Ahh... The Simple Things in Life

Bonsoir Tout Le Monde!

I've been here for three weeks now. The first two were definitely the hardest. Getting used to life here was  a big challenge at first because there are so many things that I am not used such as the no escape from the heat and humidity and consequently always feeling hot and sticky, getting stared at and shouted at by strangers on the street, being alone a lot of the time, not understanding what people are saying, and the list goes on. However, I have found that I have become quite independent and self-sufficient. After this trip going to university in the Fall will be a piece of cake, except for the fact that I will still miss my family, no trip, no matter how difficult, could ever make me not miss my family. My work at the orphanage is strenuous at times but rewarding all the same. Preparing maize is an extremely lengthy and tiresome process. I help with that a lot by cleaning the maize from the powder and insects, picking out the broken or discoloured kernels and carrying the maize on my head like a true local from one place to another. I also help wash the children's clothing, which is not an easy task because by the time the clothes are washed they are absolutely filthy and it doesn't help that everything here is done the old fashioned way, there is no running water, so all the water they use is extracted from a well. The well supplies them with all the water they need for everything; they wash their clothes, dishes, and themselves by hand and they also drink the water. It is perfectly clean, it just makes me realize how much I used to take running water for granted before I came to Benin. It is something that should be highly appreciated because without it performing simple tasks suddenly become a million times more difficult. 

In terms of being self sufficient, I do everything myself. I am alone in the volunteer apartment, Matt has left, and so I have to buy all of my own food, prepare it, eat alone (which I must say I'm not a huge fan of) and wash up after. I do pretty much everything alone and have to face power cuts and horrifying insects on my own. I guess you could say it is a character building experience and I guess that is true because it really makes me grow up and learn to face things alone. The first night I was alone there was a power cut in all of Ouidah, (unfortunately they have been happening more frequently in the past few days) it was like a test from above, seeing if I could shower, make something to eat and survive the night with no light or fan! Thank God I packed a flashlight, to all of you future volunteers reading this, make sure you pack a flashlight, I don't know what I would do without it during one of the evening power cuts. 

To pass the time when I am alone at the house I read (I'm reading an amazing book right now its called "The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill. I strongly recommend it to future volunteers or to anyone who has an interest in learning about the slave trade, I can't put it down) or write in my journal, or watch a movie on my laptop. Luckily, I am so exhausted by the time that I get home that I just shower, eat, and fall asleep. I've gone to bed here as early as 8:30! Something I would never do back home. I have my French lessons everyday now because my French teacher has a function from April 6th to the 20th and so to make up for the lost time I have switched to an intensive programme. I'll have my morning lessons Wednesday and Saturday and evening classes 7-9 all the remaining days. I like my teacher and I'm actually happy that I will have my lessons with him during the time that is usually the loneliest. My last class we had an interesting conversation about the differences between the sexes here. He explained that if a woman is unfaithful to her husband she is forced to leave her entire family, but if a man is unfaithful to his wife it goes unnoticed. OH how annoyed things like this make me! But women here have a strength, I can see it in Antoinette, the woman who works and cares for the children at the orphanage, Roukeya, the housekeeper who is gentle and strong all in the same smile, and in the women who work and sell food on the streets. They have strength in their eyes and despite all of the cruelties and injustices they keep there heads up and their babies on their backs. Antoinette does not have a single day off, she works all morning and afternoon in the orphanage preparing food and maize and then from 4 to 10 she has an apprenticeship at a pharmacy because she is learning to become a pharmacist (which is a very respected job here in Ouidah). I don't think it is fair that she works all day everyday. I hope that when she becomes a pharmacist she will have a less stressful schedule. In general people here work SO hard, they never stop, especially the women. I think it's because people here work for their survival. A day of not working would equal a day of no food, luxuries are definitely not the issue here. 

I think that people who live in countries like the UAE, UK, America, etc. get lost in a world of materialism and trivial things because they are convinced that is what will make them happy, but Benin has taught me otherwise. People here are so happy with the simplicity of their lives and its actually a beautiful thing. I love how people live here, they appreciate the little that they have, they are hardworking but have the time to sit back and enjoy the simple things in life. In first and second world countries people have so much in comparison to people here but they don't have the mind to enjoy it, everyone is wound up so tightly with the stress of meeting standards, making money, and climbing up the economic scale. For example, in a lot of first and second world countries, the elderly are disregarded as a cost to society because they are not as capable, they don't make as much money, etc, etc. Whereas here the elderly are of the utmost importance and are very highly respected. I have found that here I have met people and talked to people that I would have possibly disregarded in a place like Dubai, and from these people I have learned so so much. Here, everyone has their purpose in life and having family around, food to eat, water to drink and a place to sleep is the formula for a happy life. "Easy life" as one of my Rastafari friends, Gomez, would say. I think after returning to my home after my stay here for two months I will have a culture shock equal to the one I had when I came here. I can see it now, my boredom with the constant talk about material things and new this and new that. It's not to say that I'm becoming a hippie, but I can really say Benin has changed a lot about the way I used to think, for the better.

A Bientot!

 My professor and I 

 Brownie and I <3

 My friend Olivie's artwork

 Baby Alexandre taking a nap 

A typical lunch for the kids at the orphanage (pate, gumbo in a sauce)

Some Days Are Better Than Others...

Dear Readers,

Okay, where do I start? I know it's been a while since my last post but its because I haven't been able to make it to the cybercafe this week. On Sunday I went to Brownie's house for lunch which was nice and then Matt and I went to the gate of no return and I got to take some pictures of it. It is right next to the beach which is beautiful but unfortunately it is extremely dangerous to swim in the sea here because the current is so strong. Brownie told me that a father and son died because they drowned in the rip tide. The gate of no return (as I mentioned in one of my previous posts) is the gate that the slaves would exit through to go to the States. It's so cool to be able to see historical landmarks like this after studying about the slave trade for years in school. 

Monday was probably the worst/toughest day for me here so far. The director of the orphanage told me to escort the kids to their school and go with them to their class and so I did. When I got there one of the teachers was talking to me and she brought me to a class and left me inside. I was so confused I had no idea what to do. I then realized that I was expected to teach all 40 of these children on my own for 5 hours. I couldn't believe that I was expected to do that. I had no plan and no idea what to teach them. The children were from the ages of 5 to 8 and so they were extremely rowdy and did not listen. The moment the teacher left they started to jump on the tables, they were hitting each other, it was chaos. I tried to write some simple math equations on the board and maybe 3 girls listened to me and the rest were out of control.  The worst part is still to come. At certain points in the morning the teacher would come and see how the kids were behaving. The teacher grabbed a little girl and started to whack her with a wooden stick, and these hits were very strong they weren't just a light tap.The little girl's cries and screams from the pain and anguish were enough to break my heart. She later came back with a small whip and whipped two small boys on the back several times. The whole day I wanted to scream and cry. In Benin it is acceptable in the culture to hit children as a form of punishment and upbringing, its something that I am not used to and I strongly disagree with, but who am I to say anything, who am I to tell them they are wrong? 

However, there was not a chance that I would be able to do that everyday for 8 hours a day. I am not a certified teacher nor do I speak French very well nor did I come to Benin to be a teacher. I told Brownie what happened and she was shocked and said that she can hardly control the kids that she teaches and she has been teaching for 40 years. So imagine what a naive 18 year old girl who has absolutely no experience with teaching would look like in front of a class of wild, little children. Luckily, I spoke to my orphanage director and explained that I could not do the job and would prefer one that is in the orphanage with only the orphanage children. We figured out a schedule where I will be caring for the baby while the other kids are at school, I will help cook and prepare meals and clean, I will walk them to and from school and spend time with them in between their classes. The director was very kind and understood and I am SO relieved because I would not have been able to live in Benin for much longer under the former schedule I had.

Whenever I walk to and from the orphanage I have not failed to hear the famous "Yovo Yovo Bonsoir" song. Only little kids sing the song but adults yell out "Yovo" when I walk by. Yovo literally means 'person who lives well'. I asked my teacher if kids would call a black person Yovo if they seemed wealthy, he said no they only call people who are white or  mulatto "Yovo". The kids always run up to me and touch my hand, it's a fascination to them that I have a different skin colour. I find one thing here a little bit rude and annoying, whenever I meet someone and talk to them for a bit they ask me what I have brought them, literally, what did you bring me. It's really uncomfortable because obviously I don't have anything for them, it's as if they think I have a bag of goodies to pass out to everyone who I meet in anticipation of meeting them. I mean I understand that people here see a white person and think that they come from a place of wealth (especially compared to Ouidah) but I still find it annoying when they ask me that. 

However, the rest of the week was pleasant. I went to the orphanage each day and helped the older girl prepare the children's lunch. They eat a lot of 'pate' which is maize (corn kernels) crunched down to a powder and then cooked. It looks like a big heap of white goo. They also eat 'gumbo' which is okra, and rice. They kill a chicken or a rabbit each day (they have a chicken coup and several cages with wild rabbits at the orphanage) I watched two children butcher the chicken. It was honestly so gross but it is what everyone who eats chicken eats, and I think being able to see that and know how your food is prepared is important. However, they share one skinny chicken among 50+ children, which is hardly any meat at all. The children take a high dosage iron pill after lunch so that they don't become anemic. Protein is a sparsely available food here because it is expensive and it is hard for people to preserve it because most people don't have a refrigerator. 

 I also took care of Alexandre, the baby. He is so adorable I cannot even describe! He calls me "Tata" which means aunty, but thats all he can really say. He'll point to something with a lot of excitement and say "Tata! Tata! oh! oh!" All of the kids are amazing. They are so kind and they help with everything. They all help perform chores in the orphanage, they take care of each other, and they are so well behaved. They always come and say hello when they get back from school and they appreciate everything that they are given. The director wants to slowly give the children all the things I brought so that it's not so overwhelming. Yesterday he gave me the towels to give them and I got a picture of all of them. I helped them sew their names on each towel so that they can recognize whose is whose. I have days that are harder than others. Sometimes I feel a bit low but whenever I go to the orphanage the children really cheer me up. Just seeing them and watching how they play or helping them with something reminds me why I am here. 

On Wednesday night my french teacher invited Matt and I to his house for dinner. He is such a nice man and the dinner was amazing. His wife prepared rice with beans and fish, mmm it was so delicious and whenever I have the opportunity to have meat or fish I get so happy. It's crazy to think that I am feeling this way but it is true, it just makes me appreciate the food that is so readily available to me back home. My diet mainly consists of pineapples, tomatoes, avocados, onions, eggs, beans, couscous, and bread. There is not a big variety here and getting meat is not an easy thing. I try to eat meat if I go to a 'restaurant' or on Sundays at Brownies house. But usually I get my protein from a boiled egg or a can of beans. 

Oh one more thing! There was a power out in all of Ouidah on Wednesday night and they are quite common here. Thankfully it only lasted for a couple of hours but my french teacher told me they can last up to a few days. I hope that this does not happen because I can't imagine not sleeping with the fan on. I already sweat non-stop here because of how hot, sticky, and humid it is, and without the fan it would just be torture. I have to change my shirt three times a day and shower at least twice a day. I miss the feeling of being clean, but it's something I have gotten more and more used to as the days go by.

That's all for now! 

Bisous 

" LA PORTE DU NONRETOUR"

The School

Maze before it becomes pate

A Cotonou!

Dear Readers,

On Thursday, I had a nice and productive day. When the days are full of things to do time passes faster and the pangs of loneliness and boredom don't sting so much. At the orphanage I was helping the kids learn some basic English greetings like 'Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night' and when I came back at 4 o'clock they all greeted me with "Good Afternoon!" They are so sweet and welcoming. Just being around them makes me so happy. On Friday I went to Cotonou (about an hour drive from Ouidah), which is the big city in the South of Benin. To be quite honest it is really a disgusting city. It is flooding with people, the streets are dirty and the poverty level is even more pronounced. I accompanied Brownie on her every two week grocery trip. She goes to Cotonou to buy her groceries because there is a much larger variety of food and super markets. There are Indian, Lebanese, and local supermarkets and we went to about five in total. I was able to buy some groceries such as yoghurt, soya milk, muesli, and instant soup. These are just in case I am unable to buy dinner or lunch in Ouidah, which has happened before.

Yesterday I went to the orphanage to speak to the director so that we could devise a schedule for next week. There was a strike for the teachers because they were unhappy with there pay and therefore classes were cut down from five times a week to twice a week. However, one of the labour unions has resumed teaching and so my schedule at the orphanage is a little bit different. I will go to the orphanage on Mondays through Fridays at 7 am and attend class with them until 12. I will then go home for lunch and return to the orphanage at 2 until 5:30 where I will accompany them to there evening classes and spend time with them beforehand. In total I will be spending 8 hours a day with the children, which I am happy about because that is my purpose of being here, that is why I decided to volunteer in the first place.

Anyway that is all for now. Till next time!

Bisous

 The Prof and Matt on the balcony

Emma son! hhaha

chili peppers ;)

Il Faut Parler!

Dear Readers,

On Tuesday I went back to the orphanage at 4:00 and I arrived and saw all the children laughing, singing and playing with each other.The director had unpacked all of the goods and displayed them on and around two big tables. He called all of the children to come and stand around the tables so that I could get a picture!

As you can see the youngest boy is holding a stuffed animal and he didn't let it go the whole two and half hours that I stayed that evening. The boys went straight to the footballs, basketballs and volleyballs. I helped them pump them up and we played games all evening. The look of gratitude on their faces is a look I've never seen before. Their eyes were gleaming with excitement andI couldn't have been happier in that moment. 

Yesterday morning I had my French lesson from 9 to 12. I really like my teacher, he is very patient and kind. For the first two hours he teaches me grammar, conjugation and vocabulary and for the last hour we just talk, talk, talk. He doesn't speak a word of English, which is oddly a very good thing because it forces me to speak, which is, what he says, the only way to truly learn a language. "Il faut parler!" is what he always says, which means, one must speak! We have the lessons on the balcony of the volunteer apartment, which I really like because it is a very relaxed environment with no distractions and I find that I have a lot more confidence to speak when I am with him in this setting. I have my French lessons on Wednesdays and Saturdays, 3 hours each lesson. He told me that it is harder to talk to me than it is to talk to Matt because I am a young woman and he is an older man. I found this a bit odd because I'm not used to being treated differently because of my sex, or maybe I'm not used to people being so upfront about it. Some of you might be thinking "but you live in an arab country how are you not used to that?" and my answer to that is yes I live in an arab country, and I clearly do see the differences between men and women, but I am not subject to the inequality as much as other people are there. Anyway, maybe as time goes by he will feel more comfortable having conversations and debates about different and possibly controversial things. 

My days are pretty usual, I go to the orphanage in the mornings, come home for lunch and then go back  from around 4 to 6:30. Yesterday's walk to the orphanage was a little bit uncomfortable because the big market that is on the way to the orphanage, "Marché Kpassé" (Yes there is a 'K' infront of passé)  was open (it opens every third day, and I'll explain why) and there were a lot of people on the streets. They all stare and yell out to you and to be quite honest, it gets to be really annoying feeling like there is a permanent spotlight on you. But today's walk was fine, the market wasn't open so there were far fewer people out. Marché Kpassé used to be the market where slaves were sold, and they still run the opening times of the market the same way they did some 250 years ago when they sold slaves, every three days.

Here are some more pictures of the orphanage that the kids actually took! I wish I could share all the pictures but it would probably take the rest of my trip to upload them. It's only been 4 days, but I have already fallen in love with these kids.

Until next time! 

Bisous

L'orphelinat Espoir D'enfant

Dear Readers,

I wanted to update you on what I have been up to the past few days. On Sunday I went to Brownie's house for lunch, it was very nice. I had a delicious lunch and met people who work in the peace corps. After lunch Brownie, Matt, an American couple who are volunteering at a school here, and I went to a salt water pool, it was very refreshing. There was a large group of Lebanese people at the pool, it made me miss home so much when they spoke arabic; "yellah! khalas! ta3l!" ahh <3

We past by the "gate of no return"which was the gate that slaves left Africa from to go to the US. The slave trade is a huge and devastating part of the history in Benin. Brownie told me that Benin was the first country to recognize the involvement of African people in the slave trade, the people who sold the slaves to the Americans. She told me that when she was a young girl in Virginia the schools were not integrated and that you couldn't go to an integrated school at that time if you wanted to. There were separate fountains for black people and they were forced to sit at the back of the bus - it's all the things I and people my age and even older learned in American history class, its amazing to me that she was alive to witness this social travesty and that she has seen with her own eyes the transition of the social behaviour and the change for the better. She has experienced both ends of the slave trade spectrum, the American and the African, and she has selflessly left a life of luxury in the states to come to countries in West Africa and Jamaica where she has devoted her life to helping others by offering them education, opportunities, and love. She is a true inspiration and I think everyone can learn something from this incredible woman.


On Monday I finally managed to exchange my money and buy a local sim card. I visited the orphanage another NGO is opening in Ouidah, it is simple but accommodating. It will be able to fit around 20 children but they still need to get furniture before children can start to live there. Later in the afternoon Brownie came to the volunteer apartment and took me to L'orphelinat D'espoir (the orphanage of hope) which is the orphanage I am volunteering in. Ok, it is hard for me to explain how amazing it was to meet the children. The word amazing doesn't hold enough significance and meaning to begin to describe how I felt. When Brownie and I walked in through the gate all the children turned and stared, the moment we said bonsoir they all ran up to Brownie and I and crossed their arms and bowed their heads and said "bonsoir, bonsoir, bonsoir", it was the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life. Then they, one by one, introduced themselves saying their name, age, and what grade they are in. The youngest child is 2 and the oldest is 17. The older children introduced themselves in English because they start learning English in the 7th grade. Brownie and I brought them cookies and then the all sang and danced for us, even I joined in the dance at one point! It was so charming and adorable, I wish there was a better way I could share my experience and how it made me feel. I feel so lucky to know that I will be playing with, caring for, and loving these children. They are so well-behaved and appreciative and you can see within a few minutes of meeting them how much they care for one another. They truly act like brothers and sisters, all 52 of them.

Today (Tuesday) I went to the orphanage at 9 o'clock. We played games all morning and I took pictures of them and just like the four boys I met by the restaurant, they were so entertained with my camera and seeing themselves in a digital picture. The walk to the orphanage is pleasant, its about 10 minutes from the volunteer apartment. Brownie told me that I will get to know everyone I pass on my way to the orphanage in about three days. People love to introduce themselves and say hello, it is really such a pleasant social behaviour, one that I have never really experienced before. At the orphanage they have a big chicken coop, which is actually brilliant because the chickens provide them with a healthy and constant source of food, eggs. I came back to the volunteer apartment at 1 to have lunch and a bit of a rest. The three oldest boys came with me with a 'pus pus' (a cart) to carry the 5 bags of things I brought for them back to the orphanage. I am going back at 4 so spend some more time and see that everyone gets some of the goodies.


That's all for now!

A bientot!

Oh I wanted to mention that the shell in Brownie's hand used to be the currency here in Benin! 

My arrival & first impressions!

Dear Readers,

After a long journey I have finally arrived to Benin! When I arrived at the airport the head of customs wanted to see what was inside all of my luggage. Brownie,  my new exchange manager, was with me. She was told that she had to get some sort of authorization to be able to bring all of the bags in but luckily in Benin people of an elderly age are highly respected and Brownie, being 73 years old, convinced the head of customs to allow all of the bags to come through. Brownie is an incredibly sweet and gentle lady. She is originally from America, but has worked in the Peace Corps and as an English teacher for most of her life in places like Jamaica and countries in West Africa. I am extremely lucky to have her as my exchange manager.

There are two other volunteers here with me. Mathew has been here for 5 weeks and has been helping me tremendously with getting settled in and showing me Ouidah. He is working in an NGO that is opening new orphanages in Ouidah. I will go to the orphanage on Monday (Orphelinat D'espoir) and I couldn't be more excited! Brownie told me that the children are so excited too- especially because of the fact that she told them I have long hair that they can braid!


I have been keeping a journal here so that I can write down all of my thoughts and impressions so that I can later share them when I have internet on my blog.

My first night was tough, the humidity and heat is ridiculous and I woke up several times drenched in sweat. There are roosters cocka-doodle-doing at 4 am. I woke up took a shower and unpacked. I later met my French teacher who only speaks French. This will surely force me to learn the language quickly...

I drank from the tap! Mathew and Brownie both told me that the water is clean and had has a nice taste, the both drink from the tap and never had any problems. So far so good for me too. I wasn't expecting to be able to do that!

In the afternoon Matt took me around Ouidah. Most of the roads are dirt roads except for one that is paved. I rode on a moto-taxi (motorcycle taxi) It was SO FUN! Ouidah is amazing, women walk around carrying huge amounts on their heads (goods, food, furniture!) but people don't have anything. People are so friendly, they all say bonsoir when you walk by and they expect you to greet them back. Matt told me that one time a man said hello to him and he didn't hear him and the man followed him asking pourqoui tu ne dit bonsoir? pourquoi?

Four little boys came up to me when we stopped for lunch at one of the most popular restaurants in Ouidah. They were laughing and playing and they wanted me to take pictures of them! They didn't have shoes, they were filthy and their clothes were ripped but they didn't have a care in the world. They were so boisterous and cute. It really shows how money can't buy happiness. It makes me think about how sad it is when people in first world countries have everything and still aren't happy and people who comparatively have nothing are full of joy and happiness. It really makes you question what is truly important in our lives.

Matt introduced me to the owner of the restaurant we had lunch in. She is used to volunteers coming to sit with her. I had a delicious sandwich (their version of a shawarma) and I had a beer, it was so refreshing in the heavy heat. I also met Raymond, another restaurant owner. Everyone is so pleasant and kind. They loved looking at my camera and the pictures I took. (I'm sure it was possibly the first time they saw what they looked like in a digital photo). Everyone is so chilled and relaxed, their #1 saying is "dousement" which means slow down, in essence, relax, chill. It's such a contrast to western life where "time is money" and life is scheduled down to the last minute. It is quite a culture shock, expectations are so different. Some locals asked me to pay them if I took a picture of their shop or the outside of their house. Some locals yelled out "why are you taking a picture of THAT?" To them its an old house or broken down car but to me its new, beautiful and so different.

The town has so much character. I saw tiny huts that could fit maybe one person at a time. Matt told me they are the prayer huts for the Voodoo religion. Gomez, one of Matt's local friends who had dinner with us last night, explained that there are 45 Voodoo spirits and each individual is assigned one the must worship. They bring clackers with them when they pray so that they can awaken their spirit. Gomez works in one of the five orphanages in Ouidah (it is sad how in such a small town there is a need for that many orphanages). He teaches them how to draw and dance. After dinner he was giving me and Matt a lesson on the drums (jambez). He played and sang a 'welcome to Benin' song, which was so nice. Roukeya, (the housekeeper) made us a delicious dinner of rice, plantain, and chicken in an amazing spicy sauce. Everyone here only speaks French or the local langauge Fon. I feel very lost but hopefully my French will improve substantially  in the next few weeks. (It has to.)

Last night I was feeling a bit homesick and sad. I knew it was going to be a difficult adjustment, but last night I saw just how difficult it would be. I also had the biggest scare of my life. I saw a creature speeding across the floor of my room. I didn't know what it was and then I couldn't see it. I was freaked out because I thought it was a rat. Then on the pale blue walls of my room I saw what this huge black creature was, it was the biggest spider I have ever seen in my life. It was the size of my hand when it is fully out-stretched. I couldn't breath, I felt like my lungs were collapsing. I took my RAID spray and sprayed it and it disappeared. I went CRAZY  I almost pissed myself with fear. THANKFULLY Matt took a glass and captured it and threw it out the balcony (he's clearly used to this horrific sight). I quite honestly would have preferred to smash it. Naturally I barely slept, how could I knowing that a creature like this could be sharing my bed! Blaghh!!!

Today I am going to have lunch at Brownie's house. That is all I have to say for now!

I will write soon,

A Bientot!

Here are a few pictures I have taken so far:

On y va! Mes pensées...

Dear Readers,


It is now 7:30 am (Paris time +1) and I am currently in the airport in Paris waiting for my connecting flight to Cotonou at 1:50 pm. I have a bit of time so I decided to write a post about my thoughts and feelings. Well firstly, I am exhausted. I had a red-eye flight from Dubai to Paris and luckily I managed to sleep nearly the whole time, but the seats barely reclined so it was like sleeping at a 90 degree angle. Secondly, I am sad. I am sad because I miss my family, my snicky snocky, and my Rani and I am sad that it may be a long time before I get to see them and hold them again. Thirdly, I am scared. I am not afraid to admit that I am scared because I can honestly say that this is and is going to be the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life. I am scared of the unknown, of being lost in translation, and of having no idea what to expect. However, not all my feelings are negative. I am so excited. I am excited to see a completely new country, to experience a completely different way of life, to meet people who are so different to me and who are accustomed to things that are completely alien to me. Most of all, I am excited to meet the children. I am so excited to get to know them, to offer them whatever I can, to care for them, and to learn from them. I am sure that meeting them and getting to know them will be an experience that will benefit me as much as I plan on it benefitting them. Lastly, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that my experience is one that will change the way I view life and I am hopeful that I will feel safe. It's silly for me to hope that I will feel comfortable, because this trip is something far beyond my comfort zone, but I am hopeful that what I end up doing is something that is TRULY helpful to the children in the orphanage, and I guess you could say that that on its own is one of the greatest comforts of all. 

A Good Friend and a Helpful Airline

Dear Readers,

This post is a post that I am dedicating to my good friend, Alexandre Makki, who has helped me TREMENDOUSLY by asking Air France to help me transport all six of my huge suitcases filled with goods for the orphanage. Without his help I would have had to pay around $1000 to take six suitcases with me. But because of his persistence and Air France's kindness and generosity they have reduced the cost to down to $200. Yes, it is still a fair amount of money but it is far less than what I would have had to pay without any of Alex's and Air France's help and understanding.

So I thank you, Air France, for seeing the importance and helping me by greatly reducing the cost of transporting the goods to Benin.

And I thank you Makki, for being a good friend and helping me with something that would have really hindered my ability to transport all of the goods that I was able to buy because of the donations. I am so grateful to have friends like you who continuously help me and support me. More importantly, you have helped improve the quality of life for the children in Benin.

Here I am with all of the luggage!

Malaria, Medications & Must Haves!

Hello Readers, 

Today I went to the pharmacy to buy various medications that I need, most importantly, my malaria medication. Which type of malaria medication to buy was something that took me a while to decide upon. I was looking at three different options, Malarone, Doxycycline, and Mephaquin. Malarone is a tablet that you must take daily and it costs around 250 dirhams (approx. $70) for 12 tablets. I need around 70-80 tablets. They say it is one of the malaria medications with the fewest side-effects, but the cost was too high for the amount of tablets that I needed. The second option, Doxycycline, is also a daily tablet and it is an antibiotic. It costs 34 dirhams (approx. $10) for 10 tablets. It is not specifically made to fight malaria but it does fight the disease like other malaria medications do. The last option was Mephaquin. Mephaquin costs 34 dirhams (approx. $10) for 6 tablets but it is taken once a week on the same day of the week. It is specifically for malaria. I chose Mephaquin in the end and I am taking my first tablet today because I have to start one week before my departure. Like all of these medications it has side-effects. The most common ones are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. but it also has neurological side-effects like poor sleep, hallucinations, paranoia, and mood swings. If you thought I was crazy for doing this before, be aware that I might get even crazier! The doctor told me to take my malaria medication straight after breakfast so that I do not get stomach aches and the power of the medication is soaked into my body along with the nutrients from my food. I am hopeful that these side-effects don't affect me, but if they do, depending on the severity, I will either stick it out or change my medication. 

I also bought a whole bunch of other medications like diflucan (fights yeast infections), ciprofloxacin (antibiotic for the stomach), panadol extra,  antibiotic spray for cuts, band-aids, fucidin (antibacterial cream), cold and flu medicine flutab & nurofen (day & night), prolyte (electrolight powder that re-hydrates the body from the loss of water and salt caused by diarrhea), Imodium (stops chronic diarrhea), potassium permanganate (a powder that you mix with water to wash food like fruits and vegetables), an asthma pump (in case I have any wheezing or tightness in the lungs, as I was prone to wheezing as a child), cough medicine, and I also bought vitamins that I will take daily to help my immune system, digestive system, teeth, bones, skin, nails, hair, muscles, brain, etc. (vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, female multiple, and cod liver oil).  I think I am all set in the medicine department.

BUT if anyone can think of any other medicine that I may want/need to take as a precaution please tell me in the comment box, Thank you! 

Yellow Fever & Visa

Bonjour Tout Le Monde!


Now that the shopping for the orphanage is nearly completed I have moved on to carrying out the final preparations for my trip. I got my yellow fever vaccine on the 9th of February and I received a little yellow booklet as proof, in case I get asked at passport control. The nurse warned me that I must ALWAYS have the booklet with me in case I am asked because failure to do so may result in airport officials giving me the yellow fever vaccine on the spot. This could be very risky in terms of hygiene because the needle may have been used before and not sanitized properly. So, the two little booklets below (yellow fever booklet and my passport) will be guarded with my life whilst I am traveling and staying in Benin.

In the pre-departure manual they talk about visas and they mention the two biggest Béninoise embassies, which are located in Paris and Washington D.C. So I immediately thought that getting my visa would be a long and complicated process because I would need to send my passport to either Europe or America and wait for them to prepare my visa and send my passport back to the UAE. Thankfully, however, I found a Béninoise Embassy in Abu Dhabi, an hour (or so) drive from Dubai. I called the consulate and the consulate told me everything I needed to bring and that my visa would be done within a couple of hours of giving in all of my documentation. I was so relieved at this! So I got my visa and it took almost no time at all. The Embassy of Benin in Abu Dhabi is located in a tiny villa amongst tens of other identical looking villas. I was shocked that I was even able to find the consulate! But I am glad that this tedious but important task has been taken care of. :)