So I think every couple of weeks I'm going to write a small blurb about good Mauritanian friends of mine, who I have met along the way here.
I figured I would start this new section out by talking about my official "Community Contact" as declared by the Peace Corps.
His name is Mbaay Fall and he lives in my village Ganni with me. Honestly he is probably one of my favorite people I have met here. A lot of times with the Peace Corps, the volunteers don't really get along too well with their assigned community contacts. Usually it boils down to cultural differences or the fact the contact is just too busy to help. Or in the case of my one friend Chelsy, kind of a creeper.
But, A community contact is a person the PC finds in your village to help you find work there and integrate into the community. Most of the time, the contacts have worked with Peace Corp Volunteers in the past and has a pretty good idea how things are run. For myself, Mbaay Fall has been absolutely great. Even though he is rather intimidating when you first meet him. He is probably one of the largest Mauritanians I have met with this really deep booming voice. However, the guy really does have a heart of gold. He lives with his wife Colette and 6 daughters!! I also have to say, that his daughters are quite possibly the best behaved and most helpful children in this country. Most of the kids are little jerks!! lol But his daughters are fantasticly nice.
In Ganni itself, Mbaay is a teacher at the elementary school there. He teaches mainly French to the students and some history too. He is also the President of the cooperative I work with G.D.D. . Which may be one of the most well organized farming co-ops in Mauritania. I have also been told that is the main contact in the community for health. Needless to say he is a man of many talents.
Plus, he has really gone so far out of his way to make sure that I am looked out for in village. So thank you Mbaay for being such a great friend to me.
(He's the person on the left in the photo)
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