Inspiration

I just finished a meeting with two of my favourite people to work with. Mr. Kilongo and Fred. They are the treasurer and secretary of TaFoGaNet respectively. (TaFoGaNet is a network of farmer groups that have formed to work towards the legitimization process, farmers’ rights, information sharing, and capacity building)

Through text messages yesterday we arrange for them to come to my office for a meeting regarding several issues that affects their Network. They both show up on time at 9am. They do not get paid for their positions. Holy crap they work hard. Fred is a young man who puts countless hours into making TaFoGaNet run, has a wife and two sets of twins, runs and orphanage, has his own farm, is a minister, and has some other company that I lost track of. Mr. Kilongo runs a vocational school, that has a garden, a composting site, works tirelessly for TaFoGaNet, and is the best dressed guy in town. He always looks put together and smells great.

I find myself having to keep my heart in check while working with them. I am a very emotional person and there is seldom a day that goes by that I don't get a little weepy. But I am no good to them if I just feel admiration and get teary eyed. And I know it is absolutely useless to them for me to feel a bit sad because I see the effort they put in and what a struggle it is to get anything back. So instead, I get to work. I challenge them and do my best to build their capacity so that when I am gone they are sailing on their own. In reality I know that I am just a facilitator and they have much more skill and knowledge than I.

Working with these two inspires me and motivates me. An hour long meeting with them today is so satisfying and reminds me why I want to be here. Although some days it feels like I am doing nothing, I know that just as they are building something for the future, I am also contributing to that in my own very small way.


This quote makes me think of them:

A society grows when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. -Greek Proverb