Happy new year to everyone! (just to explain how this blog has been getting dusty over the last months)
So, what happened in the meantime ...
In that meantime:
- I've enjoyed a relaxing holiday in Burkina Faso - with Sabine, Theun and Mieke. Exploring the countryside, assisting in finding antibiotics for people who got ill, visiting local friends, freezing in a swimming pool, enjoying the automatic repair of exploding tires, seeing more elephants than ever before, witnessing mountains of freshly picked cotton waiting to get shipped, enjoying Dutch donuts on new year's eve (and getting drunk as hell), being the luckiest ass in the world as it happens that 40km's in the bush there's a mechanic driving behind us while we're having car problems (and that was most surely the only living soul nearby), well, this is just a small pick of the event of those 4 weeks. Come again, please!
- My chickens are growing up, and 2 of them are having a nest - with a load of eggs mutating below em. Over the next couple of weeks, there's quite a chance Villa43 will get crowded. Think there will be lots of chicken on the menu later on this year.
- There's a motorbike version 2.0. New tires - off road this time - will assist me in escaping the city at weekends. Yay!
- I've assisted at a traditional village marriage negotiation. The most funny part was where the family of the girl that gets married tries to steal something in order to avoid the guests from leaving. Bad luck for one of the drivers of the bus, as his mobile phone got stolen. It took about 3 hours and the theft (ok, let's call it kidnapping) of one of the girl's sisters before we could head home.
- More bout work (explaining the title - after a series of photos).
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| This is why I don't like traveling with a local car. Would feel exactly like of the (yes, alive) chickens hanging upside down. |
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| Just a man keeping us company when the car broke down. |
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| Also company, same location. |
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| The 'piques' de Sindou. |
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| He dad, that was the first train I saw in Burkina Faso. Think the locals were surprised too. |
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| It drives, so what ? Dieu merci ... indeed. |
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| Negotiations about the amount of dolo (local beer), coca-nuts, cigarettes and money for the traditional wedding. Somehow, the sand plays an important role. |
Ok. You've made it this far. Let's start explaining the title for this post.
While traveling to municipalities last year, it became very clear there where no tools for managing stuff. So we've started creating them. Which we've only done after investigating if there was nothing available somewhere else. And what exists just couldn't do the job. Created by projects and abandoned afterwards, or hopelessly old, not suited to the actual needs.
So aside from creating tools, we needed to start another process in order to ensure that the work I've started could go on after this year.
Hence, last month, I've organized a conference, and invited bout 45 municipalities (mayors, heads of staff of divisions, ...) throughout the country - in total more than 200 people. That day we discussed the actual situation, and how to move forward in regard to the management question, and I've laid out a plan to create a centre at the association which could assume the role of creating and maintaining those tools and deliver them nation-wide.
The response was above expectations. Not having provided any financial contribution for the invitees to attend (like money for fuel or accommodation - which is highly uncommon here), almost everybody came on their own expense, even from 400kms away.
Before that meeting, I've worked like hell to get a first tool in a state where I could present - and make clear what technology can do in the 21th century. A showcase or eye-opener, as it's called, and since that meeting I've had a number of mayors asking me when I could come over and deliver.
So, conclusion, I've just finished getting the financial part of the centre sorted out. To make it also in that regard sustainable, I've prepared in a way where within 2 years, the project should be self-funding through contributions from municipalities. Next week I'm having a first chat with one of the possible technical/financial partners for the funding of the first years.
In the meantime, I'm waiting to get my plan for this year approved, so I could finalize this year some of the tools and get them where they are needed.
To end this post, I must admit that last couple of months where energy-draining. As it was clear for me what's needed out there, my heart just wanted to go on with providing that assistance and kick ass (hard). The process has been slow though - at least very very very (repeat about a 1000 times) slow for me. But maybe, we'll get there.
