This week at the UK-Nigeria meeting some of the benefits of a typed Skype meeting were demonstrated. Namely, that team members were able to join from different sites and Kelechi who had to urgently leave to assess the damage of a bush fire at Attachab was able to read the archive and join the meeting later.
John informed us that 6 key staff were away from Fantsuam Foundation on training this week. We were pleased that one of the staff was able to join us from Kaduna where she was attending EU Inside training. It was this staff member who also updated the team about the Saturday Children’s computer club. It's funded by One World UK and titled ‘Learning about living’. We were told that there are just two weeks more until the end of the program but it is hoped that OneWorld UK will continue their support for another session.
In addition to all the training that takes place weekly at the Fantsuam Academy, Comfort was busy hosting training for a team from Abuja. However, the main focus for training for this week will be the first ever Community Health Committee training which was due on Thursday 3rd of February.
Community Health Committees (CHCs) :
The team were pleased that John had been able to ‘Pop in’ for the meeting briefly and give his valuable input as he was actually also busy coordinating a meeting with the local government Health department.
As John told the team” We think the CHC concept will be another landmark for FF as it starts a peoples health movement. People owning their health, and willing to do what they can about it”
The CHC members from their respective communities will learn about annual work plans, budgets and resource mobilization tips. As well as the 15 communities which have signed up for the scheme John informs us that they have requests from 20 additional communities wanting to be part of the CHC movement. However, John intends to start with these 15 communities first and to learn from managing these communities before he scales up.
At some point an annual award for best performing CHC is envisaged as an incentive to others.
Other matters discussed:
Photo Printer Project: At the staff meeting last Friday, FF staff were informed that the printer is now available for printing coloured photographs and that this information should be circulated. So far we have been told that it will be used for printing good quality pictures (photos) and will also be used for passport photos.
- Bushfire: It was explained that bush fire is one of the cultural issues that FF is tackling as it is the result of an annual rat hunting ritual. Kelechi reported that the fire started outside the farm, and came in from the fence and because this is dry season , a little spark can cause a great deal of damage. Some Jatropha plants were damaged by fire but it seems that most escaped.
- FF are expecting a Congolese tree planter from Monday to help with completion of the new building at Attachab. He is also a tree planter and will bring us loads of bamboo, pineapple, etc for Attachab.
- The walls of the Attachab house will be contructed of red bricks and bamboo.
- FF have been expecting a tractor for Attachab: they have paid part of the cost, Government is subsidising, but the tractor has yet to be released.
The Community Communication Centre:
The final funds have now been released by the Government.