On Monday, I had the great pleasure of celebrating the inauguration of a meeting and training center for my artisans' cooperative. It took a lot of hard work in the hot African sun with no power tools and a number of other barriers. We celebrated with a ribbon-cutting, and one very large sheep.
In truth, I deserve very little credit for their success. The project was conceived and funded with help from my predecessor, Pete (who was on hand for the inauguration), was built by the masons in the cooperative, and was managed superbly by the president of the cooperative (who happens to be the cooperative's only female member).
I am proud of them for what they have accomplished, and glad to be a part of the team. I hope the energy around our new building will translate into classes and collaboration and better business managers.
It was great to celebrate this milestone, and I look forward to many more with them. But there's lots of good and exciting work still to be done.
... and in case you were wondering, I am indeed wearing a shirt made of Barack Obama fabric.
2 comments:
Hey Dan, i had just noticed your Obama shirt, and was going to ask about it when you added that note, be sure to pick up as much Obama material as you can, may be worth something someday! Good wishes on the success of your cooperative!
Every effort has inflection points that sets the stage for what is to come next. This building and the good feelings around it speak volumes about the hope for a better future for your Malian community.
Can't wait to see that shirt up close.
Post a Comment