It has been a busy couple of days as I make plans for my research and meet with Roy and Benoit to discuss the agriculture work here. I hope to conduct my first interview on Saturday with the help of Jan who has graciously agreed to translate from Fulfulde to English for me. Clarisse has tomorrow off of work so we are going to rent a motorbike and go in search of some women to interview. We are aiming to interview four women who have been through the Women and Children Gardening for Health Program while their children were patients at the nutrition centre. While almost 150 women have been through the program they come from near and far and tracking them down is no small task. They do not have addresses or phone numbers; we only have a name and a village name to go by so Friday should be interesting. This is also field season so women spend hours each day preparing their fields, planting and weeding so finding them becomes even more difficult. We will persevere though as my thesis depends on it and I hardly want to change topics now!
I hitched a ride to Berberati yesterday with Kim to visit the other half of the family there. The kids saw me coming down the lane first and they squealed with glee, came running at me and gave me all kinds of hugs. It is so nice to be loved. Elise set about making lunch while I sat and talked with Eloi and Lars, pretty well avoiding the elephant in the room. When Elise came in to sit and chat she told me about the happenings of the year, starting with the accident and then the burns that she sustained at ICDI from a leaky stove. Yikes! Eloi said he hadn't told me about the accident yet but that he would, and he did, in his own way. He took responsibility for it, but more so expressed his gratitude to God for preserving his life and that of his family. He is living in Berberati until his one year probation is over. I guess this helps him stay out of trouble and help Gamboula calm down. What I enjoyed most about my visit and what I am most thankful for in this country is this family that has taken me in and made me one of their own. I sat and listened to the trials and tribulations of the year gone by as one sister to another, not as though Eloi was my staff member and I had come to hear his side of the story. I just listened and sympathised and put all judgement and questions aside. He is my brother, he is in pain (though not physically thankfully) and what more can I do but listen and pray and cry and laugh. This is what family is. The more time I spend with them the more I realize our common humanity, that tragedy and sin and joy and forgiveness bind us together regardless of race or origin or faith. I am in awe and I am humbled.
Roy, Benoit and I plan to go to Bangui in the coming days to take the first steps towards starting the Agriculture Resource Centre that we are dreaming of for this region. There is a lot to be done and part of my time here will be spent in meetings planning for this project. I am still not sure exactly what our future holds but I am excited about the future work that the Resource Centre will be involved in. There is change in the air and hopefully some rain too!
