Today was an important day for our future work.
The first order was a meeting with the chief, Japhet,of Ntarama. This will be the site of our future implementation. The plot of land that he had originally given is was determined to be unsafe as a result of about a planned 100,000 pounds of water being unsufficiently supported on the hill. An entire evening in the cafe was dedicated to forming a script that we could use to help persuade the chief to come to our point of view. The necessity of acquiring a new plot of land was paramount. We were welcomed by the pig indifferently eyeing us from afar, but not much time later the meeting got underway. It became apparent that there was nothing to fear. The chief was more than happy to give us different land, and after some rudimetary calculations today we are quite confidant it will suit our purposes. While measuring the site was not impossible without a tape measure as our mentor, Travis, has perfect 12 inch feet. This meausuring however, led to my unfortunate tustle with a bush whose poison still stings me as I write.
The second and more difficult order was to address the problems at the Munini site that are not present at our other sites. We assumed that this was due to a lack of involvement from the chief, that he did not care for our system in his village. However, the meeting took a turn when it was discovered that the Chief wanted very much to be involved, but felt disowned because the current site president was not chosen with any input from him or the community, and she was completely cutting him out. We resolved this problem with the help of our omnipresent friend and source of authority Jacques as well as the executive secretary of the cell who together proposed to elect a new site president at the next community meeting.
So in a day filled with thorny meetings, the only prickly thing turned out to be one rascal little bush. The only suggestion I have received for relief, mind you, is to pee on it. Thank you to my esteemed genius colluegue Nikki for another world changing idea.
We have eaten at the most marvelous little restaurant everyday we have been here called Shakeys. Rice, beans, meat and vegetables of the same type every night. It isn't fancy, but it is filling. As a treat, one of our local friends offered to take us to a new restaurant in town for a change of pace. The other members of my group were enthralled at the chance to once again know good food, but their hopes were quickly dashed when the new restaurant turned out to be Shakeys. Just another example of me being on the cutting edge of culinary experiences. We also told the waiter we would stop coming back if he keeps on being so rude to us, to which he replied "no, you will be back."
He's right.
The first order was a meeting with the chief, Japhet,of Ntarama. This will be the site of our future implementation. The plot of land that he had originally given is was determined to be unsafe as a result of about a planned 100,000 pounds of water being unsufficiently supported on the hill. An entire evening in the cafe was dedicated to forming a script that we could use to help persuade the chief to come to our point of view. The necessity of acquiring a new plot of land was paramount. We were welcomed by the pig indifferently eyeing us from afar, but not much time later the meeting got underway. It became apparent that there was nothing to fear. The chief was more than happy to give us different land, and after some rudimetary calculations today we are quite confidant it will suit our purposes. While measuring the site was not impossible without a tape measure as our mentor, Travis, has perfect 12 inch feet. This meausuring however, led to my unfortunate tustle with a bush whose poison still stings me as I write.
The second and more difficult order was to address the problems at the Munini site that are not present at our other sites. We assumed that this was due to a lack of involvement from the chief, that he did not care for our system in his village. However, the meeting took a turn when it was discovered that the Chief wanted very much to be involved, but felt disowned because the current site president was not chosen with any input from him or the community, and she was completely cutting him out. We resolved this problem with the help of our omnipresent friend and source of authority Jacques as well as the executive secretary of the cell who together proposed to elect a new site president at the next community meeting.
So in a day filled with thorny meetings, the only prickly thing turned out to be one rascal little bush. The only suggestion I have received for relief, mind you, is to pee on it. Thank you to my esteemed genius colluegue Nikki for another world changing idea.
We have eaten at the most marvelous little restaurant everyday we have been here called Shakeys. Rice, beans, meat and vegetables of the same type every night. It isn't fancy, but it is filling. As a treat, one of our local friends offered to take us to a new restaurant in town for a change of pace. The other members of my group were enthralled at the chance to once again know good food, but their hopes were quickly dashed when the new restaurant turned out to be Shakeys. Just another example of me being on the cutting edge of culinary experiences. We also told the waiter we would stop coming back if he keeps on being so rude to us, to which he replied "no, you will be back."
He's right.
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