IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini are on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program.

Abalimi Bezekhaya is just 30 minutes outside of the center of Cape Town. Abalimi Bezekhaya, is working to improve sustainable food production and environmental greening in the townships of Cape Town. Their focus is to provide skills development through training and support people and organizations that wish to practice organic horticulture and micro farming. Abalimi Bezekhaya means "the farmers of home" in Xhosa.

We visited a community garden managed by mainly elderly women, who are members of VUFA – a black women-led urban farmers association in South Africa called Vukuzenzela Urban Farmers Association. On 5,000 hectares of land, 5 elderly women and 1 man are running this community garden. The vegetables are not just for their own consumption, but also to bring in an income when sold at market.

Since beginning to grow their own vegetables the women have seen incredible health benefits. Most importantly, they have been in such good help they haven't had any need to see a doctor.

VUFA has implemented a challenging recruitment process. To demonstrate their commitment to the group women must volunteer with the group for one year, before being asked to join. Many of these elderly women have a lot of time on their hands and enjoy fully being in the garden. But it's been harder to capture the attention of young people.

At the Abalimi office, we met Christina Kaba, the chair of VUFA. Christina came to Cape Town from Mpumalanga and started working with Abalimi in 1989. Christina became a strong promoter of women growing their own home gardens (tree nurseries) in the townships. It is her goal that VUFA can provide a platform for a unified voice to be showcased at the government level to represent all urban women farmers.

Christina invited Vini and me to visit Khayelitsha, a township about an hour away from Cape Town. Here, the community groups are not only developing gardens, but many of the women are initiating for sewing projects or running a soup kitchen together. Abalimi has played a key role in supporting VUFA with marketing their vegetables, but VUFA members now want to be trained in management and bookkeeping skills so they can learn to stand up for themselves and run VUFA by themselves.

We visit the community garden that Christina started long ago in Khayelitsha. It is close to where she lives, and now has 10 women taking care of it. On one side is the garden they grow vegetables for market as a group, and on the other, each woman has their own small plot of land to grow food for self-consumption and to sell to people in the township.

Christina introduced Nokwanda to us. She had trained Nokwanda in how to run a community garden, in turn another 8 women have bee trained to grow vegetables. Even more, Nokwanda invites other people in the township a 4-day training workshop so the participants can start a garden at their homes. The group will follow-up with them for the next two years.

VUFA is very community minded and works in a number of ways to share their garden and vegetables. Children in primary school are taught about growing vegetables and where their food comes from. Young people in tertiary education are encourage to do internships at the garden. VUFA also gives away a portion of their vegetables to disability and HIV programs plus they have plans to start a hospital gardens.

The women were kind enough to have cooked a fresh traditional dish made from the vegetables of the garden pronounced "imifino" a mixed of spinach, cabbage, green peppers and green onions. It was both delicious and left me a wonderful feeling to know where my food came from, and that it was fresh from the earth and not been processed in any way.

Labels: catalyst grants, South Africa, Sustainable Agriculture

Mexico
Hog Flu Vaccination Aborted in Mexico - Prensa Latina – 26 Apr 09
Government in the DF aborted a mass vaccination campaign against the hog flu, because it will not stop the outbreak of the new virus that is affecting the Mexican capital and other regions of the country.

Guatemala
Central American Vice-Presidents to Meet in Guatemala - Prensa Latina – 23 Apr 09
The VPs are to discuss programs and actions to promote transparency in the region.

Today starts Free Access to public information - Guatemala Times – 21 Apr 09
Law establishing free access to public information from all government institutions has recently gone into effect.

India
India holds second election day - BBC – 23 Apr 09
Second phase of voting took place today and counting is due on May 16.

Nepal
72,000 hectares forest destroyed - eKantipur.com – 26 Apr 09
Fires have hit at least 13 districts, killing 5 people and destroying more than 72,000 hectares of forest.

Bangladesh
Bangladesh power crunch shuts fertilizer plants - Reuters – 27 Apr. 09
Bangladesh has closed all three state-run fertilizer factories to divert gas to power plants to boost electricity generation.

Diarrhea near epidemic in Bangladesh heatwave - AFP via Google news – 27 Apr 09
Cases of diarrhea in Dhaka are reaching epidemic levels, according to a health expert, as the Bangladeshi capital is facing record temperatures, a severe water shortages and power cuts.

Senegal
Fines to fight malaria - IRIN – 24 Apr 09

Can 'Green Charcoal' Help Save the Trees? - allAfrica.com - 20 Apr 09
An environmental NGO in northern Senegal is about to go to market with "green charcoal" - a household fuel produced from agricultural waste materials to replace wood and charcoal in cooking stoves.

South Africa
ANC Scores Another Victory: Now Deliver, Voters Say - IPS – 24 Apr 07
As results from South Africa’s April 22 elections come in, the ruling ANC is poised to return to power in the 400 seat National Assembly.

Zimbabwe
Who Speaks for the People on New Constitution? - IPS – 27 Apr 09
Messages declaring that the people of Zimbabwe will write their own constitution can be found throughout Harare as part of a campaign launched by the National Constitutional Assembly to oppose the constitution-making process proposed by the coalition government.

Anderson Manyere, "I Would Only Be Given Two Liters of Water a Week" - IRIN - 23 Apr 09
Freelance journalist Anderson Manyere who had been detained since December 2008 was released this month.

Wild Animals Compete for Scarce Crops - IRIN -22 Apr 09
Food shortages in Zimbabwe’s North Province are being compounded by elephants eating and trampling the villagers’ crops.

General Interest
Analysis: IMF relevant again, will big plans work? - Associated Press – 25 Apr 09
As the IMF begins rolling out ambitious plans to help jump start the economy, this article asks if the agency is up for the task.

"Poor Countries Struggle to Mainstream Gender in Trade" - IPS – 24 Apr 09
Discussion with UNCTAD officer Simonetta Zarrilli about how trade policies affect women’s livelihoods.

A G8 on agriculture without farmers = more hunger and poverty - Via Campesina – 21 Apr 09
Press release from La Via Campesina regarding the recent G8 meeting on Agriculture in Cison di Valmarino.

Labels: Newsflash

IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini are on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program.

Today we drove to Woodstock, one of the oldest neighborhoods of Cape Town. We are there to visit Whole World Women Association, (WWWA) which is an organization that works with refugee communities to prioritize women's issues.

Founded in 2002, WWWA initially served as a self-help and support group for refugee women. The organization raises awareness on the plight of ordinary refugee women, the impact of war and trauma on the human psyche. Their membership is open to refugee women of all ages and backgrounds, as well as refugee children who are living at home with their parents or in foster homes and shelters.

We were invited to participate in one of their monthly meetings with WWWA staff and peer coordinators. Peer coordinators were developed to encourage refugees who had received support from WWWA to share the skills training and awareness with their respective communities. Each peer coordinator comes from a different country and gives the training in their native languages, ensuring that all refugee communities are reached.

This particular workshop addressed HIV/AIDS and the struggle to reduce the number of infected women. Many refugees are already infected and affected by the HIV pandemic and require training on how to deal and live with this situation. Working with existing organizations, WWWA offers training in the management and prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Mary Magdalene Tal, founder and director of WWWA, shared how WWWA has seen a positive change in people attitudes to learning about HIV/AIDS. At first it was hard to encourage refugee women to go to HIV/AIDS awareness workshops as they were scared to be identified as an infected women. But now, 90% of calls WWWA receives are from people wanting to learn more about HIV/AIDS.

Mary is a refugee from Cameroon and as educated as she is, she found it so hard to get any type of support. She was inspired to create an organization that provided support especially to refugee women. Mary worked before with the Human Rights Media Center as a refugee project coordinator and at Ilitha Labanthu, where she gave legal advice and assisted abused women and children with their court cases.

Towards the end of the workshop, the facilitator had us participate in different team-building activities that involved putting together a lego-like toy. After the exercise, we all reflected on what made the exercise a success or not, bringing up the main idea of how when people are trusting each others strength and knowledge, as well as respecting each other, we can achieve many things.

It’s great to see that WWWA has hired staff members from different refugee communities, DRC, Cameroon, Nigeria, and many more. Mary shared with us that the "common goal is to keep the war behind us and find peace by building trust."

As Epiphanie Mukasano, a Rwandan refugee and WWWA member writes,

"I am the woman
you despised the other day
throwing out wicked words
which cut like a sharp knife

I am that woman
at whom you threw burning pots
and whose clothes you scornfully tore away
chasing me with a broom out of your house

I am the woman
who wandered naked
in the dark street
wondering where to go

I am the woman
full of scars, but
I do not hold a grudge

Today I am stretching out my hand
Will you take it?"

Labels: Refugees, South Africa

IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini are on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program.

Today we traveled one hour north of Cape Town towards Paarl, an area surrounded by mountains and vineyards, on the banks of the Berg River. We visited one of REACH's awareness workshops on sexual harassment with an objective of encouraging women to participate in sharing their life stories to create a book in time for Rural Women's Day on August 15, 2009.

REACH stands for Rural Education, Awareness and Community Health, an organization that addresses sexual harassment and sexual violence, and its interlinking factors on farms and in farming communities in the Western Cape. Joanie Fredericks and Claudia Lopes founded REACH. It is a response to the high prevalence of violence against women, alcohol and drug abuse, and HIV/AIDS in the Southern Western Cape’s rural communities which lack programs and support services to address and assist those whose lives are affected by these social responses.

Thanks to research conducted by REACH on sexual harassment in rural areas we’re able to know the following.
1. South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world.
2. Women are murdered, raped, physically assaulted, threatened, harassed and abused every single day.
3. Rural farm worker communities in the Western Cape are a vulnerable group: low wages, job insecurity, cramped and poor housing conditions, isolation, illiteracy and limited access to police, health and legal services all play a role to create this vulnerable environment.

We arrived at a cute daycare center. Children came running to hug us hello. The center shares their space with REACH so they can conduct their workshop there today. This center is in the middle of a beautiful landscape, where you can see endless green and the air is fresh. The staff of REACH worked to quickly to set up the center with posters and banners. 35 women farm workers eventually arrived enthusiastically greeting everyone at REACH.

The workshop was conducted in Afrikaans. Claudia translated the workshop for us in English. Joanie is the facilitator of the workshop today. She enjoys being a trainer and you can enjoy her charismatic presentation without knowing what she's saying. The women clearly have great trust in her and REACH. The women started the workshop by sharing why they like coming to REACH's workshop. One woman said "every time I come to REACH's workshops I learn something new about women's rights and I always go back and share it with other people who are not able to come."

Since 2006, REACH has organized a campaign each year for Rural Women's Day. This provides a platform for rural women to use their voice to highlight issues that affect them. The community members always decide what key issue will be highlighted. Last year it was community violence after a six-year old was kidnapped, raped and strangled by a neighbor. Women were shocked and used the event to share their feelings and concerns about community violence. This year the main issues will be alcohol and drug abuse.

In spite of the language barrier, it was evident that a comfortable space had been created. Towards the end of the workshop several women spoke about their story of abuse by a husband, boyfriend or community member and not having anyone to turn to. When REACH appeared in their lives, it gave them awareness to know that their rights had been violated and they could say "no more."

This is how REACH has been so instrumental, by providing this much-needed support system. Now women who have faced sexual and domestic violence can contact REACH and know thy can access assistance, whether it is legal support, counseling or health. Many of the women at the workshop were first-time attendees. REACH's work has hardly begun and the need is great.

Labels: catalyst grants, REACH, South Africa

IDEX has funded groups in Zimbabwe for many years. Under the current political climate we have not been able to expand our grantmaking there and instead are researching organizations in South Africa that are supporting refugees. In Johannesburg, IDEX Program Officer, Vini, met with Group of Refugees Without Voice (GRWV).

GRWV was established in September 2002. It supports refugees, particularly women from Congo, Burundi, Sudan and Zimbabwe, in skill building for employment in South Africa and to support them in integrating into South African society. When refugees started trickling into South Africa to escape war and repression they found that South Africa was not always the safe haven that they imagined. GRWV supports long-term, durable solutions to end poverty for these families and build bridges with South Africans.

South Africa's vibrant civil society continues to work diligently to hold up the promise of a rainbow nation. But the rise of migrants and refugees from Somalia, Congo and Zimbabwe are triggering xenophobic violence in the country. Last year South Africa saw an unprecedented escalation in violence towards migrants when on May 11, 2008 a gang of young men from the Alexandra township of Johannesburg initiated merciless attacks on migrant workers living in a hostel. These attacks soon spread to provinces of KwaZulu Natal, Eastern and Western Cape. There were over 60 casualties, a third of them South Africans but ten of thousands of refugees were once again displaced.

The advisor to the board of directors, Norman, is from Johannesburg and explains the "majority of South Africans feel threatened because of high unemployment. They see refugees employed and think that jobs are being stolen when in reality refugees are willing to do even the most demeaning of jobs just to survive. We try and educate S. Africans about the plight of refugees. We try to remind folks that until not so long ago, all black South Africans, we were refugees ourselves in our own land."

Since 2002, GRWV has trained 150 people, along with a computer education program, they also pay school fees, provide stationary and transportation for refugee women to send their children to school.

A sewing project they established now works closely with businesses to encourage vocational training of women. Young women also learn dressmaking, fashion design and cutting skills. The organization actively encourages interaction and apprenticeships between refugee women and S. African women to build greater understanding.

A focus on advocacy in schools and vocational training with women has been key. Through schools, GRWV found that children would bring more inclusive attitudes towards refugees home to their parents and help parents build greater awareness. Also, instead of just helping refugee children, the group intensified its efforts to ensure that all children have access to supplies and books.

In the future, GRWV hopes to begin a small business seed capital loan and microcredit program to support the newly skilled graduates in launching their own businesses. Since employment through mainstream channels are not often available to refugees. As yet, this kind of funding is not available to the organization.

GRWV reaches out to refugees through refugee camps, informal settlements, markets and schools. Their list of people who need help continues to grow. Temporary support is given to refugees via UNHCR and Jesuit Refugee Services along with the Home Affairs Refugee Desk; a monthly stipend of roughly $80 for a family of four barely covers food.

Refugees in camps do not even receive stipends, only rations, thereby increasing dependency. It can take up to 12 years for refugees to have their case for asylum case heard. During this time work and housing are hard to find.

Chrispin Milengechi, the Congolese director of GRWV, tells us his own story. He had been a successful business owner in the DRC. He fled the war and came to Johannesburg where he hoped to live with dignity. But he found that all he could afford was a 30-foot square room, which he shared with 12 other refugees. His experiences in the DRC and as a refugee horrified him and he decided to live and work as a human rights activist, co founding GRWV with others.

GRWV has a waiting list of 100 people who need its service. 40 people are being actively enrolled and supported through their fledgling vocational skills program. The organization has gender parity in staff and board membership. Men and women treat each other with respect and kindness. There are important and needed financial, reporting, entrepreneurial and management skills on the board. Some members are also invited to the meeting.

We met Nora a young Congolege woman originally from Lumbumbashi. Nora is single and 19 years old. Initially hesitant she begins to tell us her story. She fled Lumbumbashi, DRC in 2003 with her mother, sister and brother. All three siblings are in college in South Africa.

Nora is studying fashion design and contacted GRWV in 2008. “I wanted them to assist me with my college fees. They haven’t been able to assist me yet, but I pray that they will soon.” She has attended university off and on for the last year due to lack of school fees. “This program should take three years to complete but it will take me longer because I have to keep dropping out. I just don’t have enough money.” Nora hopes to become a fashion designer. “Also, I want to do catering and interior design. I love making things beautiful. Sometimes, I get small jobs to create table settings for formal functions and I love it.” These jobs offset the cost of her school fees. “At the end of a job, I may earn up to 400 ZAR ($44 US), but typically you earn only 100 ZAR ($11 US), for an entire day of work.”

Nora is optimistic and upbeat about her future despite having to flee her country and the obstacles she is currently facing in South Africa. On this day, GRWV is holding a mini-workshop on effective communication in and between refugee organizations. Nora is an active participant. She gives valuable input on what is effective and ineffective communication and draws upon her experiences in college to inform the discussion.

In spite of a xenophobic environment and entrenched inequalities, the refugees in South Africa and the organizations that support them have hope. The organizations and the beneficiaries are vibrant and joyful and committed to a vision of a more inclusive South Africa, where the dignity and creativity of all her people are equal.

Labels: Refugees, South Africa

To mark Earth Day (today, April 22) we'd like to share some more details from IDEX Communications Director, Gillian's trip to Udaipur, India last fall. Where she visited IDEX partner Sahyog Sansthan to learn how rural communities are adapting to climate change and mitigating its impact.

Give a little green this Earth Day and have your donation to Sahyog matched on GlobalGiving.com.

Heera Lal Sharma, the founder and Executive Director of Sahyog was my guide. Heera Lal knows the area around Udaipur well; he was raised here, and understands the importance of sustainable agriculture methods.

Sahyog encourages vermiculture, a composting method using earthworms to create rich, organic soil. Sahyog has started a number of vermiculture projects and provides training and funds to initiate vermiculture. The soil produced enriches the land, fertilizes crops, and improves the soil’s ability to retain moisture. Even during drought years, crops grown with soil from vermiculture produce greater yields.

I met with 3 Self-Help Groups. In each case I saw how fulfilling water needs was the priority. Sahyog does this in two ways; they renovate wells and they build bunds or berms to control the flow of water and irrigate crops.

During the monsoon, soil becomes waterlogged, collapsing the walls of the well rendering it useless. Sahyog works with SHGs to renovate wells. They insist that the SHG contribute at least 25% of the costs, plus labor. Sahyog and the local government fund the rest. Sahyog’s goal is to build relationships between communities and government and ensure everyone is a stakeholder in the renovation.

To improve crop irrigation Sahyog analyzes the terrain and identifies the best location to build bunds. Bunds are dams, usually foot-high mounds of earth and small rock that run the width and length of fields. They are multi-purpose and slow the flow of the rainwater and minimize erosion by containing the topsoil. But the dams are carefully constructed to allow water to seep through the rocks, and onto other communities. This method of water harvesting ensures nothing is wasted.

With your support IDEX has funded a number of such projects. At Bharave Village, I was shown the newly renovated well and bridge across the fields. The bridge also operates as a levee during the monsoon. Women and children pointed happily at the well and told me they could now drink fresh water.

I was really impressed by everything Heera Lal showed me. Then we went to the community of Kundai, which completely blew me away. At Kundai there are no incremental changes. This community has completely adopted sustainable agriculture and managed biodiversity without looking back.

Since climate change has begun to take effect, rain has become more irregular. Farmers used to rely on local weather patterns to know when to plant their crops. But climate change renders this knowledge useless. At Kundai they have learned simple, yet effective meteorological practices. They monitor and collect data on rainfall, temperatures and wind and share this with both their local community and the Indian government.

I was introduced to Deepak who lives in Kundai; he showed off the benefits of the program, such as the renovated well, the irrigation channels strategically placed around fields and the diversity of the crops. Kundai farmers are growing plump eggplants, bright chilies, leafy greens, wheat, barley and much more. Close to the well, bamboo and sugar cane were growing. The crops are enough to feed families in Kundai while the bamboo and sugar cane help pay for their children’s schooling.

Kundai is in year 3 of a 5-year project. This was the first year the community had been able to plant their crops. Despite the monsoon in 2008 bringing just half of the expected rainfall, crops were flourishing Deepak was very happy at what they had accomplished so far. It meant he did not have to leave the family and migrate to Udaipur or Delhi to look for work. The family could stay together. His daughter clung to his hand, clearly delighted to know her father was not going anywhere.

Migration is a growing problem. As crops fail, people must move to look for work to feed their families. It was clear to me that sustainable agriculture is not just good for the planet, but also for families and communities who practice it.

Like many IDEX partners, Sahyog works to improve the livelihoods of rural communities. A focus on resource management and sustainable agriculture has helped people better prepare and surmount the growing threats of food and water crises. Water harvesting, vermiculture, and organic agriculture offer viable ways for communities to adapt to, and mitigate, the impact of climate change.

Labels: Climate Change, India, Sahyog Sansthan, Sustainable Agriculture

On April 6, IDEX Program Officer, Kat and Vini visited PWN support group members and got a sense of life in the townships of Johannesburg.

40 minutes away, we visit another township called Kwathema. There are currently 60 support group members in Kwathema and we’re meeting the Outreach Coordinator, Gladys Nikelo. Gladys has been part of Positive Women's Network (PWN) since 2003. When we arrived, Gladys was organizing a discussion form with the church youth group of Kwathema to start the conversation on the current HIV reality among youth in the townships. There were about 20 young men and women between the ages of 15 and 21.

Encouraged by the lively conversation and interest the youth were showing about HIV/AIDS, Prudence started facilitating the conversation to focus on what relationships are like among youth today and what they thought about it. Conversations went from "What do you think about guys having multiple girlfriends?" to "What do you think about the families having children on purpose to get social grants?" (Parents who have children are eligible to get a social grant for each child until they turn 18) or "How much did they know about HIV and are they aware enough to know how to prevent themselves from getting it?"

The youth all jumped to share their opinions and one young woman even asked if a female condom existed. It just so happened that Prudence had a sample in her bag and gave the youth group an impromptu workshop on how to use it. It was amazing to see Prudence clearly instructing the youth step-by-step how to use the female condom.

After the youth group left, I had a chance to talk to Gladys, as well as Kate, the Outreach Coordinator from Tsakane to see how their lives has improved since being part of PWN.

Gladys is 25 years old and she found out she was HIV-positive when she was 15. She tried to find a support system but was unsuccessful. When she was 19, she saw Prudence on a television show. Gladys and was amazed how confident Prudence was even though she was HIV-positive. Gladys went on a mission to find Prudence and when she did, immediately became a support group member of PWN. In 2008, after seeing her active participation, Prudence asked Gladys to become an Outreach Coordinator.

I asked Gladys what she thought of PWN and she responded, "Because of PWN, I'm a strong person and with my strength I hope to lead other women who are HIV-positive to be strong as well."

Labels: HIV/AIDS, PWN, South Africa

On April 6, IDEX Program Officer, Kat and Vini visited PWN support group members and got a sense of life in the townships of Johannesburg.

We first went to the township of Wattville to meet with one of the groups supported by Positive Women's Network (PWN), located an hour away from downtown Johannesburg. Wattville is home to approx 100 to 150 families. The support group has 57 members. Prudence Mabele, PWN's Director, grew up in Wattville and her grandmother, sister and many other family members still live there. As we entered the township, Prudence showed us the school that she went to and the corner where she used to sell vegetables to the community.

Right now, the main challenge that people face in the townships is unemployment. Many families have had to depend on social grants provided by the government, but these barely cover rent and food.

Monique, a support group member of Wattville since 2002, shared with us how difficult it has been to find a job. She joined the support group to be part of a women's group in her township. A year later she tested with HIV-positive, during her pregnancy with her fourth daughter. Pregnancy is a common way for women to find out that they're HIV-positive. Because she was already part of the support group she knew the importance of coming out as an HIV-positive woman. Not hiding that you are HIV-positive is empowering and can raise awareness that it is possible to live positively.

Tombifuthi (more known by her friends as Matigale), provides assistance to Watville's outreach coordinator, and supported Monique, so she was able to tell her family right away. It is very rare for HIV-positive women to share their diagnosis quickly with their family. That Monique was motivated to do this speaks to the great support system PWN has cultivated in the support groups.

Every Thursday, Monique brings her daughters to the support group meetings. She wants them to be aware of HIV, especially since they are young women. And young women living in townships have a high probability of being raped. This is a harsh reality in South Africa, where a woman is raped every 18 seconds.

The main activity of this support group is treatment literacy. HIV-positive women learn how to access treatment and the importance of not dropping the treatment. The group is also attending workshops to learn how to start support groups and how to counsel each other. HIV is unfortunately a part of many lives and deaths occur daily.

Labels: HIV/AIDS, Prudence Mabele, PWN

Bangladesh
Bangladesh PM to seek more Saudi jobs for expats - Reuters India – 20 Apr 09
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves for Saudi Arabia on Monday to push for more jobs for expatriate workers.

Bangladesh unveils 500-mln-dlr stimulus package - AFP via Yahoo News – 19 Apr 09
The Government will pump an extra 500 million dollars into the economy over the next 10 weeks according to finance minister A.M.A Muhith. About half the money will be used in the agricultural sector.

India
The biggest democratic exercise, Part Two - Aljazeera.net – 19 Apr 09
Video program, Listening Post, travels to New Delhi to investigate the influences of political parties, media, and corporations on the country’s electoral process.

508 Nominations for 25 seats - Times of India – 19 Apr 09
More than 250 candidates filed their papers on Saturday, the last day of filing nominations. This took the total number of candidates contesting for the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state of Rajasthan to 508.

Nepal
India alarmed as Maoists resume war on Nepal Army - The Hindu – 20 Apr 09
India’s ambassador to Nepal, Rakesh Sood met Maoist PM Pushpa Kamal after indications that recent feuds between the government and the Nepal Army might lead to a resumption of war.

Government inaction exacerbates insecurity - IRIN – 15 Apr 09
Human rights groups in the country are warning that the country is seeing an increased culture of impunity for human rights abuses.

Guatemala
Guatemalan gangster arrested in 60 bus killings - Associated Press – 16 Apr 09
Guatemalan police have arrested a gang member accused of being behind the killings of 60 bus drivers and assistants.

Mexico
The Week in Mexico - SignonSandiego.com – 19 Apr 09
Mexico news in brief including President Obama’s trip to Mexico and union protests in Michoacán.

Senegal
Senegal’s lifeblood drains away - BBC – 10 Mar 09
Remittances to the country have decreased in both their amounts and their frequency because of the continuing international financial crisis.

South Africa
Over 300 International Observers to Oversee Electoral Process - allAfrica.com – 17 Apr 09
Sixteen observer teams including representatives form the Commonwealth, the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the Senegal People Development Institute and the SADC Electoral Forum will be overseeing Wednesday’s election.

A Century of Deafness to Facts About Lung Disease in Miners - allAfrica.com - 17 Apr 09
Opinion piece urges action on the part of government and the mining sector to address the prevalence of tuberculosis amongst miners.

'Still Not Enough' Women in Key Posts in Private Sector - allAfrica.com – 17 Apr 09
Government departments and state-owned enterprises have outdone the private sector in appointing women to key positions in the workplace, according to the Businesswomen’s Association (BWA) census released yesterday.

Father Adrian, 'She literally had to run from the graveyard' - IRIN – 13 Apr 09
A Catholic priest who established a shelter in Musina, South Africa speaks about some of the experiences of the Zimbabwean women and children he encounters their.

Zimbabwe
GNU Crisis Meeting Deadlocked - allAfrica.com – 16 Apr 09
President Mugabe and PM Tsvangirai together with the vice-presidents and deputy prime ministers on Thursday held a crisis meeting in Harare, which failed to resolve outstanding issues of the global political agreement.

Tsvangirai Sets Up Farm Probe Team - allAfrica.com – 16 Apr 09
On Thursday, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai appointed a ministerial team to probe claims of farm disruptions across the country. According to Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, the probes will investigate reports of new farm invasions days before the start of the winter wheat season.

Maize Producer Price Set At U.S. $265/T - allAfrica.com – 16 Apr 09
The Grain Marketing Board has announced the 2008/09 maize producer price of US$265 per ton.

Immigration Unearths Scam - allAfrica.com – 15 Apr 09
The Department of Immigration has unearthed a scam involving some officers and immigration consultants making applicants pay double or more to receive services. The Department has now banned applications for immigration services through consultants or agents.

Africa
EU-ACP Ties Threaten Regional Integration - allAfrica.com – 18 Apr 09
New ties between the European Union and the African Caribbean and Pacific Countries have a risk of undermining regional integration by fragmenting countries into numerous blocs, trade experts have warned.

Labels: Newsflash

Our Office Manager Ces, is relocating to LA. Which means IDEX is looking for an Office Manager.

If you are interested, or know someone who might be, you can find the full job description and details on our Vacancies page.

We are accepting resumes now and would like to get this position filled in the next month.

If you think the job description is a good fit please send us your resume and cover letter to omhire@idex.org.

Labels: IDEX, Office Manager

IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini are in Africa visiting IDEX partners in South Africa. But they also spent one week in Senegal and met with a number of NGOs there to explore the possibility of IDEX expanding our work to Senegal. Vini recently sent us more details about Senegal and specifically Casamance.

Very few people outside West Africa actually know about the painful Casamance conflict. Fewer still in the "international community" have done much to build peace in the region. It is the longest running armed struggle in West Africa with over 20 years of conflict. For more information read The Casamance Conflict: Out of Sight Out of Mind.

The 2 sides, the separatist group MFDC (Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance) and the Senegalese government, have been fighting over the question of independence for the Casamance region. In the process they have impacted the people of Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and the Gambia, the two neighboring states. Tens of thousands have been killed, almost 80,000 displaced as per numbers from Caritas and UNHCR. Before the separatist movement in Independent Senegal, the region was a colonial battlefield for the French and the Portuguese.

Landmines are still strewn all over the region including the once beautiful national parks. All sides heap blame on each other. Not until 2004 did relative calm begin to return to the region. The impetus for peace came from the people of Casamance. They wanted to bring home their relatives and rebuild the region.

It is in this context that we get to meet with USOFORAL, AJAC and AJAEDO, 3 distinct groups that work in Enampor and Oussaye areas of Casamance. Of the people we meet most are elders. They had returned home in the past decade, having longed to be reunited with their land for over 30 years. They now teach the younger women and men of the region forgotten sustainable agriculture practices, using land and cultivation as concrete peace building methods.

The drive from Ziguinchor to Oussaye is lush, past the Casamance River and through orchards of orange, mangoes, palm oil and papayas. It’s beauty disguising a bloody history.

Chartered airplanes from all over Europe fly into the beaches of Cap Skirring, just an hour's drive from this impoverished region where recently returned displaced people are slowly but certainly rebuilding their homes, communities and lives. Two separate worlds exist in Casamance - the gorgeous luxury resorts of Cap nestled amongst landlessness, broken and displaced families from 3 decades of war that the people of the region never want to encounter again.

Labels: AJAC, AJAEDO, Casamance, Senegal, USOFORAL

Senegal
FAS Trains Journalists On Conflict, Gender - allAfrica.com – 8 Apr 09
Famme Africa Solidarite has commenced a five-day short course on gender, media, and conflict in Mbodniene, Senegal.

South Africa
A Long Awaited Policy On Economic Migrants - allAfrica.com – 10 Apr 09
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs is introducing a permit that could regularize the status of thousands of undocumented migrants and end mass deportations.

Johannesburg to Move Zimbabwean Migrants Into Shelters - allAfrica.com – 9 Apr 09
Zimbabwean migrants living in and around the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg are to be moved into shelters next week according to a local government spokesperson.

Zimbabwe
State Accused Over Rights of Detainees - allAfrica.com – 11 April 09
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) accused the State of undermining the rights of political detainees by continuously invoking the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act to ensure continued detention.

Number of Deportees Declines - allAfrica.com – 9 Apr 09
The principal immigration officer in charge of Beitbridge Border Post reports that the number of deportations has been constantly going down over the last few days.

Parties Should Co-Chair Constitutional Committee - allAfrica.com – 8 Apr 09
A 25-member parliamentary select committee to spearhead the crafting of a new constitution will be in place by Wednesday.

Bangladesh
Bangladesh bans begging in public places - AP – 2 APR 09
A new law bans begging in public places with a maximum three-month jail penalty.

Nepal
NSU slams govt over education tax, fee hike - Nepal students Union condemned the government decision to impose a five percent tax in education sector.

Maoists win three of six seats in Nepal by-elections - Reuters – 12 APR 09
Maoist former rebels have won three of six parliamentary seats by narrow margins in by-elections.

Food crisis not over, U.S aid is key: WFP official - Reuters – 7 APR 09
USAID is spending about $ 145 million for local procurement projects to bring aid to people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Nepal, and elsewhere.

U.N launches loans project for slum-dwellers - Reuters – 3 APR 09
A U.N program to break the poverty cycle by providing small housing loans to slum dwellers will finance the building of new houses in Nepal, which is expected to help at least 6,700 people.

India
India to kick off month-long general election - Reuters – 13 Apr 09
India holds first stage on Thursday of staggered general election that could see the ruling Congress party returned to power at the head of a weak coalition.

Water, not recession, sways rural voters - Times of India – 12 Apr 09
Report says rural Rajasthan has yet to be affected by the economic downturn being felt by the urban areas.

Mexico
Mexico Fights Drug, Violence - The first phase of a government plan to help urban areas affected by the wars among drug cartels return to normal has been implemented in the cities of Puebla, Ciudad Juarez, and Chihuahua.

Guatemala
Guatemala Agriculture, Last on List - Prensa Latina – 10 APR 09
The Guatemala Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Food has received the lowest budget allocations of all sectors.

Labels: IDEX NewsFlash

IDEX and DESMI may not have been successful with our Green Mountain Coffee proposal but thanks to GlobalGiving, and their "Give A Little Green" campaign all donations to DESMI will be matched at 50% while funds last.
Hurry, the matching funds are running out!

The coffee cooperative "Ssit lequil lum," (Fruit Of The Good Earth) in the northern part of Chiapas continues to report back many successes.

In the past year the cooperative has succeeded in acquiring much sought-after export permits. They immediately took orders for Europe. They successfully signed contracts and exported whole bean organic coffee to 4 countries: Tatawelo in Italy; Solidarity Café in France, Free World in Italy, Osporos in Greece and Café Liberty in Germany.

Currently, the members are building the capacity of the cooperative. This involves some technical support and DESMI is assisting the group in developing accounting protocols and maintaining fiscal responsibilities with the local tax authority to solidify their legal status as a commercial entity. This means they need to stay on top of the many necessary registrations and certifications.

The cooperative does not just grow coffee. The farmers also grow citrus fruits and bananas, and other small-scale crops. This diversifies their crops and their incomes. DESMI has been helping with the search for new markets for these crops.

More About Fruit Of The Good Earth

The cooperative is comprised of 594 members (coffee producers) from 5 autonomous municipalities, from both the Mayan Chol and Tzeltal ethnic groups. It includes 555 men and 39 women from 45 different communities. Over 2,900 people indirectly benefit from the cooperative.

The members take extraordinary pride in preserving indigenous culture and unity despite being from different ethnicities and language groups.

By organizing collectively, the farmers gain the scale they need to sell their products directly to exporters. This eliminates the need for middlemen and increases their profits.

Training programs help the cooperatives achieve export quality and obtain organic certification for their coffee crops. Just as importantly they develop knowledge to grow a wide variety of organic food crops for consumption and local sale.

The diversification of crops improves family nutrition (a critical need in this part of Mexico with the highest malnutrition rates in the country) and economic security while nourishing the soil for future generations.

Donate to DESMI now, through April 28 and in honor of Earth Day (April 22) GlobalGiving will match your donation at 50%. Please share your support of these coffee farmers with your family and friends.

Photo: Coffee plant in Chiapas, Mexico.

Labels: Chiapas, coffee, DESMI, GlobalGiving

After leaving AJAC we met with another community-based organization in Ziguinchor. The Regional Committee of Solidarity for Women in Peace in Casamance, USOFORAL, is founded and led by women. The acronym USOFORAL, means "Let's join hands" or "mutual help", in the local Diola language.

We traveled with USOFORAL's coordinator, Cisse, to a rural community called Enampor, 40km outside of Ziguinchor. Enampor is part of the rural district of Niassya, a subdivision of Ziguinchor. This is where USOFORAL has supported the construction of a building that has become the main women center for Enampor.

The president of each woman's group meets monthly and before this building, they didn't have a common place where they could meet. Now, at this center, Vini and I were invited to meet with the presidents of more than 20 groups in 14 villages for one of their monthly meetings.

After we introduced ourselves the women told us about their different activities. They are involved in several income-generating projects such as textile dyeing to produce clothes for the local ceremonies, rice farming in the mangrove swamps, civil rights awareness, and savings and credit groups. Most recently, they have created a community health insurance fund. All the presidents spoke highly of the support they've received through USOFORAL. They emphasized that because USOFORAL listens to their needs USOFORAL is able to provide them with relevant support and technical assistance.

It was a long meeting because of the multiple translations from English to French to Diola to French to English. Whew! At the end of the meeting the women did a rhythmical routine of rubbing their hands, saying in Diola "It's rumbling" 3 times and then they clapped loudly and announced "It's done." This reflects their work in the communities and the way change happens with a gradual rumbling. It was very empowering to see them do this united. After the meeting, several women got on their motorcycles to go home, while others took a ride with the USOFORAL van.

On the way back to the office Cisse told us how she got involved with USOFORAL. She's originally a teacher who came to Cap Skirring, a tourist beach town in Casamance, to promote education for children. She arrived in Casamance just before the conflict started. She and 3 peers (who later became the co-founders of USOFORAL) wondered about the role of women in the conflict and decided to organize a forum of women to discuss the issue.

This led to the initiation of USOFORAL. Gradually they became more involved in the Casamance peace process. They encouraged conflict-resolution together with income-generating activities as they recognized that these are important elements to building a peaceful society.

It was wonderful to meet many energized women and good to get to know Cisse. Cisse invited us to a conflict-resolution workshop where different community members give their perspective on the challenges and local conflicts they face in their communities. USOFORAL staff facilitates the workshop. We were excited to be invited but unfortunately had to decline due to our hectic schedule.

It's been exciting to learn so much about the organizations working Casamance, Senegal. Many villagers who left Casamance due to the conflict are now returning. All the organizations we've visited are helping people develop skills. This not only encourages other to return, but they provide people with the means to stay by securing a source of income. We've learned so much, yet there is so much more to learn. We’ve appreciated visiting each group and hope to visit them again.

Kat.

Labels: Senegal, USOFORAL

Last Wednesday we visited AJAC (Casamance Young Farmers' Association), an organization based in Zinguachor. AJAC works in 46 villages with women, youth and mixed groups.

AJAC helps group members build skills and offers technical assistance to generate income and develop work opportunities in Casamance. As a result of the conflict in Casamance, many families moved to other parts of Senegal and nearby countries such as Guinea-Bissau and the Gambia. Since the region has become more peaceful many families are now returning to Casamance. Thanks to organizations like AJAC, they can learn skills that will allow generating income for their families.

AJAC recognizes that women are at the core of community development and peace building. At the same time, AJAC is aware that to ensure sustainable peace you can't exclude men and youth, as they are part of the local communities and thus, AJAC works with them too.

AJAC facilitates training in several income-generating activities, with a focus on sustainable agriculture. They encourage the development of vegetable gardens, where people grow crops like tomato and cabbage. But they also encourage planting mangrove trees to promote fish farming.

There are 10 staff members at AJAC, 7 in the office, 2 community promoters and 1 agricultural technician. Most of the staff has been chosen by the groups they serve due to an organizational structure where each group selects a representative each for AJAC's General Assembly. The General Assembly selects who becomes a Board members and the Board will then select the staff of AJAC. Having staff directly selected by the groups AJAC works for ensures a trustworthy relationship between AJAC and the communities.

Not only that, AJAC is also aware of the need to be transparent in their work. AJAC ensures that all groups are aware of how much funding AJAC receives and when they receive it.

We had the opportunity to visit a training session where a group of women (all widows from the conflict) were learning about making compost. The women welcomed us so warmly and shared with us papayas that they have grown in AJAC's main vegetable garden. The women grow vegetables and fruits such as banana and papayas. It was so good to eat fresh fruit straight from the field. The women here were so energetic, it was great to feel their positive vibe. We could observe how the women were eager to learn and work as well as having a great relationship with AJAC staff.

Unfortunately, we couldn't stay too long, and had to leave the dancing in time to head off for our next meeting. The AJAC staff stayed behind to continue the workshop on composting.

Labels: AJAC, Senegal

South Africa
Health-South Africa: 'Our lives Are Most Important' - IPS – 4 Apr 09
The Fourth South African AIDS conference ended in Durban Friday. According to the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), a leading AIDS activist organization, there are more than five million South Africans living with HIV.

ANC Poised to Apologize for Disastrous Mbeki Aids Policy - The Times - allAfrica.com – 2 Apr 09
The ANC is planning a post-election apology to the nation for former president Thabo Mbeki’s disastrous HIV-Aids policy, which has been blamed for the deaths of thousands of infected people.

Refugees At Methodist Church to Be Moved to Soweto - allAfrica.com – 31 Mar 09
Four hundred of the over 2500 refugees, mostly Zimbabweans who have been living at the central Methodist Church in Johannesburg, are this week set to be moved to various locations, including Soweto.

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe government sets plan to end isolation - Reuters – 5 Apr 09
Government administration will relax media laws and strive in the next 100 days to end the country’s international isolation.

Diasporans Engage World Bank to Aid Country - allAfrica.com – 2 Apr 09
Zimbabweans living abroad this week engaged the World Bank in a move aimed at luring the global moneylender to support its capital mobilization for the country and skill repatriation.

Mexico
Military Justice System under Fire - IPS – 2 Apr 09
Mexican government, legislators and human rights organizations are calling for a review of the outdated military justice system, accused of letting human rights violators off the hook.

Indigenous Woman on the Offensive - IPS - 1 Apr 09
Zapoteca, Eufrosina Cruz recently presented a new civil association named Quiego (Queremos Unir Integrando por Equidad y Género en Oaxaca) in Mexico City, aimed at highlighting the deep-rooted nature of native traditions and customs in many communities.

Guatemala
Guatemala’s President presents Civil Service Law to Mayas in four indigenous languages - Guatemala Times – 31 Mar 09
President Alvaro Colom, Mayan representatives for several departments and other state officials participated in celebrations to recognize the day of the Agreement for the Identity and Rights of Indigenous People last week.

Guatemalans Demand Anti-Crisis Steps - Prensa Latina – 31 Mar 09
Demonstrators marched to Congress of the Republic and the Constitution Square last week, demanding measures be taken to deal with issues such as violence and high costs of living.

India
BJP sets out India poll manifesto - BBC – 3 Apr 09
India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has released its election manifesto, which includes a number of key financial pledges.

Nepal
Nepal govt told to find hundreds missing from war - Reuters – 3 Apr 09
Nepal’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to find out what happened to hundreds of people who went missing during a decade-long civil war.

UK increases Nepal poverty cash - BBC – 2 Apr 09
Britain to increase funding for aid programs in Nepal by some 50% over the next three financial years.

Switching to bananas - IRIN – 31 March 09
Farmers in Jugedi village, southern Nepal, have decided to replace his traditional crops with something different, bananas.

Don’t give up hope - eKantipur.com – 6 Apr 09
Opinion piece by Gagan Thapa and Sumit Sharma Sameer

Bangladesh
Air pollution choking Dhaka - IRIN – 3 Apr 09
Thousands of people in Bangladesh’s capital are dying prematurely because of air pollution, say health experts.

Labels: IDEX NewsFlash

On Tuesday, March 31, we took a small jet plane to fly to Zinguinchor - the largest town in southern Senegal. From here we will travel to community-based organizations in Casamance.

It was only a 50-minute flight but when we landed in Zinguinchor we sensed immediately that we were in a tropical, rural area. The humidity hit us as soon as we left the plane. Seynabou, the director of USOFORAL, an organization that we're meeting with, came to welcome us at the airport. It just so happened that we had also flown with a couple of members of USOFORAL on the same plane.

Once we settled in into our new lodging we were ready to go visit the first organization in Casamance, AJAEDO (Association of Young Farmers and Animal Breeders in the Oussouye Division of Casamance).

We drove for an hour into Casamance-Basse. This is a region that has suffered from many years of conflict waged over independence for Casamance. As with many conflicts between government and rebellion forces, those who suffer the most are civilians. On our drive to Oussouye, where AJAEDO is based, we were told about how these same roads were quite dangerous at one point and car hijackings were the norm. Nowadays, the region is stable and displaced community members are beginning to return to Casamance, which happens to be the richest in natural resources.

When we arrived we met with Paul Emmanuel. Paul is the Coordinator of Programs at AJAEDO and he told us a bit about AJAEDO and its work.

AJAEDO works with 392 members represent community groups. There are 21 groups in total, 12 women groups and 9 male groups. Each group has a representative that sits on AJAEDO Board. As a result the women hold the majority on this Board.

AJAEDO provides skills-building and technical assistance to women in agriculture, sewing, soap making and pottery. Three years ago they introduced a microcredit program. Since then they have had good results as the women are now able to access financial support. Many of them have taken at least two microcredit loans since the launch of the program.

AJAEDO is an organization that is regularly monitoring and evaluating their activities. Every 15 days the coordinator sits down with the supervisors and group promoters to create an action plan. At the end of the 15 days they then evaluate what they carried out and see if they followed their plan or not. AJAEDO also accompanies the groups to see where the priority needs are and facilitate discussions for community members to find solutions to problems. Once they've identified the solution, the coordinator in turn helps them find financial support for them.

AJAEDO showed us round their office, which includes a conference room, dormitories, a small vegetable garden and an extra room that serves as the base for a community radio, which promotes a dialogue among the multiple ethnic groups in Casamance. Right next to the radio office AJAEDO has a space that they hope to convert into an IT Center to Internet access to community members.

There were several young men hanging out at the community radio station and I asked them why weren't they talking on the radio. "Our electricity has been cut off," they answered. We took the opportunity to talk with them about their music that includes hip-hop, and mbalanx. The men demonstrated by dancing and singing their favorite songs. We didn't think it was necessary to return the favor.

Paul, the coordinator, told us a bit about himself during the tour of the office. He comes from Casamance and lived in this area until he moved to Dakar for his university studies. He has now returned to Casamance and wants to support his fellow community members in improving their livelihoods. His hope for Casamance is that the region becomes what it was before the conflict started, a beautiful, peaceful environment where the society is non-hierarchical and all people are considered equal. Many people have come back to Casamance to revive this tropical land once again.

Photo: IDEX Program Officer, Katherine Zavala, with AJAEDO staff.

Labels: AJAEDO, Casamance, microcredit, Senegal, Sustainable Agriculture, Women

IDEX Program Officers Kat and Vini have made it to Senegal, but not without a few hiccups! Read Vini's story of their arrival in Dakar below.

On our flight from JFK to Dakar, I was struck by the beautiful people dressed to the nines in each row of seats. I was inspired. As an immigrant to the US, I remember I used to be this way when flying home, back to India, was an event and the return to see your family demanded nothing less than the most festive of clothing. I mentally resolved to get back to dressing up a little for flights and laughed at my sweats. Little did I know at that moment that I would be in them for another 2 days.

During the flight, both Kat and I watched the films Sarafina and then Red Dust. Both films are a stark, sometimes hopeful, always outrageous reminders of life under apartheid. These films focus on important times. The first documents the Youth uprising of Soweto in 1976, and the latter covers the work of the Truth and Reconciliation commission. Although we had planned to sleep and do nothing on the flight, I felt motivated to read more about the organizations we will visit. I appreciated that IDEX's work is on the right side of history, and had a clear conviction that the work against oppression is still not done. It has been over a year since I last came to Africa and these movies combined with several million feet above sea level make me emotional.

After landing amidst reuniting families, we quickly realized two not so wonderful things about our own situation:

1. Our luggage has not make it with us.
2. Our ride was not there to pick us up.

The next hour was an instant French immersion lesson for me, but Kat sailed through and lodged a missing luggage report. Shortly after, I decided to chat up all the waiting travelers in the lounge while we hoped that our ride would turn up. A sweet Bangladeshi doctor also on a site visit with another NGO gave us a ride to our hotel. It was early in the morning and still dark but I could smell the ocean as we drove past.

Just when we were ready to take a long nap, we discovered that our budget hotel had dirty sheets. Luckily, at this point, we had our first encounter with legendary Senegalese Teranga. Teranga is proudly considered Senegalese hospitality but not just a one time thing, its considered a spiritual practice, a lifelong belief that when one is kind to guests, they too will extend the same to you in the future. The hotel attendant took our dirty sheets as a personal affront and not only did he correct the situation immediately, he saw to it that we are accompanied and taken great care of, all during the next 24 hours.

We had a non tourist tour of Dakar. Along with the usual sites of the central town, we got to see the beach and dip our toes in the Atlantic, and even had a lovely lunch. Never mind that we have no clean clothes and have not yet heard from our hosts, I was deeply grateful to be easing into a relaxed and patient rhythm. We ended up in the industrial area of Dakar while our folks from the hotel bought some tools.

This was the best part. We got to watch the comings and goings in the street - a group of young men playing football with a rock, a few elderly women watching and keeping and eye on the street, a group of brilliantly dressed young women giggling at the seamstress store, a lathing machine set up on the sidewalk outside the tool store with two men finishing a piece of wood. In the background we could hear the afternoon call to prayers. To me, it all seemed familiar, reminiscent of the Swahili coast of Kenya and yet new.

The interesting afternoon renewed my faith in the ability to have fun... I learned again that you cannot be impatient in Africa. Lost luggage, oh well. Dirty sheets, not the end of the world. No food, that's okay.

Buzzing from the first day's excitement and determined not to let jet lag get the better of us, we went to a club famous for the best in local live Jazz and Mbalanx music. Although it was a Sunday night and people had to go to work the next day, I was amazed to see how full the place was with people really engrossed in the terrific music of a live band.

When we returned to the hotel a few hours later, I fell sound asleep within a few seconds, filled to the brim with all the day's sights and sounds, waiting for more ahead.

Labels: Dakar, Senegal

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