It’s Friday! TGIF

Posted on January 16, 2015 Updated on January 16, 2015

We thought that meant the start of the weekend but found out last night that people work Saturday as well. TGIS.

For only a week of work, there has been visible progress. After clearing and demolition that continues, we will have finished making all the window blocks, and the vertical planks above the windows will run across the whole front of the buildings. All the doors and frames have been placed.

At any given time, there are as many as six people working with the three of us: Christian, the foreman, Nico, his partner, and four strong, young teenage boys from the village: Arcel, Terence,Jean-Baptiste and David. The latter four have been doing the real muscle work, including brick-making which John helped out on one morning. Mary continues to treat the wood and Henk pitches in everywhere, specializing in demolition. Nguema who is our host comes up to help each day doing some masonry.

We have settled into routines, starting around 8am, breaking after noon, and then returning for a few hours in the late afternoon. Christian is on a slightly different routine arriving early and then returning for breakfast and working through until five or so.

I should add a number of the primary school children, who are on double shifts, hang around the site and pitch in a lot.

Upcoming blogs on food, the temporary school, and a bit of archaeology we uncovered.