le 30 decembre (afternoon)

Midday update. I am now officially a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Morning went PERFECTLY to plan. Made changes to speech. Had our best teacher proofread with me. Felt guilty about "cheating" but everyone had help with theirs. A sinda taali.

Swear in...anticlimatic? Two days plus of working on speech...and it's 1000h and we do it, and it's done. Taking the oath, felt cool I guess. Moments hard to grasp.

Thought speech went well. Some peeps got it on video. Some good pics. There was TV and other media people who shoved recorders and cameras literally right in our faces. I got a few laughs. A few claps. Positive feedback. Honestly, it's hard to say exactly how it went. Usually I have a better sense. I botched the greetings some. Forgot to greet the ambassador's proxy. Cut the ambassador's name (she had broken her foot), but then she found out the ambassador was sitting on the balcony watching from afar. Missed the Nigerien guy (from the dept of Ed. who spoke?). But other than that...I dunno, it went pretty well! I felt pretty poised, and didn't take as much time as I wanted at the begining, but felt I kept the pace pretty slow and emphasized the right words like I practiced (that was real tricky to get in Zarma where to place the emphasis...will never know if I did it right). Any of you in Niamey this weekend, try to catch it played back on TV...not sure when or what channel.

The birthday committee got big shout outs from Tondi and the country director about our songs and shenanigans.

The top Hausa student got a special shout out. Her language skills are really impressive. Would be nice to be there, but I'm doing fine with it.

The Chef de Canton situation was hilarious. He roles in like 30 min late. His aid picks up his phone in the middle of a speech. Instead of an intimidating dude with a sword standing behind him like when we met him, he had a kid in dirty clothes holding a...candy cane walking stick thing. Wha?

Crazy to think...it's starts now. How many months ago did I start the app? How many months of learning languages? I have to say, I'm super scared to move to site.

The country director read some advice from current PCV's. They said to not set expecations too high, that small projects are good, to be patient. But, living in a village by yourself and getting to create your own work when there is so much that could be done with limited support from all your new and EXTREMELY competent friends...is very intimidating and scary.

My baba came! I was so excited. I hope he was proud. I missed him afterwards. Wanted a pic with him. Also wish you all (my American fam and friends) could have been here to see me speak and to catch some of the positive feedback so you could be proud of me. I think I need to stop worrying about whether other people or myself are proud of me.

Woohoo!

Here is the transcript of the final speech, as given (or I close as I can remember since I made some last minute cuts) in Zarma (with my loose backtranslation). Forget where people applauded, but it happened at least once. I kept the translation as literal as possible so you see how, as my friend said, how simple the language is. It's kinda a weird task, because the literal translation doesn't sound as good as I think it sounds in Zarma, but....you all get the idea. Enough said, here it is:

...

Salam aleykum.
[This is what you say when you enter a room or a conversation. It's Arabic.]

Hunkuna zankey ga ci suba dottizey. Aran ga buy yassay wone, wala?
(The children of today will be the old people of tomorrow. You know this proverb, right?)

Amma, sintina, fonda kayan. Kubayni, ir chowandikey nda Corps de la Paix goy teri kulu, Corps de la Paix almayalo nda chorey.  Kubayni, ay baba. Kubayni, Diretrice Staats. Nda kokoranta, kubayni lokolizey, ay chorey. 
(But first, welcome. Welcome, our teachers and Peace Corps staff, Peace Corps family and friends. Welcome, my dad. [Then I added off the cuff a "Fofo baba" (Hi dad)] Welcome Director Staats. And last, welcome students, my friends.)

Ay ga mila, ay klasso ba klasse kulu kan bissa. Ay ga mila, amma ay si buy. Ir naaru lokaci bobo ga ka newo, amma ay ga b’ay ma kobi ir Niger laabu chorey ingey goyo se. Aran ga goro, nda ga goy aran almayaley ra, aran kwaarey ra, nda aran laabo ra. Ir saabu gumo gumo nda goyo kan aran te. Barka nda kokari.
(I think my class is better than all previous classes. I think, but I don't know. We traveled a long way to come here, but I want to thank/applaud our Nigerien friends for their work.  You live and work in your families, your villages, and your country. We are very thankful for the work you do. congratulations on your work)

[KOBI I SE]
(Applaud/ clap for them)

Irkoy m’aran bana. Nda, boro kulu, barka nda kayan.
(May god pay you. And, everyone, congratulations on your arrival)

Kaala suuru nda ay Zarma china. Ay ga mila, kayna kayna no churizey ga inga fiti china.
(Have patience with my Zarma. I think, little by little the bird builds its nest [This is another Zarma proverb].)

Laabu kulu ra, Corps de la Paix ga si ga te hay hinza, wala? Sintina, i ga samba alborey nda wayborey ga goy laabuyan kan ga ba gaakasinay ra. Ihinkanta, i ga kwaara borey chowandi Amerik laabu namey. Ihinzanta, i ga Amerik laabu borey chowandi kwaara foyen namey.
(In every country, Peace Corps tries to do three things, right? First, they send men and women to work in countries that want help. Second, they teach villagers about American culture. Third, they teach Americans about other cultures.)

Watikan muraduyan go kwaara se, Corps de la Paix ga si ga ga. Ir si b’ir ma te Niger laabu sanda Amerik laabu wala France laabu. Aran sandey ya ir sandeyen no nda ir ga i bonza cherre banda . Ir ga b’ir ma Niger laabu china ga bissa mate kan a go hunkuna. Zarmey no ga ne “Fondo ba nooru”. Corps de la Paix yarda nda wodin.
(When a village has needs, Peace Corps tries to help. We do not want to make Niger like America or France. Your struggles are our struggles and we will struggle together. We want the future Niger to be better than it is today. Zarma speakers say "Relations are better than money". Peace Corps agrees with this.)

To, borey kan ga goy nda Corps de la Paix Niger ra, ay go g’aran ha, ifo no ga hin g’ir goyo no mana?
(["To" is like "d'accord" in FR or "ok" or "so" in Eng I would say] People who will work with the Peace Corps in Niger, I ask, what can give our work meaning/sense?)

Ay na Zarma chine lokolizey ha ifo se i ka Niger laabu ra ga goy. Nasaru ne inga ga ba inga goyo ga ba inga fundo. Boro bobo yarda. Yadinga, mate no ir goyo ga hin ga te jiri bobo?
(I asked the Zarma students why they came to Niger to work. David [Nasaru is his Nigerien name] said he wants his work to be better than/ surpass his life.) Many people agree. So, how can our work make many years?)

Hambaga, yassay ga hin ga tu ir hayan: Hunkuna zankay ga ci suba dottizey. Nda, ay ga b’ay ma tonton yassay tagi ir se: Zanka mondumey ga dede ir goyo bon.
(Maybe, the proverb can answer our question: The children of today will be the old people of tomorrow. And, I want to add a new proverb for us: The children's faces tell the story about our work.)


May yen no ga ti voluntairey choro sintiney? May yen no ga dira nda ir watikan ir daray ir kwaarey ra? May yen no gonda suuru watikan ir ga te darayyan nda darayyan nda darayan? May yen no ga yaafa wasi wasi? Zankey no.
(Who are the volunteers first friends? Who walks with us when we are lost in our villages? Who has patience when we make mistake and mistake and mistake? Who forgives very quickly? The children.)

May yen no hima ga goro laabo kan ir go cina ra? May yen no ga b’i ma dondon hay tagi watikulu nda wasi wasi? Ir lokolizey foyen ga hin ga chowandi koyne lokolizey chindo kan ga ka? May yen no ga hin ga te ir goyo ga ba ir fundo. Zankey no.
(Who should live in the country that we are buidling? Who wants to learn new things always and quickly? Which of our students can teach the students who will come later? Who can make our work better than/ surpass our life? The children.)

Watikan aran ga zankey ga, aran ga Niger laabu ga suba. Watikan aran ga zankey nwayandi, suba borey si ma haray. Watikan aran ga zankey safar, suba borey ga du baani. Watikan aran ga zankey chowandi… watikan aran ga chowandi zanka alborey NDA zanka wandiyey, aran ga Niger laabu no laakal. Laabu kulu gonda tali, amma nda baani nda beray, laabuyan ga hin ga bonza nda inga sanday nda laabey ga hin ga zamma. Watikan aran ga b’aran ma ga aran laabo, aran ma zankey ga.
(when you help children, you help the Niger of tomorrow. When you feed children, tomorrow's people will not be hungry. When you cure the chidlren, tomorrow's people will get health. When you teach children...when you teach boys AND girls, you give Niger intelligence. Every country has problems, but with health and knowledge, countries can struggle with their obstacles and these countries can win. When you want to help your country, you must help the children.)

Hata hata, a ga saandi ir ma goy nda zankey. Walai. Wa fangu, ir kulu ya zankeyan no watodin. Zanka tarey dumi dumi ga te borey dumi dumi. Zanka tarey fo dumi no ga hin ga dottizey hanno china?
(Sometimes, it is difficult to work with children. ["Walai" another Arabic phrase meaning "it's true" or "I swear" or something like that used to emphasis that something is true] Remember, we all were children [watodin refers to time in the distant past]. Lots of different types of childhood makes lots of different kinds of people/ adults. What kind of childhood can build good/kind old people/ adults?)

Ay chorey nda ay, hata hata ir ganu nda ir zanka chorey. Hata hata, ir man faham ifo no ir ne. Hata hata, ir man faham sannizeyan doney ra. Watikulu, ay si wani ga ganu. Amma, manti wiza, ir man kirbi; ir ganu nda donu cherre banda.
(My friends and I, sometime we dance with our friends who are kids. Sometimes, we don't understand what we said. Sometimes, we don't understand the words in the songs. Always, I don't know how to dance. But, not much to my suprise, we were not confused; we danced and sang together.) 

Ir goro Hamdallaye ra habo yegga hinne. Boro bobo ga dirgan ir. Walai. Amma, may yen no ga hin ga fangu ir? May yen no ga hin g’ir goyo te ir dirow banda? May yen no ganu nda ir? Zankey no. Zankey ka sintina nda i ga goro newo ir dirow banda.
(We lived/ stayed in Hamdallaye for only nine weeks. Many people will forget us. [Again, "walai" to emphasize this is true] But, who can remember us? Who can do our work after we leave? Who danced with us? The children. Children come first and they will stay here after we leave.]

Hunkuna, ay chorey nda ay, ir ga sintin ir goyo. Ay go g’aran kulu burnye aran ma goy nda ir. Boro kulu, ay klasso nda ay Niger laabu chorey, ifo no ni ga hin ga te? Gaakasiney fo dumi ni ga hin ha kande? Kokari fo chiney ni ga hin ga kande? Ay si buy. Ay gonda hayan hinne, amma manti tuyan bobo.
(Today, my friends and I, we start our work. I invite all of you to work with us. Everyone, my class and my Nigerien friends, what can you do? What kind of help can you bring? What kind [this might also get at "how much" as was intended] extra/hard work can you bring? I don't know. I have questions only, but not many answers.)

Amma, ay se, hambaga, ay gonda tuyan fo. Ifo no ga hin g’ir goyo no mana? Zanka mondumey ga dede ir goyo bon.
(But, for me, maybe, I have one answer. What can give our work meaning/ sense? The children's faces tell the story of our work.)

Ay saabu aran se nda suuro kan aran dan ga hangan ir se. Irkoy m’ir no suuru ir goyo se.
(Thank you for the patience you put on me. May god give us patience in our work.)
....

Wow, after reading this AGAIN, and backtranslating into Eng, I'm really impressed I put this together in Zarma. I will put it on the record that I think the script is really solid, real well written (at least to my naive Zarma), and I hope I delivered the speech well.