Party Time

Today was the day of our big farewell party, to which we’d invited pretty much everyone we know in the area – all of Joe’s extended family, staff and volunteers from Barnabas, members of Okoa Jahazi, friends from Mivumoni…

I started the day by making mandazi ( a kind of dough nut, made with baking powder rather than yeast, and shallow fried). They weren’t bad (and they were all eaten, many by the cooks preparing our feast).

01

The first cooks, Cecilia and Selina, arrived and built a couple of fires. There’s a specific technique with 3 rocks to support the sufuria (cooking pot) and the wood inserted between so that the fire can be kept even by pushing the pieces of wood into the centre.

02

Meld landed the job of peeling 15 large garlic bulbs.

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The ladies worked on the back porch, behind the kitchen.

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Selina crushes garlic.

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Sarah works and holds Angelina

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Early guests

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Edu brought a friend, Rahma (you’ll also see her in the back porch shot above).

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Cecilia stirs her pot.

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Baby Tina has grown, but maybe not as much as we’d expected.

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Tina and Ngala

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Meld and Gracie share a joke.

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Chatting whilst waiting for the food to be ready.

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The ladies of Okoa Jahazi enjoy a Smirnoff Black Ice.

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The two Danish volunteers at Barnabas chat to our local friends.

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Robert looks happy.

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The kids are served their food.

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Eunice is happy to be fed.

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Tuck in there’s lots for everyone!

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Maggy and Meld

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Silas

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Mary and Gloria

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Before lunch some of the men had erected two garlands, and chairs were placed by them. We started taking photos…

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But we were told we were improperly dressed, so we were taken inside, dressed, and returned as Giriamas.

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It then became something like a wedding, trying to get pictures of us with everyone! With Samuel and Joe.

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With Joe’s siblings

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With Joe’s sisters-in-law

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With some of the next generation

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With the Barnabas team.

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With Okoa Jahazi

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Me with Jacob

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The Danish visitors were dressed up too.

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Kids having fun

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And gradually everyone departed. Quite a day…

 

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