Improvising in Senegal

A record of my process to gain back my health and physical strength while living in a developing country.These are my own thoughts and opinions. This blog is not a representation of the opinions of my host country, the U.S. Peace Corps nor U.S. Government.

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So my contraption is working well but sometimes the rope falls out of the pulley track. 

Solution?

Broken child’s shoes I found in the village pathways and scrap fabric from the tailor’s.

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This is what I like to call “no fridge, no excuses, meal prep”

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My garden has finally produced. Look at all that fresh lettuce! I picked it with my good friend, Penda, and then washed thoroughly with some bleach. Then my whole family got to have lettuce with goat meat, onions, and potatoes for dinner. I started this garden in December with the intention of improving my personal food security knowing that I was looking to take control over my health again. So happy I had this foresight. I have never gardened before so I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I had no gardening tools but made do with what I could borrow and repurpose. If you’re planning to eat better but have limited access to nutrient rich veggies, I definitely recommend giving a garden a shot. 

Cheers to getting things done.

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Second time using my front yard gym and it’s awesome. I’m literally covered in dust and sand from the cement blocks I use for my dead lifts and squats. I know what you’re thinking…those clothes though. Just a peek into the exercise attire I have to wear in order to be culturally appropriate in my conservative village. It’s hot, but I was gonna sweat anyways. 

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This was me almost three years ago. This is my motivation. The confidence I had in a bikini was unreal. I don’t necessarily want to look like this again. I just want that confidence back.

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After a long walk into the bush and a trip to the road town, my younger brother and I were able to build a machine (pronounced the French way). Plan on using this to work on my lat pull downs, rows, and tricep push downs. It might not be the sturdiest structure, but it will do.

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Month 1, Week 1, this is what my lunch looked like EVERYDAY. It’s good but wow could I use some variety. Neenee (host mom), I’m talking to you.

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Let’s talk about what many people consider the most difficult lifestyle change in the U.S. and Senegal: diet. In America I found eating well difficult because there are so many temptations easily accessible. Here, it’s also a matter of availability, but in this case it’s the inaccessibility of the “good stuff” (i.e. nutrient rich veggies, fruits, and meat). To make things even more complicated, I’m living on a PCV budget which can go quickly if I don’t plan. My solution? Try a little harder and make my diet a priority.

My goal this month is to consistently consume 100g of protein a day. For the past 10 months I’ve been averaging 10g a day. In order to hit that 100g I have stocked up on what I can rely on including tuna, sardines, and protein powder. I also splurge a little to have eggs and meat (when it’s available). To get a variety of vegetables, I travel 117km and transport them back. There are some vegetables available closer, but not with the same consistency. I will never say it’s difficult to eat healthy in the U.S. again. If I can do this here, I can do it anywhere.

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I’m a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in Senegal, a small country in West Africa. My specific site is isolated. I live 27km off of the paved road without electricity, plumbing, internet, nor consistent phone reception. My closest colleague is over 65km away. I speak a local language and work in the health sector. My job isn’t really a job; it’s a way of life. It’s 24/7. A PCV never truly “clocks out”. The exhaustion is real. As one could imagine, living in an isolated village in harsh conditions can raise health problems such as vitamin deficiency, dehydration, bacterial infections, parasites, asthma, respiratory issues, malaria, etc. However, I am a health extension volunteer and if I can’t keep myself healthy, who am to tell others they need to be proactive with their health? Here’s the thing, when you commit to working for 27 months in a developing country with a volunteer’s salary, you’re choosing to be selfless and compromise a lot of things. At first, it felt like I had to compromise on my personal health and fitness goals. Screw that. It’s been ten months since I arrived. I lost nearly all my lean tissue. I have skin rolls where my muscle used to be and fatty tissue is starting to replace it. My strength has diminished and I’m fed up. At first, I couldn’t see past the obstacles including food accessibility, climate, lack of traditional gym, and culture perception. Recently, I decided to take this seriously. I reached out to a personal trainer and friend from the U.S. After a couple conversations, he was able to produce an exercise and diet program based on my special circumstances. This blog is about a new beginning. I anticipate many barriers will arise and I plan to not make excuses. I intend to improvise and succeed. I hope that other Peace Corps Volunteers and all people with few resources, can find inspiration and ideas within my struggles and triumphs.