Yesterday I attended a meeting in Bo with the Transboundary Peace Park people and Environmental Foundation for Africa people. We are trying to collaborate on environmental education activities. I was a little unhappy about the amount of contributions that had been made for the last environmental education week in Barri chiefdom, and we all agreed that it would go better next time. I had contributed 2 motorcycles, my projector, generator, gasoline and oil, prizes for the children, and all associated equipment. Oh and a translator because people stopped speaking Mende after the 2nd day…I asked the other 2 organizations to help pay for fuel costs. Transboundary came through and reimbursed me for some of the costs, but EFA said they didn’t have any funds and weren’t sure they would have some in the future. Let’s hope all partners will contribute. Otherwise, it’s more cost-effective for me to just do it by myself, though it is always better to collaborate right?? I think I may have gotten the Transboundary environmental education guy in trouble because he is supposed to be speaking Mende in the schools, but he doesn’t appear to speak Mende…I reported this to his boss…Oops.
Tonight I went to meet my friend Ana Maria who works for MSF for dinner. We met at Sab’s, the only restaurant in Bo that makes something besides chicken/chips and rice. I ordered a gigantic pizza and nearly swooned when I started eating it. CHEEEESE. Ana Maria invited another MSF girl, Guro (spelling?) and a girl interning with Street Children International. They were both fun and amazing. Then we were joined by some Norwegians (or Finnish? Or somewhere like that) and a Canadian and it turned out to be a jolly good time. It was wonderful to just talk and laugh and not have to change my speech patterns so people could understand me. It healed my homesickness I’d been feeling the day before.
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