Health Talks & Banku

This morning we got an early wake up call rising between 6:00 am and 7:00 am so that Edem could take us to Fesi for our first community health talk. I woke up at 6:00 am to use the bathroom and then read until everyone else started getting up at 7:00 am and we began to get ready. I skipped out on showering this morning and just got dressed and had a slice of bread with groundnut paste on it for breakfast. At 8:00 am Edem showed up and started shuttling us to Fesi where our presentations were. I went with the second group and began walking with Edem’s friend Erik and the rest of our group before Edem met us along the way and picked us up off the side of the road. When we arrived in Fesi we walked down a dirt road to a school where kids were sweeping the yard. We gave our talks to a group of community members and had Erik translate for us. Around 11:30 am we returned to our home in Kpando stopping at the post office where I had three letters from home waiting for me! Sarahann, Megan and I made fried plantains, eggs, tomatoes and cucumbers for lunch to go with groundnut paste on bread. After lunch we went back to the post office to drop off some mail and pick up some Aerograms. We also made a stop at the FanMilk store to buy everyone FanIce on our walk back home. I spent most of the afternoon just relaxing and reading at the house. At 4:15 pm Sarahann, Megan and I headed to Patience’s house to watch her prepare Banku for us for dinner as we are going to hire her to cook our dinner meals three days a week starting this week. When she was finished we walked the Banku back to the house to eat with the rest of the group. It was good but the sauce or soup as they call it was a little spicy for my taste. After dinner I wrote a letter to my parents and journaled before heading to bed. We have another early wake up call tomorrow morning – 4:45 am!

Another interesting note from today was that on our way into Fesi this morning Edem told us that he didn’t know how many people would show up for our health talks because the goats had been arrested in Fesi this morning. Upon inquiring as to what this meant he showed us driving past a big truck with a giant container on the back that “officials” were placing tied up goats into. The officials were chasing the goats around throughout yards within the village of Fesi. Apparently they were being arrested because they goats were out roaming when they were not supposed to be out. The whole process seemed to work like a Police Lockup in the Untied States where the goats were taken and money had to be paid to get them back. However in this situation if money was not paid to get the goats back the goats were then sent to auction.