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Ned Mast, Michael Schaaf and Bridget Long are in Guiglo working
with International Rescue Committee (IRC) an organization which
works with refugees from the civil strife in Liberia. As the situation
there has improved many of the refugees are now returning but large
camps remain. Bridget has been in helping in two different daycare
centers for the refugees.  She
has been teaching them songs and games. At their request, she has
also done some workshops for other teachers who have little formal
training.
Michael has been helping with construction of a technical school
for the refugees. He has also been helping with the Small Economic
Activity Development (SEAD) program which makes small loans to start
businesses.
 We
can't say where Ned was, it's Tabou! ha ha. He spent two weeks in
the city of Tabou which is on the coast right at the border with
Liberia where IRC has another office. Among other things, he was
helping train the staff there to use new computers. He then returned
to Guiglo.
 Katherine
and Rebecca were in Guiberoua. Rebecca lives with Michée
and Veronique Boua in a large household on the outskirts of town.
Rebecca gathered with her family for a photo under a banana tree
planted by Jason Harrison who was an SST student here last year.
Katherine lives with Joachim and Irene Ore and another household
of many, but more in the town. Both fathers are pastors in a local
evangelical church. Both families include orphans or more distant
relatives who need a home--a pattern that seems fairly common among
the families we've met, but especially strong among many of the
Christians here. Katherine and Rebecca have worked together with
their fathers attending to the fields of corn and manioc but also
accompanying them as they visit projects in nearby villages.
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