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| Email of 1 December 2004 | |
| Date: | Wed, 1 Dec 2004 12:26:01 -0800 (PST) |
| From: | "Michael Redman" <???@yahoo.com> |
| Subject: | Michael Redman in Peace Corps / Niger |
| To: | [recipient list not disclosed] |
| Hello all. How are you all doing? I hope you and yours are being healthy, wealthy, and wise in whatever corner of the world you happen to be in. You probably enjoy receiving mass emails about as much as I like sending 'em, so I'll get down to brass tacks: On 4 January 2005, I will depart for 2+ years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the landlocked West African nation of Niger (Niger [nee-ZJAIR'] is roughly twice the size of Texas [but no word yet if that means that roughly TWO villages are missing THEIR idiots]). While there, I will be a part of the Agroforestry wing of the Peace Corps, meaning, well... I'm not sure exactly what it means (nowhere on my résumé does it list "agroforester" under previous occupation), but that's what they have the two months of training at the beginning for. From my understanding, it deals with that which is most important: putting enough food on the table, and finding a way to do so in a sustainable way so the people can do it long after I leave. From 7 January to 7 March, I will undergo training in the town of Hamdallaye, about 25 km east-northeast of the nation's capital of Niamey, in the southwest of the country. After training, I will be shipped off to my site. At site, for the first three months I focus on integrating into the community, learning the customs, boning up on my Hausa or Fufulde (or whatever the local language may be), and trying to learn what problems there are in the community. After that, I, together with my village, will try to instigate projects that will be beneficial to the community. Communicating with Me: The best way to keep in contact with me will be via "snail mail". While nowhere near the standards of the US Postal Service, the Nigerien mail is supposedly pretty good by African standards. That means a letter sent to me should get to me within 2-4 weeks, and the same with outgoing mail. A few points of advice in sending me letters: try to keep the envelopes as low-profile as possible (no stickers, etc...), and no "naked" postcards (i.e., without an envelope) - pretty pictures from America have been known to make more regular appearances on post office walls than in post office boxes. But I would love pictures and letters and just little notes telling me what's happening with you all. My address will be: Michael Redman Corps de la Paix B.P. 10537 Niamey, Niger West Africa (It is possible my address will change to a closer address when I finish training, but no matter what, mail arriving at the above address will make it to me) I do not know how regularly I will be able to check my email - it could be only a handful of times in the whole two years - but for the moment, you can send email to this address: ???@yahoo.com (when I leave, I will set my Whitman email to forward to this address). Your best bet will probably be using regular ol' snail mail. Another resource of information is the following website which I've slung together over the past week from information the Peace Corps has given me and from information on the internet: http://www.redmanfamily.net/Peace_Corps/ This website will be the hub of information for my time in Africa over the next two+ years. My dad will be running it, and he's going to try to put up letters and pictures and other info I send along to him (aren't you, dad? :) ) Also, you are more than welcome to pass on information to him that he can post up here. My parents will be the "living" hubs or information, so if you have any questions or anything, feel free to get in contact with them: ???@???.??? (dad's email), 763-571-????, or ???? 52nd Ave NE, Fridley MN 55421. I'm spending the last month or so here getting ready to go, and filling out all the necessary paperwork, and so forth. As far as how I'm feeling about the whole thing, right now I'm kind of oscillating between being ready to go and wanting to get it started, and unholy and abject terror at the thought of spending two years "in the bush". How I'm feeling really depends on which day you catch me :) I hope that all of you are doing well wherever you are, and that you can take the time to look at the website. I also hope you have a nice holiday season - I am very grateful I get to be home with my family during that time - even if the weather gets a little chilly (I noticed it was 95 today in Niger, which sounds nice, until you realize that means it will be in the 130s in April and May). Anyways, take care, and I can't wait to hear what you're all up to these days and over the next two years. Feel free to drop me a line before I leave on 4 January! - Michael Redman (Also, I tried to send this to about everyone whose email address I could get my grubby little hands on - but if you think I missed someone who would want to read it, send it on to them and scold me about my callous disrespect, so I don't miss 'em for next time - also, tell me if I've sent this message to your wrong email address!) ===== ???? 52nd Ave NE soon to be: Corps de la Paix Fridley, MN 55421 (as of 7 Jan 05) B.P. 10537 (763) 571-???? Niamey, Niger www.redmanfamily.net/Peace_Corps West Africa |
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