Hi all,
It's been a while since our last report and that hasw been because it has been quite a slow start to the year. Now things are starting to get busy again and we can see a lot ahead of us. Maryann has managed to send out over 200 books to kindies in the Malampa Province and this week she will be getting another 200 or so to go out over the next month oor so.
I have finally run my first workshop with the Zone Curriculum Advisers who in turn go out and run the workshops with the Heade Masters that report to them. The Principals Manual has finally arrived in Norsup and are ready to be distributed. I am just so grateful to John Stuart of Teamworks who generously sponsored the printing and freighting of the manuals. It is doubtful that this projecd could have gone ahead without his help.
I am in Vila as I write this and we head backk home to Malekkula on Tuesday. Last week we went to Tanna and got to see the active volcano Mount Yasur. Well worth the trip and we were up there as the sun set so we got to see it in daylight and in darkness. Very, very impressive. We also go9 to snorkel in a blue holle just off the coast from the bungalows we stayed in. In in all a great "time out."
In some ways we are finding it much easier now that our Bislama allows us to converse quite easily with the locals. In fact I ran the workshop with the ZCAs in Bislama (with a little help from Neil, the Peace Corps volunteer.)
Our next planned break is a three day hike across Malekula Island. It is called the Man Bush walk and is reputed to be quite challenging. We stay each night in villages and have been told to take our own mattresses. Really looking forward to this experience and we expect to have a group of about 6 volunteers in total.
The photos - one is of the ZCAs at the workshop "lowering" the magic stick to the ground, another is of the colourful bush at the corner of our house and the third shows us using the "must carry" accessory at this time of the year.
We are still enjoying our experience and know just how lucky we are to be here - VSA have been outstanding in their support of us and we are also fortunate to have such an amazing Country Head keeping an eye on us.
We have pigged out on flat white coffess here in Vila and are ready to go back "home."
Cheers
Vic and Maryann