Un Bon Repos

Composed October 8th:
Many of you probably saw more of me than usual last week. At least virtually. Indeed, I had a wonderful time uploading pictures and videos, replying to emails, and seeing some of your highly pixelated faces on my iPad screen via Skype. If I was not able to connect with you, I invite you to check out my flickr.com album of photos from my first month here in Tchad. (I don't know the link but my name is MaddieAndChad). The reason I was able to do all this, and more, is because I was staying at the MCC representatives' house in N'Djamena during a three-day workshop between MCC and its partner organizations here in Tchad.

 Besides sitting on the couch glued to my iPad, I had a number of valuable experiences during my weeklong sojourn from Moundou. The training itself was informative and challenging. In attendance were the four of us SALTers, Jon and Angela Austin, and two employees from each of the seven partners we have in the country. My host father and the accountant from Village Altonodji were the representatives from my program.

 While the sessions were conducted in French, I was very pleased with how much I could understand, which I attribute primarily to the fact that it was a crash course in Research Methods which I studied last year. We also discussed the importance of result-oriented planning, which is to say, having in mind a long-term result that you can break down into smaller goals, for which you can then obtain necessary resources and plan activities. While much if this was old hat to me, I learned that this method of planning and evaluation is rather cutting-edge here in Tchad. For many of the participants, esteemed directors and personnel, it seemed like it might have been the first time they were asked to operationalize an ambitious goal like: making parents understand the importance of their children's education.

 I also enjoyed sessions on reporting, finances, and communication with MCC. I learned more about how MCC works and how hey decide where to put their money. I loved hearing "relief sale" described to the audience, and felt exhilarated even from my seated position the room to realize that the apple strudel and ice cream that I scarfed down last fall at the Goshen MCC Relief Sale might have created funds for some of these very partners that I'm now getting to know on this side of the globe. We discussed how Tchad is competing with countries all around the world for funding that comes almost entirely from generous people who give to MCC. Every time the director of my school, or perhaps the director of ENVODEV, an eco-charcoal enterprise in my town, puts in a request for funds from MCC, their success in obtaining those funds relies on people like you and me who have the means to donate. I think that being on this side of things will forever change how I feel about giving to MCC in the future. I used to vaguely imagine that funds equated a new goat for a family in need somewhere, but now I'm realizing just how many humanitarian, educational, environmental, agricultural, etc. organizations MCC has teamed up with to bring positive lasting change around the world! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 On Saturday we had plans to stick around the city to see the sights. However, we had not anticipated that Saturday was Tabaski, a religious holiday that commemorates God's faithfulness to Abraham when, instead of making Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac, he gave Abraham a lamb in his place. From what I understand, it is a joyous day of gathering and feasting with friends, and about as horrific for lambs as American Thanksgiving is for turkeys. One memorable image was that of two lambs positively sprinting down a crowded city street while a young man chased after them with a stick. Another sight that I apparently just missed was a man sitting on a pile of sheep that he had stuffed into his trunk, attempting to squash them down so that he could latch it shut, as if they were clothes he was trying to fit into a suitcase.

 For the most part, the city had the appearance of a ghost town. We drove passed the closed gates of the artisanal village (where we had hoped to spend our morning) and parked right in the middle of the grand market in an empty lot that is usually packed tightly with vendors, goods, and customers. Instead of being bummed about this turn of events, I was happy that it meant more time to get to see and explore my fellow SALTer's homes.

Mark's house is incredible, with a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor, of which he has been given a large living room for his personal use with a huge flat screen tv and a lovely dining space.

 Laura has just about the sweetest family I've ever met, and they reminded me a lot of my beloved Senegalese host family two years ago. There were people of all ages cooking, lounging, and enjoying each other's company in the compound. I was especially pleased to meet Laura's host brother who recently returned from ten years in Senegal. He helped me remember and practice some of my few Wolof phrases and gave me a bunch of music by my favorite Senegalese artists. Meanwhile, another host brother tenderly held and played with his baby niece, frequently brushing the side of her face in a way that you might wipe dust off of a prized trophy. While Laura prepared a dish of fried okra, a few host siblings and cousins gathered to swap simple songs in French, English, and Ngumbai. By the end, we could each sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" in a new language. After we all gathered inside to partake in the feast laid out before us, her host parents arrived and sat down with us as well. I had been looking forward to meeting them because Laura's host parents are cousins to mine. In fact, Laura told me that it is a running joke with her family that she needs to learn to eat more like me because apparently when her host siblings were down to visit Moundou, my host mother never stopped raving about how well I eat. For the week or two leading up to my return to N'Djamena, she told me over and over again how excited she was for all of the MCC personnel to see how much weight I've gained. This is the nature of being a visitor in a Tchadien home. It is no secret that I make people very happy when I eat and very unhappy when I skimp, so I have taken to grinning, patting my stomach, and puffing out my cheeks when I receive such a compliment.
  Spending the afternoon at Laura's, observing her happy family, looking through family photo albums, and listening to American pop music on the television while munching on newly discovered snacks and chatting with my North American friends was one of the most comfortable and happy experiences I've had the pleasure of enjoying this month. Now that I am back in Moundou, possibly until after Christmas, I am thankful for the repose and I'm feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the months ahead. Expect many more posts coming your way and don't forget me in the long while it takes before I can upload pictures again!