Welcome 2013!

Tenengfara has started a seed bank for this coming rainy season. Each family sends a 50+ k bag of groundnut to be stored in a building where it waits to be planted. This ensures that there is seed for the coming season- instead of being sold or being eaten, we are starting to think about the future. 

She really did not like that hat being on, even though she looked super cute!

This time of year everyone burns their fields for fear of fire jumping into their compounds. I came home the other day to learn that 4 houses in my village had burned down. This is what happens when fires get out of control, although I wasn't there to witness I heard that every person in the village grabbed a bucket and ran to the nearest tap- this is the african fire department. That evening with fear in their minds, the young men of the village went on weed patrol and burned all the fields. This is the youngesters in my family standing at the front watching the fire.

I went to go help a woman with her onion garden and I returned with a kitty. It doesn't have a name yet, because well I've only had it for 2 days and names are given on day 7 (duhh), he is going to get a naming ceremony. He's a fisty little thing, not wanting to sleep anywhere but on top of me or eat anything besides tuna because hey, its go much better than rice and peanut sauce. He sure does help with those lonely moments of being a volunteer- and he's got to learn to eat rice just like the rest of us, he's a gambian cat after all.