Today we learned what language we will be learning during
training to use in our service. There are 3 languages that we could have been
assigned to, which are Amharic (which is the language we came here thinking we
would speak), Afan Oromo, and Tigrigna. Each is spoken in a different part of
the country, so even though we won’t know our actual site placements until the
end of Week 6 (currently we are in Week 1). I got my language. Ready for
it?.... I will be learning Tigrigna! That means I will be in the Tigray portion
of the country, in the North. I need to research more about this part, because
I will be centered in that part of the country.
Oh, and if you look at a map, don’t be too concerned about
how far North it is and how close to Eritrea it is. The history there is
sketchy, but PC is very careful about where they place volunteers, and they
wouldn’t put us in any spots where there is possible danger. And if there is to
become danger, they pull us out.
Although this can be a difficult language assignment,
because we will be placed with a family in Butajira that speaks Amharic, we
also can be at a lower proficiency level to be sworn in because of that speed
bump. There are around 15 of us learning Tigrigna, so it’s about ¼ of the
overall group. About ½ are learning Amharic, and the other ¼ are learning Afan
Oromo. In my interview I said I did not have a language preference, so I am
very excited about this opportunity to learn a language that I will definitely
get to brag about when I get home (even if I won’t use it again).
Tomorrow we move to Butajira and get to meet our host
families. Most families have children, which I am very excited about because
according to all the PC staff, they will be the most help in assimilating to
the town. We also begin more intense language/cultural/and teaching training.
Up to now, our training has been mostly sitting in sessions and listening to
information.
I am very interested to meet my host family. Everyone that I
have talked to in all Peace Corps assignments said that they became so close to
their host families. It is getting beat into us that the kids will be the most
helpful, especially with customs and language. Our Program Director kept
talking about her experience in Peru today and how her host sister was her best
friend. They have had extensive orientations with our host families, so I’m not
too worried about expectations, and most have hosted someone before.
Yesterday we had a session about sexual assault. This is a
very real issue for many parts of the world, but we are not used to the
frequency of which it occurs here, especially to “firenji” women. This was not
meant to scare us, but more to make us aware of the situation that we are in,
and to help us avoid situations where we could find ourselves more
uncomfortable than we already are.
We got all of our information for the Trainee Assessment
Portfolio today, which basically is what we have to meet and do before we get
an invitation to officially swear into the Peace Corps in September. The list
seems like a lot, but compared to college and all of the assignments for
student teaching, this doesn’t seem too overwhelming.
We are all beginning to bond even more, and I continue to
learn interesting things about my fellow PC Trainees. We are all from vastly
different walks of life, states, education, and our reasoning behind why we are
here is just as varied. But one thing is keeping us together, we are all on
this journey in Ethiopia, that in 27 months we get to go home and say, “Yup, we
did that. What did you do?”
I probably won’t have steady internet again, but there are
internet café’s and the hotels where we have our language sessions will have
internet, so I will be able to keep posting and keeping you update, it just won’t
be with as much frequency.
Over and out.
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