Teshie School Project – Volunteer Diary - Day 3
Day 3 - Tuesday 11 August 2009
With early showers this morning there were a few good natured moans from volunteers who were reminded of the green, green grass of home but by lunchtime we were crying for rain again! After a quick briefing from Greg Dooley on Site Safety everyone was anxious to get started. So far, there is quiet delight in the camp because no crew member has had to call on their personal medical supplies. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
Electrical Progress - all volunteers help lay 140 metre cable
Huge progress was made today with the installation of the main cable from the network into the Technical School’s fuse board. Heading-up the task were James Harkin, Mick Harkin, Sinead O'Keefe and Evin Guing. 140 meters of heavy copper cable was skilfully manoeuvred by all volunteers into the trench prepared by the main contractor. The Technical School installation of the rising mains for each workshop is also almost complete. Arrangements have been made with Electricity Corporation of Ghana (ECG) to install supply and metering on Monday 17th. There’s speedy progress in the Kindergarten with first fixings almost complete and installation of the ceilings underway. The installation of the 2nd fixes will begin on Day 3.
Painting Progress – painters insist on being called "artists"
Despite the debate (good natured!) amongst "skilled" and "unskilled" teams being resolved last night a new faction has surfaced in the camp, with the painting teams now calling themselves "artists". Although following the painting of the high ceilings in the Technical School, Michaelangelo style, it was finally agreed they can indeed be called "artists"! Ivan McAuley and Jim Dolard continued to whistle while they worked on painting a first coat to ceilings in the Technical School workshops today. Due to continuing construction work some of the rooms are not yet available to be painted, although a first coat has been applied to Technical Workshop theory rooms. In the Kindergarten, up to 50% of the rooms have received a first lick of paint.
IT Progress – workstations abandoned as container arrives
Classes continued in the Resource Centre today with teachers from the locality learning all about Intermediate Writer. The course was presented by Niall Roche and Allison Morris. Due to the range of different IT skills in the room staff were kept on their toes all day helping each student complete course exercises. The class in the afternoon was brought to an abrupt end when a container arrived on-site and was opened outside the Resource Centre. Students quickly abandoned workstations to enthusiastically help unload.
40 foot container offloaded in 100 degree heat
Everyone was looking forward to heading home at 16:30 after a long day in 83 degree heat and 80% humidity. However, with the arrival of the container Mick O'Connor cracked the whip and asked the crew to show true dedication by unloading and storing the entire contents of a 40 foot container, which had arrived 8 weeks late!
500 bags of clothes, boxes of books, children's toys and medical equipment were packed by Ger McCarthy, Dave Carey and Gary Keane (previous Teshie volunteers) in ESB Wilton, Cork. Despite the heat the cargo was unloaded with gusto when the excitement of the teachers and children was palpable on-site. Sterling work was carried out by our team of lads working inside the container in up to 100 degree heat but congratulatory hugs were withheld until they had showered!
A report by Sharyn McMenamin, ICT Group
