Teshie School Project – Volunteer Diary - Day 5

Day 5 - Thursday 13th August 2009

For a bit of rest and recuperation last night the volunteers held their very own Who Wants To Be A Millionaire quiz, led by Quiz Master, Brendan O'Connor. The "million euro" prize was won by Bernadine Maloney’s team who celebrated with a special dance after each correct answer!

Electrical Progress – great sparks, considering eight volunteers down with bug
With overall volunteer numbers down today because eight staff contracted the Teshie bug, work progress was hindered a little. However, with ceiling installation in the Theory Rooms complete, Teresa McMorrow, Ciaran Kennedy, David Kingham, and Damian Byrne began installing fluorescent fittings and second fixings first thing. Classrooms upstairs are complete and the Painting team will now apply finishing touches. Meanwhile downstairs, Daragh Mulligan and Gerry Whelan continued to install trucking on the six workshop walls so that cable circuits can be fitted next week. In the Kindergarten, light installations are also complete. Electrical Corporation of Ghana will arrive tomorrow for the first switch-in scheduled for 14:14 precisely!

IT Progress – 39 students attend new course (better behaved than their teachers!)
Today the IT Centre saw the arrival of 39 students, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years, who were attending the Intermediate Writer course (similar to Microsoft Word). Allison Morris and Niall Roche were pleasantly surprised to find the students less raucous than the teachers had been over the past 3 days, with Allison being addressed as Madam! Unfortunately, the class insisted on addressing Niall as John and we’re assuming it’s because the legend of John Kelly lives on from last year’s volunteers. At the end of the day colouring pencils, crayons and sweets were distributed to the delight of all students.

Painting Progress – artists forced to reapply
A group of painters who shall remain nameless, set off with huge enthusiasm and professionally applied paint with great attention to detail to the interior walls of two rooms upstairs in the Technical School. Unfortunately Team Leader Martin O'Brien discovered that despite detailed instructions the wrong colour had been applied! Said walls will now be repainted by the artists tomorrow. Following the hard work of base coating all rooms downstairs in the Technical School, rooms received their first coat of paint today. Work is still progressing well on the outside walls. In the Kindergarten a very fetching colour of flamenco pink was applied to the outside walls today by Maurice O'Connor and Vinnie Heffernan, who are not yet showing any signs of trauma due to feminine colour exposure!. Two interior rooms have received a first coat with work expected to continue tomorrow.

Open Day preparations well underway
Over the past week Project Manager Brian Cronly along with the Project Coordinator Mr. Chris Adon have been visiting local dignitaries in preparation for the open day, next Tuesday 18 August. The event is the highlight of the project and all volunteers are working hard to prepare the site in anticipation of the day.

A report by Sharyn McMenamin (ICT) and Michael O'Connor (ESBI).