3. Day, 13.08.2016 – Project preparations
I want to puncture two fallacies. 1. I am in the middle of the tropics in the Indian ocean and it is cold. I am sitting here with two pullovers, long trousers and socks and I‘d like to have another cup of tea. 2. A journey to a project in the rainforest sounds like adventure, however, most of the time you are sitting at the computer going through project plans or drinking a cup of coffee together doing networking.
So today, from 9 am in the morning till 6 pm we sat together with Hery from the organization Tsiry, with Gaston, the new accountant, as well as with Jimmy, Dorian and Nasser from MBG, drinking coffee, having a chat and getting to know each other.
Hours for project planning and meetings
Afterwards, we have been sitting hours at the computer going through the project plan, the contract and the budget step by step. Even though it sounds very sober, it makes a lot of fun. I often say about Naturefund … “We are seeding ideas” and when they fall on fertile ground, we feed them. Basically, such project plans are already one step further. They are ideas poured in shape completely with a description of the steps and the financing.
Tsiry is our direct partner. They have developed the contract with us and have also signed it. Even so, they obviously still have not read it. At least, they had many questions, but also many new ideas. In the evening we have all been K.O., but somehow happy. We have the feeling that the project has a great potential for the region. It could help to … slow down the deforestation of the rainforest. And it gives the opportunity to poor farmers to re-fertile their degraded land with trees.
Soon I am finally leaving into the rainforest
We are going to have another official meeting with networking tomorrow morning, but afterwards we are finally going into the rainforest where we visit plots with dynamic agroforestry and where we are going to camp for one night. It is raining and the temperature is around 10 degrees, brr.