NEXT STEPS

Fambul Tok 2014

On the Monday after the full staff meeting, John called a meeting of the HQ staff (me included :-)) to look over the planned activities for each of the 6 districts over the next 6 weeks.  The plans were formulated at last week’s meeting by the district teams using the goals and priorities established for the organization for 2014.

One by one the district flip charts were spread out on the floor for all of us to see and discuss.  From that discussion various members of the HQ staff were given assignments in the field.  Micheala, Sheku and I are assigned to go to Kailahun, Moyamba and Pujehun for the next two weeks to observe and offer guidance.  One of the primary focuses is the compilation of information on all the Peace Mothers groups in all 6 districts.

FT has two USAID grants at the moment.  One is the grant for women’s and children’s rights laws as I discussed in earlier blogs.  The other is called Project Africa and is funding women’s efforts in establishing and running small businesses.  The grant requires the cooperatives to open a bank account, list on going activities, report number of members in each group, and make the name and mobile number of the chairlady for each group available.  If she is without a mobile, then anyone in the village who has one will be recorded as a way to contact her.

It is this information that must be gathered.  Easy, right?  Wrong!!!  Here it is not possible to look up a contact number and call to get that information. Email is nonexistent up country.  What is required are in person visits to the sections and villages to gather accurate information.  It is not even possible to make an appointment ahead of time, so the key player may or may not be around when we arrive, but a contact mobile number is obtained to call.

Freetown East Side Congestion

Monday evening January 27 we set off for Bo where we will stay overnight before getting to Kailahun the next day.  I am picked up at 18:30 (6:30pm) to make our way through Freetown.  The upper road is closed for continuing development so we are forced to go through the east side.

The east side contains the heaviest traffic of ANY place in the world I have been.  This includes Moscow, Cairo, Bangkok and Beijing.  The streets are narrow and sidewalks almost nonexistent.  Thus hoards of people, HUGE trucks, cars, motorbikes and buses all vie for right of way to travel resulting in slow go to no go. There are three of us smashed together in the back seat of a Toyota Land Cruiser, a very old one containing virtually no leg room, with the driver and Micheala up front.  We stop once for gas and once for food to go.

Moving at the pace of frozen molasses, it takes us over 3 hours to just get out of Freetown.  We arrive at my hotel in Bo at 0100 the next morning!!!!  I have to bang on the door to wake up the attendant for a room.  Good thing I have stayed there in the past so she knows who I am and just hands over a key.  I sink into bed in air conditioned bliss.

Yesterday morning was spent running errands in Bo.  Banking transfers needed to be done so the district staffs will have the funds to carry out their activity plans, super market runs, and food orders placed.  I needed sunglasses and while waiting in the car for the

Human Mini-Market

banking to be done, I hailed down a human mini-market carrying a variety.  He steps up to my window and I try different styles.  He holds up a tiny mirror for me to see the effect of each pair.  I decide on a very attractive and comfortable pair in purple and ask the price.  15,000 leones or less than $4.00!!!  The same pair will cost at least $10.00 and closer to $15.00 in the US.

Another human mini-market saunters by selling bene cakes and ground nut cakes.  Benes are what we call sesame seeds and ground nuts are our peanuts.  They aren’t really cakes, but more like candy. 

Groundnut Cakes

Bene Cakes

The ground nut cake is like our peanut brittle. They are cut in long thin triangles are yummy and will provide snacks on the long trek ahead of us.  I buy 10 of each kind for a total of 20 for 10,000 Leones or $2.27!  She hands me a bonus ground nut cake since I bought so much.

The main roads to Kailahun are hugely improved since last time.  They have been graded, covered with crushed rock and paved.  Drainage ditches are being dug and new bridges installed.  We travel over all the stages of the road building.  Sections of the road are finished at different times so we go from graded to crushed rock to paved and back to graded.  No rhyme nor reason that I can see.  On a side road we pass by completed bridges where the road is barely begun. However, the roads IN the district are another story.

We stop at our first village with the intent of gathering the Peace Mothers documentation. 

"Good Afternoon"

I am immediately surrounded by the children.  They say good morning and I respond good afternoon.  Then they parrot good afternoon and we all clap for their accomplishment.  Micheala buys sweets for them from the peace mother who sells sweets in the village.  To make sure they each get one and only one (they will try to sneak in line again) one of the adults in the village organizes them and keeps an eagle eye on who has and who still needs.

Waiting For Sweets

We visit three villages for Peace Mother documentation purposes which takes us all afternoon.  This is why I say gathering the information is not easy and very time consuming.  I realize, again, how much we take for granted in the US and Europe where roads are modern and travel fast and easy.  Where you can email or pick up a phone and call making communication instantaneous.  You need a form? - fax it or scan and email it, or get the form off the internet, fill it out, press a button and Voila!!!  Not here in any wide spread availability.

In each village I play with the children and in one dance with a few women.  Men are weaving country cloth for a special occasion in one of the villages.  They aren’t too happy when I approach to watch wanting to know why I am there.  Once I mention Fambul Tok, I get smiles all around.

The roads from the villages into Kailahun Town are just the same rough and bone crunching roads I remember so well.  After a second long, long day in the car, I am happy to reach the hotel.

Today I am taking a day of rest while the Micheala and others travel to 14 villages for the gathering of information.  They left at 0500 and will return at about 1900.  As much as I wish to be there for every minute of every day, I have realized my body is better served to space out the long and arduous travel required to reach most places.  This is true especially in Kailahun because Kailahun’s roads are the worst of the lot.

As Betty Davis quipped “growing old is not for sissies”  Sigh!!!!

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara