Here are some of the pictures from the previous weeks of home-stay. They are basically in chronological order beginning with me eating breakfast inside my hut sitting on my small bed with the mosquito net.


A picture of the outside of my hut with the Peace Corps blue surrounding the windows and door frame. The paint has done nothing to slow the constant onslaught of crickets invading my personal space, so I've begun capturing geckos and letting them run amok in my room. So far the crickets are winning.


This is a picture of my host dad (N'tji Otis Diara). This is shortly after eating lunch one afternoon. Also, he's not unhappy, it's just really hard to get Malians to smile in pictures.

Next is a picture of some of the locals outside of the corner store watching a soccer game.

A picture of some of the family. There's a ton of kids running around in my concession so I'm not sure which are direct brothers and cousins, but I do know that on the left is my host mom and she's been taking care of me quite well.

My sisters making shea butter.

Some other trainees and I at a wedding in Baguineda Camp (3km from my village)
Panoramic shot of Soudougouba and surrounding area. (the sun was setting on the left side, so that's why it looks bleached.)

Sunset shortly after the panorama was taken.


Boats out on the Niger river pulling up sand for brick making.

Now for some animal life:
A cool looking grasshopper with one leg missing.
A gecko trying to escape into a crevice.

An owl. It's way bigger than the picture makes it look.


I'm still doing well in Soundougouba. We're currently about to head to our sites for the first time in 4 days. I found out this afternoon that I will be spending the next 2 years in Ganfan in the Kayes region (in the south west of the country towards Senegal). I'm really excited and will have more pictures from there to show you when I get back in a little under 3 weeks.

Also, my address is:

Corps de la Paix
BP 85
Bamako, Mali

Feel free to send stuff.