Stache Bash 2010

Thank you for your donations to National Children's Medical Center. Mustaches for Kids raised over $56,000 for the hospital and Spanky raised over $7,400. A few pictures from the annual Stache Bash:

Uganda, Zambia and Mozambique

I had a three week trip - about one week in each country - at the end of November/beginning of December. It was a great trip and I'd love to return to all three countries

MOZAMBIQUE

I went to Mozambique to attend a conference so I'll just show a few views of the pool and beach - managed to get in one day by the pool before the rains came...

ZAMBIA

The trip to Zambia was to monitor a program implemented by Land O'Lakes so more pictures of markets and food commodities - just what you always wanted to see! :)

Group at Lusaka Market with Hammer Miller

Boy wearing TOMS in Lusaka Market

My Thanksgiving Meal

Two Hammer Millers in Chongwe

Health Volunteers with World Vision

Local House

Sorting Maize

Just like the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Mist, Arkansas

View from Hotel - such beautiful trees in Zambia!

UGANDA

I went to Uganda to attend a workshop, but those pictures are pretty boring so I'll spare you. I did take a short two-day safari with a game drive and a boat trip on the Nile River in the Murchison Falls National Park.

Malawi and Tanzania

A few pictures from my recent trip in September to Malawi and Tanzania. USDA provided funding to the World Food Program (WFP) to purchase food locally for distribution through their feeding programs in Malawi and Tanzania. We visited the programs to check on progress so met with many of the farmers that sold food to WFP and visited distribution sites. Both programs are going well and it was a really interesting trip.

TANZANIA

Baobab Tree

Farmers' Group that sold maize to WFP

Maize purchased through our program

One Transportation Method

View from my hotel in Dar es Salaam

MALAWI

Child enjoying school meal through WFP feeding program

Several of the kids at the school (not the boy in the front right-side with the Obama shirt)

Farmers greeted us in traditional dance

Farmers' group that sold maize to WFP

Maize purchased through our program

Waylon is Three!

Waylon turned three on July 15th and in dog years, he's finally the legal drinking age! We thought about throwing a kegger for him, but decided to celebrate at his favorite bar, Trusty's. Belle passed away before her third birthday so this birthday was especially special to celebrate. These pictures were taken at Trusty's a few days after his birthday (photo credits to Matt Wallis).

Mali and Niger

I took a trip to Mali and Niger at the end of May/beginning of June for work. In Mali, we provided funding to the World Food Program to purchase millet from local farmers to use in their program activities including Food for Work and community health center feeding. In Niger, we had just approved funding to provide emergency food rations in response to the drought. We were able to travel to several locations in Mali including Bamako, Segou and Mopti, but were stuck in Niamey in Niger due to security concerns. It was an interesting trip - a very hot trip and I definitely need to learn French!

NIGER

Grand Hotel in Niamey that was not so grand:

Niger River view from Grand Hotel:

Sandstorm in Niger:

MALI

Mosque in Djenne - largest mud structure in the world and UNESCO World Heritage Site:

On banks of Niger River in Mopti:

Dogon Country:

Grain storage - aren't they so cute:

Meeting with a women's cooperative that was able to sell 30 metric tons of millet to the World Food Program and purchased with our funding:

USDA donated commodities to be used in a school feeding program:

Distributing food at a local community health center:

Houses and grain storage in Dogon country by the Food for Work activity:

Community members participating in a Food for Work activity to build a water reservoir:

Regular road block - the sheep were the slowest to catch on and move out of the road - the chickens weren't too bright either...

Millet purchased under our program at the World Food Program warehouse waiting to be transported to one of their program activities for distribution to beneficiaries:

End of the dry season:

View of Bamako: