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25
October 2006
Hi
folks,
Since
writing my newsletter at the weekend, some things have changed
already! For one, the humidity left us almost overnight
so now it's just hot and dry again and my lip balm is getting
used overtime. Also, with the end of Ramadan, the security
situation is hotting up again with reports of rebels on
the move from the East towards NDJ. Therefore we are postponing
our trip out to Mongo until the situation becomes clearer.
Do keep remembering Chad - and us - at this time of uncertainty.
Take
care, love Caroline :O)
Here
is the words only version for those of you who can't open
pdf files.
N’djamena,
21 October 2006
Dear
Friends,
Greetings
from a hot and sticky N’djamena! Now that I have my
first rainy season under my belt, I thought it was high
time to send you all a proper newsletter to let you know
what’s been happening over the past few months. On
Tuesday, I said goodbye to a friend from Edinburgh, Clare
Hannah, who came to visit for 10 days. It was lovely to
have someone from home and we even got to visit Mongo for
a few days. She was meant to come in early September but
had to postpone due to visa issues. This meant I had an
unintended stay in NDJ while waiting for her. I’m due
to leave again for Mongo with the Sauer family on Wednesday
and hope to stay out in the Guera till our SIL conference
in February.
Literacy
work update
It’s
been a busy few months work wise. I’ve been working
with the Guergiko literacy coordinators on various publications
– 4 folk tales, their 2007 diary and their transition
reading book for those who have already learned to read
and write Guergiko and who now want to learn French. Most
of these books are now back from the print shop. We now
have to work on a teacher’s guide for the transition
reading programme which will start in the Guergiko area
in January.
The
other major thing I’ve been involved in is preparing
a teacher’s guide for the Guera mother tongue preschool
classes. The teacher’s guide is now finished and yesterday
we handed it in to be checked at the government literacy
department. All educational materials have to pass through
the government department before we can send them for printing.
We hope to have the guide back from the print shop in time
for the teacher training at the end of November and for
classes to start in January. This year, we hope 5 language
groups will be involved and that we will have up to 15 classes
running.
Thanks
to funding recently received for the Guera Regional Office,
we have been able to buy a 4x4 truck. This will facilitate
awareness raising trips to various locations over the coming
months to meet the authorities and promote literacy among
some of the more remote language communities.
Transport
Adventures
Rainy
season in Chad produces some interesting travel conditions
as I discovered first hand just a few weeks ago! Not far
from Mongo is a river called the Bangbang, which is completely
dry for most of the year, but after heavy rains becomes
a raging torrent and is therefore impassable. One Sunday,
many of us had been invited to a village on the other side
of the Bangbang for a celebration so we needed to take two
cars. I decided to be brave and borrow a colleague’s
car and drive the second car. All was fine getting to the
village and I really enjoyed my first proper off-road driving
experience! However, it just rained the whole day, so when
we were ready to go back to Mongo, the Bangbang was full
and we couldn’t pass. So we all went back to another
village where my colleagues, Larry and Dianne Burke used
to live, and spent the night there. I should add at this
point that at 10am Monday morning, I was due to fly back
to NDJ on a MAF Cessna to meet Clare, so you can imagine
the trepidation I felt as we went to the Bangbang first
thing Monday morning. Would I have to swim or be floated
across to the other side? The Bangbang was indeed still
full but thankfully we were able to postpone the flight
till Tuesday morning. Phew! In the meantime most of us went
back to the village for the day before coming back to try
to cross in the afternoon. By this time, the river had reduced
enough for us to cross, even if it was still a bit scary
for those of us doing it for the first time. Somehow having
water coming up over the bonnet of the car doesn’t
seem quite right!
On the
home front
Jameel,
my dog, continues to settle in and get bigger and bigger.
Clare brought me a dog training book so his training will
start in earnest once I get back to Mongo.
I also
now have a housemate, Esther Hunter, who teaches 5 of the
American children in Mongo and will share with me till June
next year.
Presentation
I have
sent a short PowerPoint presentation home with Clare about
what I’m up to here so if anyone is interested in having
a copy, please contact her at clarehannah@hotmail.com or
on her mobile 07966797282 and she will happily send it to
you.
I love
hearing from you and am really grateful for your support,
prayers, gifts and encouragement. Thanks!
Love
Caroline
:O)
Prayer
Points
Thanks
For
Clare’s visit and the time we were able to spend together
For finishing the Guergiko materials and the Preschool Teacher’s
Guide
For continued good health during rainy season
Pray
For
the security situation in the country, especially in the
East
For safe travel back to Mongo and getting settled back down
to life and work there
For the Preschool Teacher Training in November, the awareness
raising trips in December and a good start to the 2007 literacy
campaign in January.
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