Roughly 27 days until we live for Senegal; our objective for the days leading up to the trip is to learn and become proficient in using the X-O laptops. These laptops have many interesting and fun programs which test the mind and develop the users skills in a variety of areas; these areas include, but are not limited to: language, math, computer graphics, music and time. These computers are already being used in many schools around the world to help children in under-developed and/or developing countries and regions. though they are most commonly found in Latin American countries and have been hugely successful thus far, I am confident they will be just as helpful and fun for the students of Nioro, Senegal.
           Today was essentially a day for becoming acquainted with the X-O laptop and become more familiar with its many functions. I tinkered with a few of its different programs and found that a few are easy and quick to pick up while others are much, much more challenging. A very interesting and useful one that I found to be fairly challenging was the band program; in this program the user can write and produce music using a multitude of different instruments and sounds.
           I will continue working with this program and the many others that the X-O offers so that I may be fully prepared to teach the students of Adja Penda Ba how to use them and become proficient with them.

                In only 34 days, my service group and I will be leaving (May 22) for Senegal  to work at the school, Adja Penda Ba, situated in Nioro, a rural area of the country. Before we arrive we will first make contact with connections in Dakar (the capital); these connections include the United States Embassy and the International School of Dakar (ISD). The goal from working with these connections is to establish a long lasting relationship with each in order to develop an effective partnership for furthering OPEN International's cause. For those unfamiliar with OPEN International, it is an organization established roughly 4 years ago by Khady Lusby, and it is dedicated to the cause of Adja Penda Ba(please visit: openinternational.org for further information).
                After spending some time in Dakar, our group will move on to Nioro and will work at Adja Penda Ba to help in any way we can. Our projects will range from building floors in classrooms of the school to working with the students themselves. It will be an exciting and enriching week and I am looking forward to getting started.