Day 24 of this Work Week

I think I see the light!  It's Friday and I'm home early. The generator at the office has malfunctioned and parts have to be brought from Kano and the repairs made over the weekend. Since NEPA 
(the power company) provides service in 6 hour blocks here (6am to 12 pm one week, 6pm to 12 midnight alternate weeks), yesterday and today, there was no power after noon. Our office is in a complex which houses the Ministry of Education and other government offices.  Unlike local schools these offices are not built with cross ventilation, so within a few hours it become pretty stuffy.


After Friday prayers, it's usually very quiet anyway, and I broke more than a little sweat collecting reports and sorting out  workshop materials earlier in the day. So, by 3:30 I said "To zan tafi!" 


I am looking forward to a 'sleep in' weekend, finalizing plans for a workshop at the end of the week and closing out my stay here in Sokoto. No wine to celebrate, but there are  a couple of cans of minerals (soda) and refreshing ginger drink in the fridge so I'll kick back, find a scintillating Nolloywood movie or two to watch, and hope grilled fish is on the menu at the garden restaurant tonight!. WooHoo!

In Search of a 12-Step Program

Is there a 12-step program for people like me? I am a coffee lover in a land of serious tea drinkers and readily admit my inability to do without a good  brew for too long.  No Nescafe for me, if I can help it!  I have found suppliers to support my habit of three to five cups of rich brew a day. Steve brought the coffee press and a two pound bag of bold roast. Alison a bag of French roast. And Mark...well, he brought whole beans.  There are no coffee mills readily available.  I will not buy a blender to grind coffee. 

from propartganda.com

My current supply of ground will last about 5 more days.  Any suggestions on how to grind these beans without an electric device?  Help! I don’t think I can bear going into withdrawal!:-)

Road Trip--Accosted by the Police in Abuja

It was great to see my colleagues in Abuja as part of the organizations mid term conference.  The rest of the team drove down from Kano and I met them there. Since I arrived before the group, I had a chance to get my hair done--the first time since I've been here.  What a pleasure! Our hotel was a sweet little B&B in the "Model Cities II" area with lovely color themed rooms.  'Geronimo' has a sports lounge, free Internet service and an interesting breakfast selection (including sardine sandwich)Our meeting with the new Mission Director was at 3:30 and Steve was able to get us an appointment at the Embassy to get an update on security and preparations for the upcoming national elections at 2:00.  The advice was basically  to keep the lowest possible profile, update emergency contact information and have a short wave radio on hand. Somewhat standard advice for foreigners during election and similar to that given at our orientation in Arizona last summer. 

Nike Research Centre for Art and Culture

A couple of hours was set aside for shopping and sightseeing before the appointments Our visit to Nike's Center for Art & Culture provide a chance to see some of the rich art work and crafts developed under the tutelage of Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye. Her world renowned batiks chronicle African society's contradictory views towards women.  

After two nights we needed to head to Kano. I was on time for our ten am departure.  Shocked by the vehicle we had to travel in. It was a 1980something Volkswagen complete with cracked windshield, seats that were falling apart, no rear view mirror, no a/c (6 hour drive @ 90degrees), and a window winder that had to be shared by both sides in the back seat. (highway- roll them up; town-roll them down).

Just outside Abuja we pulled over to take pictures of the huge monolith landmark- Zuma Rock. Our driver parked about 20 yards behind what appeared to be a disabled car in which a woman and small child sat.  We all piled out of the car and began taking pictures.  I'd taken enough pictures and was headed back to the car when a truck carrying armed policemen slowed down on the highway. "What are you doing?  Who gave you permission to take pictures here? Where is your permit?"..and on and on. They were mean and insistent, but not as determined as our country representative who told the cops in no uncertain terms that we were within our rights and they had stepped over the line, both of the law and the Nigerian sense of hospitality. 

I suppose rogue law enforcement officers are everywhere.  These guys were looking to intimidate 'the foreigners' and get 'dashed' to allow us to go on our way. They got no Naira and quickly got back in their truck, without showing any concern for the disabled vehicle parked behind them.

A few hours later, just outside Kaduna, the car broke down. It was the alternator. Fortunately with the manual shift we were able to hobble back to the town, find a garage and used part and get back on the road within about an hour and a half.

To Abuja

Leaving for Abuja  shortly. I'll be meeting my IFESH Country representative and teammates for a meeting with the USAID Mission Director and our mid-term conference back in Kano.  Lots of travel over the next 5 days..Sokoto-Abuja-Kano-Sokoto.  Looking forward to seeing my colleagues

Keeping Up With the Technology

I have just 3 days left to use  over 200MB of data on my  The usage plan recommended—the moderately priced one provides 500MB of data which  must be used within 30 days.  Use it or lose it!  The first time I ran out of units in about 3 weeks—and at a critical time.  It was during the holidays. Maybe I thought I was back home.  The computer was on, modem running most of the weekend.  Then I heard a little ‘tweet tweet’ chirping sound coming from the laptop.  After investigation, I discovered my units were suddenly gone!  Some update ate up a chunk of MB that should have lasted until the office reopened. 


Now the opposite has happened.  So I guess I'll spend some time uploading photos or downloading somethings to use up the units.  


Because of the weak infrastructure, portability is the name of the game. We buy units  on scratch off cards for  50,100, 500,1500 Naira to load on our cell phones or modems. Landlines are primarily intercom systems. I don't know the percentage of landlines in the country. Basically, hotels, some hospitals, government offices and maybe some larger businesses have them.  You can dial land to land or cell to land, but not land to cell or cell to land.  


 The portable radio has carried news and information to the far reaches of the world. There are portables everywhere. But  its the cell phone that  has connected people in the 'developing' world  and has had an uncanny impact in the development of these areas of the world.  According to one source 60% of the world's cell phones users live in developing nations.   


Why Africa?


More in Africa Use Mobile Phones Than Any Other Continent


 A misplaced cellphone for a 'stranger' like me can be cause for concern--no directory assistance.  Borrow someone phone and call who since all the number are programmed into your phone.. Yes I have 'lost' my phone--left it in a car, left it in the office, left it..well not any more.

A New Room at the Dankani

I got myself moved into the new 4-story win of the Dankani Guest Palace.  The building is still under construction—the central staircase only goes to the 2^nd floor; pieces of plywood block the ends of one hallway on each floor, and the exterior stairs are..well…hanging, but the place is a step up from where I had been living for the past few weeks.

In many ways the new room is better than the old one in the Aminu Kano wing.  Flat screen TV, stylish furnishings and real closet and storage space.  And, my new room is on the 2^nd floor, away from the slamming car doors and parking lot conversations of my first floor accommodations.  I was in room 115, which was regularly dialed, all times of night and morning, instead of extension 151, the number for the restaurant.  I had resorted to taking the phone of the hook when I got in every evening.

For me the new place has just one drawback..no complimentary wire service(well, the bed is also smaller, but that’s ok).It's just not working in this part of the complex.  So, for the moment I am sitting under one of the gazebos in the garden in order to use the internet.  (Tried to do this on my phone so that I could add photos..no luck.. pictures later).

Its 6 pm and probably 90 degrees.  A small warm breeze is barely stirring the leaves of the surrounding Nehm trees.  I have placed my regular order for grilled fish and chips.  Time to head back into the a/c!

A Morning at Shehu Shegari College of Education

The Head of the Primary Ed Studies Department and English Instructor show room that will be developed into a library with support from IFESH and USAID Humanitarian Programs.
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