Neil and Thomas

More luscious green accompanied us along the route to Saint-Louis where we met Thomas and Neil working in the rice fields. The green fields can be deceiving, because the heat was still in the 90's (F) during our brief stay. While rice is primarily grown in the south of the country the northern area of Saint-Louis has been growing rice since before the first millennium CE. On Fridays, the men go to a small garden complex close to town and try their farming skills on eggplants, peppers, onions, mint, and strawberries.

Ellen and Melody

En route to the city center, where our students live, we had a typical cow-crossing delay. The four students are all living in separate neighborhoods of Saint-Louis, but they look forward to meeting each other on Friday evenings. We met Ellen and Melody the next morning at their service location, Kaddug Yalla, a clinic and school. Ellen is working in the clinic assisting with local patients and keeping her nursing skills sharp. Melody is working with the school for girls in the same building, where they teach a variety of practical skills. Melody has the added perk of caring for her host baby sister.