4th of July in Chad, Africa: Teachers vs. Well Diggers

That’s me, second to the left, shirtless.

The time: July 4, 1977. The location: the residence of the US Ambassador to Chad. The occasion: a 4th of July party for the Peace Corps volunteers that were stationed in N’djamena, the capital. I was there as a teacher of English Literature and Philosophy at the University of Chad. A two-year stint that was coming to an end.

I’m racing against three other Peace Corps volunteers. We called them well diggers. They were in Chad to install sanitary wells throughout the arid northern third of the country. The well diggers didn’t think much of us teachers. We knew that. And in return, we didn’t think much of them.

This was my chance to win their respect. A race. A manly race to the finish. I was determined to beat them. (I think that’s obvious from the muscular tension I’m displaying.)

I’d like to say that I took first place, but, if I remember correctly, I came in second. The guy farthest to the right was the winner.