crash

First let me apologize for the 3 posts in one -- I had written them but couldn't get on line to post them.  I will try to caption any photos.  And if you see a photo with an arrow below it, it's actually a video!

So I decided also to transfer all my emails from when I last backed up my computer to my hard drive so I could work on them even without internet.  They cut the power here most days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and then the generator kicks in, but it makes the internet go on and off too.

So after doing that, I come in after lunch yesterday, boot up the computer and get the blue sceeen of death -- fatal system error.... trying not to think about it.  And feeling really lonely without it -- I've become quite attached to my laptop!  Not to mention I don't want to have to deal with getting all my email, files and software back!  My phone hasn't worked since I got here, so I'm a bit out of touch.  I borrowed a phone from Joa and got a sim card today, so hopefully I will soon be connected. 

I did get a chance to skype with Daniel, and today when I finally got on a computer just now, he'd written to say Mom!  I got straight A's.  So that's super good news.  I will call him later if the sim card and phone card combo works.

Things aren't so great with me given the laptop deal, but Clare's doing alright at least -- settling in super well and made a new friend at camp.  We moved in to Mie's house night before last and have been eating well ever since. Lots of fruits and bread, cheese, etc.  We ate really good Ethiopian food last night.  And today Julie brought us a hair brush to borrow since Clare forgot hers and we couldn't find any here.

Rwanda postponed their training, so we're trying to figure out how we can keep on track.  We had a great meeting with the Plan Senegal team yesterday to plan for their part of the project.I also handed their equipment over to them. Seems like it will be pretty neat.  Today Julie and I have been working the whole day to develop the training workshop that starts on the 30th.  We want to be sure everyone in all the participating countries has a shared vision of the project. People are really liking the Flip Cameras and I have requests to purchase a dozen already!  

OK off to have a small coffee.  Been so exhausted since I got here....

Secondment

Right, so after all that I never explained what a 'secondment' is. It basically means that I'm on loan for a year to our West Africa Regional office to support the Youth Empowerment through Arts and Media project. It's kind of like a sabbatical. After the year, I'll come back to my existing position (working with the Youth Engagement and Action program at Plan in the US).

BTW -- I'm not actually MOVING to Africa (though the emails about how much you'll all miss me are very sweet, hehe)-- I'm working from the US, mostly from home, but traveling a lot to support the different countries. Coming up this summer: 3 weeks in Senegal in June for project planning with the teams from the participating countries, 1 day in Amsterdam in June to work with our office there on project ideas and potential funding, 3 weeks in Rwanda in July and 3 in Mali in September to support arts and media training. Possibly Kenya in December for a week-long de-brief/planning workshop with the teams including 3 days of discussion on social media and the use of mobile phone technology in the project.

And I know, I know. The last post was way too long. I promise the next ones will be short and sweet.

With photos! Here's one of Clare. She's busy cleaning her room this week so we can paint it before we leave. I've been promising for about a year. We'll get some advice on that from Alex (my youngest brother, pro-painter turned tech guru) who's coming to visit this weekend.

And videos! Once I figure out how to get them to load without errors. Is it me or is it blogspot? Only time will tell. I tried 3 times now to post one of Daniel playing capoeira in 3 different formats but it didn't work. I used this really cool Flip camera that I'm testing out for the project. It's the size of a Snickers bar, totally simple to use, and costs only $130.