programming and lasgidi

 
I have been doing  a lot of programme planning and implementation. I also got to do quite a lot of documentation into my organization's software on a program to increase women's political engagement and participation in national development. It appeared pretty straightforward but lets just say brevity is what matters. Not sure how it is done with other organizations but the template can be quite strict and though it guides you on how to structure your information, it also limits what you can write. The initiative needs to be approved by the headquarters and so I wanted to provide them with enough information about the project. Well lets just say it was a long process trying to decide what to cut out and hoping that it would still be approved. My supervisor did inform me a few days later that my summary was very nicely done and the key points were well articulated. Plus, the project was approved! Woo-hoo :)

 My work here in Abuja is winding down :( The countdown has officially begun and trying to engage myself in areas I still want to learn before I depart. 

On the family side, I have been out and about in Abuja, well, actually Nigeria, visiting friends and family. I also visited my parents in Lagos! Naturally, this was a major highlight of my short trip to Lasgidi! You know, once you have lived in a place for so long and are suddenly removed at least to the point of similar comparison, you realize things you overlooked. Lagos is crazy! I thought Abuja was a bit slow etc but the fact is that Lagos is something else. I was so used to thats-just-the-way Lagos is... Ok, I am not saying that I am permanently relocating from Lagos to Abuja but one cannot neglect the relative calmness in Abuja. 

And of course, I have also had loads of Suya! I do find that in Abuja I have sort of limited myself to one Suya spot because so far them seem to have the best that I have tasted. Naturally many will argue that other places in Abuja are better but I am yet to be disappointed with my just-around-corner-Suya-spot. 

advocating for girls in fct

I delivered a presentation to 100+ teachers about how to support their struggling girl students through a girls empowerment program I created. I am usually okay with presentations, having done so many, but for some reason I was sooo nervous. Anyhoo, I explained the significance of girls' education and how the multidimensional program can support and empower girls to succeed in school and beyond. Oh btw, the program I created is framed within another initiative currently being implemented to support girls and women in Nigeria. Mine is obviously smallER scale but I believe that it has potential. My colleagues have been immensely supportive with tips on the design and coordinating the program. I passed out interest cards after the presentation and approximately 60 teachers returned them -- expressing interest in partnering with my organization and implementing the program in their own schools. I was so touched. 

We had originally planned (and I presented) to pilot the program in two schools in Abuja but that is currently being revised. What was so amazing was one teacher who came to me when I was outside the meeting hall and asked for further guidance on how she could implement the program in her school in the event that her school was not selected as one of the two pilot schools. Kudos to proactive teachers!! What was also interesting is that in a way, as I design and go through the steps of launching this program, I notice that I am drawing from all the steps and processes I have observed and learned over the past few months.

Needless to say I am quite excited, though exhausted from a considerable amount of work these days. All in all, it felt really great to participate in this part of my organization's work -- working directing with teachers and schools and empowering them with techniques they can use to effectively support their students. 

PS: I guess my obsession with Suya is known around the office because I walked into my office recently and there was some delicious Suya (with lots of pepper and onions) on my desk. woo hoo :)

courage at home

I travelled to Ekiti state with my entire office for our annual retreat. Not only was it great to leave Abuja for a tiny bit, it was lovely to be in my home state. The food was beyond delicious, as is the case when in Ekiti! I met up some of my family members and of course, they hooked me up with Suya on my first night! You just gotta love family!

We stayed at Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) which boasts a breathtaking campus and amazing university in Ado. The history of this young but impressive institution is quite inspirational and I got to speak with the courageous Founder and President, Aare Afe Babalola on many occasions. Seriously, there is no excuse for not doing, starting or achieving your dreams! The retreat was also a great opportunity to bond with my colleagues and discuss approaches to improve our work and efficiency. 

The trip back to Abuja was quite long but all in all, it was a memorable week and a truly unforgettable experience. 

Aare Afe Babalola

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. 

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!” 

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

logistics and driving blues

It's been a busy few weeks! I have been involved in a lot of logistics in implementing activities in regional offices. Most recently I developed a concept note (woo hoo) for an Ebola sensitization project through radio and television. I didn't have much time to work on my draft and had to pan out a proposal to send to colleagues for feedback within hours! I also got to sit in on a high-level meeting between key education stakeholders in Nigeria. I was like a fly in the room because all I did was take notes as my supervisor looked at me (basically saying "I hope you got that” lol). I nervously typed the minutes within a few hours and he was quite impressed with amount of detail I was able to capture. Still, three days later I think my hands were still hurting from how quickly I wrote. Taking minutes is not fun and I really don't like it but such is life at this pay grade. 

Oh well, back to the meeting. What has been very rewarding is being able to follow along with all the events that are involved in advocacy with high-level stakeholders. From the meeting, several events were proposed and I have been involved in organizing the logistics and organizing the proposed activities. I communicated directly with the stakeholders, contacted hotels for bookings, drafted a technical note for my supervisor and for requesting funds for the event, arranged caterers AND I got to create a contract for the vendor we selected. It felt good you know, to contribute to all the steps of planning a development activity. Now, lets just hope the meeting goes well. One thing I am taking away in planning this event and from my observations is the amount of teamwork involved. Even when one person starts something, you reach out at different times to all your colleagues for feedback and assistance. You may have to step out for a meeting and can't follow through on something so your colleague is quickly briefed and steps in. And so it goes, people helping out here and there to make it all happen.

My cousin and I have been having a grand ol' time in Abuja. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration. But we did watch a few movies and had a lovely time eating sugared popcorn. Plus, of course I had some delicious Suya (FINALLLY!). This Suya was a bit pricier than the others that I have had but well worth it. It was really tasty and my cousin and I enjoyed every single bite. Hmm, just typing this makes me want to hop in the car for some more. I have started driving and I am trying not to develop road rage! Seriously, it’s a daily battle. I drive my cousin to work every morning before I head to my office and she literally sits in the passenger seat and just laughs at me. If only Suya was sold in the early hours of the day. 

Until next time…safe travels everyone~ :)

a yummy space for Duro Wat

I recently travelled to Ethiopia to participate in the marriage celebrations of my dear friend. I HAD FUN! in fact, I did not want to return to Abuja but alas…reality bites. I loved it before but now for sure, Duro Wat and I have become very great friends. Duro Wat is a beyond-delicious Ethiopian chicken stew and lets just say I had quite a lot of it while I was in Addis. Seriously…its some good food! So when I was not eating I was dancing, smiling and just being ridiculously happy for my girl. Some of our college friends from Maryland and NC also came for the celebrations. All in all, it was an unforgettable fews days. I am now trying to find ingenuous ways to get back to Addis!?!

Though I did not have Suya between my last post and when I travelled…that situation was solved within the first week after I arrived. It felt relaxing. lol. I wasn't there when the Suya was bought because I would have made sure the vendor included onions. I am about to head to the movies with my cousin and we've got a Suya stop to make on our way back home. I can already taste it. Woo hoo!

Work is good. I have attended more events on behalf of my organization. This was both a fun and stressful experience. I am still reviewing a lot of proposals for partnership and my supervisor encouraged me to call the prospective partners to inquire more about their proposal and answer my lingering questions, concerns or omissions. This experiences has been really insightful in understanding not only the nuances of partnerships and collaborations but of writing detailed and successful proposal.  

What a yummy welcome back to work…on my first day back, my colleague offered me some tasty Kilichi (thinly sliced meat that is dried, spiced and coated in a peanut base mixture and then re-dried. What to do during lunch break was joyously solved! Quiz - what website am I browsing?