Preparation for the "Managing Challenging Behaviour' Training

Finally the weather has remembered it is supposed to be warm in Africa and the sky has been a clear blue all day. It was cold when I woke up so I put on a long-sleeved dress and tights but by about 9.00am it was about 20 degrees and now at half past three it is 27 degrees outside. However it is cool in the house and the views of the mountains were beautiful on the way home. I had to leave the CC a bit early as two drivers were off today and so I ended up with a whole bus to myself, leaving in time for the driver to get back to drive the children who live a long distance away, to their home villages. Tomorrow I have to deliver the first full training day since I arrived. I have spent the day getting handouts together and making sure I have the right leads to connect my laptop to the screen. I'm still not convinced but the IT guy seems to think it will be fine. Since we start at 8.00am I have to be there at 7.30 to set up. I hope it will be long enough. I have to deliver the same training twice to two groups of CC staff so it happens all over again at 1.30-4.00pm. I am a bit nervous about it all, so fingers crossed it goes well. Raising the standard of practice in the Children's Centre is going to be quite a tricky job and I do not have a lot of time to do it. I think the best way to do it is to work with the CC Manager and the Practice Leader so that they can confidently continue the job after I have gone home. The garden here is quite large and there are a number of quite big trees providing good shade. There used to be a pool where Tony once tried to farm fish for the volunteers to eat but it never really worked out, so now it is drained and Charles the Cook/Housekeeper/Handyman/Gardener is growing vegetables at the bottom of a pit where the pond used to be. There are many fruit trees, bananas, guavas, passion fruit, lemons and papayas. Bhavna grows flowers both in pots on the khonde and in the garden so it is very nice to sit out there. Yesterday there were quite a few children about as it was a public holiday so there were pleasant sounds of children playing, and also a troupe of vervet monkeys paid us a visit. It was fun to watch them swinging through the trees. No sign of them yet today!