Emails from Singida 3
Hi everyone,
The main news is that we now seem to have plenty of water – I think HAPA made arrangements for some diesel so for now there is plenty. This has meant a bit more washing (of ourselves and clothes – though we are still being careful) and more importantly we can now make bricks, cement, plaster and concrete. As such we’ve been getting much more stuck into the work this week and it has been quite satisfying. Although the main dispensary structure is done there is plenty of plastering, ceilings, external wall work to do, and in addition we are making bricks for the nearby toilets – for those the pits are finished but the building itself isn’t started. Once the plastering and ceilings are done in the dispensary we can start painting as well.
In terms of finishing the dispensary and toilets this year (the project only runs till November – start of the rainy season) we are behind, but apparently as long as we continue to have a water supply and we work reasonably hard we should be able to make up the time. The staff houses will definitely not be this year though.
Note though that ‘hard work’ is a bit relative – the culture here is a pretty relaxed one! For us we can pretty much work as much or as little as we want to. Some afternoons, if it is very hot for example we only do an hour or two. The effort put in by the villagers and builders is also very random – sometimes we are the only ones working while a group of men sit around watching – other times there is so many people trying to help it is difficult to get a spade to do anything. It’s just the way things are here though – you have to adapt to it.
In addition the girls have been teaching in the nearby school in the mornings. There are around 100 children per class. There are 800 children in total in the school. Between us we have bought uniforms, bags, shoes and basic stationary for 100 children who could otherwise not go to school (having uniforms etc. is a prerequisite). Hapa have got involved with this to help make sure they go to the children who really need them. The shoes are made out of old tires – and the total for all those things for each child is about 4 pounds.
Camp life is still great – though it has been really windy – making cooking, general living, and playing cards a bit challenging!
Also I dropped my phone down the toilet this morning – the toilet is a 5-6m deep pit with maggots in the bottom and bees living in it as well so that’s the end of that phone.. Nevermind – at least it wasn’t my camera!
