almost 8 months left

Well here it is folks, gearing up for some of my last projects in Birni N'Gaoure as well as the capital in Niamey. But first, here is some amazing news from Pangea the music and dance exchange that we held last May in Niger:

I just wanted to share how overjoyed I am with the progress of this program which started out as Pangea. With Pangea II coming in May of this year, it will surely be an even bigger event. New Peace Corps volunteers are involved in the planning process this year, so we hope that this will remain an annual event for years to come. In addition to the songwriting class with the young girls and professional music exchange, we will plan on adding a new theatre and hip hop/rap element. Wow! so exciting. Thanks to all for support and hard work.
Ginger

Here are the results of Pangea's partnership with Manhattan Theatre Source in New York Cityand Voices of Africa:

Pangea of last May created by Ginger O'Neill, Michele Stoner, and Sheena Washington had a songwriting class component for young girls that gave the girls an opportuntity to write and sing about topics including: positive role models, challenges in school, HIV/AIDS, and other life situations.

Their songs were then translated by Ginger and Suomo in Birni and sent to a Theatre Company in New York City called Manhattan Theatre Source, which in turn held a well-received fund-raising performance for the Young Girls Scholarship Program. Fiona Jones, Lanie Zipoy, and Attonia Pettiford made the vison become a reality States' side.

A finalist in American Idol was in the performance and the New York girls performed their stories of racism, love, weight issues, crime and dreams alongside the Nigerien songs (performed as monologues). The New York Times, among other news sources in NY, highlighted the story.

Manhattan Theatre Source raised a significant amount of school supplies which they will be sending to Niger. The performance also raised $2,000, directly benefitting the The Young Girls' Scholarship Program which include the Nigerien participants' peers and fellow struggling students. In this way, their words are helping their own country's young women to challenge themselves to a higher level of education. The money will go toward scholarships that help buy school supplies, uniforms, and living money for food, soap, and sometimes rent.


We will definitely continue this partnership in May 2008, and will expand on the original idea.
We can't wait for the next go!



Other upcoming events:

FEBRUARY

*Starting work on a successful women's book that highlights women in Niger who have become successful and sharing these stories with young women in Middle and Highschool

MARCH

*HIV/AIDS day in my village with theatre, film, and sensibilization aspects for my community

APRIL

*Month long English festival

MAY

*Pangea II in Niamey--Our American/Nigerien music and dance exchange comes again! one full week of exchange including traditional/folk music on Monday, Jazz/Blues on Tuesday, Rap/HipHop/Reggae on Wednesday, and theatre on Thursday. The young girls will come on the weekend this time and spend all day Saturday and Sunday taking dance, music, theatre, and life skills classes.

JULY

*Pangea in Birni N Gaoure
-working with local musicians and bringing in professionals from the capital as well as working with the radio station to increase awareness of music as a profession and what goes into it.
-youth classes in dance, singing, acting, drawing, small business training, and Zarma literacy

*Series of concerts throughout the next few months with Niger and international musicians in Niamey, the capital as well as other region.

*Series of ongoing radio interviews with music professionals to be used in radio emmisions

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here is the lowdown:This experience is seriously flying by and I am really sad to see some of the people who came here before I did in the Peace Corps community leave before I do. But I have been having such a good time and despite a slightly dramatic fall off of a low bridge into sand I am doing great and loving life. Just because I haven't written in a while doesn't mean I don't miss you guys. As much as I love it here, can't wait to come back and see all y'all again.

Lots of Love,
Ginger

Geerwol Festival

These are the beautiful Woodabes. I was taking these pictures as I was walking down the line to supposedly choose one man who would be my vote for the most beautiful. I couldn't pick, they were all so beautiful. They were so beautiful and haunting that when I came back I was recording a song on my friend Maman Sani's album and I couldn't help but do my own take of the Woodabes melody. Close but with my flavor in it and I think it turned out well. I'll post it when I can.

I just got back from the Geerwol festival in the North. It was amazing! We were the only western people there except one lady and there were thousands of Fulans there. There were somewhere around 400 or 600 of these guys dressed like this doing an all day and all night dance to hopefully be picked by the young ladies as the most handsome man. Seeing these guys paying so much minute detail to their clothes, the make-up, the way they danced---as well as uncles and fathers giving advice for the best dance and singing techniques was just beautiful. We have a Nigerien friend who is aWoodabe and so we just roamed around with him sleeping in a different place every night on the ground with our mosquito nets attached to the back of the truck. In the middle of the desert. We saw dunes and rocky hills and a crystal blue clear lake called lake Tabalac on the way home. It all seemed so stark and magical. How could anything live, yet thrive here where this blue lake seemed like an oasis? but here was this extrodinarily colorful festival, with everyone coming in on camel except us, to meet in the middle of tan sand for miles, no roads and be such a splash of color between the tan ground and the blue sky. It was one of the highlights of my time here.

It's been super tough to get back in the groove here but it is still feeling like my home for now. I only have a year left!

Back in Niger

Hey Ya'll I am back in Niger after having a ball in New York, Binghamton, Keuka Lake, Boston, and Washington, Maryland, and Virginia. And Jersey too!

First of all, one of my favorite strong and creative women in the world got married! Jessica and Bo's wedding was in Boston and was such a beautiful reflection of the foundation that they already had as well as an ethereal dream like quality that is rare to attain at one of these events with the cake and the tables and the vows and family from all different corners of the world and all that. (I've worked a lot of weddings in catering) It was beautiful. Of course I was so swooped up in the whole gorgeousness of it that I didn't take any pictures so I'll post some when the official ones come in.

One thing I realized from being home is how much I miss ice cream and cheese---and you peeps. Almost didn't want to go home. I guess home now is Niger. At least temporarily--home is where the heart is really really---cause I can simultaniously call the 'States home and Niger home and there is a big ocean in between.

This little guy in the picture made his truck out of wire and cut out flip flop material. I love that. Kids here at least in my town do not have toys like we do, they are so creative and make things out of other things. Recycled everything. I had a dog toy that someone sent for Snowden and didn't think anything of it (it was a cute hotdog), till I caught the kids jumping my fence to steal it. And they ask me everytime I walk down the street if I can lend them the dog toys so they can play.

After seeing some beautiful faces in the US and missing some others who didn't get a chance to cross paths, I really can appreciate how lucky I am to come from and be changed by so many amazing people. Coming back for this visit to the US gave me an even clearer perspective on where I came from, who I am, and why I am here on this planet. I know that sounds so cheesy maybe but it is true.

*********************************************************************************

There is a big deal coming in September at Manhattan Theatre Source in September and I wanted to let you all know about it. They will be performing some of my Nigerien teen girls' songs (as monologues) that the girls wrote when we had PANGEA--the musical festival where we exchanged American and Nigerien music.

They are really passionate about raising some money for the good people of Niger and to help with young girls education. I will let you know more when I do but for now check out Manhattan Theatre Source's webpage at theatresource.org and look for The Estrogenius Festival. This is a truly special woman's theatre festival that they have every year.

okay, that's it for now

Lots of love,

Ginger

Welcome to my blog!

Its been soooo hard to keep in touch with everyone and I miss you all so much. Finally a friend, Carolyn, offered to help me open this blogspot up. I hope you enjoy the pictures and some writing about the happenings over here in Niger. The picture below is a voice class I helped teach with Fati Mariko, a wonderful Nigerien singer (google her!). The giraffe on the heading photo lives close to my town. When I moved into Birni N Gaoure, the car passed through a group of 20 giraffes or so just eating by the road---I think it was a sign of good luck!

Welcome!