Day 1: Maumere

Day one of Flores has introduced a lot of new faces, and I'm willing myself to become a friendly sponge again. If Indonesia has taught me anything, it's that making an effort to be present is important, no matter how out of place I may feel, and although I still spend a lot of time laughing when I don't understand, I've found that this kind of "awkward interaction" is often a necessary first step to making friends. Being present also means asking a lot of questions in order to facilitate some kind of exchange. So far, this simple practice of asking about somebody else's life has been incredibly helpful in learning more about Indonesia.

Today I spent time under the sun, chatting with a group of tukang (1) from Lombok, trainers of the two upcoming workshops on toilet construction. The workshops will take place in two different locations, one near Maumere in the Sikka regency, and the other in east Flores, in a town called Larantuka about three hours away from Maumere.  I'll be attending the session in Larantuka with my boss, Bu Chris, though to be honest I'm not looking forward to the long and winding road we'll be taking to get there…

two tukang from Lombok

The participants/learners will be tukang from Flores, and the aim of the workshop is to provide them with the knowledge and skill sets to launch their own entrepreneurial ventures, thus improving their livelihood while at the same time injecting affordable and sanitary toilets to the market. It's all part of the broader governmental mission of STBM (community-based total sanitation), although this particular project is organized primarily by grassroots organizations, including SIMAVI and YDD.

I should also mention that the place we're staying at is absolutely gorgeous, an affordable resort by the beach...

(1) tukang: artisans