Sheika and Desmond look at my updated drawings of the roof and make comments on how to improve it.

A typical meeting in Yele often combines drinks and business, although sometimes business just has to take place where the business is – in our case, out on the construction site. Anna and I have been working most closely with Sheika and Desmond who are owner and architect (respectively) of the local construction business, KadShek Enterprise. Just about every single day, we touch base with them to see the work that is going on so far and to plan for the coming days. Since they have both been working in Yele for a few years now and are native Sierra Leoneans, they have been critical for the design process and in mobilizing people to get things done.

We came in with some design ideas in mind, but in every step of the way – from the foundation to the roof and now talking about the doors and windows for the containers – there has been quite a lot of back and forth to refine and transform what we thought would work into what they believe would also be attractive yet suitable for building in Yele. For instance, I knew about the rainy season in Sierra Leone and so Zahraa (the other e-Luma architect, staying State-side) had tried to take into account roof overhangs, assuming that the rain would come in the same direction as the typical northeastern winds. We were hoping that the roof would become the main design element with the most inventiveness to transform architecture in Yele. But of course, the weather doesn’t always cooperate according to meterological models, and what we dreamed up in Boston might not work when made a physical reality in Sierra Leone. Desmond pointed out that once the rain comes in June and July, it can fall from every direction and every angle.

Making notes about the first round of mock-up trusses – the first round of 2 or 3 more to come.

Together we made some full-scale mock ups of the roof truss to see, in real life, what it would look like on the containers. The concept of making iterations or repeated design modifications isn’t part of the traditional construction process, so it was interesting to try and convey the idea that it takes a few tries and prototypes to get it right.

It has also been cool to involve more people in the design process and feel like everyone’s input is important. One day last week, Anna and I were back at the LHF compound for lunch, and Sheika just rushed in unannounced saying, “I have an idea about the roof! Where is a pen?” He quickly grabbed my notebook and started sketching, and promptly said, “Ok now here, you draw it good.” I redrew his sketch to get the proportions right and to understand his idea, and we agreed that this was a good direction. Remembering this makes me laugh because it was the first time I realized that this process wasn’t only fun for us, but that this was also an opportunity for him and the others to be creative. Eventually we came up with a final design that would work with the local climate and local skills, but that also was different enough to maybe inspire some new design thinking.

That’s why the phrase “I de get you” comes to mind. It is Krio – a more general local language, often called broken English – for “I get you” or “I understand you.” Little by little – small small – we’re starting to understand each other and move on the same page.

Foundation is ready

Much has happened since the last post! After the team’s visit to Makeni to shop for materials, they quickly got to work preparing the containers forpositioning on site. Because the e-Luma Development Center will be built using recycled materials, the shipping containers have an average life of 10 years and showed signs of aging. This has unavoidably resulted in dents and scratches on the container walls, and in some cases even holes. Together with Sheika, who’s leading the construction team, we assigned four people to start cleaning, removing rust with steel brushes, smoothing the surface, and painting the containers with anti-rust paint.

While the containers were being repaired, the team started planning their internal layout. Where would the windows go? How wide should the doors be? What is the ideal shop size? Not only did they have to consider what the shop owners preferred in terms of layout, they also had to bear in mind that the container walls serve as the structure holding it together, and too many modifications may risk their integrity. Emily’s talent with computer-aided design helped in visualizing different ideas and they soon had some interesting suggestions. At the same time, Paul and Anna began drafting the application forms – they would distribute these so that business owners in Yele could apply for shop space in the EDC.

Containers arrive

That afternoon Anna visited Cecilia, our first LumaLight entrepreneur, who is already renting the barefoot lights the team wanted to test. She even sold 2 Firefly lights, earning a profit of 40.000Le ($10). The remaining lights have been rented out every night since they arrived in Yele. It will take some time for the business to grow, given that the rental model is new both for customers and entrepreneurs, but the initial signs are promising. Several customers have already reserved and paid for renting lights up to 10 nights in advance! LumaLight is beginning to take shape, and more importantly, to make profit!

In the evening the team was invited to Yele’s radio station to talk about the e-Luma and answer questions about it:

When will it open? We’re hoping that phase 1 will open by the end of February.

What will be the fee for renting a shop in the e-Luma? Initially about $5 / month.

What does e-Luma stand for? ‘e’ for electricity, entrepreneurship, education and luma is Temne for ‘market’.

And many more…

First two 40-foot containers in place!

The team was assisted by Sahr, a Sierra Leonean who could translate when needed. Florence, the radio DJ, told them that at least 90 percent of Yele’s population listen to the radio, especially in the evenings. There is no light, there is no television, but people have battery-operated radios. That is their main channel of communication and entertainment. Florence told the team that the next day they’d be famous in Yele. Sure enough, the following morning people would shout as the team drove through town: “E-luma! We heard you on the radio!”

That day Paul headed out to the Secondary School to teach a class. Erica, the local Peace Corps Volunteer and science teacher, asked the team to give a class about how the hydroelectric power plant works. Paul taught the first class, and shared the basics of energy, electricity, and what those new power lines in Yele would mean to the lives of the children. At the end of the class the children joined the other 350 students at the end-of-day assembly in the courtyard. The children in the Secondary School are mainly boys; girls often drop out due to responsibilities and chores required at home. When Anna and Emily arrived and told the headmaster that they too were engineers, he held them by their wrists and said “Come! – let me introduce you to the girls!”. He lifted up their hands in front of the student body and said “Girls, please meet Anna and Emily. I want you to see what you can achieve if you stay in school!” And with that said, he led the school, as is customary, to sing Sierra Leone’s National Anthem.

High we exalt thee, realm of the free;

Great is the love we have for thee;

Firmly united ever we stand,

Singing thy praise, O native land.

We raise up our hearts and our voices on high,

The hills and the valleys re-echo our cry;

Blessing and peace be ever thine own,

Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.

Anna and Emily at the construction site

The team starts their first Sunday in Yele with a pancake brunch before heading to the construction site and checking on the foundations. They met Shaka, manager of the construction company, who promised they will be ready before the containers arrive. Emily and Anna start getting familiar with LHF’s work in Yele as the team tours the power plant, the expanding medical center, and the palm oil mill. They dropped by junction, Yele’s commercial hub, where they met and chatted with local entrepreneurs about the eLuma Development Center. In the afternoon, they had a formal meeting with Shaka and his main architect Desmond to discuss options for the Center’s roof.  Both of them got very excited about the prospects of designing a creative and innovative roof, something not seen in Yele before. After a productive day, the team headed back to junction to watch the Barcelona vs Espanyol game. Football is no small matter in Sierra Leone.

The Barefoot Firefly in action

Its Emily’s birthday on Monday! The team starts the day by charging the solar lights they brought from Freetown; hopes are high for this new Barefoot set. Anna takes a stab at driving the manual transmission 4×4 Toyota that the team uses to move around. It’s so much fun to drive on the bumpy roads (not so much for the passengers!). Emily hasn’t driven stick cars before, so Anna has to get used to drive around before Paul’s upcoming departure. Work on the foundation is progressing fast and the team has a chance to check the 4 containers that will constitute the Center’s first phase. Other than a colony of spiders that has made one of them their home, they seem adequate. For lunch, Maria improvised a surprise birthday cake for Emily – the team couldn’t hope for better hosts! After the celebrations, they give some quick lessons to Power Ned employees on GPS tools to locate houses that have signed up for electricity. The near-term goal is to identify which houses don’t have a pole nearby and plan on the best way to expand. Before sunset they check the rusty old hydro turbine that almost became functional in Yele before civil war broke out in Sierra Leone over a decade ago. The team brainstorms on possible ways to use this material in the eLuma Development Center, recycling is power! Back at the LHF compound, the team spends some bonding time with Emanuel’s amazing kids. Emanuel makes sure that the compound runs smoothly; without his hard work the place would fall apart. Anna has her hair braided by Isha, the older sister, while Idi shows off his dancing skills. K’naan‘s Waving Flag is his favorite. When its dark enough, the team tries out the lights. The firefly is very powerful but starts loosing power after 3-4 hours, while the Powapack’s bigger battery allows it to last much longer…

eLuma's good friend, the Paramount Chief

When the team wakes up the next day, the Powapack lights are still on. Impressive! The team then heads down to the mill and decides on a roof: sloped upwards to improve shop visibility. They then head out to talk to Musa, a local entrepreneur, and give him one of the Firefly lights to try out. Checking the panels we brought last summer reveals a layer of dust that is likely affecting their performance. Anna and Emily get a chance to finally meet the Paramount Chief, and the whole team has dinner with him later that day. He talks about his dreams and plans for Yele’s future, but warns that they can only be achieved with proper education. In his opinion, the lack of good education is the main issue in Yele. They also discuss financial literacy, entrepreneurship in Yele, the inadequacy of current informal banking options, and potential businesses. Overall it was an extremely enlightening conversation, the team is lucky to enjoy the Chief’s friendship.

Phase 1 progress

On Wednesday the team heads out to explore Makeni and carry out a series of well defined tasks. Makeni is the closest city to Yele, a couple of hours away mostly by dirt road. They purchase construction material and groceries before going to Makeni University to check the Fatima container restaurant. There is also a container market next door, and the team meets the person in charge of building both. Shop-owners pay 1,500,000 Leones per year for renting a shop, approximately $340. This gives us an idea of how much we can charge at the future eLuma Development Center in Yele. The team then does some market research on lighting products. There are many low-quality Chinese LED lights priced at around $8 that need their batteries replaced every week at a cost of approximately $1. The team also finds out that kerosene is starting to be prohibited at other big cities due to the number of fires is causes. This information will help us refine our idea for solar-based lighting businesses.

Dinner at the beach in Freetown

After a long trip through Casablanca and Monrovia, Paul and Anna landed at Lungi airport shortly before sunrise on January 5th. They had to wait several hours until the day’s first ferry took them to Freetown, where they exchanged a few hundred dollars for a couple million Leones and started work right away. Edward met them at the LHF office and joined them to do some preliminary research on materials for the eLuma Development Center. After a great Lebanese lunch, they headed to the Ministry of Finance in order to get clearance for the containers that will serve as the Center’s main structure. Unfortunately this wasn’t successful and  the team finally headed to the beach for a well deserved dinner and rest.

Meeting Abu from Emanem Investment

The next day the team headed out to Ecobank in order to discuss plans for their future branch at the eLuma Development Center. The bank’s officials were hesitant to fully commit to opening a branch given that there might not be a large enough market. Its now up to our team to research further and build a solid case to present to them. The next meeting went much better. This one was with Abu Multi-Kamara, the founder of Emanem Investment. Abu will supply us with reliable lights that will help us expand the rental light business model that we piloted last summer. Anna and Paul then went to greet Emily at the airport, who landed after a long delay at 3 am.

We got the lights!

On Saturday, the team went to pick up the lights from Abu after breakfast with Greta, from the LHF. It was slightly more complicated than expected given some confusion with additional taxes, but concluded successfully after a long negotiation. With Emily on board, the team was ready to head to Yele. They stopped at Makeni, to check out a market where containers are being used as shops. The team learned a lot from this market, built by the Christian mission, and continued their way to Yele. After dinner and a long day, the lights went off and the team finally got some sleep.

The whole team is now back in their respective homes, resting for a few days before starting again with their studies and jobs. The 2011 expedition to Yele has been a great success, and many of the objectives have been reached.

Enjoying the last days in Sierra Leone

The team’s last days were spent in Freetown, finishing up the last details.The trip from Yele to the capital was long and rainy, and the roads that seemed so much improved a month earlier, now seemed deteriorated by the strong rains. This, however, did not stop the team from having dinner on the beach, enjoying exotic plates such as grilled barracuda with coconut sauce!

Antal and Tori playing with children in Yele

Beach in Freetown

Meeting with Ecboank

Last Monday and Tuesday, Tori and Antal left Africa to head back to the US and Holland, respectively. The rest stayed another 2 days in Freetown, where they had a final meeting with representatives of Ecobank. To get there, they had asked a person on the street for directions, who pointed to a soldier who signaled them to follow him. He took them to the Ecobank building, which was shut down due to a fire alarm. However, he told them to follow him inside, oblivious to the smell of smoke and charred walls. “No problem, sir”. In spite of the peculiar situation, the team members followed him up to the person they were going to meet. The encounter with Ecobank was efficient, as they confirmed they wanted to set up a branch in the eLuma.

Streets of Freetown

Finally, on Wednesday, Paul and Mauricio finished up the last tasks, and enjoyed the beach after a hard day’s work. In their last evening, they ventured into the city to discover it’s nightlife…

SUPPORT PROJECT YELE WITH A LOCAL GIFT!

eLuma bottle openers to support Project Yele

The team has acquired 50 traditional bottle openers to sell to Project Yele’s friends and supporters. The openers cost 3$, and all the money goes straight to funding for this project. Plus, they are a perfect and original gift! If you are interested, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@yele.nl

If you wish to know more about Project Yele or to contact the team, please visit the website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Also have a look at our Photo Gallery!

The one-month expedition is coming to an end. The team has been finishing up the final projects, successfully concluding this year’s visit to Yele.

While the girls (Antal and Tori) have been invited to visit the Mapco Loaning system, a community-based organization where people can take loans at around 46% interest per year, the boys (Paul and Mauricio), completed GPS land measurements for the Masterplan of Lion Heart Foundation’s hospital. During this, they found pieces of broken walls in the middle of the jungle, with remaining bulletholes from the 11-year civil war that affected Sierra Leone, ended in 2002.

Tori, who had been feeling unwell for a some days, is nearly recovered from malaria, of which she was diagnosed last Thursday. Nevertheless, she has continued working and helping her team, and has been taking the necessary medication. The news of her having malaria spread like the wind in Yele, and everyone immediately inquired on her health: “How di bodi?” (“How’s the body?”).

UNIMAK Students helping Project Yele

Local students working with Project Yele

The relation with UNIMAK (University of Makeni) is getting stronger, and the institution has demonstrated its interest in collaborating with Project Yele by sending its four best students to pair up with the team during their community surveys. The team was running out of time to complete them, and it was a good opportunity to engage with the local students, one of them being the Paramount Chief’s granddaughter.

This collaboration also opened doors for a potential entrepreneurial coach, who will be teaching shop owners how to efficiently run their business in eLuma. UNIMAK had already expressed its interest in participating in this aspect of the project.

One of the families surveyed in Yele

Members of the team also met with Walter Coker, a local entrepreneur. Sitting on the Junction, the center of the town of Yele, they were able to observe the community, and what moves business in town.

Tying up the loose ends

The Paramount Chief has finally brought the paper stating that the land for eLuma will be given by the community. Of course, the settlement was celebrated with some beers and stories on the Chief’s experiences as a young mechanical engineer in Glasgow.

Explaining PowerNed to the community

Before leaving, Project Yele launched PowerNed during a community meeting. They prepared a demo to help understand the process of applying and paying for light through PowerNed, an electricity utility company created by Lion Heart Foundation, responsible for providing energy through the hydropower plant in Yele.

D-Lab charcoal briquettes

The D-Lab work has also completed: after having tested various ways of creating charcoal briquettes, the team has transferred the material and the techniques in the process, in order to ensure that this cleaner energy will continue to be used in the community.

Making balloon animals in the medical center

Finally, Mauricio and Antal visited the medical center, where they quickly learned how to make balloon animals for the kids. This concluded a successful expedition in Yele, which has brought a very significant advance to the project, finally taking a definite shape. The team is currently in Freetown, enjoying their last days in Sierra Leone before heading back to their respective countries.

SUPPORT PROJECT YELE WITH A LOCAL GIFT!

Beer openers for Project Yele

The team has acquired 50 tradition bottle openers to sell to Project Yele’s friends and supporters. The openers cost 3$, and all the money goes straight to funding for this project. Plus, they are a perfect and original gift! If you are interested, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@yele.nl

If you wish to know more about Project Yele or to contact the team, please visit the website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Also have a look at our Photo Gallery!

If you are interested, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@yele.nl, and we will give you more information on how to purchase and receive the openers.

If you wish to know more about Project Yele or to contact the team, please visit the website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Also have a look at our Photo Gallery!

Project Yele’s expedition to Yele is reaching its last week, and so much has already been done.

By popular demand amongst locals, the community bazaar has been baptized eLuma (e = electricity and Luma = market in Krio).

Presenting eLuma to Deputy Minister of Energy

The project was introduced to the Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources, who has visited Yele. He was pleased and supportive of the idea, and agreed that this will be the next energy generation for rural and economic development in Sierra Leone.

Getting to know Sierra Leone

Hiking in the Sierra Leonean countryside

Snake caught in the trap

On Sunday Antal, Mauricio and Paul went for a 2.5 hour-long hike into the bush. Tori did not join them, as she was feeling unwell. On their way, they found a village where a wedding was taking place, while a man offered to show the tourists around the farms. Peanut, cassawa, pumpkin, corn, papaya, potato, palm oil, all are grown in the area. And of course, the team’s favorite: a large collection of different kinds of palm wine.  The local man also showed off the huge snake he had caught with his trap.

The three team members were impressed with the beauty of the country, its fields and farms. They also saw swamp-like areas that are used for gold and diamond mining.

They have also received visits from many “opotos” (white men) from Magbenteh Hospital – mostly American medical students who are doing internships with the hospital.  They spoke about the main incidents they had witnessed during the work in the nearby hospital, such as cases of malaria, typhoid or car accidents.

eLuma taking shape

Meeting with Paramount Chief

The team has been getting on with their primary initiative; eLuma (the community bazaar).  They have completed a detailed measurement of the land available for the market, and are preparing the final agreement with the community. The Paramount chief visited the team in Yele, to discuss the letter of intent for the land used by eLuma. The meeting concluded, and eventually led to a few beers and a lighthearted conversation on how to improve the Chiefdom. This was followed by one of the first moonless nights in Yele, which was highly anticipated, for its beautiful and extremely starry sky.

Antal and Paul interviewing shop owners

Meetings also took place with the Business Administration and Management Professors of UNIMAK (University of Makeni), who are interested in providing the training for business owners in eLuma. They already have experience in community service in the area and “want to make sure that our work is meaningful to the community in which we live.”  They were highly positive about the project, and believed that it will truly alleviate the constraints under which businesses currently operate.

Discussing PowerNed

Lion Heart Foundation's PowerNed

Working alongside Lion Heart Foundation, Project Yele has been helping the NGO in their launch of PowerNed, an electricity utility company responsible for providing energy through the hydropower plant in Yele, soon to be completed.  They have been working on a brochure to inform people on the company and its role in the community. This experience has helped to get a lot of information on the ins and outs of utility companies and rural electrification. New challenges have risen, which may be of interest to students in Technology and Policy, Engineering & Public Policy or Economics…

Solar lighting business

Having been discouraged to continue with the ice-selling business because of fluctuating fuel prices in Yele (necessary for powering a generator), the team has been working on developing a small business in renting out solar lights. The idea seems to be faring well, and they are waiting to get feedback from two shop owners, Cecilia and Musa Kamara, on their experience with the solar lighting.  Although cloudy weather during the rainy season might dissuade some users, we are hoping to get positive feedback and to understand how lighting is used and how much people are willing to pay for it. 

SUPPORT PROJECT YELE WITH A LOCAL GIFT!

Local bottle openers to support Project Yele!

The team has acquired 50 tradition bottle openers to sell to Project Yele’s friends and supporters. The openers cost 3$, and all the money goes straight to funding for this project. Plus, they are a perfect and original gift! If you are interested, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@yele.nl

If you wish to know more about Project Yele or to contact the team, please visit the website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Also have a look at our Photo Gallery!

Good news has arrived to the town of Yele, as Don from the Lion Heart Foundation, and the Paramount Chief of Yele arrived with the three passports, confiscated a few days before.

After a lot of discussion with the immigration office, and having notified the respective embassies, the issue is – more or less – resolved. Of course, the team celebrated with some palm wine.

Antal grating cassawa for charcoal briquettes

That same day, Antal and Tori got to work on the D-lab and made a second batch of charcoal briquettes with fresh cassava – an edible root, very rich in starch.

Getting on with the Community Bazaar

Another meeting took place with the Paramount Chief of Yele, and an official encounter was made with landowners and court elders in Court Barry, a town pavilion. After long talks and translations to hear all sides, the people unanimously and generously decided to provide Project Yele with the land for the Community Bazaar  for free.

Paramount Chief celebrating the agreements

The Paramount Chief was extremely happy with the conclusion, and celebrated with dancing, and a peculiar career advice for Tori: to become one of his wives!

The planned meeting with Ecobank to discuss funding possibilities also went well, over coffee, cake and beer. The members of Ecobank seemed to be pleased with the roll-out of the project.

Interviews and inspiration

Interviews with shop owners are still taking place in order to understand their situation and needs for the future. In total, 12 interviews have been done, including a particularly inspiring one with Mr. Turray, the tailor. He has already set up a financial system through which to loan money to other business owners. In the meantime, the “opotos” (white men) were being followed by tens of children, singing and dancing for the camera!

The interviews were followed by the more tedious work of drafting contracts, letters of intent and other legal issues to be considered…

Mauricio interviewed by radio journalist

On the radio!

Project Yele has also grabbed the attention of a local radio station, who sent a journalist to interview the four members currently in Sierra Leone and broadcast the news to the whole community.

Playing football in Yele

In their free time, the team and friends find pleasure in playing football games with the locals, eating local cassawa dishes, and refreshing with cold showers, a much needed luxury after days under the tropical sun.

If you wish to know more about Project Yele or to contact the team, please visit the website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Also have a look at our Photo Gallery!

Paul waiting for the ferry in Yele

After spending just over two weeks in Sierra Leone, the Project Yele team is about half-way through its expedition and has already overcome some difficult obstacles, but has also advanced significantly in its objectives.

(Tough) encounter with the immigration authorities

After visiting households (and finding one with 23 members) and interviewing locals for a better understanding of needs and priorities, Paul, Mauricio and Tori received and unexpected visit from 4 immigration officers and 2 armed guards.  With a very aggressive attitude, they ask the 3 members of the team for their passports, not accepting photocopies. Unsatisfied, they began to fill in criminal offense forms without providing any explanation and place all three passports in an envelope and drive away.

In panic, they jump in a car and follow them, while contacting the American, Dutch and Colombian embassies and other lifelines for support. The US representative warned that the team members might get arrested…After a wild ride in a dirt road following the other car, they reach the Immigration Office of Makeni. By this time, they had made a lot of noise in the government, contacting consular officers and foreign consuls in a desperate attempt to find a solution.

Immigration forms

But things got out of hand. The Immigration Office Director lost his patience with an official of the American embassy, and threatened with prison and court. Meanwhile, looking out the office window, the team members of Project Yele noticed the building being surrounded by police officers. Running out of options. The final compromise: to pay for a fee and the application for residence permits. In other words: 2,600,000 Leones (almost 600$), in exchange for a promise that the passports will be returned within 10 days.

Shaken but free and safe they head back home and have a drink to calm down the nerves. The issue is still not completely resolved, but the embassies have assured that efforts are being made to get the passports back as soon as possible…

Antal having lunch with part of the team

Antal’s arrival

Having overcome this “little adventure”, the team was in shape to receive a fourth member, Antal. She has now joined her teammates in Yele , coincidently, along with Tori’s suitcase  – after 12 days! Like Paul, Antal was impressed with the many changes taken place in Yele since 2007.

Antal arrived with Don, from the Lion Heart Foundation, after a 4-hour delay because, as they later found out, their fuel tank actually contained 30% of water – a scam!

Fuel mixed with water scam

A meeting also took place with Don. He clearly has put a very efficient organization in place. The Lion Heart Foundation has done incredible work to help the community here: palm oil mill, medical center, hydro power plant and more. Now it’s Project Yele’s task to boost the commercial sector.

Getting on with the Community Bazaar

Amongst many other tasks, the team has completed a financial analysis of projected electricity consumption and pricing in Yele. The pricing is currently on a very Western model, with prices rising during the day and cheaper at night. With the hydroelectric plant launching soon, the allocation may change.

Containers that could be recycled for the Community Bazaar

As well as refining the products and services that would be provided at the Bazaar, they have mapped and measured the bazaar site with a GPS, and carried out a recount of all the businesses in Yele:  close to 100 shops, which they all marked on a map.

In a few occasions the team has resorted to the Expert Support Team, coordinated by Anna, member of the team, from the US. The Expert Support Team are a group of volunteer collaborators available to answer any questions related to technical issues or any kind of unanticipated challenges, as was the case last week, in search of architectural expertise on how to recycle a large container into a potential shop (a new initiative in the project design). If you wish to know more about the Expert Support Team, please contact anna@yele.nl

Snake killed by caretaker

Encounters with local wildlife

As well as getting to know the locals, the team is getting to know the local wildlife. At least that was Paul’s experience when he found a large brown snake. “One of the really bad ones”, according to Emanuel, the compound caretaker, who calmly but decidedly whacked it on the head with a metal bar. The result can be seen in the picture…

Lunch with the paramount chief of Yele

Lunch with paramount chief of Yele

The week culminated with an invitation to the paramount chief of Yele for lunch. He shared his faith in the team to help the community of Yele, and offered his cooperation. He assured that any problems regarding the land would be dealt with, as he trusted the team was working for the good of Yele.

If you wish to know more about Project Yele or to contact the team, please visit the website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Have a look at our Photo Gallery!