Cape Verde

Cape Verde

Monday, June 28, 2010

Sneak peek

I'm finding that one of the outcomes of being posted to an African archipelago is that most people have no clue what or where it is. Myself included, until recently. But in many cases, understandably so. Unfortunately, Africa remains--despite being an incredibly diverse and culturally rich continent--an area recognized for its abundant hardships, desolation and coups, World Cup aside. You'd think I would have known better, having already felt the embarrassment of realizing I'd formed stereotyped expectations once before in Ghana. Yet when I was told I'd be serving in Africa my mind generally migrated to thoughts of dusty villages, expanses of yellow plains and the occasional lion. After all, that's where I thought I might be the most help. Fool myself twice...shame on me.

Anyway, you've all seemed curious about general information: food, weather, etc. My experience will depend on the site that I'm chosen for, so you'll have to wait for specifics. But as for Cape Verde as a whole, here's a brief glimpse:

Environment

The Cape Verde archipelago is located approximately 375
miles off the coast of West Africa. It is composed of nine
inhabited islands and eight islets. The islands have a combined
size of just over 4,000 square kilometers (roughly the size of
Rhode Island). The islands are divided into the Barlavento
(windward) islands (Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia,
São Nicolau, Sal, and Boavista) and the Sotavento (leeward)
islands (Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava). The largest island,
both in size and population, is Santiago, where Praia, the
capital is located.

Of volcanic origin, these islands, boast some of the windiest
beaches in the world, and vary widely in terrain. An active
volcano on the island of Fogo is the highest point on the
archipelago (elevation 2,829 meters). Extensive salt flats are
found on Sal and Maio. On Santiago, Santo Antão, and São
Nicolau, arid slopes give way in places to sugarcane or banana
fields spread along the base of towering mountains. The
climate is tropical, but the archipelago’s location in the Sahel
belt makes for periodic sand storms and devastating droughts,
interspersed with years of greater, yet still less-than adequate,
rainfall.

Water shortages and successive droughts have greatly
weakened crop production capacity over the last century. Any
decline in Cape Verde’s import capacity as a result of the price
increases or grain shortages could have serious implications
for the food security of this country where corn, rice, and
bread represent the basis of the dietary consumption. The
country has studied various solutions to overcome its water
and energy development burden and has strategically decided
to invest in alternative energy resources. The announced
goal is to produce 25 percent of energy needs from renewable
sources by 2011 and 50 percent by 2020. There are also plans
to make the island of Sal fully reliant on renewable energy (a
combination of solar, wind, wave, and biofuel) in the next 5 to
10 years. Until then, Cape Verde remains highly vulnerable to
price increases in the energy and food markets.

Food and Diet

The variety of food in Cape Verde can be relatively limited
depending on the site. Small restaurants can be found in
most cities and towns. Dairy products are limited to imported
powdered or pasteurized (boxed) milk and locally produced
or imported yogurt and cheese. Butter, yogurt, and cheese
are available. Gouda and Edam cheeses are available in larger
towns. In the countryside, locally produced milk is available,
but it is not pasteurized; it must, therefore, be boiled before
consumption. Due to the limited rainfall, the availability of
fresh produce will vary depending on the time of year. The
Cape Verdean diet is mostly based on fish and staple foods
like corn and rice. Vegetables available during much of the
year are potatoes, onions, tomatoes, manioc, cabbage, kale,
collard greens and dried beans. Fruits like bananas and
papayas are often available year-round, while others like
mangoes and avocados are seasonal.

Fish is available at the markets most of the year. Locally
produced canned tuna is also available. It is more difficult to
find fish in the countryside in the interior of islands.

Bread is available locally. There are also some biscuits and
cookies. Pastry shops can be found in a few larger cities.

Geography and Climate

Cape Verde’s climate near some of the coastal sites may be
milder than that of the African mainland. At the sites near
the sea, temperatures are moderate, but it can get very hot in
the countryside in the interior of the islands and a bit cool at
night in the dry season (though still hot in the day). In most
places, vegetation is scarce, so there is very little shade or
protection from the sun, which makes it even hotter. Cape
Verde is part of the Sahel arid belt and only receives about 8
cm (3 inches) of rain on most islands. When it does rain, the
rainfall occurs between August and October, with
brief downpours.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Bú rêga bú tchõ, bú flúri

Well, friends, the time is winding down to the start of my Peace Corps service. After a brief orientation in Boston on July 15th, I'm boarding a flight to Cape Verde, where I'll be living for a whopping 27 months. Surreal.

Island life isn't exactly what I expected when I was told I'd be posted somewhere in Africa. I knew it would likely be a Lusophone country, but it never occurred to me that it might not be mainland. When my offer letter and packet came in the mail I had to run to Googlemaps because I didn't know where I was going! As it turns out, Cape Verde is an archipelago made up of 10 islands, and it's about 350 miles off of the west coast of Senegal. The thought of being able to run laps around my country of service with an expanse of ocean on all sides took some getting used to. But I've learned about it, and hunted for pictures, and I think I'll settle in just fine, hammock in tow.

I'll post more details when I know them, but I won't know until I'm training where I'll be stationed so most details aren't concrete. What I do know:
  • I'll be training in Praia, the country's capital on Santiago island, and living with a host family. Address soon to follow.
  • I'll be learning Kriolu, a mixture of Portuguese and Creole. (Nha nomi é Rachel!)
  • I'll be teaching English at a secondary school, Monday through Saturday...
  • I would love love love to come home to letters and emails from you asking to visit, so do it!
Seriously, I would love for you to send me pictures, emails, letters, poems, cds, drawings, requests/demands for Skype dates, wedding invitations, pictures of your kids, videos, essays, interpretive dances (you can figure out logistics), or yourself (!!!) to keep me in the loop, and you know I'll do the same whenever I can.

Love,
Rachel