Youth Catering

 Ever-improving BRiCC borehole facilities. Now the public taps are cemented in, the hardstanding improved and a sturdy platform across the drain provided.

BRiCC regularly offers three month long skills classes to adults. For the last week of the schools' Easter break we've had a giggling group of girls and young women who've come to learn a few basic baking skills.  They each paid N500 (approximately £1.30) for a week long course with Vero and Mary and have produced some tasty doughnuts, bread and cakes.  From all the laughter that's been emanating from the classroom, the happiness hormones are flowing too.

Borehole

If you're trying to run catering classes and a cafe a good supply of water is essential. Many buildings in Nigeria do not have running water.  Households rely on sending out their children (usually) with heavy containers or buying large yellow plastic tubs from wandering water sellers. BRiCC was also in this situation (we had to buy water, not send out children for it) but now we have our own borehole. Not only will this make life a lot easier for the women's skills department but it'll generate income when we start selling to the locals.  At the moment, until the water runs clean, we're giving it away to the delight of the children nearby.  A most welcome bonus is the prospect of getting a flushing toilet and not having to wait until the major rebuilding work starts.

How can I sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

Music is a necessity. It can lift you out of a low mood or reflect and intensify the emotions you feel. Some mornings I have to listen to Bring me sunshine to remind me what I should aim for each day; other times I need to start with a Requiem. Sometimes it's better to avoid listening to darker albums; other times their complexity can enhance life without further depressing. Sometimes you have to self-medicate, moving from dark to light until your own mood changes (only being careful not to get stuck).

Music is important - evocative, enhancing, challenging. My prayer has always been that my life would be a paean of worship to God, a brightness of melody in this dark world. It isn't easy for any of us as broken instruments sound discordant notes, external and internal influences try to stifle and new and different sounds need to be woven in.  It's hard for those who march to the beat of a different drum. It can be especially challenging in a foreign land or even just an area of life where you're not comfortable, but our songs need to be sung, even if we feel there is no one listening.

I find life in Nigeria is not particularly conducive to the free singing of songs. Excessive noise, dishonesty, corruption, lack of trustworthiness, standards, taking responsibility and consideration for others, a disregard for the consequences of one's actions, an unwillingness to allow others to rise above their fellows, all these things conspire to grind down and oppress. There seems to be little thriving here, only surviving, whether you're expat or national.

Isn't it in such a place that beautiful songs are most needed? Even a glimpse of brightness shows that there is an alternative. The locals I know who are trying their best to shine in difficult circumstances, to live with problems that the West scarcely registers, who are hard-working, loving and generous, they bring hope and light. The challenge for us all is how to sing the song the Lord has given in the unique way he wants to hear it from each of us; wherever we happen to be.

Boys' Brigade

What comes to mind when you think about the Boys' Brigade? Smart young men learning how to serve God and other people?
Perhaps.
Until the last couple of days my experience of the Nigerian Boys' Brigade had been a tuneless trumpeter giving a 6am wake up call every Saturday. This Tuesday they upped the ante with a 5am wake up followed by band practice at 6am. Obviously the practice wasn't enough as at 10:30pm that night they started again with loud drums and trumpets, continuing with gusto until midnight.
I would be among the first to admit that extra practice, especially for the trumpeters, would not go amiss but to me, starting at 12am Wednesday night is not the time to do it. Being woken by the massed drums and brass after a hot and busy day surviving life in Nigeria is not encouraging. The boys bang and blow drums and trumpets with far more enthusiasm than talent. Every so often they'd pause for a couple of minutes, giving rise to a faint hope that perhaps the torture would stop and I'd be able to get some sleep before another busy day, but no. The noise continued until 3 o'clock in the morning.  This is the Boys' Brigade camp leaders giving their charges their money's worth. Who needs sleep? I've been warned it'll be as bad, if not worse, tonight. To me one of the major points of Christianity is loving others, considering their needs above your own, thinking of them. Sadly the Boys' Brigade of Nigeria doesn't seem to agree but then sleep is overrated.

Tough day helped by hardworking police

Today I had to take one of our dogs to be euthanised.

For the last couple of years we've tried all we could from training to injections of female hormones to help him get over his aggression to strangers but he seemed to be getting worse. The trouble was he was so sweet to us and people that he knew well but was a threat to strangers. He was a big, strong dog but had psychological issues from an early age so as responsible owners we had to ensure he couldn't harm anyone. Better to act before he attacked a strange child than have to deal with the consequences.

Thank God for Howard, the Australian missionary vet who's been helping us over the years to try to find solutions for the dog.  Thank God that the end was in his capable hands.

I had to drive the dog to Howard's place and was managing to hold it together until I was stopped on the way by the hard-working Nigerian police force. "Show me your international passport and car tinted windows permit," officer Ishayu asked aggressively.
"I don't carry my passport. You can see my resident's permit and tinted windows document but I'm taking my dog to the vet," I answered.
He looked. Asked for the other car documents (which I gave him as we believe in obeying the laws of the land and keeping them up to date) then told me the windows permit, which had been passed by the last policeman who'd checked on Monday, should have been renewed online. (When I got home we checked and yes that had been a requirement since January but we had until March 18th to comply). That was a 15,000 or 50,000 naira fine (I wasn't entirely sure which he said) and I had to go with him to the police command in Jos, next to the prison as he made sure to mention, over an hour's drive in the opposite direction from where I was heading.
Then he tried to open the passenger door and get into the car.
I was alone in the car with a condemned dog.
Thankfully, I remember my training and always lock the doors whenever I drive off.
Thankfully through BRiCC I've made friends with one of the Plateau government Commissioners so I told the officer I was going to phone him and check the facts.
The officer told me it was illegal for me to make a phone call.
I didn't believe him and carried on.
Thankfully the Commissioner answered my call and helped.  He spoke to the officer (who was worried when I took down his name and number - surely someone who was "just doing his job" wouldn't have been) then said he would phone the man direct.
I was released to go on my way.

After I'd left my dog at the vet I returned the way I'd come.

The police had gone from that place and I was relieved until I was nearly home and met another policeman who stopped me. (Army checkpoints in contrast are usually manned by courteous and professional soldiers).
He wanted "something for water" - code for a bribe. I'd had enough and couldn't hold it back any more.
"I come here to serve Nigerians, building peace between Muslims and Christians and all I get is trouble from policemen". There were tears by this time. Then he asked for water money. I refused. He admitted defeat and waved me on.

Thank you police force of Nigeria for making a traumatic day so much easier.

I weep for those Nigerians who have no one to call for help.

Advantages

One of the advantages of living in Nigeria is that we have more control over our children's TV viewing habits.  DVDs are the order of the day and guess who usually buys them.  It's also a good way to indoctrinate (sorry, present opportunities for) them with classic British comedy.  Lately we've been watching It Ain't Half Hot Mum which may appal some people but is actually very funny and pokes as much fun at British stereotypes as Indian ones.  Perhaps living abroad opens your eyes.

There's also Morecombe and Wise. I really enjoy sitting in Nigeria with my husband, 17 year old son and 15 year old daughter with all of us chortling over the anarchic antics of Eric Morecombe. The theme song, Bring me Sunshine,  is helping me through the day.  If you need an instruction to get you through life you could do a lot worse.


Bring me Sunshine, in your smile,
Bring me Laughter, all the while,
In this world where we live, there should be more happiness,
So much joy you can give, to each brand new bright tomorrow,
 
Make me happy, through the years,
Never bring me, any tears,
Let your arms be as warm as the sun from up above,
Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love.

They want to eat my dog!

Poor old Toby dog was unable to put his weight on one of his front legs this morning. As there was no obvious cause I decided to take him on the 40 minute, pothole laden journey to Howard the Australian vet.  

All went smoothly (apart from some alarming clanking as I drove over drastic speed bumps) and Howard diagnosed a probable sprained ligament. Rest and time were prescribed and we set off home. 

A short way down the road stood an armed man near a truck belonging to the "safety on the highways" branch of Nigerian security. Several ideas about how to improve safety on the highways sprang to mind: fill in the road craters, remove lunatic drivers and unsafe vehicles, don't have armed men standing in the middle of the road but I decided to keep my suggestions to myself. He asked to see my particulars and directed me to the side of the road where his two colleagues waited with their automatic rifles.

"Where is my happy new year?" asked the first, code for give me some money but we don't mention that. I wished him a happy new year and the ability to do his job with honesty and integrity. Then he spotted Toby. "You should give me your dog." (Some tribes on the Plateau see dogmeat as a delicacy.)
"You're not going to eat my dog," I replied.
"God wants us to give things," he answered.
"Not our dogs to be eaten."

We went good humouredly back and forth on the same subject for a while before he waved me on. I wasn't a lucrative target and other cars were passing by so Toby escaped becoming dinner. And people wonder why sometimes we just don't want to leave the compound.

Dinner?

Shopping

I've just come back from a brief trip to the shops in Bukuru.

One shop which advertises electronic payment facilities didn't have a working machine nor did it have change for cash but as usual tried to pay me off in individually wrapped sweets.
Insistent cries of "Baturia" or "Oyibo" weren't friendly greetings but invitations to be ripped off. If I hadn't carefully checked the tomatoes half would have been rotten, as it is I haven't yet had the heart to look at how many bad ones got through the net.
The happy young man at the meat stall carefully showed me his scales as he weighed 500g meat after resetting them when I queried their accuracy. Somehow my kitchen scales show only 350g. I wonder whose are the more reliable.

The sad thing is that I expect to be cheated or overcharged every time I have to go to the market. It doesn't make it easier to be proved right and every time this happens another little piece is chipped from the reputation of the majority of Nigerians. Pray for this country, that 2016 will bring the start of a complete change of heart and attitudes at all level of society - lack of integrity is certainly not confined to the market.