Trek report from Sarjo: 25 June 2015

Dear Barbara

We are back from our trek which went very well. We are all very happy, we have our meals in the evening as we are in Ramadan.

In Kuli Kunda, we have a very low turnout but at the end they have the best handing over. They have a very nice dryer with which they are very happy. They still have lots of mangoes and will start drying straightaway. I told them to dry more baobab leaves. They have a lots of baobab trees and they can dry lots of leaves and store them for later in the rainy season.

In Jaruneh Koto, they were the happiest of all to get the dryer. They have a very big village garden of cassava and if they dry as much as they can, they will be better come August and September when many villages will be very hungry. There was no drum dancing because of Ramadan but we had a very, very large group. We were all were smiling together and we were happy working with a large group like that. It is not as enjoyable without singing and the drums but you have more chat and laughing. I told them to dry more cassava then we will go back and train them on cassava porridge which will help them come August and September.

Dasilam. The village is very well organised and they were very happy to have the dryer. They have some mangoes and cassava, but they have individual rather than “village” cassava so they will take it in turns to dry. The hand-over meeting was very well organised and they all participated in the training process.

Japine. We trained them on pepper sauce and mango jam. During the training, I was the only one to taste and tell them how it was because most people are fasting (some are not but they don't want people to know so I have a wonderful time testing the jam - which was lovely). They will eat everything when they break their fast.

In Kanumeh, we have processed more jam and less pepper sauce because they say they have more mangoes and paw paw and are happy to know more about jam before August and September.

I did not go to Kayaborr because I was very very tired and need to rest as we are off tomorrow to Foni and Kiang. When we return on Sunday, I will visit the clay pot village, where they are already waiting for me. I promised them that I would be there to see they work. I might go on Wednesday and come back on Thursday.

There have still been no rains and lots of villages are very worried and means that the villages with dryers will be very busy drying.
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Sarjo D