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Rain, thunder, and lightning showered our Thanksgiving feast, blessing the coming together of Nigerians and Americans within the Delta.
What it means to come together
Camron Karsten2006-02-18 20:14:14
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Rain, thunder, and lightning showered our Thanksgiving feast, blessing the coming together of Nigerians and Americans within the Delta.
"God has accepted our meeting." Nicholas Ijabor explains the significance of the storm as evening showers pour onto the tarp. Earlier in the day, rains persisted and brought native talk among the locals. They fidgeted in their plastic chairs. Together, we were at a town meeting exploring the methods to preserve the library, and this inviting phenomenon seemed to enliven our purpose. "We have been blessed many this day," Nicky said over the roar of water.
As the library project nears the day of commissioning, where local chieftains and government officials would grant us with their presence, we called a meeting of villagers to discuss its future. Books are being organized and catalogued, grounds swept clean, landscape around the empty building prepared, while inside walls are painted, windows installed, and iron bars placed.
Our work over the last days has been intense. We rise at six, brake at eight, and then again at noon for lunch as the midday heat pushes all of us, even locals, under the shades of shelter. But this afternoon, through with our day's physical labor, clouds The project with the village and their libraryconvened at the town meeting and agreed with showers of praise. The people spoke and offered various ideas for the project's sustainability:
A one-time fee of 15 naira for maintenance (It's a cultural respect to offer and accept money for a service in exchange for worthiness),
Proposing a one-year waiting period to check out books (this would make it a temporary reading room).
And advertisement to invite others from around the region to be a part of the community.
Global Citizen delegates made it clear that this was the people's library, not ours, but the whole region's. It was now the community's responsibility to
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See photographs from:
Nigeria Gallery
