OK, so it's only Ag Day in the good old USA, but I thought about it frequently today as we interviewed prospective participants for the Oklahoma portion of the Mali Exchange Program. So many of the candidates we interviewed came from rural villages where everything is related to agriculture. And what do they want to do with what they will learn in the U.S.? How to provide more and better agricultural information to their villages, communes and districts. They have a passion for journalism and a commitment to making a difference, some as owners of their own radio stations.
Between the morning and afternoon interview sessions, most of us ate lunch by the swimming pool Terry mentioned in his post today. What a beautiful day it was! I don't know if I've ever spend any time by a swimming pool during Spring Break; I could have stayed there all day, I think (with a lot of sunscreen). Cindy, I went to the pool just for you!
Near the entrance to our hotel is a shoe-shine stand. About $1 of U.S. funds will buy you an amazing shoe-shine job on one pair of shoes. I paid the young man $4 for two pairs because he did such a good job and was SO nice. Today, he brought me a gift: a wonderful giraffe statue. It surprised me so much I almost cried. I don't even know his name. He is just one concrete example of how gracious, generous and friendly the Malians we have met are. I am glad we chose this country.
Maybe Mali needs a National Ag Day.
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