Diary Entry Sunday 20th October

'We arrived in Jakarta 6 hours Late and the driver didn't show up'

'The hotel is fantastic and I had the longest shower, After not having Slept or changed or anything since Friday Night, It was much needed. We popped next door for dinner, I wasn't that hungry, But I thought, Its okay I can just sit and not eat, Yeh Right!'

'Well I have never experienced dinner quite like that'

'No choice, I was given dinner, we sat down and the food was plonked in front of us, weird'

'Amazing food'

'I am really struggling because I am soo tired, It was hard too keep conversation going when we are all so jet lagged' 

Meeting Nursiah

On our First day after the meeting with the Local Government we went and met a lady called Nursiah (Pronounced Norsea)

Nursiah Makes Organic Fertilisers (Under her own house)

She works with 23 people, she started with only 3 and it has developed quickly

People are eager to get involved with her work

Nursiah has won an award for Welfare in the South Sulawessi Area! She was proud of this, and should be!

She trained with MAP and Oxfam

(MAP is an Oxfam partnership charity, Mangrove Action Project)

They gave her the skills in Marketing and Admin as well as Public Speaking

When she first started the Government were not very supportive, They didn't think she could increase welfare

However, Oxfam worked as a mediator between the Government and Nursiah

Which helped her business to develop

Some benefits: Training, This is an area of High poverty and there is very little choice of employment, especially for women, Also an environmental benifit

 Liquid Fertiliser

 Compost

 Her House

Talk @ Bury st Edmunds

Last night I had my second talk

The turn out was alot higher, there were probably around 15 people

For saying I have no experience with Public speaking

It went really well

Here are some pictures that one volunteer took

Oxfam Bury St Edmunds Facebook Page 

Day 2: Lawallu

Summary:

Restoring coastal Livelihoods RCL

Organic Vegetables & Fertiliser

Women's Voices / Rights

Oxfam Workers:

Fatmasari - Oxfam Indonesia Project Officer

Soni - Project Leader

Meeting with the Local Government

(Development of Superior Commodities Scheme)

This scheme Focuses on using resources and Peoples existing skills

Oxfam Provide the Training and then step back

Training involves Literacy and teaching women Bahasa

It is very much how Oxfam can 'fit in' and help facilitate

The meeting was to explain the government policy and decide what Commodity they would produce

(What crop they should grow)

Chose corn

Multi Use!

Here is us and the Government...

The meeting was incredibly interesting

And felt an honor to join in with a Government meeting 

First Talk down...

I had my first talk today.

After a very stressful morning of lost memory sticks and slow printing

(Tip. Never leave 27 pages of A3 colour printing untill half hour before you need it, It doesn't work!)

But after a minor freak out

It went fantastic

It was in front of Friends so I felt comfortable

Here are some snaps from today!

Oxfam Stowmarket's Facebook Page 

Hello Indonesia!

Hello!

I have started going through my Diary from when I was away.

The first line of the first page...' I have just got off the most uncomfortable flight ever... over 13 hours of ass aching... not to mention the hideous toilet at Kuala Lumpur Airport... '

Not a great start

It gets better...'We have arrived in Jakarta... The hotel is fantastic... I have never experienced a dinner quite like that...'

First experience of Indonesia, Fish heads and Rcie, This should have been an idea of what was to come for the next 2 weeks.

This is my fantastic Hotel Room, I was told to make the most of this as It was going to get basic!

 Hotel in Jakarta

Hotel in Makassar

The Team!