BRAZZAVILLE 2

Second day breakfast, fruit salad, croissant, chausson de pomme.

Sue getting ready.

Closeup of bed spread in the hotel.

We visited the wife of a local Bishop who has a dress shop that she established using the Interweave principles.

In the dress shop at the entry way to the home. The man in the blue suit is one of the facilitators. He is also head master of a school which was established several years ago and now has four satellite schools.

The treadle sewing machine in the shop.

Sister Bybee admiring a blouse.

The Bishop, his wife, and son, and child, Severin,and Olivier.

The Bishop's wife also makes boiled corn meal for baby food that she sells in little plastic bags from a little freezer inside the shop. The boiled corn meal will be mixed with other foods, meat, or vegetables and fed to babies.

Some of the styles that the seamstress uses to create dresses, or to show to customers.

Returning to the truck we walked by this building under construction.

Our vehicle for the day, which belonged to Severin, our chauffeur. 

Off into the side streets to see the school.

On the wall surrounding the school compound.

With the headmaster, English teacher, an Interweave student, and Olivier in the school yard.

A classroom entrance.

Math class.

Entering the headmaster's office.

The headmaster in his office behind his desk. I asked if the canes in the corner were for disciplining the students, to which he replied emphatically, that one of their principles was to never strike a student. They may be given tasks cleaning up the yard, or required to kneel a the front of the class for awhile, if they were extremely unruly.

Showing us the building layout.

Older students. The school takes preschool through college, which is high school.

Making our way to the rear classrooms.

Students in class.

Cooking kerosene for sale in various size containers.

Neighborhood children who kept peeping at us through the gate of the school

Olivier getting a haircut in a barbershop run by a returned missionary.

Begin with electric shears.

Outline freehand with a bare razor blade.

Finish with a razor blade pressed against a comb, using rapid strokes.

Entrance to the barbershop.

Street side advertisement.

Setting up displays of entrepreneur's products for attendees after the graduation exercise.

President Russell Mbaya perusing a display board.

Our documentary photographer with his video camera.

Circles illustrating the three Interweave principles.

Some of the participants perusing the display board.

Some who wanted a picture together.

A photo to remember Brother Laurent Florent Nkounkou, Stake Public Affairs Director.

President Mbaya with a graduate.

Taxi bringing attendees.

Entrance to the meeting hall where the graduation takes place.

Attendees waiting for the meeting to start, which it did, an hour later than planned, a common occurrence because transportation is unpredictable.

Display tent for graduates and their products.

Nitch, second counselor, conducted, assigned by the Stake President, who was  in meetings with the area 70. Brother Yengo, first counselor would have conducted, but he has been ill for several weeks.

Pres. Mbaya, Olivier, and heads of businesses and Micro-Finance NGOs that support small businesses. Each one takes ten minutes to speak about their products.

Nitch introducing invitees.

Pres Mbaya explaining the three circles, Business, Family, Community, each essential and of equal importance for a successful, well rounded life.

A sister and graduate who was working on this project during the meeting. Her industry reminded me of my sister-in-law who never has an idle hand.

Severin offering ice cream on one of the cones we saw being made.

Some of the food items that the women make for sale. Avocado salad, and sweet bread.

One of the women specializes in frozen yoghourt which is highly prized. Olivier and Pres. Mbaya brought back a large bag full of quart bottles of the raw yoghourt.

After graduation.

Kids who wanted their picture taken.

Sue with the Stake President's wife and the yoghourt maker.

At a restaurant after the meetings. We were surprise that the food was pretty good, though the service was lacking. I did get the waiter to smile and relax toward the end of the meal. Good ending to a wonderful day.