk around honking horns with little carts of fanmilk and during chaleur and pretty much every day here, when the fanmilk horn blows all the yovos in the area go running. They have us in the bag for anything cold here. My area will have 4 seasons, a long dry, long rainy, short dry, and short rainy season, which seems better than the norths 2 season year with the harmattan sandstorm winds. Well my time here is running out and i have to get ready to go au village today to practice some sensibilizations. I will try to get back for a longer time later this week to post more and respond to emails. Thanks everyone. I miss you all a ton. PS = I still havent figured out apostrophes or exclamation points etc on french keyboards. major bummer.