Hello and welcome to my first blog! I’d like to start with a heartfelt thank you for supporting VSO, and choosing to follow my placement helping farmers gain a better income for their crops in Nigeria.
This VSO adventure marks an exciting new chapter in my life, as I have just stepped down from my job managing a chilled food company. Retirement begins! My plan has always been to volunteer when I finished my career, and I decided to do this with VSO as I have a lot of respect for the ethos of sharing skills rather than sending aid overseas to help fight poverty.
I have been very busy recently getting ready for my placement in Nigeria. I’ve just come back from a big motorbike ride on a 28 year old Honda C90 from Lands’ End to John O`Groats to fundraise for VSO, and help send more volunteers overseas. It pretty much rained the whole three days, but although soggy I managed to raise more than £3,000, so it was all worth it!
My Honda moped at the finish of my fundraising trip in John O’Groats – the one moment of sunshine!
My friends and family recently held a Nigerian dinner party, so they could all try what I’ll be eating for the next year. Dishes included; porridge yam with chicken, sweet beans with yam, very spicy rice known as jollof rice and pepper soup. It was all very tasty, but I’m going to make the most of eating my favourite food here before I head off!
My friends tucking into the Nigerian banquet
If you fancy trying jollof rice yourself, check out the recipe we used here. Let me know what you think using the message board on the right!
I’ve never been to Nigeria, so I’ve also been spending time reading up on the country and learning some basic phrases in the local language of Hausa, which is spoken in the region where I will be living and working.
I was really shocked when I read that many farmers there earn as little as £150 a year from their backbreaking work in the fields. Crops can get completely destroyed when a drought hits, leaving families devastated and in a really dire financial state.
Although it’s going to be one of the biggest challenges of my life, I’m really looking forward to sharing my business skills with farmers in Nigeria, to ensure they get a better price for their produce and learn ways to grow their income further. This is all thanks to your kind gifts, so thank you once more.
For now I must head off and finish packing. It’s a little daunting not really knowing what my new life will hold, but knowing you are here beside me throughout is a huge motivation.
Look forward to telling you more when I’m in Nigeria.
Cheers,
Ian
