Part one of the trip is out of the way. My classmates Crystal, Sushil and I flew to Washington DC yesterday, and are spending the day with my family (dad, step mom Patty, brother Tony, and sister Cara). It was a nice bonus to fly to Africa out of DC since it means I get to see them. It has been about a year and a half since we were last together. Originally, we were going to go into DC and see the Capital mall and stuff, but a temp of 98 degrees, with humidity pushing it closer to 112 degrees, seems to be changing our mind about what a nice afternoon will include. The three of us are appreciating all the good cooking Patty is doing for us though. We're feeling a little spoiled before we eat African cuisine.
(Here is a picture of me, Sushil, and Crystal on our last day in Benin)
Our flight to Benin will take about 13 hours, with a layover in Paris, and about an 1.5 hour drive from the airport in Cotonou to Porto-Novo, where we are staying. We will be living at the Songhai Center for the next two weeks. It is an amazing place dedicated to researching and teaching sustainable technologies for Africa. Their focus is mainly on farming and sanitation related to that field. We were fortunate to receive a DVD that talked about the Songhai Center, which was pretty amazing!
The center is self-sufficient, and utilizes all waste products from its endeavors, leaving little to pollute the environment. The center teaches its students how to raise food using center made fertilizer and some African-appropriate irrigating techniques. They also have a thriving aquaculture, raising a variety of fish. They raise other livestock as well. They have a foundry where they create their own farming equipment to sell. They teach food processing and manufacturing techniques. They also make biogas using animal and vegetable byproducts to run the machinery. All waste product goes back into another area of the Center's projects, feeding animals, creating mulch, making biogas. In all of their projects, they remain focused on using and developing technologies and practices that are appropriate and sustainable for the people of Africa.
The Center's students return to their own homes upon graduation equipped to begin their own environmentally friendly farms. The Songhai Center also sells its products to the local community, again at affordable prices. They will be manufacturing the Filtrons to sell to their community after our visit. For more information on the Songhai Center, you can check out their site in English at http://www.songhai.org/songhai_en/.
I will talk to you all next from across the Atlantic! Hopefully, our Internet connection will be fast enough for me to post some pictures of our adventures.
3 comments:
You are on your way!!!! I am thinking about you as you travel so far away! What an exciting adventure awaiting you and your classmates. I am about to hit the hay, and you are flying through the air over the Atlantic. What a funny thought! Fly safely and I will look forward to reading your next posting after you get there!
I hope you can keep us updated on your adventures while you are in Benin, I can't begin to imagine all the interesting experiences you will be having. We miss you, it is very quiet without you, Peeps!
Mom
Yikes! A world traveler AND doing good works! Spokane Girl Does Good! Look out Angelina - this is MUCH ore important than taking children from their birth place!
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