But sorry, this is my main activity here ;D
always with Union YANTA women.
Since the 1st workshop, there are several women who asked me to teach them the compost techniques.
So this time, I decided to work with 10 associations, with about 80-90 women...
Yes, now I know it was too ambitous...
Right now it is a break between meetings after one week since the compost start and after one month so I am a bit relieved.
But at the beginning, everyday for almost 2 weeks I had one meeting in the morning and another in the afternoon...
April is the hottest month here and everyday the temperature is higher than 40!
The sunshine is painful...
Tiring...
Women might not come again...
Such stress and some worry discourage me sometimes.
But I don't work alone.
I have a strong supporter, student in doctor course who knows so much more than me about agriculture, composting and the local language (dioula and morre).
He doesn't show tiredness or say complaints. So I can't keep being like a baby either !
Anyway the problem for first 2 meetings with each association was that women don't come on time.
I arrive with lots of motivation and only 2 of 10 women come or 1 hour, 2 hours later they start coming one by one. That discouraged me quite much…
But I have to understand them as well.
They don't live everyday with time (watch) restriction (schedule).
Also, their house is not always located close to one's house where we have the meetings.
If there are some funeral ceremonies or someone is sick at home, they can't come to meetings.
Of course, they have everyday housework like cooking, washing clothes, taking care of kids etc...
So, I try to be always calm without showing my stress or frustration...
However there were more other associations who wanted to be part of this workshop.
In addition, it was them who asked me to reorganize it.
So I say clearly some points as well.
"if you can not respect the meeting time all the time, I will stop the workshop with your association. There are many others which wanted to learn compost. I can understand your situation but please try to be on time as much as possible. "
Or another solution : when the meeting starts at 8 in the morning, I will tell the women to come at 7 because they leave from their home at 7 (when the meeting starts).
Or, I appeal to the association's solidality (the group responsibility).
"If you are like that for the next time, I don't care anymore about your association !" (joking)
Then some members accuse others who came late at the meeting or themselves apologize to be late.
Or some come even though they had other things to do.
Or others explain the reason why they couldn't come to the meeting next day or later.
I can see how serious they are for the workshop.
Also they welcome us so properly.
I really appreciate that.
I modified the workshop content this time.
The focus is put more on discussions about hygiene (solid waste) practice, public health and impacts of waste to human, aminals and nature in addition to the compost making practice.
Showing real photos of wastes in Bobo
The base of compost with exact masured as I suggested.
Everyone participates to prepare the compost base.
Well organized, aren't they ? (↓)
They check the humidity (how much water to add) by themselves to prepare later at their home.
There are some associations which have some members who participated at the 1st workshop so I ask them to give advice or answer to the questions from others to train now them for future trainers. (↓ 2 of them)
She has already 4 bags of compost since October last year.
This time, just after 2 month workshop, the rainy season should start normally (at the end of June or beginning of July).
So at their field, we will test their compost respectively and see how it will help for cereal production.
I am very looking forward to doing it !
She went to get some vegetable waste at a market then prepared already one full bag !
As she has lots of animals at home (pork, cows, moutons...), after 1 week she had already 3 bags of compost. If she continues like this, she needs tans of bags...
So we suggested her to try 2 different ways of compost : One for more with cooking waste and a bit of animal wastes in a bag, another (bigger quantity) for only animal wastes and leaves outside at garden.
We will see how it will work !
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