From hand bags to A-frames

Today we learned how to build A-frames. It was the first time we actually got to go out and build something, and the first time I used a machete. It was absolutely exhilirating! I kept trying to chop a tree branch with the machete, but was getting nowhere. So one of my fellow volunteers told me just to pretend the branch was someone I really didn't like, and whack it! Another told me ¨just take out all your anger on it!¨ ¨But I don't have any anger!¨I exclaimed. But even so, I seemed to be able to whack harder at the branch when I pretended I did have anger to be released. I loved it, and hope I get the chance to use one every day when I'm at my sight!

These A-frames are used to measure the slope of land, so farmers know how far apart to plant their rows of crops. And between each row, so the land doesn't erode, they have to place either rows of rocks, which is extremely time consuming, or another type of plant. We learn a little bit about something new every day. Just so that they show us everything we could potentially be doing once we get to our sites. Last week, we learned how to make hand bags out of chip bags. A way to get rid of the trash in the towns, and also an income generation project especially for the women. I am excited about what we get to learn next. By the time I get out of the Peace Corps, I'm going to be able to build my own house, grow my own food, and make fire by rubbing two sticks together! But seriously, I really did learn how to make a fire today by rubbing two sticks together. I didn't try it yet, though. That will be saved for only extreme circumstances!