Here’s what my friend Cheryl George wrote about her experience of Ibasho activities in the Ivory Coast:

“I am still learning.”  Michelangelo

Thanks to Emi for the amazing opportunity to travel to Ivory Coast with the Ibasho team this summer.    The Ivorians I had the honor to meet are such beautiful people and they welcomed us into their lives.  I would like to share some of the things I learned.

• You can make new friends even if you can’t speak each other’s language very well (but I am looking into taking French classes this fall).
• We have so much to learn from those who have never created institutions for their elders to live in. They can set new standards for us to live up to.
• Insect repellent (even really good insect repellent) must be reapplied at night to keep the mosquitoes from biting when you sleep.
• I will never complain about potholes again.  In Abidjan some potholes are so big they have filled them with rubble.
• Most importantly: As we learn from each other to truly value our elders, all our lives are enriched.

Cheryl