Odede Men's Group alive and well

Well they came back!!!! How happy was Alex and I. It seems we did make an impression on them and they really did understand that if they continue to do nothing they will have no future.

This week was basically just setting up all the rules and constitution.............Oh I really had a laugh to myslef as they are so much more serious than the women.......they get all caught up in the politics of things and just can't seem to move on so that is where I came in................I guess one positive thing about being a Mazoongoo is that I can say things that an African Woman could never say and most times an African man could never say.....but they listen and all nod when I am saying what they all want to say but just don't..............they smile and agree..............so Alex and I spent the day in Kisumu and discovered an organisation called HCDA (Horticultural Crops Development Autority) that assists the farmers with trying something different to the standard crops they normally grow. It seems each day I am convinced that these people are isolated in insulated as there is so much support out there but they just don't know about it..............So Alex and I are doing our job and that is to expose these people to as many resources as we can and then allow them to make the choice........... I am currently putting a submission together requesting they take us on as a project which will then set a programme whereby they will visit regularly, run training programmes and also source the market place to sell when ready............having said all this it sounds too good to be true but I am hopeful and will give it a try as it will be so worth it.......

So all in all things are good............as I said before we now have a complete nucleous. MEN, WOMEN, YOUTH, BABIES/CHILDREN...............Alex had a wonderful idea and that is to bring them all together on a monthly basis.........they call it a Dialogue Day. This has never been done before, surprise surprise but if you can imagine this happening it will be a day to remember. This will start the process of each group learning about what each group are doing and from there respect will just naturally develop..............it gladens my heart to know that we are encouraging these people to start talking positively to each other, to start respecting each other, to start trusting each other............I can't wait for our first Dialogue Day............I will keep you informed.

This saying is so suited to what I have just said and that is "The journey in between what you once were and who you are becoming is where the dance of life really take splace." beautiful hey.

Cheers - Marilyn