If the idea of "celebration" ranges from formal events to spontaneous clapping of hands in response to good news, then the recurring themes in Dadamac UK-Nigeria discussions this week have been celebrations and gifts.
Cameras for Communication
Spontaneous hand clapping in the UK office greeted the news that the first official Cameras For Communication (C4C) course is underway. The course materials have already been tried out by the course leaders, but this week is the first time they have presented the course to students. They have two goups of students, each group scheduled for three sessions lasting two hours each. Course numbers are small as there is lots of practical work and very few cameras. One group is Fantsuam Foundation Staff/Volunteers. The other is Fantsuam Foundation Micro-Credit Field officers. The course is C4C module 1, and is an introduction to camera use for taking photos.
There was more good news about C4C Module 2, which is about using video to record simple interviews. The need for such videos triggered the C4C development. Kazanka Comfort (Fantsuam Foundation general secretary) wants the field officers to record interviews with micro-finance clients, as a method of accurate reporting. Course notes are being prepared by Ricardo, in the UK. Videos for illustrative purposes are being prepared by the team in Nigeria. There is no funding for this project, so people are fitting it in amongst many other priorities. This week the second video clip arrived from Nigeria for Ricardo to include in the course materials.
Fantsuam Foundation Party
Fantsuam Foundation (FF) is celebrating renewal of their contract with VSO. and completion of a project lead by the VSO volunteers. Everyone has been involved in a detailed review of Fantsuam Foundation's many initiatives, and careful five year plans have been made. It has been a tedious and time-consuming process, but the results are impressive, and already proving valuable.
FF wants to thow a party to celebrate and thank everyone for their hard work, on the review and plans. Parties cost money and there is never "money to spare" at Fantsuam, so it was good news that a longstanding friend of Fantsuam Foundation in the UK had just donated £50. The gift was for whatever John needed next. She would be delighted to learn it was most needed for something happy instead of something problematic.
Knowledge Resource Centre
Another gift was announced, which was £100 from Dadamac Foundation, for more furniture for the Knowledge Resource Centre (KRC). Dadamac Foundation is a small charity. Its income is through gifts from a tiny group of supporters. It does not have a fundraiser. The trustees invite new people to get involved.
Teachers Talking and Dadamac Learners
Another celebration is planned, for November 2009. It will be five years since the first Teachers Talking (TT) course. The part of TT known as TT online led to many other online activities (at present scattered around the Internet) which are gradually being brought together under Dadamac Learners. We will try to raise some money to bring Dadamac Learners together online, and Face to Face at the KRC.
London Knowledge Lab (LKL)
The final celebration we discussed was one that Pamela McLean attended in London. It was another fifth anniversary, that of the London Knowledge Lab (LKL). Dadamac has no formal links yet with LKL, although perhaps this could happen in future. There is a big overlap between some LKL interests and those of the Knowledge Resource Centre at Bayan Loco. Pam was at LKL through informal, person-to-person, connections which have developed through overlapping interests in various projects and workshops.
A good week
After the recent setbacks with the Yoghurt Bulls and the ZittNet mast, it is good to look back this week and see causes for celebration.