this afternoon i went with the public health group on their field trip (there are different 'track' classes - i'm in environment and auditing microfinance... and there is another one called public health) the first place we went to was kinda like an orphanage where people could take their babies if they can't care for them, if the mother is sick, or if they are abandoned all together. the families pay 5-10 thousand CFA (10 - 20 dollars) per month if they can and they get a lot of money from donations and through various organizations. the kids stay there until they are about one year old. eva and i are thinking about going back to volunteer... i hope so, the kids were adorable and it would be a ton of fun.... keep you posted

the second place we more of a refuge for boys on the street. a lot of them come from Guinea Bissau or Mali or other places in Senegal to go to a daara and end up on the streets because they were mistreated by marabouts. the place called l'empire des enfants tries to locate the families and bring back the boys....

it was a cool experience to see more places around the city and see that there are a few options for kids who aren't necessarily born into great situations...

i leave for my internship in two weeks! i'm nervous. time really has been flying by and its gonna be hard adjusting to a new place all over again cuz i've gotten so used to being here.

i'm so lucky. (alhamdoulilah)