On Saturday we took a trip out to Nikki – 100km (2 hours drive) away – to visit Anni. Anni is a Dutch missionary also serving with SIM here in Benin, and she was our neighbour when she came to Parakou for a while during the school holidays last summer. She teaches at the Nikki Girls' School, a Christian school which gives girls discipleship training while training them in practical skills such as knitting, sewing or weaving.
We had been intending to visit ever since she went back there in September, and this was likely to be our last chance before we move North. On the way there we took the tarmac road as far as N'dali, and then the dirt road from there to Nikki. I realised that I got far more car sick on the tarmac road (with all the braking and swerving to avoid holes) so on our way back we took an alternative route which is dirt road all the way back to Parakou.
Benjy was the star of the show when we arrived at the school. All the girls wanted a turn holding him, and at first he wasn't at all bothered, even when he was carried off out of our sight. But eventually he decided he wanted to go back to his mum, and I then had the difficult job of fending off new girls who turned up and tried to pull him out of my arms!
We saw around the school – a classroom, a sewing room, the knitting room – and Anni also showed us the current accommodation – just small huts with concrete floors – and the site where they are going to build a new dormitory. They will also have an indoor kitchen, since at the moment the girls have to cook all their meals outside. Fine at this time of year, but less fun during rainy season!
We also enjoyed catching up with Anni over a meal. We do appreciate the friendship of the other missionaries here, from so many different backgrounds.
We had been intending to visit ever since she went back there in September, and this was likely to be our last chance before we move North. On the way there we took the tarmac road as far as N'dali, and then the dirt road from there to Nikki. I realised that I got far more car sick on the tarmac road (with all the braking and swerving to avoid holes) so on our way back we took an alternative route which is dirt road all the way back to Parakou.
Benjy was the star of the show when we arrived at the school. All the girls wanted a turn holding him, and at first he wasn't at all bothered, even when he was carried off out of our sight. But eventually he decided he wanted to go back to his mum, and I then had the difficult job of fending off new girls who turned up and tried to pull him out of my arms!
We saw around the school – a classroom, a sewing room, the knitting room – and Anni also showed us the current accommodation – just small huts with concrete floors – and the site where they are going to build a new dormitory. They will also have an indoor kitchen, since at the moment the girls have to cook all their meals outside. Fine at this time of year, but less fun during rainy season!
We also enjoyed catching up with Anni over a meal. We do appreciate the friendship of the other missionaries here, from so many different backgrounds.
Some photos from our trip:
2 comments:
Love the pics, makes me home sick in a way...one day maybe I'll be back somewhere in Africa...
Glad you liked the photos, BJ! Do I know you??
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