Just arrived in Niger with John and Judy Craig from New Jersey. As we left the plane, the ex Mayor had a special VIP van waiting for us on the tarmac, with a sign that said “ROBIN”! There is no better way to arrive in a country than have a greeting like this! Then we met the current Mayor Zenaboo and she was lovely! Of course Fatouma was there and once we retrieved our luggage we saw Hamani and the rest of the gang. Off to the Grand hotel…..John and I riding with Amadou, and Judy with Fatouma. Saw all the familiar faces at the Grand hotel….they all asked about Ed and Sam from my previous trips. Have a lovely room, in a bungalow….but had to be moved as the air conditioning wasn’t working and the heat is oppressive for February. Read the rest of this entry »

It has been a tough weekend…..a few days ago two French tourists were kidnapped and murdered in the capital city of Niamey. They were taken from a busy restaurant by armed men, and the security there is heightened because of this and the upcoming elections.  This has really shaken the people there and only increases my resolve to help in any way we can. I wish I had some “witty, inspirational” resolution for 2011 — but in the past many years I have stopped making yearly resolutions. Instead, I try live my life by a few simple principles taught to me by mentors in my life…….principles that help me cope with life’s challenges. Read the rest of this entry »

It was in February 2010, that I visited a remote village in Gorouberi with the Mayor, Vice Mayor, Hamani, Ramatou, Alioun and others to see the well that Rotary had drilled.  When the Mayor informed me that the children in this village had never attended school, because there wasn’t one, I committed on the spot on behalf of P4K, to raise the money to build one. Hard to believe that less than a year later, through the generosity of two major donors from Canada this school is now up and ready for students! Read the rest of this entry »

Construction is set to begin on P4K’s third school. It will be built in Gorouberi, a remote village in Libore that until now has had no school or access to education for its children. In March we began with a Kindergarten and by January 2011, we hope to have the school up and ready. But we didn’t want to waste the first part of the year, so school has already begun under a tree!!!