Democracy in Niger

After lots of planning and stress, I arrived yesterday without a problem in Niamey. Tahi picked me up at the airport and I went back to the house where I’ll be living for the next two months. It’s a nice house, and I have my own room. Although I have a matress in my bedroom, I sleep outside like everyone else, where it’s cooler. I have a mosquito net, although there aren’t many mosquitoes yet, since it’s the end of the dry season where it’s regularly above 110 fahrenheit, which kills them off. As the next three months pour down daily rains, the mosquitoes will be back in force. I even have the luxury of sleeping on the patio, with a roof over my head and a tile floor.

The family is Touareg, so the “grande famille” lives in a village in the north and they speak Tamacheck, a close relative of Arabic. I don’t understand any of their language, except ama (water), but they all speak French as well, plus Hausa and some Djerma. The Nigerien accent is quite different from the Parisien accent, so I feel a little funny spitting out my Franco-French r’s and nasal vowels, but they understand me and I can usually understand them. Since it’s everyone’s second language here, they don’t generally speak as quickly or slur as much as the Parisians.

I have spent a lot of time sitting around drinking tea in the Touareg style and talking, mostly listening to the Tamacheck. The other major languages in Niamey are Hausa, a major regional language, and Djerma, the language of the biggest ethnic group in this part of the country. I hope to learn as much as possible of these languages, just so that I can have better relations with people I meet, but enough people speak enough French that I’m not worried about getting by with it.

Today I met another American student who has been studying in Niamey all semester and is now doing an internship with an anti-corruption NGO that works with my organization. He knows my boss, actually, which is more than I can say at this point.

I have obtained a Nigerien cell phone, and the service here is actually very good. I get five bars everywhere, which is more than I can say for the US. Internet is not good, however, so Skype isn’t really doable at this point. If you want to talk to me, just use SkypeOut to call my cell phone. It’ll cost you maybe 17 cents a minute and be free for me. Or just e-mail me! My number will be available on Facebook or you can message me for it.

I’ve been eating normal Nigerien food, which is quite simple but has been good so far. I’d prefer not to be eating “better” food than my adopted family, so I’m going to try to stick with it. No gastro-intestinal disasters so far, knock on wood.

It’s not too hot at the moment, by Niger standards, and the weather was beautiful for my arrival. The rain cools everything down significantly, although with only a handful of paved streets and dust GALORE, the mud is sure to be everywhere.

I hope everyone is doing well in the good oldUSA. I’m sorry to be missing the Tonight Show debut of Conan O’Brien. Like this gem: “Fiat, which took over Chrysler this week, says it plans to build its cars with American, not Italian workers. … Fiat says they got the idea from the Olive Garden.” So timely, so relateable. I doubt I’ll be watching much TV here, although I’ll probably get a lot of reading done as most people’s idea of a good time here is to really relax and just lounge with people, which I admire but will take some time to get used to!

I’ll be updating this blog as often as possible, but there’s no telling how often that will be.  Other than internet cafés with slow connections, there isn’t much choice.  Pictures could also be hard to come by.  But I’ll do my best!

A bientot!

My official departure is in 10 hours, so of course I should be asleep, but I thought I’d put in a final pre-departure update.  I’ve had a crazy hectic week preparing for my trip while trying to enjoy my final days in Paris.  I was staying in an apartment my friend Jeff rented by Montparnasse, and we had a lot of fun walking around the city and eating good food.  I also enjoyed the final days of my UMP internship, especially since we won the European Parliament elections I was campaigning for in a BIG way.

I have been following events in Niger with some anxiety, since President Tandja decided to seek a now-unconstitutional third term as president by rewriting the constitution.  Niger is now in a political crisis, and there has been some violence, although I haven’t heard of any in Niamey.  I was also saddened by the news that Niamey’s Grand Marché, the massive market that represents the city’s major attraction, burned down last week.  The vast majority of shopkeepers whose stocks were wiped out by the blaze were predictably completely uninsured, so the damage was really catastrophic.  I hope they will be able to rebuild quickly and robustly.

I went on an expedition today in search of cash and traveler’s checks.  This involved visiting at least five BNP Paribas branches in search of traveler’s checks, and several calls to Bank of America customer service to authorize the cash withdrawals necessary.  I managed to get my hands on what should be enough money to cover my expenses for two months and then some.

I’m very anxious about leaving, but I talked to Tahi today (my friend Alissa’s uncle) and he will be meeting me at the airport tomorrow.  I will be living and eating with Alissa’s family, so I feel confident that my needs will be taken care of and that I’ll have a great experience with my living situation.  I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing with my host organization yet, but I sent them an e-mail detailing my interests and they wrote back today wishing me a good trip and saying that my interests fit well with their own.  I’m still not sure what their address is, but I’m sure come Monday I’ll be heading over to their office to figure out my project.

It’s incredible to think that tomorrow afternoon I’ll be in Africa, with an expected temperature of 109 fahrenheit upon my arrival.  As a Californian, I’ve certainly experienced hotter, but always in the condition of running between air conditioned rooms and a pool.  Living without air conditioning in this climate will be a true challenge.

I have a supply of my anti-malaria medication, Malarone, which I’ve started taking, and several insect repellent products designed for use in “infested” tropical areas.  Add to that all the toiletry products I could imagine a potential need for, and my suitcase is laden with disposable items.  I hope I will be able to lighten my suitcase quickly and refill it with handicrafts and locally made clothing (which I feel should help considerably in dealing with the heat).

Now off to bed, and off to Africa!

I’m going to Niger in one week, and it’s finally official.  I already had flights booked, lodging worked out, vaccinations, malaria medication, and a great deal of emotional investment, but today, I got a visa!

The Nigerien embassy is nothing like the other embassies I’ve been to, those of France and the United States.  The biggest differences are size and security.  Namely, Niger has a much, much smaller building, with no “compound” to speak of, and absolutely no security.  One of the few benefits of being such a small player on the international scene is that your representation in Paris barely needs to lock the doors at night.

I dropped off my visa application a week ago, having to fill out two forms by hand because the one I brought was no longer valid (all but one question were exactly the same).  I paid my money and was given an appointment time in exactly one week.  When I arrived today for my “appointment,” the woman from last week simply handed me my passport, and I left.  It’s funny to think I had any concerns about being late or not getting the visa.

I’m really going to miss Paris, especially as I find myself constantly finding new things to love about this city and this country.  On the other hand, I’m content to be embarking on a journey that I’ve dreamed of taking since I was little.

Hello, everyone! Welcome to my blog about my two month experience traveling to Niamey, Niger, to intern with the MNDHP.  I want to learn about Niger’s fragile democracy and what steps Nigeriens are taking to improve it.

Nine days until departure (provided the Nigerien embassy comes through with a visa on Friday).  I have my Air France tickets, numerous vaccinations, almost $400 worth of Malarone anti-malarial medication, and a place to stay lined up.  Not yet sure what I’m going to eat or wear, or how I’m going to carry money, but I am confident these difficulties will be surmounted.

For my post title, I’ve adopted a French standard: J stands for jour, or day.  I’ve seen a lot of this in Paris, since we are now at J-4 for the European Parliament elections I’ve been working on.  My semester in Paris has been wonderful, and even though I’m incredibly excited about Africa, leaving Paris for Southern California would be hard enough.  Leaving for Niger is going to be a real challenge.  Un défi.

Every conversation I have in French here has taken on an additional sense of urgency, since French will be my lifeline in “Françafrique,” or Francophone Africa.  After several months in France, I no longer worry about basic communication, but I’m hoping for more than basic.  I want to be able to get to know local people beyond asking where to find good fruit or how to get across town.

There has been a political crisis in Niger since President Mamadou Tandja dissolved parliament in response to the constitutional court’s ruling against his plan to hold a referendum to deliver him an unconstitutional third presidential term.  If you haven’t heard about it yet, don’t be surprised.  Reuters’ international news wire has devoted no more than 2 short articles to coverage of the crisis since it began more than a week ago.  There has been very little violence so far, and I hope and pray it is resolved peacefully.  For good, up-to-date coverage of the situation, see www.niger1.com.

A très bientôt!

Nick Lotito ’10 will be travelling to Niger to work with the Nigerien Movement for the Defense and Promotion of Democratic and Human Rights (MNDHP).