Africa Part II

Good times, Roadside beef

2006-02-28T07:38:00.000-05:00

Since coming to Nigeria I've been quite cavalier about the food I have been eating with the exception of chicken. Even after hearing from Katrina, a CUSO volunteer, that she had Malaria, Typhoid, and Amoebas at the same time I continued my reckless eating habits. This all came to a grinding halt on Sunday night when I spent more time then I would ever like to in my bathroom. We had gone to the New World Motel on Sunday afternoon for beers and Suya. Suya is skewered beef cooked on the side of the road over a fire. It's quite good however I don't think I will ever have a desire to eat it again. I went to Dr. Chris' Clinic last night. Dr. Chris is a Nigerian doctor who was educated in the Dominican Republic. I sat in the waiting room with three other people, including one man who could hardly walk because he had malaria so bad. The power went out before I was able to see the doctor but the office was fully stocked with kerosene lanterns. Dr. Chris took his time and I did not feel rushed as I usually am in the US. He examined me with his miners light securely fastened to his head with an elastic band. When he was done he told me he was confident that it was just food poisoning and not one of the myriad of other diseases endemic to this area. He also gave me some helpful tips on what foods to avoid. I will gladly heed his warning.

Baturi! Oyibo!

2006-02-24T03:12:00.000-05:00

Been getting to know the town in the last week. Wherever I go people shout Baturi! and Oyibo! Which of course means white person. The children are especially happy to talk to me and always greet me with Bye Bye! I think they just like the way it sounds. On the way back from the market yesterday an Okada driver (Motorcycle Taxi) stopped me to see if I had change for 200 Naira so he could take his passenger. After shuffling through my pockets and only finding large bills I asked how much the trip would cost. It was 50 naira which is the equivalent of about 38 cents. So I just gave the woman the 50 naira. Well apparently she was very overwhelmed by this gesture and said she was giving me her daughter. I laughed and told her no you need to keep your daughter. That makes marriage proposal number 3.

Bayan Loco

2006-02-20T08:18:00.000-05:00

I arrived at my placement last Thursday in Kafanchan, Kaduna state. It is called a railway town. I am staying in Bayan Loco which means "Behind Locomotive". The train here no longer runs but there are still railway workers here who have their salary and housing paid for by the government. The Fantsuam Foundation is set up well with a generator and a 128 Kbps satellite. The foundation also includes a small fish farm which is where I am staying. I have several neighbors; a family of 6, a colleague, 4 cows, 3 dogs, and a chicken and her chicks, oh how I love to see the chicken. My house is very quaint with a sitting room, bedroom, bathroom, and small kitchen. Everyone was very curious to know what my living situation would be like before I left. Click on this link to see my set up. The power is on more here than it was in Lafia but I don't have running water. I think I would trade the power to be able to take a shower. On Saturday I went to the market with David my neighbor and colleague. I end up paying more for everything because I'm white so I need to work on my bargaining skills. On Sunday I went to the Catholic Church for mass. The service which was given in a mix of Howsa and English completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The mass consisted of 3 collections in which everyone had to walk to the altar to give their donation, a baptism, a blessing for the sick in which the priest called the sick to the front of the church and ¾ of the parishioners went up, communion which only members of visiting churches were allowed to receive, and some really incredible singing. But the most memorable part of the service occurred near the end of the mass when a small child was crying at the back of the church and the rear half of the congregation turned around in an eruption of disapproval to chastise the women who were near the child.

Lafia is Lafia

2006-02-17T08:38:00.000-05:00

I returned from Lafia today. Pictures here. Myself and another volunteer, Simon, visited Tom, a volunteer from Kenya. Lafia means “well” in Hausa. So people say “Lafia is Lafia”. I saw, as they say, the real Nigeria on this visit. We were there for 5 days and the electricity in Tom’s house was on about an hour a day. And you can never know when it will come or go. People blame this on NEPA but it has actually been privatized and is now called NPHC and will be broken up accordingly. Some other things that I learned on our visit with Tom:
- Corruption swallowed the train in Nasarawa State, only the tracks remain
- Harmattan is blowing wind from the Sahara through Nigeria
- 50 Cent is not a rapper from New York. 50 Cent is a girl who works in a bar called the White House Joint in Lafia.
- Nigerians have a very healthy diet and there are lots of fruits and vegetables growing in the wild.
- The Okada is the primary means of transportation. They are motorbikes that you can hitch a ride with for short distances. I have seen up to four people on one motorbike
- For all the corruption that people speak of in Nigeria, the children are the most unspoiled, lively and entertaining group I have ever had the pleasure of knowing
More to come from my actual site soon…

Abuja...

2006-02-05T16:17:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Abuja today. Leaving the airport we took Bill Clinton drive! I was very amused. Abuja is quite an amazing city. Everywhere there are huge buildings being put up. On the main road through the city on one side is the biggest church I have ever seen and on the opposing side is the biggest Mosque I have ever seen. I am sure I don't have to explain the dichotomy but seeing it with my own eyes, it was quite a sight. The people here are very friendly. Tomorrow begins our in country training which lasts for two weeks then I will be off to my placement in Kafanchan, Kaduna State.

Access Granted

2006-02-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

My visa arrived today. I will be headed for Abuja tomorrow morning. My flight leaves at 8:15 AM. The hardest part has been packing since my luggage should not weigh more than 50 pds. It's hard tossing out the non essentials that I really want to bring. Like Books!

Seven Deadly

2006-01-25T12:36:00.000-05:00

In 2002 when 9/11 was still fresh in our minds I bought a sticker that I saw online which is titled the seven deadly social sins according to Gandhi. I stuck it on my desk at City Hall and I plan on leaving it here. I wanted to post them so I wouldn't forget them. They are:

Politics without principle

Wealth without work

Commerce without morality

Pleasure without conscience

Education without character

Science without humanity

Worship without sacrifice

The Dream Team

2006-01-23T11:03:00.000-05:00

The Fundraiser at the Point was an amazing success. We raised $4,005! This money will go directly to VSO Canada to support volunteers around the world and VSO's vision, "A world without poverty in which people work together to fulfill their potential." So many people made this happen. To everyone who attended, Thank you! Especially Michael and Anthony who went above and beyond what I expected anyone to do, Ursula and Dancing Deer for donating the amazing desserts, Valerie and the staff at the Point who did an incredible job, Janine and Isabel for taking pictures and last but certainly not least my incredible Aunt Mary, without which this event would not have been possible.
You can see Janine and Isabel's pictures from the party here.

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

2006-01-12T14:36:00.000-05:00

Here goes...This is my first attempt at blogging. I have never been one to keep journals. I'm getting ready to leave for Nigeria and can't seem to make much progress on my to do list. So I figured I would get the least important thing out of the way. My Blog. Only three weeks to go now. This will be the second time I've travelled to Africa to live for an extended period of time. The first time did not work out unfortunately. I will be working for the Fantsuam Foundation which works with women and children to assist them with their livelihoods by teaching them computer and small business skills. I volunteered with VSO Canada and this will be a two year commitment. I just finished SKWID (Skills for Working in Development) at VSO's training center in Ottawa and below is a picture of the other volunteers who will be going to various countries from Papua New Guinea to Guyana.