Dear All,
This one will be short as there is a long line at this internet cafe. I just wanted to let you all know that I am having a great time. WYCE has now filled up with 12 more volunteers, and we have been getting a lot of work done on the gardens, etc. at the lodge. This morning we packed 200 plastic bags with "soil" (actually wet sand with a bit of manure) which tomorrow we will add orange seeds to grow trees for the annual tree planting in August. The young trees are sold in England as a plant a tree type thing to raise money for Madina and the fruits when the trees mature also become a revenue source for the village.
Two interesting things I've learned working in the gardens here. First, banana trees only grow bananas once and then they die. However, if you cut the stalks/trunks when you harvest the bananas they will regrow and produce bananas again. Second, cashews grow on trees. The nuts grow out of the bottom of a fruit, which is delicious. They are unique, and the texture is strange - the meat is rather dry but they are very juicy so you don't really notice. Right now our big cashew tree is just getting ripe, so when it is all ripe with fruit we want to try to make cashew fruit juice.
I will sign off now, but hopefully I will get to an internet cafe again next weekend, as we are planning another trip into town for some shopping.
Happy Easter and Happy almost Passover to you all!
Love,
Sharon (WYCE Volunteer)
