So there I was: sitting in the dark at Body Café, picking goat meat out of my teeth with five African men.
But wait? How did I get here?
(cue Inigo Montoya) Let me explain…no, there is no time. Let me sum up:
I was met at the airport in the capital of N’Djamena on Thursday, August 23rd by the MCC country representatives Jean Claude and Francine. The other young person in my program, Jackson, arrived from Nigeria the following day and he and I stayed for the following week at a missionary guest house. Our first weekend in Chad was spent adjusting to our new surroundings and learning about MCC’s work in the country. We traipsed around the city meeting MCC partners (including my partner organization, SECADEV) and talking to friends of MCC about everything from the history, to the people, to the culture of Chad. Getting to know N’Djamena has been an exhilarating, confusing and sometimes awkward. (Let me tell you: moto taxis were not made for people who wear skirts.)
The exciting adventure of our first week was our trip down south to the two towns of Moundou and Goré. Along the way, we enjoyed views of rural villages, corn and sorghum fields, rice paddies, and many cows who refused to get out of the road for us. Moundou is the 2nd largest town in Chad and it was the seat of the French colonial administration and while there we shared a meal** with an MCC partner. The following day was spent in Goré to meet with the SECADEV office there. I will be moving there shortly for work with the water, sanitation and hygiene program in several refugee camps close by.
Once we got to Goré, I realized it was tiny compared to the capital, and absolutely crawling with NGO vehicles. We met with many of the heads of NGOs while we were there including the UN High Commissioner on Refugees, UN World Food Programme, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and several others. It was a bit surreal being familiar with those names for so long and then meeting the representatives and seeing where they work in the field. The highlight of the trip, though, was seeing the convent and meeting the nuns where I will be renting a room. It is such a peaceful place. I didn’t realize the energy and activity of Goré until we arrived, and I felt truly peaceful.
Log of Animals Sighted:
dogs, 3-week old puppies, cats, chickens, ducks, so many baby goats, sheep, a giant tortoise, the biggest spider I’ve ever seen in my life, camels, horses, snake, lizards sunning themselves absolutely everywhere, trees full of nesting herons, and some kind of fat pigeon hawk bird that glared at me from outside my window
We returned to N’Djamena the following day for additional orientation before I moved in with my host family. I’ll be spending at least the month of September here before I move to the rented room in the convent. I am excited for this time with my host family which will help me acclimate to life in Chad and give me a better understanding of the culture. Then, I’ll relocate to do more field work and program implementation in Goré.
** It was this meal that was shared at Body Café. Apparently, some small business owners here like to advertise with English words on their storefronts. This particular restaurant owner chose the words “God is Great” and “Body Café” to be displayed over our heads. I asked an English-speaking Chadian friend about it and he was just as confused as I was considering the meaning of “Body Café.” With regards to the dark, the sun sets early here, so around 7pm, we were left very content but without light at the end of a meal of grilled goat, French fries and a few veggies.
Reflections 