EIL Intercultural Learning

Ekabo (welcome) to this week’s blog! So I am happy to report that my home sickness is gone and I am really enjoying my time here in Nigeria .In my previous posts I have failed to mention some of the work we undertake at Chiprom, Chiprom in an orphanage/transition home for children of any age who are at risk, have been abandoned or have been orphaned. In Chiprom at present there are 16 children in total their ages range from 1yr to 15yrs old. In the morning when the older children are in school myself and the other staff are in charge of helping children with their development skills such as talking, walking and toilet training. Eva a volunteer form Germany and myself have also introduced a structured playtime for the younger children to work on their coordination as Eva has been teaching the young babies to walk I being helping and setting up a clear distance with a reward of a toy/cracker at the end so they are walking unaided for a longer distance. it may not seem like much but the sense of joy you feel when they reach the end is immense. We are also working on a big birthday celebration for  four of our children to happen at the end of July, so if you remember any childhood games don’t be a stranger and email me them, all ideas are welcome. 

Out in Nigeria I have been more confident in using the crazy taxi system and it has been a lot of fun too one taxi actually stopped at a police officer and asked if he would like to see his Oyinbo (white person) and sure enough the police officer was straight over with his head in the window saying hello. I felt like a prized pig Ha Ha! I can’t stress enough how nice people have been here if you could see some of the conditions in which people live it is quite humbling. However they are not angry or bitter about it which is what I was expecting they just say Wahala (no problem) and are as happy as can be. I am also learning the not having a washing machine is not so bad as some people don’t have clean water to drink, So sorry about sounding so selfish in my last blog.  Nigeria is just like one big market they sell everything including an Ireland football jersey I saw, I love having to haggle and bargain with the stall holders its like a game and they usually drop their price to what you want which is twice what an Nigeria would have paid for it. My host family have been fantastic they cook me nice meals and take really good care of me also my co workers or mammies as we call then are loving hearing about Ireland and they also cook me really nice meals. They feed you a lot in Nigeria however I am not the biggest Nigerian food fan but I do love Indo-me (super noodles) and they have been very happy to make them for me.

I feel this week like I have been punched in the head and realized that Nigeria is nothing like I imagined it to be or how Nigerians in Dublin said it would be. Everything and everyone have been amazing so far and I just so happy I came to Nigeria.   Also no cockroaches this week but still lizards also I have not been bitten once by a mosquito

I still miss Allie but its getting better. Thanks for reading Odabo (goodbye)