A few minutes ago I was reading a Newsweek (the one free America memento the Peace Corps provides us with other than the medicine), and I was scanning through the articles. One article with a film director defending his NC-17, claiming the depiction of violence is a greater evil than the depiction of sex; another commenting on Catholic voters in Ohio voting for Bush in order to defend heterosexual marriage. And then I found myself laughing--what luxury we have as Americans to worry about these complex issues. My friend Matt in Wallam, Niger lives in a village full of people wondering where their next meal will come from; the drought reduced their crops by 70%, and the crickets came to eat up the remaining 30%. In Niger, it is the land, not the politics, that defines people's priorities.

The geography of this sandy, land-locked country has condemned Niger to utter poverty. In spite of her situation, or perhaps because of it, Nigerians are graced with a selfless spirit. Any time a Nigerian has food in front of him/her, the person will automatically invite you to "come eat." For every Nigerian that has a job, his wages are supporting not only his immediate family, but at least ten of his non-immediate family members.

My town takes great care of me. For instance, my community provides me with a very nice (by Nigerian standards), 2-room house with electricity and a yard the size of half of a soccer field. My friends are constantly stuffing me with food, teaching me Zarma, and instructing this incompetent little white girl how to be a Nigerian Martha Stewart, basically. "How charming," my mother must be thinking. Yes, I am becoming a pro at sweeping dirt with a handleless broom made from straw.

"So what will she be doing there?" you may ask yourself. That's a great question. How on earth could I possibly pay them back for all the kindness they have shown me? Simple stuff. Teaching women about hygiene, nutrition, oral rehydration solution. Also, my role will be to find money for self-improvement projects that are dreamed up by Nigerians. (Seeing that our president tends to slash Peace Corps' budget on a regular basis, I've been advised to look elsewhere for funding).

My job title is "Community Health Educator," but my primary goal is to be educated. The most daunting challenge of my day is simply understanding how things work here.

For instance, why would a nursing mother fast during Ramadan? I saw many mothers who neither drank nor ate from sunup to sundown. They brought their babies in for their monthly check-ups, and many of the babies had lost up to one kilogram.

"You are endangering the health of your baby, you should stop fasting," I could say.

And I might as well be speaking Greek to them, because this message would fall on deaf ears. Women know that 30 missed days of fasting means fasting alone before the next Ramadan month rolls around. Since women perform much of the work in this society, it is much more difficult for them to fast alone without other women for support.

So instead, I'll take cues from the maternity nurse: we need to advise women to supplement their diets w/ the right food, and to feed their babies enriched, age-appropriate foods.

That's just one example of one of the multi-layered issues in this country.This place has enough mysteries to keep me occupied for the next 2 years, that's for sure.

Take care, stay well, and I miss you all.