Peace Corps volunteer spreads stories: Senegal experiences inspire French classes

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:48:03 GMT

By GABBY BAUER-Reporter

online source

On March 23, 2011, Madame Arists’ French class invited Jessica Wyatt, Agro Forestry Volunteer of the Peace Corps, to come in as a guest speaker. Wyatt discussed her experience of living in Senegal, West Africa, from September 2008 to May of 2010. The Peace Corps volunteers serve in 77 different countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe and the Middle East. Volunteers are in these countries for 27 months to live, learn and work with the community. They provide technical assistance in six program areas: education, youth and community development, health, business and information and communications technology, agriculture, and environment. The goal of the volunteers is to “bring home information that we learned abroad,” says Wyatt. In Senegal, West Africa, some people speak French; Wyatt came to speak and, “draw the French and global connection,” for Arists’ French class. The French classes at North Harford read The Little Prince, or Le Petit Prince as part of the curriculum. The book is about a prince that is on his own planet and wants to discover beyond himself and his planet, which becomes the moral of the story, finding yourself. “You learn that humanity is pretty much the same no matter where you are,” says Wyatt, “Everyone laughs the same… simple yet true,” said Wyatt’s brother. Wyatt’s presentation to Arist’s classes was not her first time telling her stories about Africa. “Adults respond to my story telling differently then students do. [Adults] are very afraid to have a conversation; I would love to continue talking to younger students,” says Wyatt. The culture in Senegal is very different than it is in America. West Africa is 95 percent Muslim, males dominate society while woman are not treated very well. “Being a white woman makes it weird; I had a strange access to both worlds,” added Wyatt. Wyatt’s overall experience made her “learn to appreciate so much more. I am a much better listener, you learn that listening is a point of survival and really becoming a member society, you need to listen to what the community wants.”

Cry of the Hawk

Peace Corps volunteer spreads stories: Senegal experiences inspire French classes