After a really good sleep, it was the start of a great weekend! Today we hiked up Wli falls - this was the most physically challenging experience of my life! So difficult! a 1 hour walk to the lower falls and then a few hour hike up the falls (see picture). The heat was unreal, my legs went dead, my ankles gave out, i started to get asthma like symptoms, and your body just shuts down on you! What a challenge - luckily we made it! :)
Then, after we did the difficult journey back down the falls we went to rest at the lower falls (see picture), here we meet a teacher and her school children. Beautiful place to rest.
That afternoon we made the 1.5 hour journey (by tro then taxi) to the Monkey Sanctuary - great experience! (See picture). Again I was thinking I wish Jason was here - he would love this! :)Those monkeys are smart little creatures - peeling bananas! Best part of the journey was I was able to speak to our guide about the community (Tafi Atome), about the government funding they receive for social services (which they receive none), and more specifically about the school. They have a primary school (see picture), but with scarce funding not all the children in the village can attend, or stay enrolled because of the indirect costs associated with education (i.e paper, pencils etc), and then few children have been sponsored by an NGO to attend secondary school. The school has no library, so no books for the children to read or learn from, no pads of paper and nothing to write with. Of course ideas flooded my head after learning all of this - maybe this is a community I can help! The waterfall and the monkeys were an amazing experience but I have to admit the best part of the weekend was travelling through/visiting these little villages. I was happy to be more North (in the rural areas) seeing village after village (walking through some), children run after you, and wave as you pass. The poverty is indescribable and unacceptable. All I can think of is the possibilities if children can access and attend school - this is the start of poverty alleviation. I felt sadness and yet hope.
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