nikki's Blog

Just before the start of this week’s UK-Nigeria online meeting, John Dada emailed photos of the recent floods around Fantsuam Foundation . These illustrated why the FastTractor was unable to work for a while. General news and catch up: “Comfort attended an entrepreneurship training in Kaduna on behalf of Fantsuam Foundation, and she has come to Fantsuam to do a step down. We expect up to 10 young women to attend.” The launch of the World Ageing Report published by HelpAge International was very successful. “We managed to get lots of media coverage, including a BBC World Service programme reading...

John started this week’s UK-Nigeria meeting with the news that the new Divisional Police officer had just visited Fantsuam Foundation. John pointed out that it is: “Unusual for a senior police officer to leave the tarred highways and come on our kind of road to see us, anyone who wants to come to FF, will be brought there by the first motor cycle taxi he asks. He is new in town, only two weeks old and has come to express appreciation for what he's heard of FF and our services. He felt he needed to come in person rather than...

No two UK-Nigeria meetings are the same and this week was no exception. Although prior to each meeting I email an agenda this is only a guideline and acts as a memory jogger to ourselves to review certain aspects of the many Fantsuam Foundation projects . This week after item number one the agenda which is always “Meet and Greet”, John Dada used the hourly typed meeting to help formulate his thoughts and ideas. Although this is often a part of what our meetings are for this was the first time that we have devoted a whole meeting to such...

John Dada received new funding from the Small Grant of the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) to provide training on climate mitigation at the rural levels. As it was a grant that was approved over a year ago Fantsuam Foundation had despaired of it ever coming, but it arrived last week. John reported that already Fantsuam has lept into action: “A new training course will start at Attachab next week: Erosion prevention and control Markus has gone to town with Thomas to purchase concrete rings which we will use to build a small bridge to the Attachab road. Community members will...

If you were to look back over the past four years my blogs which record and capture a very small aspect of Fantsuam Foundation life as discussed during the weekly meeting. Sometimes it is hard to picture the on the ground realities which make up the daily struggles of FF and it’s host community. As John reminded us when we asked routinely how things were he said “We never lack the heart-rendering at this end " So although we always have positive news and achievements to share please remember it is even more impressive as this is against a continual...