Floors and ceilings.

Dawn in Africa is a bit special. The Home’s guard dogs barked a lot during night. We’re told it’s the hyenas that set them off, as they head back to the hills after roaming the villages during the night.

After breakfast Ruth, Phil and I sat down with the Home of Hope management to learn about their vision and objectives. Across key areas of Village (which includes the basics of food and accommodation), Schools, Vocational Training Centre and Farm, we heard from each person their vision at one, three, seven and fifteen year timeframes. It was inspiring and sobering at the same time. At the heart of the team’s vision is the desire see the best possible outcomes for the young people in their care. “In fifteen years time we want to see the leadership of our country include graduates from Home of Hope.” Over the coming weeks we’ll all work together (with the help of technology - Google Docs!) to identify Vision Owners who’ll lead the efforts to see vision become verifiable change. It’s not a new pattern. All around here is the evidence of worked-through vision. “We don’t just talk,” says Rev Chipeta.

After lunch was our chance to see the Vocational Training Centre in full swing. Thompson Chipeta went ahead of us to ask the teachers and learners to please carry on as normal and not mind us. It was delightful to see the levels of focus in each workshop. Teachers and students alike were earnest in their work.

We’ve still not managed to synch up with the Primary School staff. It’s the school holidays, after all! A planned focus for next year’s team (first two weeks in August 2023) is to refurbish the Primary School classrooms, so Thompson showed us around. 

The Jane Glaves Primary School building is one of the first constructed at the Home. More than 20 baking summers and torrential rainy seasons have left their mark. 

Even inside, wear and tear has pitted the polished cement floors - very badly in some places.

As we walked, the idea emerged to focus on the floors! What if after the long school break in 2023, every classroom floor across all the Home’s schools had been repaired or replaced? It’s doable. We’ve seen the rate at which the Building Team can go, given the materials. Bags of cement is the key currency. Perhaps even before students return in October we’ll have an estimate for how much cement, how much river sand, how much gravel it will take to do the job, and we can start to price it. We won’t stop there. There’s a lot some tins of paint would do to brighten up the learning environment. It’s not that there’s a lack of desire or will here to see these jobs done. The materials are just so very expensive.

Having organised the “stuff” we had in our cases yesterday, today we started to put them in the right hands. Trevor is a university student who began his course before a laptop could be found for him. It was a delight to see him switch on his Dell i7 machine, donated by a London-based business. 

“Wow this is a good one!” 

Yes. Good. The floors need fixing, but it doesn’t mean the ceiling has to be low.