It feels very surreal to be sitting here in the scorching Nigerian heat, writing to you after packing up shop on my comfortable life in Rutland. I must admit I’ve got a cup of strong Yorkshire tea next to me to try and make myself feel ‘at home’.
I am living above VSO’s office, and share this with another volunteer from India called Amar, who I will be working with to improve income for farmers. Amar is an expert in agriculture, so will be doing lots of practical workshops for the farmers to improve their farming techniques.
Our accommodation has electricity for about 4-6 hours a day, but there have been days without any power at all. We are hoping to get pumped water into the house for showers in the next couple of months. For now it’s the good old bucket shower!
My new room, complete with essential mosquito net
I am living in the city of Minna, which seems to be around the size of Leicester. I have already been very warmly welcomed by my neighbours, and had plenty of conversations about Chelsea Football Club.
I was very excited to get exploring when I arrived. I absolutely love motorbikes, so I was delighted to stumble across a street full of motorcycle workshops rebuilding engines, swapping tyres and even building new bikes out of crates – I already know this street is going to become very familiar to me during my time here!
One of the main markets in Minna, where I am living
The farmers I will be working with during my placement are in the very rural areas of Mariga, Rafi and Mokwa, which are several hours drive away on bumpy roads. I am the first volunteer to be helping farmers in this region of Nigeria, so my first couple of months will be filled with travelling to the villages, meeting with the village elders and getting to know the farmers to understand the main issues faced. VSO always teaches volunteers to spend their first few months observing what is currently going on, so you are better prepared to come up with solutions that will make long term change.
I will be focusing on improving income on two main crops – maize and soya beans. Maize is mainly grown for farmers to feed themselves, so increasing the amount they can grow in the same plot of land will be a big help to the farmer’s own family. Soya beans have the potential to be sold for bigger profits at market, so this is where I see there being a big opportunity to help farmers help themselves.
Thank you so much once again for choosing to follow my Nigerian adventure.
It’s going to be a jam packed few months settling in, so I’ll have plenty to update you on soon!
Cheers,
Ian
