We woke up early and Ed went with the ORBIS team to the airplane for his first meeting at 7:30am. He was very excited to see the airplane and expected to give his lecture on PHACO later in the afternoon. He had been preparing this lecture for a couple months, first writing it in English, coordinating the words with the video, and then having it all translated into French. I was so proud of all the efforts he put into making it a worthwhile talk for the Trainee doctors from Niger and Chad. I stayed back to do a 30 minute interview with Dini about P4K….Jonathan, our videographer, found a spot on the steps of building at the hotel, and we sat casually and chatted for about 30 minutes. Dini has a knack for putting people at ease and getting to the heart of the issues.

At about 9:00am, Hamani picked us up and we went to the airport for the official Opening Ceremony of ORBIS. All the dignitaries were there for the event including the Chef de Canton and the Minister of Health and of Transportation. It was supposed to start at 10:00am, but it was closer to 11:00 by the time all the officials showed up. The speeches were given by members of ORBIS and the government, and the Minister of Health acknowledged Ed in her speech as the person responsible for asking ORBIS to come to Niger. The representative from ORBIS acknowledged Pencils for Kids for its part as well……..

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We arrived safely today in Niger on an Air France flight from Paris at about 4:15pm. As we landed we saw the huge ORBIS airplane standing on the tarmac, already working to help the people of Niger. It was a very emotional moment and both Ed and I couldn’t believe it was happening. After all this time, after more than a year since the first email was sent by Ed to ORBIS asking them to come to Niger, it had become a reality and we were here to witness it firsthand. WOW.

As we gathered our belongings and started to walk down the steps of the plane onto the tarmac, we noticed a man at the bottom of the steps holding a handwritten sign that said ROBIN. While all the other passengers were ushered into the waiting bus to take them to Customs and the long lineups, the gentleman asked us to step aside and enter the special VIP bus that was waiting for us and our travelling companions, to take us to the Mayor who was waiting to greet us with the Chef de Canton.

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In two weeks, Ed and I leave for Niger, to participate in the ORBIS program, and to offiically open the second set of classrooms in Libore, called Vive la Vie! It is an exciting time on all fronts.

When Ed and I were in Niamey last, November 2007, we visited the hospital in Niamey and Ed spoke with an opthalmologist there and hospital officials who said they desperately needed eye doctors to return and perform surgeries every six months. Upon our return to Canada, Ed contacted ORBIS, a wonderful charitable organization with a Flying Eye Hospital and asked them to come to Niger. After months of discussion and planning, ORBIS agreed and will be in Niger February 1-14th with their airplane, training local eye doctors and performing surgeries. It is such a great thing for the population of Niger and we are delighted to be a small part of it.

We just shipped 75 boxes of supplies to Niger, via Air France, and they arrived safely. The shipment had 500 soccer balls, laptops, school supplies, scrapbooks made by children in Canada, and lots of pencils!!

Stay tuned for the beginning of our trip!

Hamani (left) wears the pencil made by the artist, Tchihma Abdo (right)

Mayor Amadou Madougou wears the very first pencil necklace!

Please join us in our worldwide “Wear a Pencil” campaign to ensure that every child has access to education.

Our goal is for everyone to:

Wear a pencil, until every child has a pencil.

Wear a pencil until every child can read and write.

Wear a pencil as a symbol for education, literacy and hope.

Help us sharpen the minds of the future!

These pencil pendants are designed by a local artist in Niger, Africa, who sculpted them from natural rock in the region and created the look of a real pencil. They are wonderful and have already been sought after by everyone who has seen them.

Funds from this campaign will benefit the children of Libore, Niger to help them with their educational needs.

Join us in our “wear a pencil” campaign….wear one and share one!

For more details on how to get one, please see our “Donate” page!