Salaamalekum!

Things have been busy here in The Gambia...learning Mandinka, adapting to a new culture, and receiving technical training (primarily agroforestry).

There are four days left in training, then I will swear in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer and move to my permanent site.  I lived near the Kiang National Park in a small rural village for the majority of training.  My host family was comprised of a father, three mothers, and approximately 15 siblings.  Here is me with my host father and some of the children.

In the Muslim culture, a baby is named one week following its birth.  The entire village participates in a naming ceremony that involves traditional dancing, cooking, praying, and naming of the infant.  This is from the naming ceremony in my training village.  My family named me Fatou Samateh after my sister Fatou Demba.

I spent Thanksgiving at the Tendaba Camp on the Gambia River.  It is a popular birdwatching spot and is surrounded by mangroves...very pretty and peaceful.  Our group prepared a wonderful feast of turkey and other delicious holiday dishes.  It didn't compare to being at home with the fam, but overall it was a nice day.  Upon return to the village, I celebrated Tabaski with my family.  Tabaski is a Muslim holiday that signifies Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son.  On Tabaski a goat or sheep is slaughtered to represent the ram that God sacrificed in place of Abraham's son.

The women preparing the Tabaski Feast

The village men going to prayer