I leave fore Benin July 18th!!!

Well, I finished jumping through all of the Peace Corps hoops, and now I'm officially going to be a trainee by July 18th. The first 2 days will be an orientation somewhere in the US, but after that it's off to Benin! I will be living the first 3 months (the training period) with a host family. I don't know exactly where I will be in Benin, but I know I will be flying into Cotonou. I will be doing Small Enterprise Development (SED), which involves anything from working with small businesses or groups to help them gain credit or to help them create a business plan, or even to help educate them on general business practices like marketing and book keeping. I will also be educated on helping the fight against AIDS and HIV awareness, and I will be working to help integrate women into the work force.
Living circumstances:
The living circumstances will be a lot of fun. I will most likely live in a mud hut without electricity, plumbing, or any other 1st world amenities. I will have to where skirts that go past my knees, and I will have to keep my shoulders covered. The Peace Corps is issueing me a bike, so that will be my mode of transportation. They tell me that I should expect to ride approximately 15 miles a day on pothole-ridden dirt roads. The nice thing about having to where a skirt all of the time is the fact that going to the bathroom should be easier that way. Usually the latrines are outside, and I'm assuming they are pretty much a whole in the ground. I'm also wondering if they are communal and without privacy. Oh well, if that's the case I guess I'll just have to get used to hiking up the skirt, squating, and waving to the neighbors.
What's Benin like?:
The average temperature on the coast is around 80 to 90 degrees, so it's not too bad, but the coastal area is facing problems with desertification. The northern area still has some rainforest left, and this is where the 2 national parks are located (the Pendjari and Park W). The northern area is also a muslim area, so if that's where I land I might have to keep my ankles and face covered in the traditional muslim way. All of that won't be decided till after the 3 month training period. I'm kind of hoping to land a spot in the south, but I'm really not picky.
The official language of Benin is French, but it looks like I might end up learning a local language called Fon. The word for foreigner in Fon is 'Yovo', and apperently that will be what I will mainly be called. I will probably be the only white person in the area for miles, so apperently they just refer to us as 'yovo'. ...this basically means I will be the equivelant of a purple person in Oklahoma. Who can blame them though? If I saw a purple person in Oklahoma I would probably say, "There's that purple person again." ...Word of advice for the day: BE NICE TO PURPLE PEOPLE. They are people too. What if you were purple?
...enough of the very odd analogy...
Want some Information?:
Well, if you are interested in getting more information on Benin and/or Fon from another PCVolunteers webpage, then visit fon-is-fun.org This page has pictures of mud huts and people and festivals, and also information on Fon and the culture.
If you're really an curious about Benin then maybe try worldinformation.com for a little more general information. There's also the CIA world factbook... I would google that one.

Mailing Info:
Feel free to send me mail if you feel like it! USPS mail can take anywhere from 3 weeks to over a month, or sometimes it doesn't arrive at all. Don't let that get you down though!!! I would love to hear from anyone/everyone from home if possible! Also, if you want to really keep communication with multiple letters, it is wise to number them in case one gets lost, or one arrives before another. Email is also an option, but I might not get to a place with internet very often, so don't be offended if it takes me a while to respond! Here is my information:

Sarah Haskin, PCT
Corps de la Paix Americain
01 B.P. 971
Cotonou, Benin
Afrique de l'Ouest (West Africa)

email: sarahinafrica@gmail.com

More mailing info:
If you are interested in sending objects then you should know that DHL and FedEx DO service Benin, and their packages will always definitely arrive. Also, it is recommended to send things in those bag-type packages instead of boxes. 3 reasons: 1) envelope/bag-type packages usually always make it faster, plus 2) USPS apperently won't ship boxes to Benin, and also 3) I must pay an import duty on boxes, but not on envelopes. Moral of the story: Send envelope-style packages if possible. I've heard you can fit just about anything into those things, and they come in really huge sizes.

Well that's all my information right now. Feel free to email me, or call if you want to hang out before I leave. I'm getting really excited, and it won't be long before I'm gone. I've got a lot of work to do before I can go though. Wish me luck!

Till later,
Sarah

p.s. - these pictures are from benin. The picture of the lady was taken by another PCV. If you want to see some more pictures go to http://www.africaquiz.com/Pages-fr/PAYS/benin/benin_photos_ambassade1.htm There are pictures of wild elephants, monkeys, and hippos, and also pictures from the major towns in Benin.