Not so bad

My blog posts (and emails) of late probably give the impression that I’m mired in existential ennui here in the far reaches of Africa. Things have been rough at times, but I can’t help but feel lucky as I sit here, in my homey little Koidu office, sipping tea, eating fresh bread and oranges, and writing about land reclamations for a class at school. How super-cool is it that I get to sit right in the middle of the stuff I’m writing about? This is exactly what I hoped for when I decided to do distance ed.

Trip to the bank today precipitated my current calm…after a week of being concerned about funds (because during my first trip to the bank, I was told there was nothing in the account), a follow up trip yielded the information that there is actually a (relative) wealth of Leones in the OS account, thus relieving my concerns about the staff being paid. I fanangled a new chequebook out of the bank manager (who says he wants to ‘mate’ with me, by the way), and now just have to wait for word from Canada to start paying people. Yay!

On Saturday I have to go do a presentation for the chief of Kueyor (the area that MORFA farms in)- apparently, he needs to hear from me that the money they received is a one-time input, otherwise the chief is going to start charging rent on the land they farm. Yes, it makes no sense- what a dirtball. But if I do this presentation, apparently it will be ok. We’re going to go equipment shopping on Wednesday. I’m giving Sunshine Jalloh and the Sunshine Family the funds to shop on their own on Thursday, when I’ll be out of town, but I’m sending a camera along with them so that it can be documented!