Saturday 20 December 2008

Birthday

December 19 was my birthday.

I was really glad that some people send me message, letters, my mother called me and sent me a gift.
How lucky I am to have such a wonderful people!!
Even though I am far away, I know there are many people who think of me.

Here, in Niger, there are also people who celebrated my birthday. Birthday call, text and cakes!
At night we went out for the dinner. They prepared the birthday cake!! You never imagine how much it is hard to find delicious cake in Niger. It was really good and we had a very wonderful time. I was so touched.

My birthday was the day when I realised how much I am happy and I really appreciate I was born.

Thank you very much for the wishes!! You made my birthday much more special!

I love you,
Hiroko

Special Thanks

Dear my Dad and Mom,
Thank you so much for being great parents.
Without you, I am not here.
You have given me so much love since I was born.
I believe it was the best and first present to be born as your daughter.
I really wanted to say thank you to you on December 19, because it is my birthday.

I love you.

Hiroko

Saturday 13 December 2008

Japanse People in Tahoua

At night of the day when we arrived in Tahoua, we visited people who work in Tahoua for a research as a project of JICA. They welcomed us so warmly and they prepared Japanese foods for us!!!!!!!! I was SO excited!!!! There were Japanese rice, Japanese noodles, chicken and so on. Of course, it was very very good!!!!! I had missed Japanese food so much!!! In Tahoua, including new volunteers, me and a guy, there are 5 volunteers and 4 people for working in JICA’s project. At that night, everybody got together for the dinner. They are really nice. Everyone has each experience, so it is quite interesting to talk and I learnt a lot. Glad I am to meet them here in Tahoua.

My home


I got my home in Tahoua! The Nigeriane government offers me a house and I’m going to live there by myself. Actually it is too big to live for a person. I feel like I can live here with my family. So, if you want to come and visit me in Tahoua, there is always your room here!!
It has been a year since previous person left. So, it was very very dirty!!! It was nightmare! There were so many spiders net, dust, dust and dust!! Hardly have I believed I’m going to live here. I had to work so hard to clean up my home first. I’m so glad that I like cleaning. haha Also, there were some points which needed to repair, so I asked a staff from the government in Tahoua to repair. Although he is very busy but he helped me a lot. So my keys and electricity got better so fast. He looks very busy and I’ve never seen such a busy person like him in Niger. It was first time for me to see someone who is in rush here.
I had a guard man at home. For the security reason, there is a guard man at volunteers home. In my case, my guard man lives in outside in my house with his family. He is really really nice and his family, too! I’m so glad to live here with them. There are two kids, 4 years, 1 and half years boy. They are so sweets!!
First two nights, I couldn’t stay at my home because it was not clean enough to stay. So, I stayed at other volunteers home. After a week, my home got a lot better!!! Now it is really clean and very nice! Well done, Hiroko! haha Well, my guard man helped me a lot actually. He always gave me his hand to clean up, moving sofas and so on. Thanks to him, it is really comfortable to stay here now.
On Sunday, I had a lunch with guard man’s family. Usually, his wife gives me something to eat. Of course, that is not their job, but they offer me foods. They are so kind. So, to show my thanks, I made lunch for them on Sunday. I’m not sure they liked my spaghetti because their taste is different from me, but I hope they had a great time. As for me, I had honestly.
Picture: this is my house in Tahoua

Sunday, 16 November

The 1st week in Tahoua

It has been almost a week since I arrived in Tahoua. It was just a week, but there are so many things I want to write here. During the week, I had so many new experiences and I met so many people.

After about 8 hours drive, we got in Tahoua. I came here with a coordinator of JICA and a volunteer who is also going to work in Tahoua. We got so many loads for living in new place, so JICA took us by a car.
First, we went to my home. So, I start to talk about my home.

Thursday 6 November 2008

Leaiving for Tahoua


On Monday night, we had a reception and I got to know American Peace Corps. Actually I am going to participate an activity which will be organized by Peace Corps. It is a campaign for HIV/ AIDS and we are going aroud some village by bicycle. I am sure that it will be good experience and I can get some ideas for my own activity in Tahoua.

Soon, I’m leaving.
I imagine there so many challenges, but I’m not afraid of taking risks. This is my big chance to know the world, people and me.
Surely, I’m going to learn so many things, that is very grateful.
I think I will be back to you in December when I come up Niamey again.
Picture; My group, we came here together. In the JICA office

Thank you for reading.
Love you all.

Home stay in Tahoua


From 26 October to 30 October, we had a home stay as a program to learn Nigerian culture and life.

I visited Tahoua where I work. It took 9 hours by bus. The road was not very good, so it was like an attraction in an amusement park.
I got to know my future colleagues. They are really nice and very enthusiastic about their work. I think I will use a room where is setted up for Japanese volunteer and do some classes for chidlren and young ladies. Here in Niger, there are so many children who can not go to school and also there are lots of young ladies who stay at home with doing nothing. After I discussed with the director, we made a plan like that and hopefully I will be able to do some class: English,Health (HIV/AIDS), Japaese culture, painting, and volleyball(here it is very popular among young people) etc. I am very excited about starting my work.
My host was very nice. There were many children and they were good language teacher for me. I had to say that I was very surprised about bathroom and toilet. It was in the outside under the sky. When I took bath, my host mother prepared water in a bucket. It was a bit hard for me to wash my hairs and body with one bucket. And I felt how much water is important here.

It was very good experience for me and I can’t wait to go back. I hope to be able to Hahousa soon, so that I can communicate with people well.
Pictures; Children in Tahoua