Another week passes and I thought that Pam and I had had a busy one, but our activity paled into insignificance compared with the enormous strides forward that our sister organisation Fantsuam Foundation had achieved!
At this week's online skype meeting between the UK and Nigeria in our hourly update we learned:
* The full extent of FF's plans to mark the UN's global awareness day on June 19th. In fact FF have embraced this concept so admirably that they have planned two day's of activities. Their plans being so impressive that they warrant a blog of their own!
* John Dada informed us that Teleri, a VSO volunteer, has just completed training the women "fast-food" sellers in catfish processing and is now showing them how to use calculators in their businesses. She even managed to included an eye glasses prescription session, and organised reading glasses for some of the participants. Photos and a report of this training hopefully to be forwarded to the UK.
* Fantsuam Academy has also launched weekend programs for workers who are unable to attend lectures held on weekdays. We were told that it's actually the first of its kind here in Kafanchan. So far the computer class consists of four men and eight women and came about due to local demand from teachers, photographers ,civil servants, and bank staff who could only attend at the weekend.
* The UK were told that four Fantsuam staff were in Kaduna for ESSPIN training.
Training being about community involvement in the administration of their primary schools and facilities. John explained further that ESSPIN is the first time rural communities are being encouraged to become involved in how their village schools are administered. He then went on to to us a charming insight explaining that in one of the villages he visited, the classroom is shared with chickens laying eggs and in another the classroom is the sitting room of one of the parents!
* We learned that the VSO permaculture specialist has deferred his arrival until August. John confirmed that Beekeeping at Attachab is still on the agenda.
* We were also very pleased to learn that next week should see the appointment of a co-ordinator of the Knowledge Resource Centre. Her name is Ladi, a graduate who once took a FF computer course. We wish her every success in her new post and look forward to meeting her online.