Microcredit - 16 17/3/2010

I am combining the two days together. Little happened Tuesday. The internet was down all day at GILLBT so I had no way to do any research. I spent a lot of the day playing Hearts, Free Cell, and Minesweeper. However, for two good hours Dan and I went into town. I got my VISA card to work and Dan had a few errands to run, including finding a new housemaid. Their current one refuses to stick to the assigned schedule and doesn't seem to care to work. The rest of the day I spent reading and working on my paper at the house.

It was Wednesday that was a long day. Around 8, Susie (head of Women's Empowerment of GILLBT) and Ofuri (the driver) and I left for Wale Wale and Bolga to visit some microcredit sites. The time was amazing and I really learned a lot just from talking to the women. I got to stop at two sites where the women actually run their business. Twice I sat in on a meeting and asked the group a few questions. These women are all serious about their lives and jobs and families. And they all tell similar stories, not surprisingly. All couldn't afford proper care or education for their children and all needed the money merely to survive. These loans also gave them needed respect. In a half-joking manner, one of the leaders said that many husbands are fed up with their wives - all they are is a burden to them and their attempt at supporting a family. A good example is that if a child misbehaves the man may say, take care of your child. But the moment the child behaves or does something good the father will commend HIS child. The wives become nothing more than property to their husbands. But these loans change everything. Suddenly, the woman is a help, not a burden. These women have become leaders in their community and are highly respected by all.

I also got to hold the tail of a wild crocodile. You pay 3 cedis for the chicken and 4 to walk out. They call the croc out of the water and then you go stand by it, hold its tail, squat by it all for your picture. Crazy, yet no one has gotten hurt in the years it has been running. It was definitely a tad scary but awesome at the same time.. who can say they held the tail of a live croc? I know my parents will kill me when they find out, but it was worth it!

I came home exhausted. The heat really takes it out of you. I was fine until around 12. From 12-3 it just gets unbearably hot, generally around 38-41 degrees (around 100 and up) and that is when I got uncomfortable, only when the car stopped driving though. There wasn't any ac the entire day, which again wasn't bad until the afternoon and then only when the car stopped.

I also find it odd and absolutely hilarious that every village child upon seeing me gets this immense grin and starts to laugh and wave. They are so fascinated with a white person and I cannot truly understand why. It is certainly a rare thing to see a white man, but the laughter and grin? What is so goofy about an obruni?