Saturday, March 15, 2014

Laita Na Cumbe

What's in a name?


I finally had a chance to speak with my friend Verdette about her recent journey home to our motherland, Guinea Bissau, West Africa. Verdette shares ancestry with the Fula and Balanta of Guinea Bissau and the Mende people of Sierra Leone.


Verdette travelled to Guinea Bissua with Willie, a team member of It Takes a Village.  Both have reported that the trip was AMAZING! I'll break it all down for you in future posts but today I want to tell you about Verdette and the surprise she received from the women of Djati.


After a very long and bumpy ride, Verdette & Willie arrived in the tiny Balanta village of Djati. The day's activities included dancing by the villagers and the giving of treats to the children and some sight seeing around the village.

What Verdette did not know, was that after a long day, she would end up staying over night in one of the rooms in the school we built and that the women of the village would honor her visit by bestowing upon her a new name and presenting her with a beautiful new hand made dress (is there any better kind?).


Meet 
Laita Na Cumbe  
Translation: the mother of many children who has an open heart




Now it's time to put on the dress. Easy? Maybe not so much.

hmmm...
Maybe Raquel can help out

 uh, no I think it goes this way


FInally 





 Ta Da!!

Lookin good!

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