Today we saw first hand the Airfield school.  We rolled to a stop at the side of the road, and peered out the window to see the now empty space beneath the meager thatch and aluminum covered buildings- more like tents to us- that the children were schooled in last year.  last year, we met with the kids and played games, and led them through crafts projects.  It rained heavily that day, as it does all the time in the rainy season, and we were told children don’t come to school when it rains.  We could see why.  You couldn’t take two steps without either losing your shoe in the mud or slipping and falling on your behind.

But today, beyond the buildings the school used to use, there are three gleaming buildings painted in two-tone blue with beautifully made stained wooden shutters.  We could tell just from viewing the outside what a different place this must be to learn in.  And when we thought about building this place start to finish, from mixing the concrete to installing the roofs and painting the surfaces, we were all pretty amazed. 

Next Mr Forson took us down the street to meet the actual students who reside in the community.  We met parents and students, and were introduced by Mr Forson.  We said a few words about how happy we were to hear that the school is making a positive impact on the community, and then heard from a few of the students.  Mr Forson translated for us. The students thanked us, said they were happy to have a school like that to go to, and explained that that now they go to school when it rains.  Given how often it has downpoured since we have been here, I’m thinking those rainy days could have wiped out a good portion of the school year.

Note: Jule Boyer is facilitating a group eight volunteers on a three week trip to Ghana to conduct workshops at the Bishop Forson School Complex. On Saturday they took a trip to see the Airfield School near Ho.

The ribbon was cut, the dignitaries delivered long speeches, mango and orange trees were planted in the school grounds, gifts were exchanged. We received endless compliments from everyone. We were told that “it is the most beautiful school in the area”. A contractor who is building a school in Ho, asked for copies of the plans, he would like to propose a similar design on his next school project.

We aimed, at the beginning, to change the learning conditions of over hundred children by providing them shelter from the environment, four classrooms pavilion style. We ended up with an integrated structure, three buildings, eight classrooms, an administrative building that includes a head teacher office, teacher’s common room, Library, storage room and complete toilet system with septic tank (no running water). We also provided an imbedded conduit system in preparation for electricity and water harvesting system since there is no running water available in this area.

It occurred to us that a nice building would not guarantee a good education, so we aimed higher, worked with the authorities, and were able to change the school staff including the head teacher who appeared to be ineffective in educating. We arranged for three NGOs to be involved with the school, sending volunteers to teach and interact with the children as well as sending medical teams to check on the children’s well being. We also were able to get the authorities’ commitment for new furniture, electricity and the school participation in the Government food program. All these should happen this year.

After five months of daily pushing and arguing with the local community to come to work as they repeatedly promised they would, I feel drained. Anyone who read my previous journals knows that. Often I was forced to be the ‘bad guy’ to keep up with schedule, budget and to at least meet the minimum standards of workmanship.

We did our best to provide the children of this deprived community a better chance in life and wish the Airfield community a lot of luck. The future is in their hands. They hold the wheel now and they can steer it any way they would like. They dreamed for this school for a long time and finally it is theirs.

Today, Saturday, while my wife is sewing, I went to the main entertainment in town. No, no funeral, today is market day. I am a regular at the market and they all know me. Not much selection in the market. Prices are very high, much higher than in California, since it is the dry season. I have my regular stops.

I give the “onion lady” one GH Cedis and she fills a bag of onion for me. The peanut butter woman is waiting for me with a large jar. Papaya, avocado, egg-garden (eggplant) and okra. We eat “same same” every night.

I am reading now “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson, who built many schools in Pakistan.

As an American, building schools for girls in an Islamic country, Mortenson had his share of problems. However, I wish that my Ewe Community would have some of the Pakistani Villagers enthusiasm to have a school provided for them. Here I am trying every trick in the book to bring the people to work on their own school. The Airfield Community interpret democracy in such a way that every decision has to be discussed by the elders and the chief does not have much power over the people. The bottom line is they will tel you whatever you want hear and do what ever they want to do.

This week like any other week on the site has it ups and downs. The only problem is that we don’t have any more time or money for “downs”.

The carpenters are progressing on the roof and one building is already covered with the aluminum sheets.

My ETC (Estimate To Complete) is growing every day. My roofing carpenter underestimated the amount of wood that he would need, adding $1250 to the cost of the roof. The plastering of the walls takes much too long, adding on labor cost for the masons. Now they are telling me about “screeding”, process of finishing the floor, which require more cement and was not in the original estimate.

The roofer is not on schedule but never the less is asking for more money. A deal is always open ended even if it is in writing and not keeping your word your commitment or your appointment is always OK as long as you have an excuse and it doesn’t make any difference how lame the excuse is. No shame and no apology.

On Tuesday I traveled with the carpenter (a different one) to Hohoe, a town two hours away, to buy wood for the doors and windows. I can save 25% on the wood price since the wood is brought there directly from the “Bush”, no idea if it is legal or not. Since the police has road blocks to check on such harvest, the wood was cut and shaped in Hohoe before shipped to Ho. We bought a partial quantity and will come back for more as soon as it is available.

When work was progressing too slow, I hired laborers for one day and stopped the work on the Toilet/Septic tank project. The community then decided to start to prepare the morning work at the end of the previous day, something that I am asking of them for long time but without avail. Thursday and Friday the work started on time but with slow progress. I asked the community to work on Saturday. They responded by telling me they cannot work Saturday, but will bring the whole community, not by groups, during the week if I hire more masons to finish the plastering. I agreed. I am getting tired.
Only five and half weeks to go and so much to do.

Aku Sika Shop is popular with the foreigners in Ho – missionaries and young volunteers. Our recent acquaintance with ProjectAbroad volunteers did a lot of good this week at Airfield School. They came to teach at the school, brought art supply for art projects. They will now include Airfield School in their program.

On Wednesday, their Outreach Medical Team arrived. One Ghanaian male nurse, four young European helpers. They sat a clinic in one of the "classroom". I was impressed with the amount of medical supply they brought. Looks like a well-funded NGO.

Eric, the nurse used no gloves. He screened all the kids at Airfield School, checking hands, mouth, ears, eyes, head, skin, glens,belly and looking for open wounds. He does not need blood test to identify Malaria. He looked at the eyes, sours around the mouth and high fever. He talked and joked with the kids. Funny young man. Doreen from the Netherlands handing the kids Vitamin C candies, Picaddely cookies and a note with the diagnoses, before they proceed to the "clinic". Robert, Ivor and Phillip from Holland were treating the kids.

About half the kids needed dewormer (Mebedezo), treat worms in the stomach. Their belly looked like balloon. Other were treated for open wounds, Malaria, eye infection and fungus. The volunteers also cut nails and cleaned ears.

I was so impressed with the young volunteers from the Netherlands. So much love and compassion.

While the treatment was going on, the kids were dancing "Yesh Lanu Tayish", and other Israeli dancing steps that I taught them. Audry was teaching them the "clown" song in French and Krystal and Doreen were teaching a song-dance in Dutch.

Last week, again, I went from hut to hut asking people to come to work. Not much success.

When they don’t have a good answer they say that they are sick, they have a headache.

I was standing in front of a mud house, a half-naked woman was seating at the doorway with two infants, chickens running around, flat look in her eyes, she was probably wandering what did this Yavoo (white person) wants from her life at this early hour of the day.

The work was slow to start on Monday, a lot of wasted time.

We have less than two months and so much to do.

Tuesday morning we had about three people show up by 8:00 AM and by the time the masons started working it was after nine in the morning. In desperation I decided to buy them off and requested the list of all the people that come "continuously" to work. After some hard negotiation and arguments, I received the list. I gave them back the list and told them to advertise among these people that I would pay 5 Cedis per day for anyone that will show up to work before 7:00am.

I also told them that if people would not show up I will hire workers from town to replace them and I will not order the doors and windows.

I made it clear to everyone that we are running out of time and money and this is the school’s money that we are paying. They didn’t like it at all. They refused to be paid for their work and the next morning people showed up starting at 6:30am. Maybe I struck the right nerve. The rest of the week the attendance was reasonably good.

I am continuously amazed by the lack efficiency in their work. They build and break. There is no electricity in Airfield, but I decided to install electrical conduits. We are asking the government to bring electricity to the school, and hope they will. I told my contractor to install the electrical conduits into the pillars, prior to casting it. "no, no, we cannot do it this way,” so now, when the walls are done, an "electrician" is breaking grooves in the walls with a chisel to install the electrical conduits.

I asked them to leave spacers in the septic tanks for the pipes and in the veranda for the poles. "no, no", they have a better way. Of course, after the septic tank is done and the veranda floor was cast, they break the cement to install the pipes and the poles in the cement.

Africa. I try not to judge, but it is difficult.

The roofers, on contract, working seven days a week, are progressing nicely, but they underestimated the material quantity and the cost is piling up. In about a week and a half we will have a roof. Next week we will start the plastering. It is about a three week process.

There was a lot of commotion at Airfield School this week. The head mistress and two teachers got a transfer letter. The Director of Education followed-up on his promise to Benny and new teachers were assigned to the school.

I am going to divide my time between sewing and teaching.

We made a new contact with “Project Abroad” a UK based NGO. They bring young volunteers from Europe to teach, help farming and help at medical facilities. We invited them to visit Airfield School and took them to the “bush”, where we visited some families.

They are going to send volunteers teachers to the AF school and we hope that it will bring new energy to the Airfield School.

George, the adult that Pagus Africa is sponsoring, is doing well at the Technological Institute in Kpando. He proudly told us that his father brought him yams and his mother gave him ten Ghana Cedis ($7). His wife also makes straw fans to fan the fire. She is sending him some so that he could sell it at Kpando market. We saw his wife at the building site, she was selling soup.

On Saturday I accompanied Aku Sika to another shopping trip to Accra. We also visited the Art Center. I think that I got Accra out of my system.

Africa, it is not an easy land. Blessed with natural treasures but too many very poor and clueless people.

There were two trips this week. Very different trips. On Monday we accompanied George to his new venture in Kpando Technical Institute. George is very shy and naive, and he was overwhelmed by the process. We also needed to talk to his family to assure that they will help him with some food etc.

My second trip was a major shopping trip in Accra. I rented a truck in Ho and with our contractor and Prosper we bought all the roofing material, two large poly tanks, toilet, paints and other material at a significant saving.

It was a long and difficult day mainly because Accra is such a congested city. We spent about three hours seating in a very slow traffic.

The work at the site is slow since not enough people from the community come to work and we end up working about six hours a day (paying for eight ).

I exhausted all my energy and I am running on empty.

I don’t know what else to use to motivate people. We are supposed to be finished with the structure by now but we lost another week.

And the saga continues.

On Monday afternoon I had another meeting with the elders and Prosper regarding the making of the remaining of the 2000 blocks. It was a very interesting conversation by which I felt that finally the token fell, the phone rang and the massage went through: without making the blocks ASAP we are not going to meet the schedule. It was a very candid conversation by which the elders revealed their plan to make blocks – it did not have a check with reality. At this point it was clear that the elders will not be able to bring the community with larger enough numbers to make the blocks. It was a moment of truth. On our way home Prosper told me that without much choice he will bring his apprentices to make the blocks. It took a few days but on Friday the apprentices came and started to make the blocks. It will take about a week to finish molding the additional 2000 blocks and another week to dry out.

I also realized that if I want to build a toilet system, I need an outside help to excavate the large septic tank. In the evening, I went together with one of the city engineers, to the Mayor’s home.

It was a good discussion. I will need to submit a request to the Assembly for approval of the septic tank excavation and the Mayor didn’t see any reason why it will not be approved in spite the fact that it is not in his budget. New furniture for the new school will not happen at this time,maybe in about six months.

On Thursday I received my first 100 Cement bags and the balance on Friday. It took some doing and coordination on my behalf but I have made it.

On Tuesday I submitted a request for the excavation and was surprised to see my letter with many approved signatures in the hands of the city engineers when they come to visit me on the site the next day. They keep telling me that it will not take too long before the final approval will be given. But in Africa time has a different dimension than in the Western world. I hope that it will happen next week.

So, things are moving along and it looks like we have a chance to make it happen. The time is short and there is a lot to do. Hopefully no more surprises.

In Ghana, when you want to speak to parliament member, assembly member or the mayor, you can call him directly, go to his office or go to his home. This week Benny daily schedule included meetings with the mayor, assembly member and the city engineers.

The Parliament Member came through on his promise and 200 bags of cement were delivered to the site. The city officials also promised to help us excavate the large hole for the septic tank.

Last Sunday Benny walked door-to-door through the community, make sure the people will show up for work to support the masons.

The walls of the school are rising, and Prosper sent his apprentices to help molding the blocks.

A good week with a lot of progress.

We left the site earlier, it looked like a bee-hive. Fifty community members, including some of the youth and a few from neighboring community. Benny had rented a concrete mixer for three days to cast the floor. Women carryied head pans full of stones, sands, cement and water into the mixer. On the other side they were loading the head pans with concrete. Smiles were on every face. They were so proud of themselves. (They all recognized that if it was not for Benny pushing them, they would still digging the foundation.)

But somehow they got the wrong idea that when the floor was done their share of labor was completed… and Benny was planning to start laying the wall blocks the following day, on Friday. Benny hired six masons. Each mason required two community members to support him, mixing the mortar and bringing the mortar and blocks to the mason, so that they could lay the walls. They also need to mold 2000 additional blocks.

Benny gathered the community on Thursday, during their kenke-lunch break.

For the next five weeks he needs the community to support the masons in laying the blocks and continue making 360 blocks per day. "If we do not have twelve community members to support the masons, I am sending the masons home."

and he did…

While the community rested, Josef, the 75 year "elder" continued to work in the hot sun.

Benny met again with the MP. He promised 200 bags of cement, but now it seems that we have to chase him and his promise.

There were long meetings with the carpenter to plan the roof and with the new welder.

Last Sunday we met with the “Elders” at the Airfield Community, (official name is Atsiyinu Community), to discuss the digging of the septic tank. A big job. Is the community ready for the challenge?

Chicken and goats joined the meeting, teens were grinding corn, dry red chilli and rice in the mill, a small boy was roasting corn, fanning the charcoal. Palm wine was served at the end of the meeting and Abege invited me to dance with him.