Tuesday, March 27, 2007

spinning tires



how one manages to high centre an off road vehicle in three places such that the all four wheels are spinning is beyond me! Some people from CES were coming to the school site to pump drinking water from the well (the water is the envy of the neighbourhood, and will have to be guarded more closely once the school children are there). Unfortunately, the driver failed to see the two foot deep ditch and managed to put both left tires into it. So the last three hours of our day were spent with as many as twenty-five people giving their "expertise" on how to get the vehicle out. In the end another vehicle and a rope was the only solution. I had to scold a few of them who, thinking I didn't understand them, were asking around if the white man was the one who put it in the ditch! The vehicle is back on the road with not too much damage I hope.
Yesterday morning we came to an agreement with the workers on the site for them to manually backfill their own portions of the building. With some complaining they are quickly filling the rooms. I think the kids may have done a better job on the weekend, and more enthusiastically. Seeing the amount of labour it takes make me think twice about building on slopes in the future without earth moving equipment. Things just take time!
We are continually congratulated and thanked for the work we are doing here, it is very rewarding work.

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