..."In the end, it is not the amount of breaths you take it's the moments that take your breath away"

Upon arrival to the Kuer Ali Guey village in the Kaolack region of Senegal, we were welcomed with open arms.  Awa, President of the Women's Association said "Andrea, you look like you are a peaceful volunteer".  It was the envelopment of Kuer Ali Guey and the surrounding villages and organizations from the very inception of this project that the rest of the trip would live up to, even surpass.  Come to think of it, while there were parameters in which we were expected to work towards per NCBA/USAID along with objectives and outcomes to strive towards, my expectations...as per the opening title of my blog, were "Going in with an open mind and heart"...and little more.

 

Quickly however, I found that the universal language of love and compassion transcends any boundary or constraint personal, professional or otherwise.  Put simply, the more you are willing to give of yourself, the more response and progress one will find.

Many village visits,meetings and relationships were forged due to our determination to serve.  And serve we did.  The thoughtful technologies of Compatible Technology International, coupled with the sensitivity to cultural and individual differences, advanced this month long journey to a caliber of unexpected proportions.

 

Some dialogue that we experienced from various sources were "If you could visualize our interest, it would be as tall as a skyscraper!" Ahmed Dame Cisse from Lat Mingue village, "You have a friend here...in me" Dougal Guey in Kayemon village, "C'est bon C'est bon C;est bon!" A farmer from CARITAS, and most touching for me, was a departure from a life long friend I made despite the language barriers "I have left my heart with you" Therese, wife of CARITAS Geo-Scientist Renee with whom we dined at their home once and then were surprised a second night with a Thanksgiving Feast to help us feel at "home" in their home.  Touching is the fact that each of these people are tickled by what our simple technologies can provide--a way and means for a better life--and touching is the fact that I have been blessed to have had the chance to help secure that opportunity.

 

Recently, at our December board meeting, I explained my obsession with taking photographs of doors. Each of us have had doors closed, only for others to be opened, and until CTI and pursuing my Masters in Development Policy with a concentration in Africa, it seems that there was a less definable period in my life.  Many "doors" and opportunities have been presented to me within this organization I think so highly of, and I have been keen to act on those, feeling that it is my job to continue to open similar doors for those, mentioned above, and beyond that are equally deserving, but perhaps without the ways or means. It is unconscionable to me to think that what CTI is able to provide will not be visible to the most rural communities.  So I, like each of the equally passionate and eager volunteers at CTI happily forge an exodus towards a goal of creating and supporting sustainable environments that will provide future generations with the tools, education and kindred roots.

 

I had a lot of reflective moments during this trip, and I also blogged our adventures, seemingly because it would have been impossible to re-create most of these experiences after the fact.  But what resonates loudly in my mind is the moments that rendered me speechless, (something that rarely happens).  It is these silent moments, personal exchanges, accepting smiles, joyous laughter and dancing and even the unspoken word that are impossible to prepare for which allowed me to reflect most authentically and honestly that I am truly the most fortunate woman in the world.

 

We are called to do certain things in our lives, and it is what we do with that time that maters most.  Cliche perhaps, but I enjoy very much a quote I once heard..."In the end, it is not the amount of breaths you take it's the moments that take your breath away"

 

 

A Rooster, a Donkey, A pack of strays, and the Imam...

What does a rooster, a donkey, a swarm of stray dogs and the Imam have in common? Answer?...After a horrible night of sleep they all come begging you to rise at 4:00am...So I thought I would begin this blog with what started our 8 hour journey into the Gates/ICRISAT Hope Project in Tominian. But first I feel there needs to be a bit of a picture painted here.

Tuesday Dec 7th:

I find myself somewhat disenchanted upon arrival. Something I cannot quiet explain, but one I will try to elaborate on. I must be careful not to negate what Mali has to offer, its people, its hidden jewels, but from the moment I arrived there was a looming curtain and a literal wall of haze from the immense pollution ring around the capitol city. There was almost a offensive piquant odor about the bustling city due to the refuse, the smog, the dust and wind combined with the heat. I have not been able to shake this unexplainable feeling, yet everyone I have had the pleasure of meeting is simply delightful.

Looking back:

It is curious,or rather disheartening to me the Mali is one of the poorest countries in Africa, and yet it has allocated to it some of the largest funding for development. The Chinese own the roads, and the Libyan’s own the hotels.

While in Senegal, we visited a distributor of industrial agricultural equipment, dozens of machines, and hundreds of thousands invested going unused by the immediate populations that they are meant to support. It is a gross reality of development, and one at CTI that we work hard to avoid by working with our partners, distributors, stakeholders and instituting accountability on all fronts. No machine that is needed and wanted by women doing this work should ever be sitting in a machine graveyard. So it is because of this that the undertone of this blog has some resentment and negativity. It is unconscionable to me to have a simple task, feeding famine, that can be so skewed. In 25 days we have been able to accomplish, facilitate, and create a mass awareness and desire for a move from traditional to modernity. Whoever said one person cannot make a difference was sorrily mistaken.

Wednesday December 8th-Friday December 10th

Wednesday we spent all day driving parallel to the Niger River (downstream) it was a 8 hour drive where we passed through Segou for lunch which was a pleasant departure from the mass chaos of the city. Segou was a very well kept area, and one I would have liked to explore more had we had time. But we are on a mission to reach a close proximity to meet our ICRISAT partner Tom for the evening, so we push on. Eight hours after leaving Bamako, we arrive at San, and bunk up therefor the night. It is here that Verizon FINALLY turns my phone back on...the FRAUD department had shut it off 7 days prior unbeknownst to me and my wonderful Mother Barb orchestrated the fixing on that due to the fact that they wanted me to CALL them to FIX it...HELLO?? Did you NOT shut off my phone in a 3^rd world country? How would you like me to CALL??? Anyways, that snafu gets rectified, but then I suddenly have 120 emails that come through...not sure which is worse. So I forego dinner and tend to my emails, and try to go to bed in a somewhat questionable abode.

Thursday morning as mentioned above I am brought to a perpendicular standstill to the bed, as it sounds as if the Rooster, donkey, Imam, and a pack of dogs all chime in on the morning ritual. This is one ritual (on a day like this) that I really care to participate in...

Nonetheless, I rise, like ALL the rest 4:00am and do some work, don't dare shower or turn on the water, rather I had some bottled water left (which was my dinner) to splash on my face, and brush my teeth. This much is good. What are you thankful for??

Roger and I have a nice discussion over a piece of bread this morning. It had been looming over me how so many machines we'd seen were abandoned and unused, and our grinder needed a foster home with one of the partners we had made in country rather than the condition in which we found it. It was agreed that this is what would happen, and it was a very intelligent decision to leave it with the Tominian Hope village, and Tom from ICRISAT to get use in the field in return for data collection and reports back on logistics.

Both Tom, and the Tominian Village were inviting and helpful. Tom is a bit of a comedian and makes certain the visit is lively and enjoyable for all. Even what can sometimes be the long, but necessary pre-placement surveys. Rose was the resident spokeswoman, and one who clearly was respected by all in the village.

After the demonstration and with multiple hands on the machines, Tom, who is a Dutchman and lived in Mali for 6 years interpreted some of the feedback. At one point there was another woman who was traditionally crushing the pearl millet in the mortar and pestle while we were winnowing and threshing in the modern (earlier model prototype). While she finished about the same time, the comparison of the labor needed coupled with what the finished product looked like, our sample was clean and without “brokens” (which run the risk of rancidity) and her bowl had much debris, shafts from the panicle, and needed to be sorted/sifted through in order to make it acceptable to continue.

Next we tried the grinder to show how fine the flour can be from their grains, and while this was somewhat labor intensive initially, the product that it produced was unquestionably superior and in far less time than a woman could do in her traditional ways, or cost.

Rose had us come to her home where she showed us their storage units—very ingenious design, and also a thresher that had no water/oil in it so it smelled, looked, and sounded like a rocket ship ready to blast off...I thought the machine was going to levitate at one point! We were invited to sit and enjoy some peanuts with them, when the village's “mean dog” as Tom put it came waltzing in...I looked and finally saw a 4 pound pup (what looked like a tan/white spaniel of sorts) and I picked him up. Britt we will call him for short, nuzzled in close, was eager to give soft puppy kisses, and nearly fell asleep in my arms. The village young women giggled. “MEAN dog” nearly had a one way ticket to frigid Minnesota!

Friday December 10-Saturday December 11

Friday morning I felt much better (2^nd to last day and I get sick!) we take a morning walk in Djenne, the holiest area in Mali, and home to the largest mosque as well  It's rather a site,. and after sleeping it off, I hope for a smooth 8 hour drive home to Bamako.

Saturday December 11th

I would not call the ride smooth, but I am sitting here typing this on Saturday morning, so you know I have made the nearly month long journey. This did not happen alone, and not without the huge support and love from all those involved, the people I have met, the friendships I now have, the smiles and hugs I have been witness to and everlasting memories this has instilled in an already fortunate life.

Thank you for following this journey, for your love, support, and Taranga. It means “friendship” in Wolof.

A Benevolent mind

Les Paletuviers a family of friends among us

One of the most enjoyable parts of the first leg of this trip has been meeting the people.  The people "may be very poor, but are so rich", and this resonates loudly in the smiles, the greetings,  and the laughter.

Along this journey, we were fortunate enough to find a few days for some R & R.  It was really rather by mistake that I stumbled across Les Paletuviers, and what a special mistake that has been.  The staff and owners of this series of 3 properties are magnificent and introducing you to the culture, the surroundings, the wildlife and ecosystems and all that beautiful Senegal has to offer.  Pictured above is Executive Director Roger Salway and myself on our voyage back from Paradise Island which boarders The Gambia in the horizon.  Our friends at Les Paletuviers brought us back through the forests of mangroves, which were also fairytale like.  

Mangroves are an essential buffer for coastal areas, and one that cannot go unmentioned.  Mangroves act as a wall against rising waters and climate change, while they also provide a natural habitat for shellfish.  A necessity for our changing world.

It was a most magical experience when we arrived at the island after a 2 hour boat ride with our new friends that the surprises unfolded.  Not long after our arrival, and settling in to our own slice of  Heaven, and it began to snow! Suddenly, we were surrounded by millions of ivory butterflies and this lasted well into dusk...it was the most magnificent thing I have ever payed witness to, and a moment I will never forget.

Tomorrow marks the 2nd leg of our trip with travel to Bamako, Mopti, and Tominian Mali.  I checked the forecast, 92-99 degrees until we touch back down into the Twin Cities on December 12th.    

As life throws curves your way...make it into a dance

The first leg of our Compatible Technology International (compatibletechnologyinternational.org) trip funded by NCBA/USAID proved to be more sweeping than the roads to Tambacouda or the sonsie of  Manet's Le dejeuner sur l'herbe

Emotions and purpose were at a elevated level, due to the nature of this project.  Our project objectives that were pre-set for us by NCBA was to increase yields and incomes of the current 30 farmer's whose annual income combined was approximately $40,000. Combined.

The more villages and meetings we tended to, the more apparent the voices became.  Meetings with directors of programs such as Action Aid, CARITAS, CLUSA, Counterpart, and the 4 villages we introduced to our technology to, and more importantly, our spirit to, will forever be changed.  Through a mutual respect for cultural differences, and also a desire to transfer technology to a sustainable community is the basis of CTIs mission, and one I feel we were able to accomplish in many ways.  I will not forget Rokyhah, a 12 year old girl at the Kuer Ali Guey village who needed very little coaxing, and began instructing others how to "tighten the burrs...we need finer flour." I was quick to have Bamba translate for me so I could instruct her how to clean and disassemble/reassemble the grinder.  The village will be successful because of the hard working women I have met.  Let us all celebrate these women for the intrinsic value they provide their communities.

Without the high level of organization set prior to our departure, as well as the preparedness of our in-country partner's in Yaguemar and Bamba, this project would have  not been as successful as it was.  Proudly, Roger (Executive Director), myself, and Bamba (our In-country partner promoted to distributor-an enormous thank you Bamba and congratulations) have decided to donate our current prototypes of  CTI's thresher and winnower ( also made possible by collaboration with Thom and Reade from Battelle Institute in Columbus, Ohio) to complete the set of the grinder already purchased by USAID.

It was the voices and the faces of the women, men and children that resonate loudly in my thoughts.  What we were able to accomplish in 5 minutes, would traditionally take a woman 40 minutes.  Awa, who was the village leader at Kayemon, (a highly organized and populated location on the boarder of  The Gambia and Senegal) spoke to the Heavens about how beneficial our equipment had proven to be to them-especially the women who, in order to get the children off to school in time, or the home prepared, and dinner served, would normally work from sun-up to sun-down.  Another from the same village exclaimed "If you could visualize our interest in CTI's equipment, it would be as tall as a skyscraper!".  So as we drudged our way though the trials and tribulations of each village visit, I was pleasantly reminded one morning that it truly is a dance we must create from all life has to offer.  For dancing brings smiles to everyone.

Love a child today...even more

Have you ever wondered about the endless children begging on the streets in Africa? Is it because they are wanting, in need, desperate for food.  The answer is no, think again..

Think twice about what your money is funding when you give handouts.  That is what CTI does not do, is give things away, but rather teach developing communities how to produce and sustain their own lives and people.

It was brought to my attention at  dinner the other night that the street beggers are not in want or need, but rather the Taliban has recruited them and requires a daily sum of  50CFA per boy.  Where is your child today?  The masses of  faces that should be afforded every opportunity to succeed in an already corrupt society haven't a chance to flourish because if they don't bring back their allotment, they are beaten.  If a boy is run over or hurt in the streets, there is always another, if you ask his mother why? Her reply might very well be-what is worse, he will go hungry?  So in a society where there is so much hope, pride, generosity and looming greed, think twice about how you choose to see-or NOT see the world.

A Benevolent mind

Some things are left unspoken...

This Thanksgiving was spent visiting a village on the boarder of Senegal and The Gambia.  This village was different in many ways but as Bamba pointed out-notice the square huts and the 4 homes that make up a larger square in the schematics of the village.  The space, the culture and the patterns of organization are the underlying theme of this post.  Who would have thought I would be using fractional geometry on this visit...all those years of tutoring DID pay off!

This morning Alfonse, Director of  NCBA Farmer to Farmer project told us that our good work was not going unnoticed.  The villages and the people were a buzz, and someone had been promoting us on the local radio station! We are famous.  What is more validating however, is the immediate looks of astonishment when we are able to produce in 5 minutes what a woman with the traditional pestle and mortar could in 40.  The smiles resonate loudly.  One such woman was Dougal Guey a 60 something year old woman, whom exclaimed to me "C'est bon!...you have a friend here in Kayemon"  We then took a photo and she was gleaming with happiness.

Saturday evening we are picked up by Renee and Therese for a demonstration to Therese's association of 100+ women.  She points to the back of the truck with pride, and there sits a freshly, almost deceased, TURKEY!  She, Bamba and Renee went and found our Thanksgiving feast.  From what I understand he was running around like a turkey with his head cut off, and hard to catch-sorry for he bad joke, but appetizers and dinner were manifique! We are escorted to the rooftop where wine, beer and spring rolls are shared among TARANGA--Wolof for friendships, and the bond that is unspoken.  Before too long, the turkey has cooked, the smells resonate through the air and it smells just like home.  We move downstairs to their dining area, and just as the prior visit, the power shuts off, so again, we eat by a 3 candle light.  Before too long, it is time for us to go, Therese says to me (translated by Bamba of course) "I have left my heart with you".  No translation needed.  While there are language barriers, there is a common knowledge when a special friendship is made.  This is no different, only more special.

A benevolent mind


  

I am Thankful...

For many things in life, but this once in a lifetime opportunity that has been placed in front of my eyes has proved to be many things, on many levels, at many different times.

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, marks our 1 week point and during this week I have learned much about myself, about the culture, about the people, and been pleasantly surprised at how well I still understand French-after decades of a dry spell.

During our first week we had much to do, understand, and implement.

Day 1

Oxfam: It turned out that our meeting with the Deputy Director in Dakar would have to be postponed as he was caught up in The Gambia for a family feast and festival.  It is our hope that we will have the opportunity to reschedule for this Monday.

Action Aid: Moussa Faye introduced us to Action Aid which is a NGO based on implementing community projects and education many of which, revolve around sustainable agriculture.  They instill a sense of power, ownership and entrepreneurship among villages.  We intend on a very successful partnership with Action Aid.  "We are keen to using appropriate technology for improving agriculture and climate change" Moussa.

Sanoussi Diakite: Inventor/winner of the Rolex Award for his decorticator machine.  Much of our conversation with Sanoussi revolved around a small seeded grain popular in 16 countries from Senegal to Chad-Fonio.  Fonio is as small as a pin point, and it is/was our hope to gather as much imformation about this crop, process, and post-harvest to model best practices for improving their yields.  Currently the seed is simply thrown or broadcast over the ground, this lends to a large amount of grain wasted.  Traditional ways of processing grain in a mortar/pestle takes 4 cycles and produces 2.5 kilos of flour in 2 hours.  CTI's equipment can process 2.5kilos of similar grain in 10 minutes.

CARITAS: Is an NGO we met with the latter part of the first day that works with local farmers in agriculture.  The meeting proceeded very positively in that we have a follow up meeting with them on Thanksgiving Day while they wanted to invite their farmers for a second demonstration.  The engineer and I had discussions about "Can a women, or small group of co-ops of women easily work this machine.  I spoke with him about myself building, disassembling, working, cleaning and lifting the machine-facile une petit femme.

Day 2

Tuesday marked our day at NCBA/USAID and introductions around the office.  It was a pleasure to meet our host institution and Yaguemar the director of our project has been such a refreshing and essential and helpful part to the success of this project.  Bamba, our 3rd, in-country partner on the Farmer to Farmer project gathered preliminary results prior to our arrival.  Bamba is a true leader, and on top of everything.

Next we drive an hour and a half to the village on roads that have not been repaired due to the contractors and government fighting over being cheated.  The contractor was jailed for some time, and the roads therefore have not seen repair in ages.  And we thought Minnesota pot holes were bad...

We drive into the village to thoughtful greetings and praise for our arrival.  Many of the elders come to shake our hands and welcome us warmly.  There are children peering around every corner to catch a glimpse at what is happening.   We are seated under a Boboa tree in the shade and begin to have introductions and discussion on what their needs are, what they currently are using, how they process the harvest, crops they use among many laughs and praise.  We are ushered to the truck and an eagerness to begin work is felt by all-despite the language barriers.

Day 3

We arrive early to F-t-F office to debrief and meet the Director of the program, Alfonse Faye.  He reminds me of that uncle you had growing up that you always looked up to.  Alfonse proves later in the week to be so much more than a kind set of eyes, and a deja vu memory of your family member.  More later...

We arrive (after another roller coaster ride) at the village to children rushing to the same Beobub tree and the elders (men and women) gathered and ready to help.  We setup the trio of machines in order: Thresher, Winnower, Omega Grinder and begin our work.  I have taken post atop a plastic chair so I am able to record everything that is taking place.  The children are beautiful, the women are stunning, and the men are grateful.  Many of the women-and even some of the men-take turns at each piece of equipment, some shy away, but then warm up to it with Bamba's encouragement and openness.  His demeanor with the people is unparelleled to anything I have seen. We spend nearly 7 hours, including lunch prepared for us at one of the elders homes, at the village, and the women are still bringing baskets to process, unfortunately it is our time to go, but will return the following day we tell them.

We get back to the hotel and I am so exhausted that I finish some follow up work and pass on dinner.  I cannot even keep my eyes open and it is 7pm.  That is really the only thing I have had a bit of strife with is the jet lag/time difference.  Right about the time we are to get going, my body knows it is 2-4am and it is a hard thing to snap out of.  Especially when we have a hypnotising 1.5 hour drive ahead of us.  I reflect a bit before I turn in, and think to myself, I have gone without for one day, and many of the faces I have met today have gone without much of their lives.  The time warp we have witnessed today is so dramatic that I am humbled and honored to be a guest in their home.

Day 4

It was determined the prior day to make the grinder work more efficiently, we would have a table fabricated, Bamba took this and found a fabricator around the corner at the market and he began work on our addition.  We sat with Alfonse again this morning and with a single phone call arranged for us to meet the head of another large USAID project with which we were able to secure a meeting with him in Dakar the following Monday.  Additionaly, he recommended, no...he insisted we meet also with the partner organization of that project, and we made that meeting for Monday as well.  It is our hope to meet with the Director of WARC and also reschedule our Oxfam meeting and are awaiting conformation.

We returned to the village today and many of the young women were present.  It is generally around the age of 10-16 that many of the homestead responsibilities are passed on.  However, the little wee ones are given tasks such as collecting water and peanuts.  One by one, we were brought baskets of millet, sorghum, peanuts and each round I timed, logged the number of individuals it took, and the kilos produced.  Once again, 2.5 kilos of similar grain can be processed in 10 minutes, which would normally take 2 hours of traditional means.  After 6 rounds of various crops, I stepped in and  Rokhaya, a 12 year old girl who was very smart and per Bamba's interpretation, was quickly instructing others to "Tighten the burrs...we want fine grain"...asked her to help me take apart the grinder and clean it, so that she would be able to assemble and disassemble it...and teach others the proper way  She did a fine job.

Day 5 and 6

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, we will meet in the morning with CARITAS and their farmers and we have been asked to tend to 2 more villages.  One working with sorghum and one with fonio.  We are eager to see what similarities, differences and needs they have in terms of post harvest.

Week one is coming to a close and there have been many lessons learned.  I think the one that stands out the most in my mind is that Thankfulness is a universal language that needs no interpretation.


Thank you for your support and encouraging words.

A benevolent mind

Je dois partir

After a week jam packed with drama, I would say it is time to bid farewell to the snowy cold of that which we call home. 

Last Friday while on my way to celebrate a best girlfriend's birthday at the St. Croix Vineyards, I received an email notifying me that my passport was never recieved at the Mali Embassy in Washington DC, and was considered lost.  This was Friday at 4:58.  C'est la Vie!  Onwards to the vineyard!

Much of any spare moment of Monday and Tuesday was sucked away with taking care of getting a new passport rushed and running all over town.  Monday was also filled with back to back to back meetings at CTI and Tuesday night marked our Africa Committee meeting which I Co-Chair.  A very progressive and great meeting I must add.  By Wednesday we had tracking information that my passport was being processed and I was able to begin work on the interior design plans for CTI that another Pro-Bono designer backed out of last minute. (Which I find rather disheartening).  Nonetheless, I sit here rushing the plans over to the distributor who is considering donating work stations to our non-profit, so I have to get the plans to him today before I leave for Africa.  Sweet.

I wanted to thank each of you for support leading up to today, and continued support over the next 25 days. I wanted to send a special thank you to Jamie, Mark, Josh, Dustin, Damian, Sam, Nirm, Chelsie, Christina, everyone back at CTI and Oxfam and the Director of my Graduate program Larry Gorrell for the special send off you gave me.  It does not go unnoticed.  And of course to my family for their unwaivering love, encouragement, pie and champagne!  You rock!

Thanks, and look forward to sharing this special opportunity with you all!

A benevolent mind

Fighting Famine while Fueling Passion...

Sam Usem at Midwest Mountaineering along with rough and tumble Granite Gear have afforded me the opportunity to outfit my trip and try out some amazing pieces of travel gear.  I must say that the fine juxtapostion of the roller bag (net weight of 6lbs) that will carry my 35lb CTI Omega grinder for post harvest crop processing, and the back pack that I have been provided with for personal belongings with its thoughtful design and pockets for everything one oculd imagine--including, but not limited to space for my donated ballet slippers, is a classy way of traveling to Africa for a month.

Please visit Midwest Mountaineering and or Granite Gear for all your needs!

A Benevolent, and ready to "roll" mind

 

C'est la Vie!

As some of you know, last week, my passport was lost "in the mail" and had never made it to the Mali Embassy.  Not the ideal news to recieve T-10 days until departure, so with the help of our administrative assistant, Meghan, at Compatible Technology, and my Executive Director, Roger, whom I will be traveling with, after a stress-filled couple of days, we can anticipate my new passport and visa in hand by Monday, with a Thursday departure date.  C'est la Vie!

We are finailizing details, and arranging meetings for our non-field time in Kuer Ali Gueye village.  I am proud to say that upon arrival in Dakar, Senegal, our first meeting will be with Oxfam Deputy Director Ebrima Sonko who was delighted to entertain our arrival at the WARO offices, which happen to be 5km from our place of stay.  To have this opening opportunity to sit and discuss the due diligence of organizations and NGOs that seek to secure livelihoods of populations wrought with strife from war, climate change, lack of resources and education is a paramount ingredient in understanding how to best approach development work.  We don't develop nations, they develop themselves.

Compatible Technology International Millet processing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYfGbQgRjlY

Our next meeting, which is still pending, is with Mr Sanoussi Diakite, a Senegalese technologist working in small seeded grains who has been a participant with http://www.ashoka.org/, a global association of the world's leading social entreprenuers.  Mr. Diakite has developed some agricultural technology that we wish to see and discuss.

Following these meetings, we will be moving from the center of Dakar, to the Kaolack region where our village of farmers resides to begin our field work.  I anticipate the next 13 days to be filled with much to see and say.  (I have begun my 8 day crash course in French)...wow do I wish I had kept going with it after highschool!  Zut alors!

I am very much looking forward to phase II of our journey with a transfer into Bamako, Mali, where we will be meeting with head scientists from ICRISAT-one of the world's leading R&D scientific agricultural organizations.  We have preliminary information that has been sent, and I will be collecting that data, inquiring about other areas, demonstrating our prototypes, and ultimately headed back out into the field on one of their HOPE sites which is backed by the BMGates foundation. 

HOPE is a 10-year project and builds on over 30 years of research for development by ICRISAT and a number of partners at national, regional and international levels.

Though the project has six objectives, emphasis during the first four years is on ensuring that technologies developed during the last 30 years and that have either not been disseminated widely or are still “on the shelf” are delivered and increase farmer yields by 30% or more, benefiting 110,000 households in Sub-Saharan Africa and 90,000 households in South Asia through increased food security and incomes.

A benevolent mind

The symbiosis of beautiful simplicity and clarity

"I believe that my greatest labors should be devoted to seeking beautiful simplicity. I have avoided making displays of difficulty at the expense of clarity. Simplicty, naturalness, and truth are great principals of artistic manifestations."

 

This weekend marked a milestone that few will attempt, but those that do, respond with tremendous results.Through Crossfit Minnesota, close to 50 participants began a month long program sponsored by Whole 9.http://whole9life.com/2010/05/whole-30-v2/.  This "Paleo" diet is restrictive at first, but quickly you learn, or rather re-learn about all the habits-both good and bad-that you have spent decades piling on.  Paleo/ Whole 30, quiet simply requires total dedication to no wheat, no dairy, no sugar, no processed fooods, and not  liquor.  One month. It is clear beyond a measure of a doubt that my results are both natural and exciting.

Beginning life at Children's Hospital in an incubator-like state because my lungs were underdeveloped, came down with pnemonia, which transcended into acute Asthma, and a life in hospitals while on a multitude of medications, this "Paleo 30 day challenge" was more then just going without...if I had not illiminated these particular food groups (NO WHEAT, DAIRY-INFLAMATORY), I may have never known that one or both groups may or may not have been causing harm to my lungs.  The small, but certain weight loss is simply an added bonus. 

 

 

 

I spoke with a nutritionist at the gym and she made mention that alot of Asthmatics have a dairy intolerence, yet dozens of doctors, and 1000's of doctor/hospital/ER visits, cannot come to this deduction. Instead, the answer was to put me on dozens of meds.  It is almost maddening.  And truly eye opening.

So, for the past month, I have been unmedicated, and loving life in a completely different light.  A light I have never known.  As I prepare for my journey to Africa, I am consciously aware of what it truly means to go without.  I will be submerged in a culture that knows no other, and I will work, laugh, and most certainly feel among them. This is where I expect the manifestation and symbiosis of beautful simplicity and clarity to appear.

 

A benevolent mind. 

 

 

 

A month and a backpack...

Happy November 1st Everyone~

Midwest Mountainering Gear provided via Sam Usem Chair
of the Americas Committee Compatible Technology International
For all your travel needs go see SAM!

A decent portion of this weekend was spent finalizing details and logistics.  From where we are staying to USAID transportation to and from our village, securing meetings in London, Dakar, Bamako, Mopti, Tominian on the Niger River (near Timbuktu) and so on and so on.

Lastly, beginning the dreaded chore of packing for the unknown.  Going to countries with so little, and so adhering to that standard, but still having the neccessities entering a 3rd World Country.  What does one truly need?

I had communication with my former Director of Prairie School of Dance.  She was eager to help me in my pursuits over in Africa, so I inquired if she would be willing to donate "Lost and Found" ballet slippers for me to bring along so that I can teach morning ballet class to the village children, and then provide the kids with those donated shoes.  Both Senegal & Mali are French speaking countries so I should be able to manage.  I will be thrilled to share with you my experiences! Please visit PSOD at http://prairieschoolofdance.com/ For any of you parents that are in the Western suburbs, this is a remarkable and wholesome environment that I highly recommend for your daughters.

Krystal Ols asked me at the gym tonight about packing. I will be taking two backpacks.  Currently, I have 3 long dresses, 4 tanks, 4 shirts, 3 cargo pants, hat, 2 scarves, meds, net, 3M DEET, Sunscreen, towel, sheets, necessities.  Because I will be needing space for the ballet slippers in the personal backpack-I will most likely be re-packing again-and I am sure again, go without, so they don't have to.

I will have a bunch of literature along in a second (day pack) for data analysis, pre-placement surveys, field study, GIS/GPS modeling and mapping, as well as a computer, solar panels, blogging, video, photo, equipment, a  few good books for Grad School (and down time) which I will be taking between work at the Toubacouta/Beach  http://www.paletuviers.com/ .  I think will be a much needed and welcomed retreat. 

Tonight I wrote down my Crossfit workouts that I can do in the privacy of my own room and not go crazy without my fix of independence, so there is now a clarity and readiness that runs deep.

There is nothing better than a clear and benevolent mind...

Going in with an open heart and an open mind...

A lot of you have inquired as I walk into the gym...with my OXFAM water mug...What is OXFAM? So what is it that you do?  You are going where? To do what?  And I have even jokingly had a few characters ask what it takes to be an intern with me :)... Well for those of you reading along, and joining me on this journey, this is going to be a bumpy one!

I am a ballet dancer and instructor by profession, an interior designer by trade (http://www.andreabrovold.com/) and a social servant by choice. 

I have begun my Masters in Human and Development Policy with a concentration in food security focusing in Africa and volunteer much of my time with Compatible Technology International as the Co-Chair of the Africa and Liberia committees (http://www.compatibletechnologyinternational.org/).  I also was selected 8 months ago to become 1 of 2 new Oxfam Action Corps MN leaders in the Twin Cities area (http://www.oxfam-mn.blogspot.com/).  Through Oxfam we work to fight abject poverty in the hardest hit areas and poorest communities both locally and internationally.

Through (our first) USAID funded grant, CTI Executive Director Roger Salaway and I will travel for a month to the Kaolack region of Dakar, Senegal on a farmer to farmer post harvest technology trip, teaching a village of 30 farmers how to harvest, develop, grind, thresh and winnow their Pearl Millet crops which have tremendous nutrition when the seed coat is left on, into millet flour that can be used personally, stored, sold in the market.  With our technologies, we are able to produce 90-95% of the crop whereas normal processing-(mortar/pestle) yields loose anywhere from 40-60% due to spoilage, rancidity, time and labor intensity. 

Due to the nature of the simple technology dreamed up by teams of retired CEO's of Cargill, 3M, Land O' Lakes, U of M that I work among, and the technologies efficiency, we are able to produce and teach farmers how to create and sustain their crops and lives.  Many of whom are women/women's co-ops who work and tend the land and who are now turning profit with their grinder and sending their children to University.

We then depart for Mali where we will be meeting with partner organizations such as ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics).  This is a very important meeting time to re-establish our connections with the heads of Sorghum and Pearl Millet divisions in Burkino Faso, Niger, and Mali-who are both women scientists, and whom I am most excited to meet.  I will be leading the data analysis and field study for our pre-placement survey which I am also implementing in an Independent study GIS (Geographic Informational Systems) course within my Masters program.  Pretty sweet hugh!?

 Pearl Millet with Seed Coat on

I anticipate this journey and field study to be exciting, invigorating, challenging and at times mind blowing and also heart breaking.  I will come home in time for the "Holidays" and I am not quiet sure how I jolly I will feel after seeing what I have seen first hand, but I hope you will join me in this amazing opportunity and really think about how it is that you might give back.  We all struggle in ways and at times, but to truly know what it is like to really go with out I will try to convey.  We will be over in Africa over Thanksgiving, Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world.  I find it very germane that we will be giving back in a multitude of ways to a people who is truly thankful.

What will you be thankful for this year?
A bevevolent mind