Such is our relationship with John Dada of Fantsuam Foundation that despite bombs, curfews and poor connectivity he still endeavored to join us at our weekly UK-Nigeria online meeting.
The previous day John had been in contact with Pamela McLean via a typed Skype conversation.The connection dropped from time to time and John was running short of power - but we managed to exchange some news - below is part of their conversation (NEPA is grid electricity supply):
John said: “We are now under 24hrs curfew as a result of the church bomb blasts of last sunday in Zaria and Kaduna. Shinggu was in Kaduna to follow up the FastTractor and is now stranded there, but safe..... Its raining heavily at the moment and I am using my modem for connection. My laptop battery will last another 10 minutes: there's no NEPA tonite.”
We had been hoping for news from Mr Shinggu as the day to make the insurance payment for the tractor was approaching. Making that payment should then be the last hurdle before the tractor is released to Fantsuam Foundation. However, Pamela received a phone call from Cass of "Next steps in getting the tractor" who informed us that:
There had been more bombs. This time in Kaduna. There is a curfew, not just in the city of Kaduna, but elsewhere in Kaduna State. Cass says people cannot leave their homes - not even to go to buy food.
To get the unfolding story see FastTractor on FaceBook (Please "like" us if you go to our page)
For more of the backstory or to donate see the FastTractor website (We still need additional donations as we have had to borrow some of the money in order to buy the subsidised tractor.)
The photo was sent to us by John and shows similar equipment to the one hoped to be purchased by Fantsuam Foundation