Introduction

My name is Nichole (or Nikki) and I'm a senior International Studies major at the University of Oregon.  For Winter term 2013 I'll be living in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa and interning at a local non-governmental organization (NGO) called GEEP - the Group for Population Studies and Education - or, en français - le Groupe pour l'Étude et l'Enseignment de la Population.

GEEP focuses on education, information, and research to help educate adolescents in sexuality, fertility, and reproductive health issues.  Their programs are participatory and youth-centered, and are based on the needs and interests of young people.  

What exactly will I be doing when I get there? - This is a question that many people have asked me - and the truth is - I won't know until I get there.  This was a difficult concept for me to grasp at first, but basically my role as an intern will be based on the current (and changing) needs of the organization combined with my own interests, skills, and level of desired participation.  So I will just have to tell you all what I'm doing as I go along!

Anyways, I'll be in Senegal for 3 months - January through March - and I plan on doing, seeing, and documenting some interesting things.  I will also be struggling to effectively use my French skills and hopefully learning some Wolof too.  I've already had some thought-provoking and interesting learning experiences just while preparing for my trip (foreshadowing, wink wink), so I hope you all enjoy my posts!