Voinjama Update Report
On September 5, 2020, the Voinjama team had the opportunity to visit various towns and villages we have been working with to follow up on the tree planting projects. Most (about 95%) of the trees are doing extremely well, and some are now providing shade for schools, homes, and offices. As a result of such success, we decided to expand the tree planting project to other communities around Voinjama; visiting and plant trees in several other towns and villages not yet visited.
We were also able to check on the goats and sheep previously provided to various communities, including:
Barkuma, which has four goats—three females and one male, and therefore we need one more male goat;
Kruka, which has two female goats and no male, and therefore we need one male goat;
Kpotomai, which has two female sheep with no male, and therefore we need one male sheep;
Barkedou, which has one female sheep but no male, and therefore we need one male sheep.
Dream circle
In addition, we hosted a dream circle, where one elderly man shared his dream about eg. He said in his dream, some of eg’s old members were angry and were saying they are no longer part of the organization and do not have a friendly relationship with us, and therefore were unsure how well eg would prosper. The team asked him about his interpretation, and he said eg should call the old members and have a ceremony together (old staff, new staff, Mandingo, and Lorma), to cook and pray on the food and eat together. After eating, everyone should wash their hands in one bucket, and then the water should be spread around the eg fence.
A dream from the Lofa County Traditional Council
The Lofa County Traditional Council deemed it necessary to hold another eg dream circle, which we did this week. In the circle, Alhgi Mamadee G Kamara had a dream that both women and men were gathered on top of Kingtoma mountain (the closest mountain in Voinjama now surrounded by city) hosting peace talks. As the talk was ongoing, a tall fellow unnoticed came and gave hundred (100) kola nuts to the gathering, both the ones in the shell and without shells, and told them that kola nut is used to welcome strangers, and therefore, we should use it to welcome peace into Lofa County and Liberia in general. Immediately his eyes opened as he woke from his sleep. It was determined that we then needed to make a sacrifice with a hundred (100) kola nut, with and without the shell, to the Lofa County traditional Council to pray on it for peace.
Also in the circle, Jallah Sawo had a dream he was standing along eg’s new fence and saw a river flowing toward him. As he watched the river coming his way, he saw a big rock appear in the middle, on which he quickly saw himself standing on top with a white sheep. Then he threw the sheep in the river as a sacrifice to the river, when suddenly, the river dried out and the entire fence became a beautiful place and overcrowded with people just as he woke up from sleep.
It was interpreted that eg should make a white sheep sacrifice to a river in Lofa County, in conjunction with the sacrifice for the first dream above, conducted with the entire eg staff.
