In January 1999, we were sent to our new villages.� I was given Mouila Pouvi, in south-eastern Gabon, 40 km from Koulamoutou, the provincial capital, and a good 7 hours plus from Libreville by the good old "Bongo Express", Gabon's national train.� The majority of the people were Bavove, from the Okande group.
Mouila Pouvi was the most beautiful village I have even seen and I feel I was the luckiest volunteer.� Maybe 300 people, a school, a little boutique that sells the very basics (candles, beer, tomato sauce, spaghetti, candy, coffee, concentrated sugar milk...), and a clinic with an on-again off-again nurse and no medicine.� I was well-received and quickly found two mamans who cared for me as another daughter-how many people can claim that?� Oh, my mamans, I miss them terribly and would so love to go back and give them humongous, completely enwrapping hugs.
I worked with two fish farmers weekly and five others at their leisure (PHOTOS).� Being placed in a village which makes sufficient money from bush meat sales didn't offer me much work in fish culture-but, you know what?� Living in a glass box, with a completely alien life no matter how I try to integrate, is in itself a 24-7 job.� Often I closed my door from noon to three p.m. so I could eat and read without the eyes following me.� Or I would close my door to scream at the world.� Yet the anger and exhaustion always cleared by the night or next day.� I would remind myself (very frequently) of a saying I� heard when I first applied to Peace Corps, "The highest highs and the lowest lows".� The friends I made in my village and in Koulamoutou were some of the most patient, honest, beautiful people I have had the pleasure of knowing.� At my worst moments when I could have ripped the head off of anyone who breathed wrong, my greatest saviour was an innocent girl's smile, a quiet moment with a maman, a peaceful walk in the forest.
So, somehow November 2000 rolled around and I looked at what I've done and thought, shouldn't there have been more?� But there was!� I will never forget the friends I have made in Gabon, and they, for better or worse, will not forget me and the work I've done with them (PHOTOS).
I realize that you might have been expecting more than four paragraphs on my second year in Gabon and I am quite capable of writing more than four paragraphs, but that will come with time.� I apogize but it will happen.� I hope you come visit me again!!
Hey, if you're interested in reading more about Central Africa, some books I suggest:
The Poisonwood Bible by Margaret Kingsolver-The conditions experienced in this book are much rougher than mine, but an excellent book.
The Rainbird:� A Central African Journey by Jan Brokken, translated by Sam Garrett from the Lonely Planet series-Depending on who you ask, the lengthy descriptions and historical accounts are annoying and boring or intriguing and exciting.� It described the travels of the author through Gabon in the 1990s.� He seems to have a chip on his shoulder throughout but the historical accounts are great!
One Dry Season: In The Footsteps of Mary Kingsley by Caroline Alexander (Vintage Departures editor New York:� Knopf 1990), distributed by Random House-It described the travels of the author through Gabon in the late 1980s.� She shows such love for the people she meets and the places she visits, I believe searching for this book is well worth the trouble.� She includes historical facts on the explorer, Ms. Kingsley.
The Village of Waiting by George Packer-Actually about a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, West Africa.
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Gabon Factbook (last updated January 2002):� www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gb.html
Peace Corps:�� www.peacecorps.gov
Postcard-type photos of Gabon in French:�� www.multimania.com/mvejan/gabon/htm
Welcome to Meyaya--Eboga religion: � www.iboga.org
Religion of Iboga or the Bwiti of the Fangs: � www.ibogaine.org/barabe.html
Bwiti--Ethnography of the Religious Imagination in Africa: www.ibogaine.org/fernandez.html
Keep abreast of Gabon issues in English and French: � www.internetafrica.com/gabon/
www.gabonnews.com
Complete list of ethnicities in Gabon: � www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Gabon