8.12.13 Mike's birthday

Steve and I had a leisurely breakfast and then spent 2 hours in the storeroom with Kebba and Calipha moving boxes and sorting deliveries for later in the week.  We returned home and got showered and changed before driving up to Hanks bar in Kololi to meet Mike and Faith.  We were looking forward to hearing about all their adventures at Jamwelly and Loumen.  They had had an interesting time, the first week living in the school office at Jamwelly, the second with a family in Loumen.  The villagers love having visitors and had really looked after them, showing them the way of life and including them in all activities.  Faith had been teaching action songs and rhymes and some ball games.  Both schools had had the painting of the murals and the name of the school newly by Mike and both were looking better after the rainy season. Both schools had benefited from Faith's vast experience with Early Years, and were left with many ideas to improve the teaching of language.  In Loumen, several of the villagers had come to them for first aid after realising that they had a large box of first aid items, this escalated over the next few days and women were coming to Faith with all kinds of ailments which she was unable to treat, some quite serious.  It transpired that the women were frightened of going to the local clinic for fear of being divorced by their husbands!  There are still many ancient beliefs and traditions here, this is one of them.  We sat and chatted at Hanks bar before leaving for a birthday meal at Maddies bar on the beach.  We spent a very pleasant evening before returning home for the night.