Chocolatadas

You ask, isn't Nora working yet? I have been visiting a number of village banks in order to meet the women I will be supporting this year. Many of the bank meetings turn into "Chocolatadas," a hot cocoa and massive bread eating party for Christmas. It is a great way to meet the women and just chat, explain myself, ask them about their businesses, families, hopes and dreams. However, with that being said I will be glad when the holiday season is over and I don't need to stuff myself with paneton (the holiday bread of choice here). The women are animated and have great ideas of things they would like to be doing, so I have included some pictures of them here (and a picture of the office staff I am working with). In the meantime, I am reading an inspirational book on microcredit, "Ripples from the Zambezi." There is a great quote from it that I am cradling... "Everywhere people ask,'What can I actually do?' The answer is as simple as it is disconcerting; we can each of us, put our inner house in order. The guidance we need for this work cannot be found in science or technology, the value of which utterly depends on the ends they serve; but it can still be found in the traditional wisdom of mankind."