Dinner with the Ambassador!!

So after getting back from Dakar I took some time to just relax a bit. The following weekend was our regional retreat, that’s where the whole region goes off somewhere and it’s a time to discuss house issues and just bond. We ended up going to Mako, which is about 40km away from Kedougou. We stayed in a campment, which is just a series of huts. It was nice to be with everyone from the region. The last day of the retreat was my birthday so it was perfect timing to celebrate because everyone was in town!! We made a huge Mexican feast and partied all night. The only unfortunately thing is that when we went out later in the night, my bike ended up getting stolen. Luckily the country director was heading down to Kedougou the following week so brought me my replacement bike. To this day I still haven’t found my bike but I filed a report with the police and they’re looking for it. We’re all just hoping that whoever took if hasn’t crossed the border into Guinea and is trying to sell it there.

Our country director came down here with the US ambassador to Senegal. They came with a TV crew and were filming some of the volunteers here and what projects they are working on. Unfortunately, I was not part of the group because I don’t really have any projects going on, but I was able to sit down to dinner with the Ambassador three nights in a row. The first night she asked to have dinner with some of the volunteers here, so since I live here I was asked to join. The second night it was just a couple of volunteers that were asked to come to dinner. Only of few of us were asked to come because it was dinner with not only the ambassador but also with the mayor and a lot of other important Kedougou government people. It was a nice traditional dinner with a traditional dance troop performing at the end. Unfortunately I forgot my camera at home so I didn’t take any pictures or video. Now the third night’s dinner was really fun, the ambassador heard that David built his own hut and decided she wanted to see it for herself. As she was there she noticed the pizza ovens that he built and was told how we have pizza parties there occasionally. She decided that she had to stay one more night and participate in a Kedougou pizza party. We provided the food and she provided the beer. It was a nice evening because we really got to sit down with the ambassador and just talk. She’s a really nice, down to earth woman who rolled up her sleeves and helped make pizzas!! Making good contacts as I go!!

Tomorrow I have my first business training class. It’s quite a challenge because I have to explain what business is and business concepts that go with it, such as marketing, pricing, planning, etc. to people who don’t have never been to high school, some of them can’t even read! I’ll update my blog with how it all went. Wish me well!!!

Dinner with the US Ambassador to Senegal!

Apparently the ambassador was so impressed by my friend's pizza ovens that she felt she HAD to come and make pizza with us. So here I am supervising her work!

I am working the ingredient assembly line with the Ambassador.

Zack, a fellow volunteer, decides to serve the woman while the men cook the pizza. I think he was just showing off because the ambassador was there!

Our whole pizza making group with the Ambassador and her press secretary!