Dr Nick's, Open April 1st?

March 30, 2014

Well maybe Dr. Nick's won't open on April Fool's Day, but hopefully that weekend. Of course, having workmen appear is always a big question mark.

Tensions are running high between the woman who will operate the store and myself, primarily over pricing and items to sell. She has a feel for what local residents buy. Like many small shop owners she doesn't understand the math of turnover, margins, and cost of inventory. What happens to many shops is that to stock an item you have to buy a large quantity which may sit on the shelf and expire. Cash gets tied up in these purchases leaving little left over for anything else."Cash is King" is my mantra.She does understand how to keep her personal expenses separate from the store. She thinks I am crazy for charging so much and feels high prices drive customers away. We both have to learn from each other, but the process is painful.

I am scheduled to run the shop my way until I leave. She takes over after that. She is concerned I will fuck-up the whole thing before then (my language, not hers).

Inside the cage

Beer, alcohol, and cigarettes make money

Still needs paint and lettering

Project to Prevent HIV/AIDS and Family Planning

March 25, 2014
A number of Cuttington students have formed an organization aimed at HIV/AIDS prevention and family planning by conducting educational sessions and condom distribution at local schools, placing condoms at departmental offices at Cuttington University, and condom distribution to high-risk adult populations.They have developed brochures and flyers. Now they are planning to register as an N.G.O. which may help them in getting funds to expand their efforts.How can you not want to assist these young adults?

Students gather to hear the messaage

When you can't get a penis, a banana does just fine

Happy students at Suakoko High School

No one is spared. Even people on motorbikes.

Mentoring Project's Meals

March 27, 2014

Today marks the beginning of the actual mentoring project where university students mentor local grade school children. First reports are very good from both sides. More food prepared then needed, making locals very happy.

Women chopping potato greens which are then mashed, and cooked with chilies, and palm oil. Fish is then added and all served over white rice.

Mentoring Program Kick-Off

March 23, 2014
Some days good things just unexpectedly happen. Today is one of those days.

After several months of planning and frustration the Mentoring Program started, but with great disappointment. Expecting about a hundred university students who indicated a desire to be a mentor, a university auditorium awaiting. Fourteen people appear, mostly from the sponsoring university group.How to handle the expected fifty, maybe more, town primary school students to be mentored?I am in a state of internal panic.Off our small entourage treks the mile to the Sinyea town. But the Women's group whose children are to be mentored are at the house of a sick member. We wait wondering if all is in vain.

While waiting we discuss what to do. A quiet and shy girl says, "Why don't each of us take as many students as we want?" She wants seven. Everyone agrees. Our plans for one-to-one mentoring evaporate.
 shall prevail.

Cuttington University Mentors (one missing)

Registration Site, a local store

Two university students registering their group

Finally the women and children begin to appear, a good sign. One of the mentors begins the group the children by families as individual mentors claim a group. Registration takes place, meal times, and meeting places are established. Pictures are taken. Candles are lit to write down names. Sixty town children are registered. We are off and running. A second mentoring group is scheduled in two weeks.

It is hard to explain what it is like to be in a society so governed by obedience when given the chance a fountain of creativity emerges to solve the problem. For most of these university students, this is their first exposure to life in a rural village and to conduct their mentoring sessions in rural town homes. Many pitfalls lie ahead in the coming weeks, but I feel confident these university students. A second mentoring group is scheduled in two weeks. 

Project One...Done

March 17, 2014

Almost four months to the day after my robbery, the Cuttington Security Force's Employee Handbook is completed. It contains Mission Statements, Objectives, Policies and Procedures for the operation of the security force. Hopefully it gives the Chief of Security the needed authority to dismiss and fine officers who violate policies.Now it needs to be signed off by numerous university officials. Of course the main issue is whether it ever is implemented. But you can't expect too much from a place where rhetoric trumps action. 

Running Water

March 12, 2014

Liberian plumbing system

We often forget the importance of turning on the faucet and getting safe drinking water, but for most of the world water is first hauled out of a deep well by bucket then put into another bucket, carried to a barrel where it is stored. Carrying the water is usually done by younger boys and girls. Here in Liberia it is transported on your head. I suggest you try to lift a full bucket of water over your head, let alone carrying it up a hill for some distance.

My needs are about two-three buckets of water a day which is brought by the young woman who cleans my house. On wash day it is even more. My greatest use of water is to flush the toilet, not unlike America. So I try to follow the adage from California water shortage times, "If its yellow, let it mellow. If its brown, flush it down". Even then, I let the brown stick around.

Returning to campus

 March 10, 2014

Today marks the beginning of classes at Cuttington University. This is after postponing the scheduled opening one week to allow students to return home to get more money to meet the university’s sudden announcement of a greater down payment to enroll and after the passing of another week of schedules classes which neither students nor instructors observe. All this reduces class time by two weeks while fees remain the same.  I am happy not to be a part of that mess again.

There is an excitement about being back on campus and reconnecting students again. If anything the relationships are more relaxed than if I was still an instructor. The wonderful part is their eagerness to participate in one of my programs. It kind of lights a fire under me to get them involved and get others moving.

Today I label as “Condom Day”. I was visited at my house by former Immunology class students who have started and want to expand an HIV/AIDS/Family Planning program to neighboring towns and rural areas. They need some money for travel and other minor expenses. I am trying to get a small grant for them. They left with a case of 3,000 condoms after distributing over 1,000 last semester. They may serve as a model about how to conduct similar training in America. Another case of 3,000 condoms goes to the President of the Student Union Association to support his plans. Finally some students from last year take a few hundred condoms and I see them randomly handing them out to other students as they pass by.

 I enter into a discussion with others about whether distributing condoms simply encourages random sexual behavior. To this I refer to my daughter who works for the Minnesota Aids Project as a case worker who states that many studies have been conducted showing that condom distribution and sex education actually reduces sexual activity. Whether that applies to Liberia, I can’t say, but I can say that awareness of pregnancy prevention and HIV has increased. High school and college students in this area carry condoms along with their cell phones as part of what is important to them. Who knows, maybe they do think twice be ore hormones completely take over their bodies?

The news is also spreading about the opening of “Dr. Nick’s”. It seems like the students really want a more private place off-campus where they can go , have a beer, and relax. It encourages me more as construction moves more slowly than I would like.