So, what do you DO?

You're probably wondering if I'm actually doing any work in Niger... well...

I haven't started any "projects" yet, but will be doing so in the next few weeks now that IST is over, and I'll be sure to keep you posted (as best I can...) when I do. For my first few months I did a lot of trying to get to know people and a lot of observing the community. I am in the MCD (Municipal and Community Development) program, which, as you may already know, means I work primarilly with the local government. Niger is just at starting the process of decentralization (switching from only central government to a combination of central and local government, which means easier access to the government for the average citizen and, hopefully, more efficient/sustainable development). It was only in 2004 that the first ever local elections, and we just found out that the second ever local elections will be held this coming April. Basically, this means that both those working in the government and the majority of citizens still aren't perfectly clear on what everyone's roles are/ought to be. Niger asked Peace Corps to come up with a program that would help local government officials work more effeciently on the one hand and encourage citizen participation in community development on the other. So... en principe, that's my job. Stay tuned for what that really ends up looking like.

During my first few months in the village, I went to many meetings that were being held at the mairie to update the commune's PDC (development plan). This is a five year plan, meant to lay out what they hope to accomplish in each village in the commune (build schools, train midwives, etc.) . A team of NGOs is working with my commune to update their PDC, and it was really interesting to sit in on the meetings. Each village had a meeting with various representatives (the chief, farmers, women's groups, youth, etc.) to make a list of what resources they have (how many classrooms, wells, fields) and what they need. The commune council then met, went over each group's information, and tried to assess priorities and determine what was pheasable in the next few years. They should have the budget in place when I get back, so I'm looking forward to seeing what progress has been made. Once the PDC is in place I'm hoping to use it as a starting point for some projects, such as getting a community group (like a youth group) involved in activities that will help the commune achieve some of their goals. Wish me luck.........