The first day of any farm week sets the tone for everything that follows.

And yes...

For us, Day 1 did all of that and more...

We Started at the Market

The market experience was our first lesson of Day 1, even before we ran any collective operation.

The first thing was to source for food items because it was more of teamwork and the scale of what we needed to buy was something most of us had not thought about before.

We came back with bags upon bags of spaghetti, instant noodles, Honeywell macaroni, large jerry cans of cooking oil, and a range of other food staples.

All of it stacked and organized.

Looking at that pile of provisions, neatly arranged and ready, you begin to appreciate what it actually takes to plan a programme like this from the ground up.

They rarely see the market run at the beginning of the day, with the negotiating, loading, and careful accounting of what was spent versus what was needed.

The International Women Day Gift Bags From MD

Once the group has gathered properly.

The MD(Mr. Korede) took the day to honor the incredible contributions of the women in our organization.

Gift bags had been prepared for each female staff member and were arranged on a table.

There is a reason organizations that value women tend to perform better.

Women have proven, time and time again, that they are capable of carrying responsibility at the highest level.

And more importantly, they do it consistently.

One of our staff members' birthdays made the night

By the time evening arrived, the group had been through a full day.

The energy had shifted from the high of arrival to something quieter and more comfortable.

One of our staff members was celebrating his birthday, and the group was not going to let it pass quietly.

It was a small thing in the scheme of the day.

But it was also the most human thing that happened.

Because beyond every farm work what we are really building here is a community of people who notice and celebrate each other.

We closed the night with an outdoor movie

And we ended the day the way it deserved to be ended.

When you take people through a day of new experiences and new relationships, they need time to decompress.

Right?

That's not in isolation, but together.

The outdoor screening gave everyone exactly that.

A shared moment where nothing was being asked of anyone, where the only requirement was to be present and to feel comfortable.

Day 1 gave us the full picture...

Not just what the farm looks like, but what this experience is meant to be.

We hope the days ahead will bring more.