Pictures!

Making soy cheese. The flour of soybeans is filtered through a sieve like making soymilk. Then it is boiled, then curdled using citron juice or akassa water (anything really bitter works). Then you press, cut, boil in ginger and anise sauce, then fry. It can be preserved for a few days in this way and is a good source of both protein and income.

Soy cheese making at my directrice's home. With a little more practice I'll start teaching village women how to make it.

NADINE!!! I love Nadina. She is Hannah's homologue and a Catholic nun. She is like a surrogate mother to our PSL.

The American flag at Obama Beach in Cotonou. It was tattered but made me feel patriotic. USA! USA!

At the entrance to Obama Beach, one of the only maintained beaches in Benin.

A goat: either she's extrmeely pregnant or she jsut swallowed a surfboard.

Hannah's village, Toweta. There are about 200 people descended from the same man living in fifty or so mud huts. Hannah's house is the only concrete structure in village.

The village pump in Toweta. As algae forms around the base of it, the men in village lock it up so that women can't pull water fom it until they've cleaned it. Then, the men unlock it. Did someone say "unionize?"

The gang at Christmas. Nadine, in the center, is Hannah's work partner.

The table they set up for Christmas eve dinner. It was so lovely! We ate all kinds of things.

Lyndi, I don't know if you read my blog or not, but this one's for you. I never saw the antlers again. (Lyndi sent me antlers in a care package and they now live on a convent in --truly-- the middle of nowhere).

Katie, myself and Hannah with our Christmas presents from Kim. Mine was crossword puzzles wrapped in Cosmo magazine paper. WooChristmaswoo!

Happy Hannukah! Matzah Ball soup, Latkehs and appley mush stuff that was DELICIOUS! Hannah and Sarah cooked all day. Kim and I showed up with some bottles of wine, just in time for dinner. Woohannuhakwoo!

I just got two packages: one from my uncle Dave and one from my Dad. Also got one from Aunt Laurie a couple weeks ago. Thanks soooo much everyone! I'm really excited to watch the movies from uncle. I can also buy them here from Nigerians. Totally legit. I'm good to go as far as hair ties, bobby pins, toiletries, etc. I have actually managed to search out spots to find everything I need here, but there are a couple of things I want that aren't available: real coffee (I think there is something like a reuseable camping filter?) and good vitamins. Vitamins don't last long here though because of the heat and moisture so it's a tricky thing. However, the ones they give us are tiny little things with little to no actual vitamins in them. Real coffee would be amazing though. After six months of Nescafe instant coffee. . .

Everything else is still going well. Just got done with a two week IST in Porto Novo. It was semi-productive and mildly interesting but I'm glad to be back at post. I missed my concession. Went to see the Chef du village to discuss starting formation with the women there but he wasn't there. I learned from a neighbor last night why the relationship between my NGO and village deteriorated... AFAP was doing microfinancing with womens' groups there and in short, the women were failing to pay back their money on time so AFAP stopped loaning it to them. The women, in retaliation, decided to stop coming to baby weighings, also run by AFAP. It all comes down to the franc. So, I'm going to try and get things back on track with the baby weighings and health sessions, but I'm staying away from the money stuff. I'll leave that for a SED volunteer. Going to talk to the Chef du village and Chef du arrondissement to get some input and support. Wish me luck!