Just another day in paradise

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery"

Today was a really great, great day. Luc Panissod, the head of the entire World Scout Bureau, is in Nairobi to help conduct the interviews for a new Regional Director at our office, so I was determined to make a great impression. I dressed up in the best outfit I could wrangle together: a goldish skirt, black sweater and black heels. I even straightened my hair for the occasion! As it turns out, he didn't come to the office today, but it turned out being one of those times you have a great day just because you feel really great.

The day was still really awesome though, even though Luc didn't come to the office. Winston and Elzette, who both work in our satellite offices, were in the office. Wintston is in town to help with the interveiw, and Elzette was in the office to finish the "Yearly Operational Plan", which is a report that gets submitted annually to Geneva. It gives a detailed budget and projected outcomes and indicators for each of the year's objectives. The objectives in the YOP are divided into 4 sections: Youth Programme, Adult Resources, Projects and Partnerships, and Communications.

Elzette mentioned on the ride to work this morning that she might need my help today, and sure enough, within 10 minutes of settling into my desk, she popped her head in my office and asked me to come to the board room when I got a chance. I headed right down, and was totally taken aback by the sight. There were papers spread all over the desk, huge diagrams on the walls, a huge matrix taped on the board, and an entire whiteboard covered in lists and diagrams. As it turns out, the YOP was due to be submitted yesterday, so the pressure was on!

Euloge, the Communications director, is at a conference in Eygpt this week, so Elzette handed me the section on communcations, gave me a few reference documents, and basically told me to fill in all the blanks, and then disappeared to a meeting with Winston, leaving me alone and rather shell-shocked in the board room. I spent the next few hours creating Project Results and Indicators, classifying Activity types, and making sure that the Triennial Objectives were being met. It was very daunting, but I got it all done by lunch. After we ate, Winston, Elzette, Jacques, Guy (the accountanting director), Kennedy (the accountant), Amos (IT guy) and I all had a meeting in the boardroom to finalize the budget and go over any last concerns. Once we had addressed everything, Elzette and I spent about 15 minutes doing a final proof read, before handing it off to Guy, for him to finalize the budget.

It was really high stress, and SO exciting. I can't tell you how grown-up I felt all dressed up, on my computer, in the board room, helping to complete this important report for this huge global organization. When I went to thank Elzette at the end of the day, she thanked me, and said how much she appreciated that she was able to tell me what she needed and then leave me to it. She said I was very capable, and definately held my own, which was the hugest compliment. I basically flew on wings back to my office. By that time, it was almost 430, so I sat and chit-chatted with Elly until it was time to go home.

On the way, he was nice enough to stop for 5 minutes at the store so I could run in and buy butter, since I promised Amos I'd bring cookies to the office tomorrow. Since the Canada Day cupcakes, he's been asking on a regular basis when I'd be bringing snacks again, so I'd been promising him that this week while the girls are way, I'd have a ton of free time to bake. The other day I made Rice Krispie Squares. They were quite a hit, but not the way you'd think. No one seemed to really like them (since half of them had never heard of marshmellows, they were a little wary). However, they thought the name of them was HILARIOUS! Apparently to everyone here, the name "Rice Krispie Square" is somewhat of a tongue twister. Even today, people would look at me, and start giggling as they tried to say it. So for tomorrow, I've made a much easier snack to pronounce: cookies! They are sugar cookies with vanilla icing and sprinkles, and they taste SO amazing, I can hardly believe I made them!

I was really sad today when I looked at my calendar and acutally counted the number of days I have left in the office. Only 12 more days!!!! Between my time at the orphange, my trip to Rwanda, and my possible trip to Rwanda at the end of the summer, I only have TWELVE more days at work, which makes me so sad. I am so happy working there. The hours are great, the work is fascinating, and I've made real friends. The thought of leaving so soon absolutely tears at my heart. I guess I'll just have to make the most of the rest of my time, and hopefully some day I can be lucky enough to have a real job that I thouroughly enjoy as much as this.

-Delaney xo