First Day

Ok so technically I came into my new office yesterday for the afternoon and yes technically this is also my second placement, ignoring those two things my first today in my new office has gone really well. Yesterday afternoon I was brought in after meeting up with my new employers at the Programme Office of VSO shown around and introduced to my new colleagues so that sort of doesn’t count as a proper day at work. For those of you that don’t already know I will now be based at the National Mosque in Abuja working for an organisation called USI (Ummah Support Initiative).

Everyone has been really friendly and today it was lovely to get a taxi all by myself to work from just opposite the end of my road to the gate of the mosque. I have to wear a veil/scarf to cover my hair when I’m in the public areas of the offices (thanks Ceri for your handy gift who knew it would be my staple work wear!), I felt a bit special putting it on in the taxi but wasn’t actually sure what classed as the ‘public areas’ i.e. is it ok just inside the gates to not be wearing it, or should I already have it on by then?? Anyway in I went at the agreed time of 10am, until I get my own key to the office I will come in a bit later as currently the staff are all volunteers and travel in from outside Abuja so they don’t arrive until around 10am as there’s no one to open up. They have promised to get me a key so that I can come in to do a full day’s work though! I was very much relieved to find that there is plenty here I can do and that as soon as my initial work plan is agreed they want me to ‘hit the ground running’. At the end of my first day I was offered a lift home and I arrived back at the flat feeling very positive and excited to go back into work the next day, how often can you say that happens?