Wednesday 2nd April - Project Comfort

Wednesday the 2nd of April
Today I went out with Project Comfort again. I was feeling sorry for myself for getting burnt yesterday so I covered up very well with a shirt and scarf. I applied plenty of sun cream and kept reapplying, everyone thought I was a bit strange. So I had to explain sun burn to them so; this skin is red, touch it and it is hot, I feel pain, soon it will fall off, if I use this cream then the sun will not harm my skin and will keep it to be white. I went with Ozuoma to go to parents meeting where they get parents of the children in an area together and have a group meeting. Ozuoma drove like a man, very fast but with complete control. It made me realise how much effort people must have been taking to try and make sure I was not scared on the bikes. We drove to another local government area and it took quite a long time. The forest around us was very beautiful and there was little traffic for most of the ride. We got a flat tire when we came into the village…I can only say we were lucky where it happened! We left the bike in a garage and walked to the meeting. We were 45 minuets late but we were the only people present. The Eze came to welcome us and then the secretary then came to join us and break Kola. He asked me to pray for the Kola but I told him that I had heard that the Kola only spoke in Igbo so I would not be able to pray for the Kola very well! The Eze gave me a box of photographs to look over as entertainment and gave me the gift of an avocado pear. This is a fruit that resembles butter and can be taken with bread or rice. I took it to Rev Timothy and asked him if it was like my own avocado and he said it was not, he had tasted my own and his own was better. When I later came to eat the avocado pear I noticed no difference. The meeting was supposed to start at 10 so we waited till 12 before giving up. It was a shame that no one turned up but with rainy season coming it is a vital time for farming so when people depend on what they grow for what they eat farming can take priority.

I had travelled far on the bike, the longest distance so far so my legs were feeling as though they needed to do some walking. I found Catherine and decided to walk with her. She said she was feeling fine, she had taken her drugs, taken her bath and was pleased I had come back to see her. We sat by her house, the nurses were doing their usual singing and she told me she likes it very much. She even started singing in a very clear and loud voice and got up to clap and dance. I thought this was lovely because she usually uses a soft voice and when I first met her she only would whisper to me. To hear her sing and see her dancing made me feel very happy. I think that music can be very useful motivating people and raising their spirits. Diane told me they use to have dance nights on the weekends. They had one the other day but I did not know it was going on. I think it would be fun to organise a party before I go. I would have to buy ‘mineral’ which is what Nigerians use as a general word for fizzy drinks, kill chickens, put on music and blow up balloons. I will start investigating the costs.