AFRICA: Central Africa Republic

In the past 6 days, I have met so many remarkable people. Bangui is a town which shows the terrible effects of war and the destruction it causes. The people live in fear of attack and are " ready to run ".
I have visited refugee camps, schools, churches where people are housed, Paediatric hospital where there is such a shortage of equipment, a school of Art offering wonderful workshops for youth - cane-work, jewellery making, forging metals, sculpture, painting, calligraphy and printing on fabric, and other arts as well as academic work in languages, geography, maths.
The gallery at this school boasted beautiful, skilful works of art - difficult to sell as no tourists and people not willing to beautify there homes as not sure what tomorrow will bring. Again the difficulty of purchasing the materials needed to produce the crafts.
Yesterday we had the honour of meeting the Minister of Culture and the Arts. She is so keen to get art therapy centre open and available for all the victims of the war. She hopes for art therapists to bring their expertise and teach the local teachers/people to become therapists. Or is there a place that they can send suitable people to be trained.
I met a group of men and women Youth and Women for the Development and Human Rights. Working with the youth to establish a sensibility towards women and women needs, protection and respect.
The youth in this group were mostly young men and the women more their elders.
Here one feels the urgency to act immediately as the day is today and the act is done now.
All are open to collaboration and learning, building bridges, moving forward.
Friendly, respectful and generous. We have been housed, fed and transported from place to place all day with goodwill and kindness.
A traditional healer shared some of his wisdom but as he knows over 200 plants that heal we only covered a few.