The Diary Game || 24-02-24 || Completing the process of producing Garri

Dear Diary,

It was a hectic Saturday but rewarding though. Every last Saturday of the month is sanitation but to me, it was as if there was no sanitation exercise ongoing. That's what I felt because I saw nothing serious happen in the environment. My day revolved around the processes of converting the pressed cassava we left the previous day to garri. Garri is an essential commodity in Nigeria.

The garri that was 5 cups #100 naira is now #200 per cup. It seems quite difficult for many to purchase as a lot of people depend on Garri for survival. So it was time to complete the process and not to purchase this essential commodity.. It all started from this link where I went to the farm to get cassava for frying. If you didn't read my post, do well to read how my parents and I took to the farm to get some essential commodities. I'll spare the narratives.

Morning Activities

On this Saturday morning, I woke up with pains I sustained from the farm work of which I did the previous day. I woke up earlier than normal and started Creating contents of which I'll write during the day. I did my normal activities and chores before considering the scriptures with my family. The scripture we read emphasized on the reassuring words from our creator who's our loving heavenly father.

_{screenshot from my bible app}

He has seen our afflictions and suffering and assures us that **He will grasp our right hand and that we shouldn't be afraid especially in times of distress or challenges. He also promise to help us. How reassuring this is! For your president to tell you he's with you and will help you in life, it means a lot to you especially in this hard times. If he can assure you of this, how much more the creator of the universe telling you this?

For I, Jehovah your God, am grasping your right hand, The One saying to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I will help you.’

After considering these scripture, I took to leaving home for a recreational center which is community based. In this recreational center, a lot of sports are done like the;

• Tennis ball
• Basketball ball
• Football etc

My main aim going there was to exercise my bones as well as charge my phone before returning home to carry the pressed cassava from the cassava mill. The ball play I watch was too good to be true. I saw how people's fathers played excellently well, even showing up skills like a professional. The match ended 1:0. The 1 resulted in a mistake by the keeper. He scored a home goal. After the match, I got to charge my phone before returning home.

On my way back, I saw a new raised building that wasn't up to a month. My shock though. How did they use 2 weeks in building up such a structure to roofing level**? This is quite serious. Like, where are they seeing this money I asked myself. I then headed for home. To my surprise, my mom already brought the pressed cassava which is now in the form of cassava flakes.

Oh finally!! We were going to process Garri from cassava flakes. I was ever ready because purchasing garri now is very difficult to do. So I took to preparing things that would be used for this process. The following are tools used for the frying of garri

Frying pot	This is one of the major utensil we use in frying this Garri. Most people use a big iron pan but we're comfortable with using this though and a wooden plate like structure for mixing or turning the garri. This wooden structure prevents heat from attacking or affecting the hands.
Siever	This siever acts like a filtering substances that takes off the shafts from the flakes. Without this, the garri would be made finely as the pressed cassava flakes brought was in lumps. So it needed to be broken down and separated from the shafts
The pressed cassava	This is an important asset for the production of Garri. Without it, there's no Garri.
Blocks	These blocks are used to place the pan for balance as an improvised method.
Firewoods	Firewoods are used to ignite fire for frying the Garri
Basin	This basin is used to contain the filtered Garri from the shaft.

These are the utensils used for the frying of this Garri. So this is the process. To fry a garri, you must do the following.

• Step 1: Filter the shafts from the garri and contain the filtered Garri in a container. After filtering the cassava into a container, you set up your firewood and pan and get ready for frying.

• Step 2 Lit up fire in the firewood and place the pan on the blocks with clay holding the bottom of the pot firm. After setting it up, take the shaft and clean the pot, making it reading for frying to prevent burnt. After using the shaft to taste the pan, add small red oil into the pan and then add the shaft again into the pot and taste the pan.

• Step 3: After tasting the pan, you take off the fried shaft and dispose. Then add small oil into the pan and simultaneously put the garri into the pan. Don't put it all at once so it would not mould into lumps. When putting it into the pan, spread it and try using the wooden plate like structure to mix the garri until it is dry and fried. You use this method until you're done with frying.

Finally, we processed the garri and this is the result of what we we've been frying since.

After frying the two bags which wasn't an easy task, I emptied it on sacks and spread it so that the garri will cool before putting it into a bag or basin. That's how we made almost a bag of Garri that day. It wasn't an easy task but was really rewarding. If you want to have a share, turn on your Bluetooth.