You are invited
When did your lunch last arrive by wheelbarrow? Or, strictly speaking, its means of production…
Rafal and I started the day selecting 15 nice parallel bricks from the building site for Ruth’s rocket-stove re-boot (see the earlier post on this). Sim kindly delivered these, and Hobson cut some “R7” (7mm steel reinforcement rod) in to brick-lengths to serve as the fire grate.
Back at the building site, continuing progress on all sides. Many of the fascia boards are up. They look great, but they’re much more than cosmetic: severe weather is not far less likely to peel off the galvanised sheet roofing.
A few of us took time this morning to tour the Vocational Training Centre. While some students of Home of Hope are these days obtaining the grades needed to get to university, most learn a trade. So the VTC is key to achieving “Infancy to Independence”.
Deputy VTC Principal Esau, with Phil, inspecting the top-scoring end-of-year brickwork exam piece.
VTC Principal Anthony with his Deputy, and Carolyn and Gill in the Carpentry and Joinery workshop.
There’s much here to celebrate, but to be honest it’s an immensely challenging picture. “The VTC is expensive,” muses Anthony. A Memorandum of Understanding from the Malawi Government, acknowledging the college, has not yet translated in to salaries or funds for materials. “Since the start of this year, our funds received for materials across all courses [Tailoring & Fashion Design; Fabrication & Welding; Bricklaying; Carpentry & Joinery] are just $30.” Yes you read that right. Compare this with the need, for example, for at least $1,600 of materials per term for the Tailoring & Fashion Design course alone. We talk in detail about opportunities to generate revenue. All the ideas require a degree of upfront investment far beyond what is available without outside help. We think there’s huge potential. Know anyone who might want to invest?
The power was off all across the site by late morning. Back to that wheelbarrow of bricks!
No power, no problem? On scraps and twigs, large quantities of pasta and cous-cous had boiled vigorously - flames sometimes licking around the pot.
Most of the team hit "the Boma" (the town) after lunch to shop for tokens of Malawi to take home. This evening in our meeting we explored "reverse culture shock". We need to be patient with ourselves and others as we return, and keep leaning on one another as those who "get" what it is we've been breathing in this past while. If only we could hold our breath and not let it go ...
Tomorrow morning is a devotional in which many of us will take part. Precious and some of his friends helped us make some visual aids. And tomorrow evening, a farewell meal, doubling as Rev Chipeta's 95th birthday party. Who's coming? There is a simple local rule: if you can smell the meat, you are invited.
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