Hello, my name is Toubab.

Definition of "Toubab" - outsider, foreigner (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toubab)

Can be used as:

1. Noun - someone of lighter skin color, a european.. or someone seen as "whiter"
2. Verb - to toubab someone, or "do toubab".
** example: I am given a price that is higher when I'm in the market ONLY because my skin color - this is known as being "toubabed".
3. Adjective - a toubab price, especially seen in the larger cities, where the tourists roam.  During tourist season, all prices are jacked up unless it's a set price, which is only seen in larger stores, also known as "toubab stores".

Sometimes it is used as a way to get my attention, and it works.  When I go to the local market (Luumo), I am usually the only person with white skin, so when I hear "TOUBAB!!!" being yelled out, I know it's for me.  As for kids, it is their first word they learn after birth.  Why?  In the areas where tourists come, Toubabs give mintis (candy).  And in the case of my training village, they may receive books, prescription reading glasses, cookies, etc etc by the tourists who have come to do their good deeds for the year by riding around in large busses and throwing these items out to "the starving african children".  But that's a reason for another blog... handouts - these make my job as a Peace Corps Volunteer very challenging.

So why am I writing a blog on this term? It's because I absolutely loathe it - it's implications, it's literal definition, the sound of it, everything about it.

Other than it being used as an attention getter, I see this term as being extremely degrading - comparable to "The N word" back home.  The concept of "outsider", in my mind is the thing that disconnects us from each other, and thus stunting any hope for progress and integration.  WE ARE ALL OF THE SAME SOUL, THE SAME MATTER, THE SAME PLACE IN THIS UNIVERSE.  When I hear this word, I cringe, and sometimes even shut down.  This is because often it is accompanied with "give me money" or "take me to America".  I mean LITERALLY people say "TOUBAB, GIVE ME MONEY!" and is screamed at me by tens of kids at one time "TOUBAB, MINTIIIII!".

Just like the person calling me Toubab, I have a name.  I have 2 names actually - Shawn Reed and Mariama Sowe.  Granted, the may not KNOW my name, but they don't yell out "HEY BLACK PERSON" to their fellow Gambians to get their attention (okay sometimes they say "boy!").  Even if the person doesn't know my name, I expect to be greeted just like every other person in this county, with "Salaamaleekum" - meaning " Peace be upon you ".  Before you approach anyone, the first thing you say here is Salaamaleekum.  If they will not take time to greet me like every other person they come in contact with, then I will not give them my time or attention. 

My coworkers and I have sacrificed 2 years of our lives of comfort, left behind friends, family and loved ones, and are living halfway across the world in a new culture, language and for most a new religion.  We have come to help one of the most underdeveloped counties in the world, and the smallest country in Africa... At least give us a proper greeting!!

Sadly, being called a Toubab every single day, by 2-year olds and 82-year olds alike, in and outside of my village (ESPECIALLY outside of my own village), sometimes makes me not want to be here.  YES - I am a foreigner.  I glow at night and you can see me from a mile away.  I will NEVER blend in, no matter how culturally appropriate I dress or how well I master the local languages; I am not a Gambian, I AM AN AMERICAN.

However, underneath my skin, I am the same as every human being.  If you really want to get into it, I am the same as every single THING, living & non-living, in this entire universe.  But, I digress.

This has been a problem for every PCV I know.  Sometimes, I feel like even the birds call me "toubab" ( I swear I heard it once.. or maybe that's the mephloquine) when I'm strolling in the bush.  When I hear it, I am reminded how far away from home I really am.  Imagine, hearing this about 20 times a day or 200 if in the city. 

So how am I coping?  I'm learning to shake it off.  Maybe I should just embrace it?!  I AM TOUBAB, HEAR ME...laugh?" ,because it's all I can do.  I cannot escape the wrath of the Toubab.  Maybe there will be  a day when I am called "sister" by everyone.  I like to consider every human being to be my family.  Things will change, but the Gambia has a phrase I like to remind myself of frequently.  You will see this many times in the life of this blog... "slowly slowly".

Thank you for hearing my rant, and by ALL means - leave a comment.

Tradition and Change - Culture and Development - Religion and Progress

Salaamaleekum! Peace be upon you all :)

Dreams are the Seeds of Change

The rains are falling, the seeds are sown, and the work has come.  For the past 5 days, I have been in the city for our final Peace Corps training sessions.  All of the health volunteers, who came with me in January, got together for idea sharing and brainstorming sessions.  I found the whole in-service to be extremely helpful; it allowed me to share ideas for/from my village, brainstorm with my co-volunteers (who I found out are seeing alot of the VERY same issues that I have seen in my own village), and find effective ways to implement sustainable projects and ideas into the minds of those I am trying to help. 


Building a Soak Pit for proper water drainage
(standing/open water may cause the breeding of mosquitoes that may carry Malaria - eeek!)

 I believe the hardest part of being in Peace Corps so far (outside of adapting to the culture, learning a new language, and missing home) has been trying to find effective ways to preserve culture, tradition & the deep roots of religion, while trying to progress a community and it's people.  Surprisingly, even though The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa, there are over 6 different ethnic groups - each speaking different languages - and all being deeply rooted in Islam.  This is where I find the most beauty in the "smiling coast of Africa".  It's a double edged sword though, sometimes...

The community I live in is a traditional Wolof (Fana Fana) community.  They are known for their eccentric dancing, proper language without English influence (meaning no English words are randomly thrown in, like I hear in the cities), rich culture and faith, and I hate to say it but... stubborn minds!  I wish I could put it in a different light, but it seems like they just don't want to budge when certain opportunities come to "progress" the community, further development, or even implement essential elements of change that will better the well-being of the community members. 


Traditional Wolof Wedding - they LOVE to dance, even late into the night!

For example, recently I realized that my entire village either doesn't wash their hands before eating/after defecating; if they do wash their hands, it is common here to not use soap and running water.  This may sound like a silly thing to put on my resume when I get back to the States ("taught proper hand washing"), but here it is a huge health concern aiding in the spread of diseases that could potentially lead to death.  Good news people - it's preventable to spread germs and bacteria!  In the States and for alot of the world, 'germ theory' and disease transmission is understood, as well as simple methods of prevention - such as hand washing.  Here, if someone gets sick or even dies, it may be the act of evil spirits, spells, or witchcraft.  The people sometimes don't understand what a "germ" is or how it may cause diarrhea, respiratory infections, conjunctivitis, and the list goes on. 

Hand washing demonstration

Therefore, I decided to start a hand washing campaign - sounds easy right?  Well, maybe in a place where soap is affordable and available, water flows from the faucets like a waterfall, and there's a sink next to the place where "pooooping" takes place to conveniently wash the soiled culprits or where cooking takes place to clean up before preparing meals for the family.  It's a mouthful, I know.. but my point is - IT'S INCONVENIENT TO WASH HANDS here.  At least that's what the mindset of most villages is.  Soap - either you make it or you buy it .. and that may cost some Dalasis ($$$).  Water - it's wayyyy easier to stick a bucket in the middle of the compound for the whole family to slosh their hands around in before eating out of a single food bowl.  By the time the food comes around, people are ready to dig in.. proper handwashing takes wayyyy too much time (so they say). Plus, I realized that some people don't even know what a germ is in the first place. 


I recently learned how to make soap!

This is one example of how hard it might be to change the mindset of my village on something as simple as hand washing.  So, despite the barriers to proper sanitation, the hand washing campaigns have been very successful.  However, behavior change takes time... reminders.. uprooting old habits to sow new ones.  Heck, even I forget to wash my hands before snacking sometimes.  We all forget to do things that we know are beneficial to the maintenance of our minds and bodies, but it's even harder when people don't even have the basic education to equip themselves with proper health habits in the first place. 
Back to the main point - even if people gain the knowledge of disease transmission and prevention, the Fana Fanas (or any tribe) still may decide that hand washing isn't worth buying/making soap or a kettle for running water, or taking the time to teach their family to wash their hands because they still believe that someone put a curse on their family, an evil spirit entered their body to make them sick, or it was an act of God.  So, my challenge is, how can I properly introduce change while trying to preserve the culture, traditions and strong faith, that the Fana Fanas are known for and are so proud of?  It's a tough one.  And this is just HAND WASHING!  Imagine when I try to educate my village on birth spacing/birth control/family planning, or any other ideas that may "challenge" the Islamic faith.

Crafting JuJu charms that are made to
ward off evil spirits, prevent disease, or even prevent KNIFE PENETRATION;
usually made with animal bones and Quranic scripture

 On a more positive note, I have a few ideas (thank you in-service and friends from home).  My dear friend Moya Moye, an enlightening fellow I knew back in college, suggested that I educate myself in the principals of Islam.  Instead of trying to butt heads with the beautiful Muslim faith that deeply permeates my village, I should use it in conjunction with my own goals as a Peace Corps health volunteer! Recently, I have found a few books that highlight Islamic ideals, which include maintaining the health of the body and well-being of children & family.  If I can find ways to relate these progressive ideas and habits, that Peace Corps wants me to introduce, back to their roots in Islam and traditional Gambian culture, then it's beneficial for everyone!

So all in all, I'm on the up and up, slowly slowly.  The Gambia has a proverb "Ndanka Ndanka mooy jappa golo ci alle bi" which translates from Wolof to "Slowly Slowly catches the monkey in the bush"... it's pretty much the motto of every Peace Corps volunteer in The Gambia.  It means SLOW THE HELL DOWN!!  Progress takes time and patience.  You can't grow a tree overnight.

... just a cute monkey!



Video!!!

Salaamaleekum!

My Peace Corps co-worker, Marta Russek, recently created a video of my training group that all came in January of this year.  It has great music, and REALLY depicts the beginning of our experience. Please take a few minutes to check it out.  I pop in the video a few times!!!  Let me know what you think of it, and I will give her feedback.  She is a health volunteer, who specializes in media and mass communication tactics for public health messages!  Peace Corps The Gambia 2011 - Health and Environment