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FISSEBU .........   A small village fifteen minutes outside of Zorzor on the back of a motorcycle taxi, Fissebu was the home of ZRTTI, the Zorzor Rural Teachers Training Institute. Yes, it deserved the word "rural" in the title. Zorzor wasn't a big town. Fissebu was a small village. And, ZRTTI was outside of Fissebu.

I lived on the campus of the institute during the week of the mural project with the American Corner Library. It was a long walk everywhere I needed to go. The first few days, my legs protested and my muscles ached. But, I really had no choice, so I walked. And, I sweated. A lot!

A group of people watched every day as the mural project continued. Everyone on the campus knew who I was. As I walked on the road to the village towards Fissebu, I was recognized. People asked about the mural. And, even in Zorzor, people stopped me on the street because in a small community, the word was out about the project.

 
Water for the entire community at ZRTTI, as well as most of the country, came from wells. Throughout the day, people carried buckets of water to their homes, usually on top of their heads. Electricity was from a generator on campus. There were two hours of current in the morning from 5:00 AM to 7:00 AM. (In my mind, it was totally useless to have it that early.) Then, in the evening there was electricity for four hours. I appreciated cool water and a fully charged computer battery.
 
Yes, these boys would eat supper with you. And, if the fish was served with head and eyeballs looking back at you, that would not be a problem. But, I happen to know that these boys preferred my chocolate no-bake cookies a whole lot more.
 
 
MARTINMARTIN  
Copyright 2016 by Phillip Martin All rights reserved.