I would be kidding myself if I said that this past week has been anything but difficult, as my life has totally been turned upside-down without warning. If it wasn’t hard enough to leave Niger the reality of my departure truly set in as I said goodbye to my fellow Niger PCVs. All 97 evacuees shared a love for Niger, a passion for change and a drive to make a difference in the world. We all came from different places around America to serve in Niger and do our part to make Niger, the least developed country in the world, a better place. These facts were the ones the bound us together as a group and also the facts that made it so difficult to say goodbye.
The most dreaded farewells for me were among the members of my training class. Only three months prior we stepped foot into Niger scared, but ready for the challenge of “hard core, Peace Corps”…aka PC Niger, and now just as we were getting settled it was all taken from us. We built bonds that made us a family and friendships that could withstand even the toughest day alone in our villages. As the newbies in Niger our time at the evacuation conference was not only spent saying goodbyes, but also meeting some of our fellow PCVs from older training classes. With each new person I met it was impossible not to think of the friendship we could have had or the potential memories we would have shared if our time in Niger was not cut so short. I often found myself on the brink of tears just trying to wrap my head around the reality of the situation. No matter what I did it or who I talked to it was hard for me to believe that I was not going back to Niger, a country I fell in love with in only three months.
Throughout this difficult time of endings and goodbyes I have done my best to find the silver lining, as I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. The silver lining is that I am headed to South Africa to continue my Peace Corps service! I was very fortunate for be offered a spot in South Africa and I am flying there today to meet my new Peace Corps training class. Getting a placement was bittersweet as there were only about 20 open posts, located in various African and Latin American countries, for all 97 evacuated Niger PCVs. This meant that those not offered positions headed back to America to re-apply to Peace Corps or to travel the world. With so few of us moving directly onto new countries of service it was impossible to revel in our good fortune as it meant that we would be leaving the comfort of our PC Niger family and immediately jumping into a new one.
I am more than intimidated by the fact that at the end of the day I will no longer be a Peace Corps Niger volunteer, but a Peace Corps South Africa trainee. Yes, that means I am starting the training process all over again and spending the next three months learning about a new culture and of course learning a new language. It is hard to believe that just as I was getting used to speaking Hausa and French that I will no longer need either of those languages. South Africa has 11 national languages, with English being the language of the “educated class,” like French was in Niger. I will be learning greetings in all 11 national languages my first few weeks and then choosing a primary language of focus. There is no doubt in my mind that learning another language so soon after learning Hausa will be difficult, but I am ready to put in the necessary time to be successful! One of the most important things I learned in Niger is that language is truly the key to building strong bonds with those whom I am to serve as well as the key to successful development …so here I go again!
My job description for South Africa is HIV/AIDS NGO development work, which is very different from the maternal and child healthcare work I was to do in Niger, but I am excited for this new adventure. Having a job with an NGO means that I could have a wide range of living conditions, anything from an apartment with running water and electricity to a simple mud hut with a latrine. I am fully prepared for either situation as I have spent the past three months in a mud hut and am a champion latrine user and bucket bather!! One of the most intimidating facts about being a PCV in South Africa is integration. Due to apartheid there is still a very strained relationship between races and a huge lack of trust between ethnicities. Unlike Niger where I was viewed as a “celebrity” and taken in with open-arms, South African PCVs have a notoriously hard time with integration due to this racial tension.
Being in South Africa before, as a study abroad student, I remember this harsh reality really affecting me. Seeing the huge disparity between rich and poor was very unsettling and I found myself constantly trying to come to terms with the reality of South African life. These feelings stayed with me when I returned to America and not only did they make me want to study South Africa further, but they also drove me to apply to Peace Corps. The fact that my love for South Africa and my strong desire to see change in that country made me want to apply to Peace Corps makes it seem that my new placement was somehow always meant to be. Yes, if I were given the opportunity to go back to Niger I would do so in an instant, but because that is unfeasible I have faith that my time, in South Africa, although very different, will be equally rewarding.
As a wise friend told me before I left for Niger, “just relax, don’t think, only feel.” These words have stuck with me throughout the past three months and will continue to be my motto as I begin this new chapter of my adventure!
Merci!
Danielle,
I know that I am thinking of you and keep you in my prayers every day. You are truly an amazing older sister and role model to so many. I know that you were chosen to serve in South Africa for a reason and you should feel honored to be chosen to go out of so few. I know that you are probably more nervous then ever, but I think that this experience will be more rewarding then you expect! I know that the people there will love you; for you have something about you that just makes everyone feel that way! Ill pray that you have running water and electricity this time! I love you and can’t wait to talk to you!
xoxo,
Julia
While I’m sure you’ll miss your bucket and latrine, I’m truly hoping for running water and electricity! Not that I have anything against buckets…they have there place in the world. I can only imagine how difficult these changes and goodbyes have been for you. I’m sure you and your friends from Niger will find a way to stay connected and will reunite with so many stories to share one day. I’m excited about your new adventures in South Africa. You are magnetic, Danielle, and I have no doubt that you will be embraced by those your life will touch there. You’re doing such important work, regardless of where you are. I’m super proud of you! The rest of the family says hello and misses you. Be well, “Little D”!
Auntie C
Hola Danielle,
I was moved at your description about how hard it is to say goodbye so quickly and thought of how that is such a part of life — and more so in difficult circumstances, such as the one you have chosen. The gift of being open to change and letting go of plans is one not everyone has. You will bring much to South Africa and will leave with much more. We continue to be moved by your story, and will follow you now in the South of Africa. May your journey continue to be blessed with smiles along with the tears and the goodness of friendship. Oh, and yes, running water is always a plus – for everyone. Fingers crossed. I was moved today in the news when they talked about how many kept a vigil outside the hospital where former President Nelson Mandela was for a time. They spoke (some with tears) about how he really was a part of their family since their freedom was really due to him. Very moving. I’m sure there will be many challenges and many more moving stories, too. Take care, Danielle. Thanks for keeping us posted…
Much love,
Peggy & gang
Hi, Danielle
I just found your blog now that we are back in the US and have some time. You write beautifully and make your experience so vivid.Your description of the evacuation, transition conference, and parting with PC friends was so perfect in the description of emotions associated with all of that.
Good luck in South Africa. We know you will do great work in spite of the challenges you’ll face. We’ll continue to follow your story as we await assignment somewhere in the world. It is good to have a break and visit family/friends but we are eager to continue our Peace Corps journey as you are fortunate to be doing. Good luck especially with the new language training–a daunting prospect for anyone who learned Hausa or Zarma in Niger. Please tell the others from our stage hello from Dave and Judy.
Dear Danielle,
I lost touch with your blog after learning you had to leave Niger. I’ve tried to reach folks from the Nomad Foundation in Ojai that also was planning to be in Niger in January. I haven’t connected yet.
But South Africa! Wow! I wish you all the best.
Thank you for sharing how important language learning is as part of your Peace Corps work. I have attended a few events in Santa Barbara about Peace Corps volunteering including one about the elder corps of folk who go. Their #1 issue is LANGUAGE learning.
I am planning to be in Santa Barbara for awhile longer but the urge to move to another very different place on the planet is there and your journey is encouraging for me. I hope to head north in the next couple of months and would love to see your folks. All the best to you, Danielle. Peace and love.
Joanne McGarry