I had a really useful training session on Monday (thanks to my borough council funding it) in book-keeping. Sounds really dry, but I learnt a lot, apart from when my head was almost popping off. Hopefully I will now be able to put together accounts that won't scare our pro-bono accountant Abdul. I wasn't doing too badly before, having been self-employed for some years in Spain, but I've learnt some good tips.
Why was I putting myself through it you may be thinking? I've actually signed up for a few of these training sessions, the next being on sales on Monday next week. I want to arm myself with as much info as possible on how to run a successful business before I head back to Senegal so that I can pass it on to members of the local communities in Abene, Albadar & Diannah.
We're planning on investing in local community co-operative initiatives. The profit of which will provide long-term sustainable funding for the projects we're setting up. Local people will take greater ownership of the projects, they won't be there one day and gone the next and the initiatives will provide employment and skills in an area of poverty and high unemployment.
I've been painting my mum's house today, but the morning was spent on medical stuff - getting anti-malarials from my GP for 9 months away, phoning up a zillion travel insurers for quotes and also researching aspects of a more intimate side of our health, that I won't go in to here, suffice to say it's worth being prepared and planning ahead. It's quite tricky to get insurance cover for 9 months teaching abroad. I never had to think about insurance when I was living and working in Spain, as an EU country.
The bit of West Africa I'm going to spend the best part of the year in has the deadliest form of malaria - P. Falciparum. Not nice. I learnt today from my Doc that once you've had it it can reoccur throughout your life (or words to that effect). So it's best to avoid it completely. I was lucky to be given Malarone -arguably the best -for my last trip, but this time I'm switching to Larium - more suitable for long stays and taking it year after year.
I've also been to the optician and the dentist, though not all this week! I'm planning ahead so I'll have everything covered for a good while.
Tomorrow is Rachel's birthday - one of our trustees. She's celebrating it playing in the band 6 Day Riot. Happy Birthday to her! It's been a busy week for birthdays amongst our trustees - it was Shirley's birthday on Sunday. Happy birthday Shirley (again!). I hope you're having a good time away at camp.
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