My Farm Diary: Week Three: Day One

So  far so good, yesterday was so much fun compared to other days of duty on farm. We worked at the farm management unit where we acted in the capacity of farm managers and sold maize to women who were intend to further extend the sales to the final consumers. The day started with the unit head giving us an overview of what it involves to being a farm manager hence giving us a first hand practical experience on the field. Then, we waited for the women harvesting who happen to also be the retailers and when they were done, we charger each person per quantity and size of maize harvested.

The most fun part was how the women were negotiating the prices. We charged the third woman a sum of #1200, she insisted on paying #600 which looked like a ridiculous bargain to me. We left her to meet about 40 other women only to come back to collect #650. A woman was charged #500, she offered to pay #400 but eventually paid #320 and I was wowed but you know what? That's what a typical Nigerian looks like. Women bargain ridiculously even when they collected money worthwhile from their husbands.

My Farm Diary, Day Two

Is it just me or everyone?
Why is this week seeming to be so long?
How can today just be Tuesday?
Shouldn't it be Thursday already?
This were my thoughts as I walked down the busy street of Ede road where my hostel is.

My dad has been trying to teach me the habit of waking up early that I usually get scolded for oversleeping almost everyday but with this farm year, I think I don't need a teacher or trainer before I get up early. I got up from bed today at 4: 30am. I washed the dishes used last night, prepared spaghetti, fried plantain and swept my room and I was done with my chores by 6:00am. Since the night was somewhat short, I laid back in bed till 6:40am after which I dressed up, ate and ran off to school.

Unlike yesterday, the bus arrived early and so, I got to farm 8:30am, went straight into the farm centre to take attendance. According to our coordinator, attendance is a major part of farm year and I do not wish to miss a day. From there I went to my allocated plot which I could bare identify. Someone had uprooted the injured cassava that was there. I was scared because if that person happen to be the supervisor, I'm in for it but then I'm really glad the person which wasn't the supervisor did, cause it would have caused him to either scold me or give me a low grade.

"Dami, come over here."
"Oh! Blessing, what's up? You have something for me?"
"Yes."
It was Blessing, the owner of the plot before mine. She was at the other end of the field so, I went to meet her. Come on! You need to see how neat this girl's work is. She had packed all the weeds on her ridge and neatly placed them in the middle. At that point, I knew that if I didn't get an A grade in that course, it's either the supervisor is a deliberately wicked being or 'that's how God planned it'. That's always my consolation whenever I get a result less than my expectation.

Since Blessing already set a cut off mark, I got on to clear my own ridge as neat as hers even though there eventually remained some little sprouts I overlooked because I cannot come and kill myself. The motivation to work increased whenever people pass by our plot and make comments like _"haha! These people are over efficient o. Do they want to sleep on it?"Someone even asked if it was broom we used to sweep it.

I finished my duty around 10:30am  and I must let you know that Blessing was still working at that time. In fact while she who got there before me was half way done, I was already through even though I returned twice to clean again. Whenever I go back to check how far she's gone and I realize my plot isn't neat enough, I pick my hoe and cutlass and set to work again.

"Hey Blessing! See I'm going jor."
Even though I've said that twice before, I meant in this time around and so, I went back to the farm centre where we take lectures and rest. I thought we would be allowed to leave since some of us were done but as it was, the supervisor said no one should leave until it's 1:30pm. Different aroma of food filled the room, people taking lunch while we waited for 1:30pm. As for me, I'm a really great cook, if i bring my own food, everyone will want to dine with me because the aroma is going to be so strongly sweet so, while I wait, I lent an earpiece and continued the movie I was seeing the night before.

See ya tomorrow

Farm Dairy, Day One, Episode Two

After the bus paparazzi at the faculty this morning, we got to the farm centre few minutes to ten where we received a talk on safety from the deputy director. He spoke about ensuring to be in our farm suit and boot always. This will protect most of our body parts most especially the leg from being injured either by animals or our tools.

The professor ended his talk with a greeting from the director as he walked out of the room. Our farm coordinator came in with some A4 papers in which we've been grouped in a manner I can't fathom. Everyone listened attentively to the names of their group members while saying some sort of prayer in their subconscious like
"God please, let my group members be hardworking o"
"God please, let there be more guys in my group"
"God please, let my group members be better persons o"
I'm not a psychic or a kind of mind reader but I could tell from the countenance on people's faces and their reactions when they called each group out.

When names were called and people have a bad feeling about their members, they either stay silent or burst into a sarcastic laughter. As a person, immediately I heard Barry, Alfa Isiak and some other hardworking guys were in my group, I excitedly told Kemi, Olamide and Banke; my three friends "Babes, did you see that? My group is the best!" To myself, I said "JACKPOT!"

After grouping, we were led to the cassava field where we were allocated plots to work on. The plots were allocated by rows of heaps, one roll per person. We were to clear the weed in the cassava field.
"Excuse sir! Where are we to stop?" Someone asked and we got a heartbreaking reply, "Just keep going, you'd know where to stop, it's somewhere in the middle over there"
Hmmmmm, somewhere in the middle. Anyways, I started clearing at around 12:30pm and before I got to that middle, it was 2:30pm. Thanks to Barry and Alfa Isiak who helped me because at a point, my wrist was paining me from the swinging of cutlass, my palm too and I got blisters.

Farm Diary: Day One

"Farm is starting on Monday", I told my folks through the weekend.

In the dawn's tranquility while I was sleeping and dreaming of the movie I saw last night, I heard a voice "come and follow me to go and pee". I rolled in my bed with my eyes still very heavy; it's Ayoola, my bestie, she's been staying with me for a while cause there's no light in her hostel. I stay in a room where I have to share toilet and bathroom with my with my neighbors so, I have a potty substitute that I use in my room in the midnight rather than go all the way out. Ayoola doesn't like to use it so every night she's been waking me to follow her go pee outside.

As I roll in bed, I asked her what the time was, it was 4:00am Monday morning! I had set my alarm to 4:30am last night, with the hope of rising by 5:00am since I know I can't rise to the call of an alarm at exactly the time set. I'd still snooze it to like 20minutes before I finally get up. I got up to follow her and when we got back to the room I told her to snooze my alarm till 5:00am but to the shock of a Monday morning, I woke up to find out it was 6:12am.

I jumped up like WTF! I planned to leave home for farm as early as 7:00am of which by that time, I would have had my bath, cooked and eaten. What in heaven's name can I do with 48minutes? Well, Ayoola got up with me and went straight to cooking. We checked the keg for water but oops! There's none so I went round the hostel to tap some bowls of water. I took the water to her and tried to bath when I remembered we were going to eat just rice; No compliment? How awful!

I went out again, this time, in search for egg and yea! I came back with two eggs. I gave them to her and she made jollof rice and egg while I went to take my bath. I got back, dressed up without make up since we were told on the day of orientation that our make up and spray could be pheromones for some insects and if anyone does, I don't want to be a mating spot for some insects talkless of getting stung by bee.

Ayoola packed my food for me while I put some water in a bottle and set off to school. I got to the faculty to meet just a few mates at the park.
Where are they?
Where's the bus?
Did I just miss the farm bus? While I stood at the park with a blank face but a mind filled with panic, the other girls left for the Secretariat so, I picked my phone to make a call
"Hello Kemi, where are you?"
"Everyone's around the Secretariat, the bus hasn't arrived" said Kemi.
Oh! I sighed and headed towards them. Wait! I have my food in my bag but I forgot my spoon. Let me find a corner to work on this food before joining the crowd. Kemi is one of my closest friends in class. I don't do cliques but we are four ladies that move together almost every time.

Alright... I'll see you in the evening when I'm back so, anticipate.

Tada!