Friday Report

I'm just checking in to give an update on the progress of the new security wall that the folks from Stow worked on last week.

The Senegalese crew has continued to work all week on putting a coat of cement "plaster" on the walls. They have almost completed the brick sections. The columns are still left. Jean says they'll be done by Tuesday afternoon

Below is some video.

There has been a medium-sized group of French-speaking westerners here all week. They seem to have come from outside of Senegal. Perhaps it's a regional gathering Though I've enjoyed hearing their singing from a distance, I'm afraid I've been too busy to ask about them. I'm not exactly doing a bang-up job as a reporter. Sorry, all!

Wall Progress

So, we had a full week with the team from Ohio (Stow campus of Christ Community). 10 folks. One woman was a skilled medical person and spent the week with Jane and the talibe boys. Everyone else got a day there, too. But mostly they worked on the new wall. What a wonderful group of people to spend the week with!

Here are a few clips to show them and you where the wall is the day after they headed home.

The Digging Begins

The surveyor finally gave me something concrete to work with, a minimum distance from the road to allow for right-of-way. He's a busy guy and it turned out to be more complicated than I'd thought. All I was worried about was getting too close and later having to deal with bulldozers sent by the government! I've seen that happen here.

In any case, the workers started digging this morning. They've also staged the bricks for easy access once the foundation starts going in. Sand and stones are in the area. Cement sacks are stored over by the guard station under roof. (Rain is very unlikely until next July! But you can't tell in early October. And we can also get dew if it cools off a bit at night.) The goal is to have the foundation laid before the Hudson team comes this weekend.

Another Wall Going Up

We've begun work on another section of security wall. This time we're trying to finish out front where there is still a tin "temporary"(how many years has it been?) enclosure! We're starting at the dormitory and going along the alley the last 40 feet (leaving room for an entrance). Then we'll go all the way across to the "commercial building" that we began way too long ago, leaving another opening down there for a future gate as well.

The wall will be 3 meters tall (10 feet) and, minus the gate openings, about 44 meters in length.

Christ Community Church (Hudson-Stow, Ohio) adopted this project and a team of 10 will come on the 15th to join us for the week to lay some brick and to sweat in the tropical sun!

Yes, you heard me. Two snakes. Though they got away. And, in fact, on the second day they killed one. Though I didn't see any of this and am going by the stories of others. In any case, I'm glad Jean arranged to clear the weeds!

Now if I can just get a simple answer out of our surveyor contact about right-of-way clearance on that road. Waiting on him is threatening to hold us up!