Two Weeks Notice

It’s official: I extended my stay and will be in Sierra Leone two weeks longer! After a lot of praying, debating and speed emailing with my big sis Hannah, who made it all happen, my flight was changed from August 3 to August 17.

When first asking my sister to help me change my flight I planned for just one week more. She said, “I don’t like it, but I’ll do it,” (I was certain she’d say this!) and got back to me with an outrageous price I couldn’t afford. I wrote it off as a sweet idea and started to make my to-do list for my last 15 days when just minutes later I received a handful of emails from Hannah. It was a cluster of dates, prices and questions and the last one being, “I found one for just the change fee and booked it for you. August 17…I hope that’s ok.” I startled Lexi who was sitting next to me when I shrieked with tears in my eyes saying I have the BEST sister, and I get to stay for two more weeks in the place that has become so dear to my heart!

You may be thinking, “but aren’t you ready to leave…

laundry by hand...

heads of fish in your meals...

and huge spiders in your room?

And get back to...

family...

home...

and cheeseburgers?

Well, yes...but it's because of them...

I wish to stay.

The week of July 11, I was finally able to meet with Rev. Ngegba, the go-to-guy for extension at Njala campus. The main extension office is in Bo with Dr. Kandeh (who helped facilitate my trip) as head of the department. Somehow I was at Njala for over a month and NEVER knew there was an extension office here. For a couple of weeks I had been mulling over how I can be of help to the university and Sierra Leoneans—and not always being on the receiving end. I heard from numerous faculty some concerns of farmer participation in adopting new technologies and participating in programs. Initially they will be excited to work with the university, but often fall out later on. Mr. Moiforay, an animal science nutrition specialist, has an awesome project going on in three villages to support farmer-researcher linkage and to create a sustainable crop-livestock system, facilitating intensive livestock production. This project has the opportunity to increase the farmers’ income and provide animal protein to families—something they desperately need. However, for reasons not specifically known, some groups have not been engaging in the project.
This led me to work with extension on my current project—a small study on farmer participation in projects. I want to learn why they participate and why they don’t; what makes a program attractive? I created a questionnaire that is being administered to rural farmers…both male and female…and I’m over half done! I love going over their answers, though some are just heartbreaking. I don’t know where this will end up, though I hope it will bring me back to Sierra Leone. At the very least, the information I gather will be shared with agriculture staff with the intention to help their projects be more successful and in turn helping rural farmers.

Joyful Journeys,

Julie

Learning about a rice farm during a survey interview.

On of the women sharing her story.

I have a lot of help!

Ladies waiting patiently for their turn.

At one of the village meeting huts, this blackboard shows what an adult class was recently learning...numbers 1-20. Not pictured was the simple math: 1+4=5. All of the women interviewed at this village had no formal schooling.

As an afterthought, I wish I would have asked if they actually know these things, but just aren't literate...this could be the case.

Kiddos at the village!

Me with the women we interviewed. Most are involved with a women's cassava farm cooperative nearby that is empowering women through education, employment and income generating activities.