I saw so much today and that might not get to see again, but I will try to at least write it all out. I went out on the motorcycle with Edmond again (he's the one who works with the Microfund members out in the poorest zones). I wanted to go with him to visit two of his group meetings. The first one was a new group and it was only their 2nd or 3rd official meeting with him. They live in a town where most of the houses are have straw roofs and the walls could use some repair. There were children wandering all over the place and we got to sit under a tree with what I thought was some huge round fruit, but was explained to me that it's actually a calabash used as drinking bowls or to get water from the well. The group consisted of 11 women and two men all dressed in their best apparel wearing necklaces and head wraps. They were sitting under a roof outside the gathering place made of palm leaves. There were toddlers who kept walking into the meeting eating small mangoes and then walking out again. I couldn't understand much of what was happening (I should really work on learning more Ewe), but I know he was discussing with them the need to have a clear goal or objective for their projects. Since they are just starting, they will have several session with Edmond before receiving their first loans.
For the second meeting we went to an older group that has been around for maybe 7 years and one of the members was actually one of the first women I met when visiting clients to post their stories. I will try to find and post the links to the client journals that I've been able to post so far (it takes a really long time to post them, and I've only been successful through the Catholic Center so far.) When we arrived at this meeting, I REALLY wished I'd had my camera because the women were singing, playing the afuche, and dancing for us. It was really beautiful and the first real encounter I've had with the traditional music here. The women were much more active in this meeting because they've been working for so long. They're the group that Edmond had told me looked like they were crazy from the way they dressed when he first started working with them, so it was really exciting to see where they are now. The most exciting part of the meeting, and maybe of the whole day (although arguable) was that I finally got to taste palm wine and even see how they tap it from the tree. They cut down a small palm tree, make a wide opening near the bottom (crosswise) and a hole on one end for the bottle to go in. The tree lays on its side, with the bottle underneath sitting in a hole in the ground, and leaves covering the opening on the top (hope this kind of explains it.) Anyway, the wine was delicious. I only had a bit, but it was sweet, almost like a coconut flavor, and a bit fizzy. It really lifted my energy through the end of the meeting. The less exciting part was seeing how they distill it to make "sodabi" the local spirit, which they had me try. It's 90 proof!
After that meeting we went to collect the payment from the treasurer of another old group. IN this village I noticed that most of the houses had tin roofs, and there were even several newer houses. I meant to ask Edmond if this was the case before the group started working with Microfund, but I forgot. I'll try to remember on Friday when we go out to the field again. Here, I also got to see the official regulations and registration that the group has made with the government. Microfund has all of the groups register and decide on their own procedures so that they will one day be able to have their group projects make an income for its members. Edmond said this takes a long time to put together, but it's really a great thing to make them autonomous in that manner.
After this we stopped by a shop quickly and then a bakery where a works with others (I don't know whom, we will go back for a second visit) to bake bread and cakes in an oven. I bought some of the cakes (made in muffin tins) because they smelled so good, and they were really delicious. Basically like a tiny sponge cake with slight citrusy flavor. Mmmmm…. I only had one…shared the others. Mostly because I've had some pretty bad heartburn the past few days….can't eat the sauce that's served with my meals. Hopefully it will go away, but for now I'm eating corn, rice and plain pasta and giving the sauce and fish to Karl (the brother here). So I wish I'd had my camera to get pics of the ovens and the tons of trays that they use to show my mom, but we should go back before I leave.
Finally, we went to visit Edmond's family because he said he has two young kids and I wanted to meet them. They are really sweet (the boy is 2½ and the girl is 1¼ years old). They were shy but really happy when I gave them candy. His wife is also very kind and they live in a small plot of land with the rest of his family. His uncle planted a beautiful little garden in the middle. When we walked out, Edmond said I'm going to be his children's godmother when they are baptized. He's really a great person and I'd love to do it if I can.
In other news, they put in the generator yesterday, but it's been more a pain than anything because it keeps going out and makes lots of noice…so I sleep better without it on. Yesterday we had our first big rain of the season but by the afternoon the sky was already sunny again. I think it's gotten cooler out, but it might just be that I'm getting used to it.
Going back to cute kids, the cutest munchkin has to be Joseph (the director)'s daughter. Her name is Anne-Marie and she is 4 years old. She is absolutely beautiful and very shy at first, but now she has warmed up to me and Joseph left her here at home with me for a couple of hours the other evening. She is very sweet and speaks in a tiny voice, but she's always so happy to see me (this morning she saw me waiting outside the office as she was walking to school) and she keeps wanting to come home with me and to come to the US too. She has these big eyes and just smiles all of the time. I have some great pics of her that I will try to post soon.
Ok, I think that's all for now. Joseph is in London most of this week for a meeting and I've sorted out some of my schedule for the next couple of weeks. I think that next Wed-Fri we will go and stay in Aneho, the next largest city nearby, to visit clients there. It's not too far, but too far to go and come back everyday. I don't know yet where we will stay but the other day we visited a really nice hotel out there, so I don't know if it will be there or not. It was a bit expensive. We probably won't stay there. It was right on the lake.
Well, it's been a few days and things I've already forgotten, but that's all I can remember for now. I was a bit homesick last night, but after my great day today, I'm feeling much better (hopefully my stomach will follow suite). A bientot. Dalia
PS- So it turns out it might not be heartburn, but the mom said she put some hot peppers in the sauce the last couple of days.... hope that was it :)
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