22nd March 2009

On Sunday we decided to go for an early morning walk while it was still cool and after walking for 10-15 minutes a truck stopped with the Provincial District Education Bossman. He asked us if we wanted to go with them to his village and go to join his family in worship. We were on the back of the truck before we knew it and out into the bush and then finally we got to an open church - frame and roof - and everyone was very excited to see us. The floor was sand and straw and there was a little concrete platform/ raised area with marigold heads for decoration. At the front was a Christmas tree! It was an evangelical service with Bosman's wife leading the worship. There were three men with guitars and it was simple and lovely. At the end of the service the women stay and have a reading and writing lesson so we went outside to play with the children. Unfortunately we were such a distraction that they cancelled the lesson so the mums could come and play with us too. One of the men asked if I could take a photo of him and his wife and baby as they didn't have any photos. Then the rest of the family groups wanted their photos taken. The rest of the people there tried to get in everyone's photos! It seemed really a shame not to have a photo of your children - at home they are our prize possessions. We are going to try to get them printed out but though we have a printer there is no ink to be had for love nor money. It would be nice to put them in a simple frame but luxuries like vases, frames, ornaments etc don't exist here. Our quick early morning walk turned into 4 hour adventure.

Week Beginning Monday 23rd March 2009

We've been at Mount Wilhelm (school at 2,900m high) for this week, working quite intensely with the high school from Tues - Thurs. The journey to and from Mt. Wilhelm was pretty hairy, travelling in an open-backed truck with very little to hold onto considering the 'road' conditions. We could only go so far before transferring vehicle due to a landslide which necessitated in us walking across the thick mud to get to the other side.

Whilst the ride was rough, the scenery was stunning - winding track down to river level then way up on the hillsides looking precariously down deep valleys and over edges that don't bear thinking about. It was a case of sore bottoms, aching fingers from grasping what little support there was and plenty of practice in balancing as the wheels of the truck dipped suddenly this way and that.

The lodge in which we stayed was of youth hostel standard. Electricity was only on from 7 - 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. for an hour. Good job we took a torch, as once the lights went out it was pitch black with little chance of aiming correctly if caught short during the night. It was cold, being so high up and we had to wear socks in bed. Quite a change from the heat! There was no phone reception so we felt pretty cut off.

We walked to and fro the school - which took us about 45mins downhill and 1hr uphill. One slip and one would be covered in muddy clay. You should have seen the colour of the water when we did a clothes wash upon our return!

The school has water at this time of year (from the mountain stream), but electricity for only 2 hours in the evening 6 - 8 p.m. Nearly all the students live at the school. On our first day of working at the school, some students had delayed lessons by staging a protest at the poor standard of meals. Because of the landslide, supplies of food had been disrupted for some weeks so menus were limited. Even petrol has to be carried across the landslip.

At the end of each school day, all of the students take part in 'Work Parade' - unpaid labour for keeping the grounds of the school tidy and cultivating food. Essential items for bringing to school are bush knives and spades. Sometimes students are asked to bring in bush material to contribute to the building of a teacher's house/classroom. Sometimes you see students struggling to school with a pile of bamboo or large branches. Alison is thinking of introducing work parade back at PJS.

We returned today expecting that we would be taken all the way from the lodge back to Kundiawa - a journey of about 4½ hours gripping tightly all the way. As it happened we had to walk to the school first because the truck couldn't make it up to the lodge due to rain the previous evening. Then when we arrived at the place of the landslide (which had been cleared by now) another landslide in the same place halted our journey and again we had to walk across thick mud to get a vehicle the other side. On the journey up Alison had front seat (see photo) but on the way back we took a 7 ½ month pregnant teacher and I tried to insist she sat in the passenger seat but she felt that white meri was comfortable. In the end we both sat in the front on that seat (no seatbelt)

The school truck had left that same morning at 4.30 a.m. to take 35 students and staff to play in a volley ball and basket ball competition. Because there were so many of them, they couldn't walk across to pick up another vehicle. There being no phone reception no-one could warn them of their wasted journey. It was so disappointing for them as they had practised hard and were really looking forward to going. The school is remote and they have very few facilities. Anyone got any idea about how we could raise £20,000 to put in solar power and computers with internet access? They have room available and some keen teachers - ideas on a postcard!.

Lots of love Mike and Alison