Leah's Peace Corps Adventure

Bonjour and bienvenu. I'm settled into my new house, job, and life here in Ngouoni (In-goo-knee), a small town of 2,000 about 35 minutes north of Franceville. While the community was definitely cautious and closed at the beginning, it's now opening little by little, allowing me to meet some amazing and very helpful people.

My work here is centered in the hospital for the moment, though it's closer to a clinic, since there are only 9 nurses and 1 doctor equipped to handle vaccinations, maternity patients, and mild illnesses; anything more serious is sent to Franceville. I'm working with the maternity nurse, weighing babies and observing OB-GYN exams and prenatal consultations. Once I feel more comfortable, I'll start meeting with the mothers one-on-one to discuss to healthy pregnancies, breastfeeding, and weaning.

As far as contacting me, my new address is:

Leah McFail
B.P. 472
Franceville, Gabon
(Central Africa)

All mail seems to take about 3 to 4 weeks and I've received every letter sent so far. Packages can be sent to Franceville as long as they're in bubble mailers; boxes and anything else should be sent to Libreville (Le Corps de la Paix, B.P. 2098, Libreville). However, I'll only be able to pick those up when I'm out there (every 3-4 months).

I hope you like the site; feel free to include any suggestions or questions in my guestbook and my webmaster or I will try to respond as promptly as possible. Each day presents its challenges, so my gratitude and love to all who unconditionally support me during my highs and lows. There is no way I could still be doing my job here and keeping my head above water without you.