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Rural Leaders ― a Travel Log Vol. 21

We are sharing with you a series of travel logs written by ARI staff member Steven, who visited Africa in August.
The trip, which lasted more than three weeks, has finally come to an end.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all of you who have been with us and read this far.
Let’s get started on our last trip to Africa!

【An African journey to visit ARI graduates, Day 24-26】

Heading home
Wow! After more than three weeks in Africa, Kai and I are going home to Japan. “Atto iuma” are the Japanese words that come to mind. Literally, they mean “in the amount of time it takes to say ‘ah,’” but they are better translated as “in the blink of an eye.” Yet, somehow, in that eye blink, I feel as though I have lived a long life episode. Here I have done my best to describe what my eyes, ears, and taste buds have learned about the land and people of Zambia and Malawi during this short sojourn. Especially, I wanted to draw out not only the “official work” of our graduates, but also their daily lives, in which you can see all the small invisible ways they are with their people; or to put it in another way, they love their people. I hope you have enjoyed reading these stories as much as I have treasured experiencing them.

Well, we are not home yet. There is still a bit more to go. As with the “getting here” travel experience, the days taken to get back also seemed to compress into one crumpled flow, like that wrinkled blanket. Mac kindly drove us to the airport together with Veh, where we met one more graduate! Martin (2013 ARI graduate) works in the far north of Malawi, north of Mzuzu, I believe, very far off of our travel itinerary. Business brought him down to our regions, but our schedules left us only about 30 minutes to meet and he came out to the airport just for this purpose. In short, we found out that he is now employed in a large ag company and that is about it. I suppose I should have pried a little more, but time was indeed short.

Kai and I said our goodbyes to MacDonald, our noble host of the last few days, and Veh, with her ever-animated character, even when she is not on the radio! After passing through security, we had a small toast with our last two bottles of Fruiticana (see vol.8) and used up the remainder of our unexchangeable Kwacha on some “airport priced” souvenirs. Truth be told, Kai and I both had several bottles of Fruiticana packed away in our suitcases. It’s just too good to leave behind. Inside the terminal we ran into two guys from the conference. They were heading home to Zim, through South Africa, on the same flight with us.

We had to spend a night in Johannesburg, but our South Africa sightseeing was limited to the airport and a hotel connected to it. J-burg has that reputation of being dangerous, and we were advised by a South African friend not to venture out on the town, unaccompanied. Undeterred, we headed for to a restaurant within the terminal that supplied us with our last mouthwatering, meat laden African dishes. I had pork, but I desperately want to usurp Kai’s memory of the incredible steak he had chosen from the menu. Apparently, I still had not learned my lesson of “always order what Kai orders!”

Breakfast next morning was at a popular South African chain restaurant called Wimpy Burger. One day I want to return to see South Africa properly. Just those few hours in the airport whetted my appetite. I could sense that out there beyond these bland metal walls was another adventure waiting.

We boarded our Cathay Pacific flight, and several movies later arrived in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, there was no time for the #701 noodle dish before our flight to Tokyo. Haneda airport was even more crowded than when we were leaving. The passport gate was overflowing with inbound tourists. Good for Japan, I suppose! Here, Kai and I parted company. It’s such a weird feeling to say goodbye to a travel partner after a long trip. You feel the bond of time and experience together shouldn’t be so easy to break as to simply walk in separate directions. But Kai headed back to ARI, and I caught my next flight home to my family in Oita.

When I walked through the front door house and flopped on the couch, I noticed that time had warped me to Monday afternoon, August 26.

Thanks for reading.
Until the next adventure…

Gratitude
Everywhere we went, we were warmly welcomed by ARI graduates. They introduced us to the communities they work with and eagerly showed us their activities. We felt truly cared for as part of a big ARI family and are especially grateful to John and Judy Nyondo for hosting us for several nights at their home/organization the Ecumenical Development Foundation AND for driving us far and wide across Zambia and showing us the best spots in this country that you can’t find in guidebooks. We also want to thank MacDonald for hosting us in his home, caring for us when we got sick, and driving us to graduate locations all over Malawi in his trusty Toyota!

This trip would not have been successful without the help and generous gift of time of our graduates! We also want to thank the American Friends of ARI for organizing the Graduate Convening and sponsoring Kai’s international travel to attend. It was full of rich moments of sharing, learning, and solidarity among ARI’s hardworking graduates!


Written by Steven Cutting (Graduate Outreach Coordinator)
Travelling with Kai Shinoda (Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator)

Click here to read the series of articles

Vol.0 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Prologue】

Vol.1 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 1-2】 

Vol.2 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 3】

Vol.3 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 4】

Vol.4 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 5】

Vol.5 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 6】

Vol.6 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 7】

Vol.7 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 8】

Vol.8 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 9】

Vol.9 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 10】

Vol.10 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 11】

Vol.11 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 12】

Vol.12 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 13】

Vol.13 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 14】

Vol.14 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 15】

Vol.15 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 16】

Vol.16 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 17】

Vol.17 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 18】

Vol.18 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 19】

Vol.19 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 20-23 Part 1】

Vol.20 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 20-23 Part 2】

Vol.21 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 24-26】<== Now, you’re here

Rural Leaders ― a Travel Log Vol. 20

We are sharing with you a series of travel logs written by ARI staff member Steven, who visited Africa in August.
In this log, we would like to share with you the activities of ARI graduates who gathered at the conference. Although I am sure that behind the great deeds described, there were dozens of times more hardships hidden, I feel that the learning at ARI is indeed contributing to improving the lives of people in the community.
Let’s get started on our trip to Africa!

【An African journey to visit ARI graduates, Day 20-23 Part 2】

AFARI ARI Graduate Convening
The American Friends of ARI (AFARI) organized a convening of ARI graduates in tandem with the conference. In this way graduates could benefit from the resources of symposium and also learn, share and just get to know each other. Three participants of the AFARI Tarr Fellowship program were flown in – Saidath “Sailove” Murorunkwere (2020) from Rwanda, Patrick Kullie (2019) from Liberia, and Mambud Samai (2018) from Sierra Leone. Graduates in the region were also welcomed, with AFARI paying for the conference fees, lodging, and meals, while they managed their own transportation costs. Two joined from Zambia, John Nyondo (1983 / 1993 TA) and Judy Daka (2001). This is the couple that kindly drove us the height and width of their country just a week before. There were another six from Malawi – Venitta Kaduya (Veh) (2018), Cecilia Mpinga (2016), Ernest Maganga (2014), Enet Nkasikwa (2013), John Chinkhata (2013), and Fr. Njala Banda (MacDonald) (2010 / 2016 TA). John Nday (2010) from the DRC (but working in Mozambique) also signed up, but couldn’t make it because of visa delays. From outside of Africa there were Sherry DeLeon AFARI staff, Bev Abma AFARI board member, and Steven and Kai from ARI. There were 13 of us in total. Sorry for the jumble of complicated names. Don’t worry, there won’t be a test.

During the days we attended conference events, and in the evenings, met for discussion. This was AFARI’s second Graduate Convening (I think), and the first one I was a part of. I really appreciated the atmosphere of this gathering as it meshes perfectly and the goals of my work in graduate outreach which are “Bringing the ARI Family Together,” and “Building a Global Community of Learning.”

A few updates from a few ARI Graduates
Here I will share a few words from a few graduates. This is by no means a complete account of their work and some of it is a repeat from above. It is meant to be a tiny window peep into their lives. Don’t worry, though, if you want to know more, we also have video interviews up and coming! Yep, I’m gonna become an awesome video editor just for you, and because their amazing stories need to be shared!

Cecilia from Malawi
“If you have a goat, people think you are rich!” I jotted these words down because they enlightened me as to why she chose to start a goat project. By village standards it is a clear action of moving forward economically.

Ernest from Malawi
Ernest works for the Hygiene Village Project (HVP) as a Program Officer, a position to which he was promoted after his ARI training. Unfortunately, we missed seeing his work firsthand, due to cancelling our trip to Blantyre. As indicated by the name, this organization focuses on water sanitation and hygiene under the motto “Everyone forever.”

They introduce eco-san toilets and teach people the hygienic importance of not using anywhere in the bush as a bathroom. I recalled seeing signs around the area saying, “this is an open defecation free zone,” and Ernest said these were placed by HVP. They also dig boreholes to give people access to clean water sources. Many people still get their water directly from rivers, which causes all kinds of health problems. According to the Malawi National Vision, universal access to clean water and education should be available by 2030, and by 2063 every Malawian should have achieved a middle-class standard of living. Ernest noted the challenges of climate change, especially the desertification that is happening all across the country. “Nature is fighting back, now,” he stated, citing the massive destruction of Cyclone Freddy.

“I lead by example. I don’t stand around. I have to get involved.” With these words, Ernest emphasized the importance of the leadership training he got at ARI. Before ARI he would go to a village and perform a needs-based assessment. Essentially, he would go in and tell them what to do. Now, he sits with the villagers to analyze the problems, hear what they think, and develop a plan together. By this method, the people have more ownership of the project. This is the approach of PLA (Participatory Learning and Action) that he learned in Tomoko san（An ARI director）’s class.

“The gap between the people I am leading and me has narrowed,” continued Ernest. “If I just decide, command, and collect reports, the people don’t own the project. The leadership approach of ARI brings oneness of achievement, when we plan and work together. I am even influencing the top management to lead in this way, and it is gradually sinking in.”

Enet from Malawi
After ARI, Enet became a full-time farmer, supported by her husband and the whole family. Through farming, she can raise her family and spread her knowledge through the community.

Judy from Zambia
Judy trained “home based care workers” to administer TB pills to community members who had contracted TB. The reason for this is because, even if given medicine, people often won’t take it. Because of the work of these volunteer health workers, there is now no TB in the community!

John from Malawi
After hearing Judy’s TB achievement, John was excited to share his. When he was still with the Hygiene Village Project, he went to a place near Lake Malawi that had a high rate of cholera. After working with them to build latrines and drill boreholes there was not a single new cholera case. He repeated the same scenario in another area with 78 villages!

Mambud from Sierra Leone
Mambud’s Farming on Crutches program has reached 350 amputees around the country. Recently they had a comprehensive training session for 60 amputee farmers. The amputee football team he started about 20 years ago, called SLASA (Single Leg Amputee Sports Association), was the first amputee football team in all of Africa! They compete internationally and were even invited to an exhibition event at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Sailove from Rwanda
Sailove shared about her one chicken per child project which is modeled after a national program called One Cow per Family. She wanted to do something for children because “my childhood was not good.” She was orphaned during the genocide killing spree and after that she never smiled and rarely talked, due to the trauma. Seeing her now, you would never know this side of her. Hardly a moment can pass in her presence without seeing a smile.

The children are each given a chicken and an avocado tree to care for, with a goal of nurturing leaders for tomorrow. Any child can participate regardless of religion or tribal affiliation. “There is no discrimination,” says Sailove, placing great emphasis on that point. So far 100 children have been provided with chickens and avocado trees. This whole idea was initiated by Sailove, and her organization has been a big support.

On Saturdays 500 kids gather to learn farming, arts and crafts, and do bible studies. Sailove herself is Muslim but the organization she works in has a Christian basis. This program is meant to help keep kids, especially girls, in school rather than going to get married at a very young age.

“When I came back from ARI, I started to think big. My eyes were opened.” Sailove also started a reusable sanitary pad project. Using cotton fiber from banana fiber, they make washable sanitary pads that are much cheaper than disposable ones in the market and can be used for two years. This idea came from sanitary pad class she had at ARI.

She also excitedly spoke of starting organic farming and teaching her colleagues and community how to do composting. “Thank you, ARI, that I became an organic farmer.”

Patrick from Liberia
Patrick explained that before he went to ARI, he was a teacher inside the classroom, but after ARI he went outside to teach hands-on with the kids. His first project was called “farming for education” in which he taught children how to grow small gardens to raise money for school fees. This later inspired the raised bed nurseries he presented about.

With money from the Tarr Fellowship he is starting vocational training for women and was able to buy an addition six sewing machines to add to the three they already had. He is also teaching them casava and vegetable production.


Written by Steven Cutting (Graduate Outreach Coordinator)
Travelling with Kai Shinoda (Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator)


Click here to read the series of articles

Vol.0 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Prologue】

Vol.1 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 1-2】 

Vol.2 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 3】

Vol.3 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 4】

Vol.4 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 5】

Vol.5 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 6】

Vol.6 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 7】

Vol.7 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 8】

Vol.8 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 9】

Vol.9 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 10】

Vol.10 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 11】

Vol.11 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 12】

Vol.12 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 13】

Vol.13 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 14】

Vol.14 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 15】

Vol.15 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 16】

Vol.16 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 17】

Vol.17 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 18】

Vol.18 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 19】

Vol.19 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 20-23 Part 1】

Vol.20 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 20-23 Part 2】<== Now, you’re here

Vol.21 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 24-26】To Be Continued …

Rural Leaders ― a Travel Log Vol. 19

We are sharing with you a series of travel logs written by ARI staff member Steven, who visited Africa in August.
The finale of the trip will be the ECHO East Africa Conference! In the first half of this log, we will tell you about the conference and some interesting topics and ideas.
Let’s get started on our trip to Africa!

【An African journey to visit ARI graduates, Day 20-23 Part 1】

The ECHO East Africa Conference
Okay, so here we are at the conference with folks from all over east, central, and southern Africa talking about the issues they and their farmers are facing and the creative ways they are tackling these issues. The official title is ECHO East Africa and Canadian Foodgrains Bank Joint Symposium on Best Practices in Sustainable Agriculture & Appropriate Technologies. I didn’t take a lot of notes, preferring to just listen and take things in, so this post isn’t going to be long! Whew!

One big reason Kai and I are here is to network and share about ARI, what Kai has termed active recruitment. In this line, one big, unexpected encounter was with Erwin. Erwin is the founder of ECHO. It turns out he lives in Arusha, Tanzania which has been his home for more than 30 years. He is super soft spoken and laid back, but so on top of things…culturally, African contextually, small scale farmerily (okay, that isn’t a real word, but you know what I mean).

It was also amazing to meet so many talented and shrewd community leaders. These are not “third hand” folks, who have come to Africa to talk about everything the Africans are doing wrong and how to do it right. These are “first hand” folks – on the ground, in the community, ‘these are my own people’ folks. I loved listening to them speak about their people, their problems, and their own approaches to improving their lives with such eloquence. These are the kinds of people ARI is here for. During mealtimes, when we had a chance to talk and get to know each other and share about ARI, well, those were some lively conversations!

A few snippets

ANAMED – Mindset change
ANAMED is an international organization that promotes natural medicines. The couple that presented has been living and working in Malawi for a very long time (30 years, maybe). The main premise of their talk was “mindset change” in relation to sustainable agriculture. They work with farmers for the long term, which is a big contrast to the project approach, where outside experts come and do a project in a village and then leave. In the end, nothing really changes. Changing a person’s or a people’s mindset requires long term commitment and dedication. Mindset change is something our ARI graduates speak about frequently as being both a big challenge and hugely important!

The name ANAMED sounded familiar and during the presentation I finally remembered why I knew it. One of our graduates in Cameroon is affiliated with ANAMED. They produce all kinds of herbal medicines. The place is called Rural Transformation Center and there are actually two graduates from there – Collins and Ben.

VSLs
This presentation answered a question I had in my mind for a long time. Village Savings and Loan groups (VSLs) are a great way for rural folks to save and pool their own money and then make it available to each other for small loans. In this talk I learned about two main categories of borrowing – consumption and investment. Consumption loans are when money is borrowed for an expense like school fees, doctor bills, purchasing a house. These kinds of loans are helpful when a villager needs a large amount of money up front but must be repaid with their existing income. Investment loans, on the other hand, are when money is borrowed for business purposes, so that money brings in more money! So, investment loans are more suited to growing the economy of a village. This was my Banking 101 class.

Raised beds
This presentation was given by our own ARI graduate, Patrick Kullie from Liberia (2019). He has been growing seedlings in raised beds and a few points I jotted down are:
 ▪ The frames are made of bamboo (very local resource).
 ▪ The soil is treated with boiling water to disinfect and kill the seeds of weeds.
 ▪ Having the beds raised makes it easier for disabled people to grow seedlings.
 ▪ The seedlings can be easily transplanted to gardens or sold to local farmers.

Farming on Crutches
This session was also given by an ARI graduate, Mambud Samai, from Sierra Leone (2018). He talked about his work with amputees, which he has been at for more than 20 years. It all began when he formed an amputee sports association. After ARI he started a permaculture project teaching amputees how to earn a living through farming. I personally know his story very well so I didn’t take any notes, but one day soon I will share more about it. In the meantime, you can take a look at this video that was produced in 2019. I was there with the filmmakers but did my absolute best to stay out of the way of the camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjOBhgwUasA

The thing that stuck out most for me in his presentation were the photos of “permaculture couples.” Mambud has performed at least two wedding for people who met each other while working on this farm! Oh, did I mention that he is also a pastor?

Words from a random mealtime conversation
Meals were one of my favorite times. Not only because I like to eat all the good food they were serving up, but also because of the vibrant conversations. The following are a few words someone passed on to me said by the principal of an agricultural college. So sorry, due to my bad memory I can’t credit the principal or the college, but I thought these would work well in an ARI admissions brochure:
“If you don’t want to touch the soil, don’t come here.”
“If you think you already know too much, don’t come here.”

Chaya
This was my favorite presentation overall. The woman speaking was so passionate and so articulate, you just couldn’t help wanting to run out and grow some chaya and cook it up for dinner. Chaya is a kind of bush, and you can eat its leaves. It seems to thrive in many kinds of climates and soils and is more nutritious than spinach. She shared a chart that showed vegetable consumption by country within Africa and then a chart of life expectancy. There was a direct correlation between the two, so “eat your vegetables” was her strong message. She and her team even brought several cuttings of Chaya, which only need to be put in the ground and watered to start growing. But be sure to plant it right side up. “Do you know which side is up? I’ll teach you!”

A small debate started when one audience member said they were afraid to eat Chaya because it contains toxins. This is true, it turns out, but only needs to be boiled first, just like spinach and casava. It’s better not to eat it raw, but even then, only great amounts consumed would have harmful effects.

The most memorable part of her talk was when she went on a tangent about relish. Relish in this context was sauce, or soup, that is obligatory for any African meal, as you need something to dip your Nshima in. Traditionally, “the worth of a woman is in the relish,” she explained. “If a man has five wives, he will eat and sleep with the wife that makes the best relish!” In a roundabout way, this was connected with eating more vegetables I suppose, especially chaya!

Prayer from all nations
The second to the last evening, ECHO had a big community supper which featured a mouthwatering braai, known as a barbecue in other parts of the world. This was followed by a traditional dance performance, which some of our graduates joined in. Finally, we had the “prayer from all nations.” This is quite a moving experience wherein a representative of every language speaker present is invited to come and give a prayer. For some reason, Kai wasn’t around, so for the second time in my life I went forward to pray publicly IN JAPANESE. Well, since there were no other Japanese speakers, no one would know my mistakes, and I’m pretty sure God would get my meaning, no matter how badly I messed up. So, no worries! We all lined up, there must have been at least thirty different languages represented, and one by one offered our prayer. If you ever have a chance to attend an ECHO conference, be sure not to miss this!

Written by Steven Cutting (Graduate Outreach Coordinator)
Travelling with Kai Shinoda (Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator)


Click here to read the series of articles

Vol.0 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Prologue】

Vol.1 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 1-2】 

Vol.2 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 3】

Vol.3 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 4】

Vol.4 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 5】

Vol.5 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 6】

Vol.6 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 7】

Vol.7 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 8】

Vol.8 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 9】

Vol.9 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 10】

Vol.10 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 11】

Vol.11 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 12】

Vol.12 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 13】

Vol.13 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 14】

Vol.14 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 15】

Vol.15 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 16】

Vol.16 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 17】

Vol.17 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 18】

Vol.18 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 19】

Vol.19 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 20-23 Part 1】<== Now, you’re here

Vol.20 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 20-23 Part 2】To Be Continued …

Rural Leaders ― a Travel Log Vol. 18

We are sharing with you a series of travel logs written by ARI staff member Steven, who visited Africa in August.
The trip is finally coming to an end, but before going to the final destination for the ECHO conference, they saw one more graduate’s activity.
As many as 1,700 girls were spared from dropping out of school thanks to a skill that Veh（2018 graduate）learned at ARI!
Let’s get started on our trip to Africa!

【An African journey to visit ARI graduates, Day 19】

ECHO
Today we head to Lilongwe to attend a conference organized by ECHO East Africa and an ARI graduate convening organized by AFARI (American Friends of ARI). ECHO is a very cool organization that provides training for small-holder farmers all over the world. Their values and approach are a close match with ARI’s. In fact, when I first met staff from ECHO, they said, “Oh, you are ARI? At our training sessions we often meet people who are already familiar with our organic farming techniques. When we ask them where they learned them, their reply is ARI! It’s nice to finally meet you!”

Mac’s new organization
Before departing Malindi, Mac did a PowerPoint presentation for us on the organization he started last year called Anamagelo Charity Trust. The name comes from his mother’s nickname and the organization itself was inspired by his mother, who never thought of herself and was always giving to her neighbors. In short, the charity’s focus is education, including child sponsorship and school renovation. One recent project was to rebuild a nearby school that had collapsed in cyclone Freddy. Mac is hoping to send some of its staff to ARI, but according to ARI policy the organization will need a bit more time to mature before we can approve it for applications.

The drive to Lilongwe was uneventful, because we have long gotten used to goat traffic jams and police checkpoints. One policeman said he would have to fine Mac for having a beard! (This was a joke, of course. Or was it?)

Veh is on the airwaves!
In Lilongwe we met Veh (2018 ARI graduate) again, this time in her home. I think I already mentioned that Veh is a radio personality for Zodiac radio, hosting an early morning show for farmers. Her husband works for the government in the department of sanitation, so Veh told us that if we see any trash around town, we should complain to him! Veh looks very much like a city girl with a house in a more upscale part of Lilongwe, but I really like her approach. She goes out to seek opportunities where she can help communities, and this is what she was eager to show us.

Veh is helping to keep1,700 girls in school!
“Four girls have been saved from early marriage,” Veh explained as she drove us to a local school. “What? What do you mean?” I asked. “It’s because of our sanitary pad project. When girls reach puberty, they drop out of school. It’s simply because they don’t have sanitary pads, so they stay home from school for a week every month during their period. Eventually, they fall behind and quit. After that, there are few options open to them, and some are forced to get married as early as 14 years old.”

Veh learned about making reusable cloth sanitary pads at ARI and when she got home, she approached the head teacher of Dzenza Primary School, which is not far from her home, to ask if she could teach this skill to the girls. “No problem. You can start,” was the immediate reply. This was kind of a shock, because topics like this can be taboo in this society. Veh expected to meet resistance, but there was none. So, for the last seven years she has been teaching the girls how to make their own pads. ¾ of the 2,300 strong student body are female, so there is no shortage of demand for this product. The school now employs a tailor to make these pads, but Veh ensures that the girls also know how to make them themselves. We met a group of “Veh’s girls” who were just about to take their exams for secondary school. Veh has watched as these kids grow up and is proud that they have stayed in school and are not afraid to hold on to their dreams. Veh herself is an inspiration to them. She is successful and self-confident and with her smooth radio voice, that the kids hear on the public airwaves, they find her very cool!

A couple of side notes about this school are that it was established as a Presbyterian Mission School in 1928 and the church on the grounds was built in 1932. In one of the classrooms, we saw kids practicing karate. I wondered if this was a JOCV project (Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers – like the Peace Corps, only Japanese!). JOCVers are famous for teaching sports to kids around the world, especially karate!
And lastly, Veh pointed out a borehole that was built with funding from a Mission Intern that she met at ARI. His nickname is ‘King,’ but I don’t remember his real name, because we never used it. Unfortunately, the well has gone dry, so they need to check into how to revive it.

Big family hugs
That evening the four of us (Veh, MacDonald, Kai, and Steven) headed north to Mponela to the spacious Hotel Linde, the venue for the ECHO East Africa Conference. This is also the site of the ARI graduate convening, which I am very excited about. Mambud from Sierra Leone and Patrick from Liberia were already there and greeted me with exuberant ARI hugs. The ARI Worldwide network is really a big family. I’ll talk more about these two graduates and the rest of the conference in the next entries, but for now, I think I’ll settle in for a good night’s sleep.

Written by Steven Cutting (Graduate Outreach Coordinator)
Travelling with Kai Shinoda (Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator)


Click here to read the series of articles

Vol.0 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Prologue】

Vol.1 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 1-2】 

Vol.2 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 3】

Vol.3 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 4】

Vol.4 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 5】

Vol.5 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 6】

Vol.6 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 7】

Vol.7 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 8】

Vol.8 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 9】

Vol.9 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 10】

Vol.10 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 11】

Vol.11 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 12】

Vol.12 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 13】

Vol.13 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 14】

Vol.14 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 15】

Vol.15 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 16】

Vol.16 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 17】

Vol.17 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 18】

Vol.18 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 19】<== Now, you’re here

Vol.19 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 20-23 Part 1】To Be Continued …