DEVELOPING TIMES: An Afternoon in the Village

Welcome

Mission Statement
Rural Empowerment Initiatives (REI) mission is to collaborate in the reduction of poverty through investment in rural areas and training of local people.

Vision Statement
REI's vision is to treat every created being with dignity, respect and love. We strive to work with those most in need by empowering people to recognize their God given talents, enabling them to make the world a better place and providing them hope for the future.

Our Principles
REI believes that all people are created equal.
REI will develop small to medium businesses (SMEs) as one approach to reach those most in need by creating jobs that build the economy in rural areas.
REI's partner businesses will be led, managed and majority owned by local people.
REI will always seek a triple bottom line of economic, spiritual and social transformation.
REI seeks to build sustainable community-oriented business models.
REI's focus of support is to the economically disadvantaged.
REI will seek attractive market and growth opportunities.
REI will incubate pilot projects with capable management.
REI believes in collaboration. We seek partners whose strengths complement our own in an effort to build well-rounded projects of lasting economic value for the communities in which we work.
REI is inspired by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and is therefore rooted in the Christian faith.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

An Afternoon in the Village

While the noon day sun starts to really heat up...people in the village start to slow down. Woman are busy cooking the biggest meal of the day and the men are most likely sitting under a shade tree talking about 'important matters'.
Reality says that women in the village work never ends...and the men during the dry season at least have a light workload.

My afternoons in the village are very low key. After a morning doing things in the cooler air, it's time to sit under the shade tree as well. The meal is normally served around two pm. This is the largest meal of the day. A typical meal in the village is either rice or millet based. With rice, this can be a few scattered vegetables or a piece of beef or a bony fish. I enjoy watching the woman cooking food in the village. It still amazes me that they can cook rice over a open fire and it turns out perfect every time. The men will sit around a common bowl first.The woman and children will eat in different area normally.

The meal is eaten with your right hand. Each person has a section of food in the bowl that is rightfully theirs. In the middle of the bowl, it called the common ground. If you do not care for a vegetable in your section , you can flip it in the middle. If you would like to eat some of the meat in the middle, you break off a part and flip into your section. This meal is a very important part of village life. It brings the family and any guest together for conversation and stories.
I am offered a spoon , as any white visitor is. I always except. I am not sure I can eat with my hands yet. A couple of reasons, I guess. One, is that I have had travelers diarrhea...and well let me say this...in the village it is not the time to be sick....secondly,it's rather gross :)
After lunch, it really slows down...it's time to keep cool in the hottest part of the day and time to fire up the teapot.

This is a time of relationship building and enjoying each other's company. And the tea time can last as long as two hours! It's an art to make tea. It is very interesting watching this process. This could be a post in itself.

After tea, it's time to wait till it cools down to transition into the evening...or even take a nap. Oh the pace of the village is slow and for me...refreshing.