school building. As stated in the prior blog entry I've
been away for the last few weeks. When I left just the
front of the building was completed up to a height that
we could reach. But again, they surprised me as they took
the paint and ran with it until there is no more paint left to
finish the project.
So, here we come to the struggling part again. How are
we going to get the money to finish painting this building?
At this moment, I don't know and I guess it is like it always
seems to be in the development game ... we'll have to
struggle, scratch and somehow figure something out.
A big problem with being out of the village for a somewhat
prolonged period of time is ... getting back in motion.
It seems like every time there is that break, things slow down
and lose momentum. I am not sure which of Newton's laws
it is but the one that states it takes more energy to get things
in motion from a dead stop holds true here. When I left things
were off the charts and wacky busy. It isn't a total dead stop
as there are some things that are progressing but not at the
break neck pace as three weeks ago. I guess I shouldn't
complain.
There is an upbeat vibe in the air and it seems like it just
needs to get some action attached to it. Tomorrow may be
the day that gets the 'mo' kicking. Should be at the school
helping to fix some of the wooden buildings. Also the fencing
material came in for the support vegetable garden and we
have to plan the strategy on how to expand it. Then a meeting
with the Youth Officer to organize the continuing cleanup
of the soon to be (hopefully) soccer field near the center of
town.
The two Romanian guys are returning here on Friday and I
had the idea that after they settle in that maybe I can see if
they are interested in making a solar oven for the lady that
cooks bread in a hole in the ground. It has to be very
inefficient to warm up a hole in the ground, so she has to be
using tons of wood needlessly.
But that is the problem with developing scenarios, usually
there just aren't the resources or capital to get the ball rolling.
This helps reinforce the statement that the rich get richer.
The lady baking in the hole in the ground doesn't half the cash
to just go out an buy one of these solar ovens. The Romanian
guys have wood working tools and good intentions. I think
that the Romanians will collaborate and if we can build one
for the price of materials, then I think that it could start a
trend and help get away from burning all kinds of wood.
In Namibia there are an average of 300 days a year with sun.
So solar looks like the ticket and whatever the investment is,
it should pay itself off pretty fast.
A few weeks back we had the idea to try and organize a
workshop for San kids so that they can learn how to make
traditional houses and other Bushmen practices. Like finding
the plants on where to get water from the roots and start a
fire with sticks. I heard that maybe in a few upcoming weeks
that project might begin. The best part about this is that
they did the actual connections to get the ball rolling
themselves. Again, nothing has happened yet but it looks
like it could.
Other than that, on a personal note it is getting the machine
moving again syndrome and it seems like I am starting from
the beginning all over again.
Nothing a few cups of coffee in the morning wouldn't cure.
So, this leaves me with the feeling at the moment, just as the
school is half finished, so is the cup of optimism half full. We
will get back the 'mo' and there is no room for the cup half
empty mumbo jumbo.
We got to keep plugging, so tomorrow morning it will be two
cups of coffee and out the door, two cups equal four half
filled cups ... got to think positive ... got to think positive.
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