Cockroaches and photos!

17^th September 2013

 

Two days in and in the words of Elton John – I’m Still Standing. So the first day unsurprisingly was spent waiting for IT to sort out my computer. It seems it doesn’t matter where you are in the world some things are still the same. So I had a wander around the site that we occupy. It is 5 levels cut into the side of a steep hill. The top two levels are for a children’s centre and college, the third holds the central admin office, of which my team of five is the nerve sent and the very pulse of the construction business, and levels 4 and 5 are yet to be built on and so hold the construction stores, the site canteen and the make shift car park. The three projects that I am in charge of are a football pitch and netball court with raked seating between (they are at different levels), a car park, and a JCB workshop for up to 12 JCBs, but the last has not started yet. That’s not proper work I hear you cry! Well when all the blocks for the car park are made on site from mud, you have one JCB to do all the cut and fill and retaining structures, no water supply, power cuts and 32 degrees, well it makes it interesting.

I also got laughed at this morning by the gate guards as I tried to say good morning to them in Chichewa, they also then searched my bag. On my walk home a random two year old ran up to me and hugged my legs. It was very cute if not a little weird.

Pam’s first two days were challenging and mostly disorientating. So she is doing her first week of induction on the paediatric nursery ward for babies up to 6 months. Babies mostly have infections such as pneumonia, and HIV related infections.  She also regaled us all with the story of how she drained some abscesses and pustules from a two week old baby, me and the other volunteers were suitably grossed out at the dinner table.

There has been some eye opening moments as well sadly, a baby dying in its mothers arms due to lack of funds to get to the hospital in time, several death from rabies and one where a child with a heart defect that would have been operated on in the UK. But it is for these reasons that she has come out here, to help and to train, both them and her.

She has also been called into action to help our neighbours four year old who had a fever. With the cause unsure, Pam donned her knickers on the outside and sprang into super hero mode taking temperatures, buying jelly, saw her in A&E and screened her for malaria. She has been cleared, twas just a viral infection, and was running around causing havoc as usual.

Oh of the interesting animals we have spied, we bumped into a praying mantis on a cactus this evening, and then spent the dusk watching the bats drop from the trees and fly off.

All in all it is has been a pretty good time so far.

 

23^rd September

Okay so it has been a while and I am aware I have not posted the last blog yet. We have internet in work so I am hoping I can get some photos up online. Our car is working well, I spoke to a man who has issued us a Certificate of Fitness. Like our MOT only the man didn’t really want to test the car. I asked him and he said no, you have driven here in it so it obviously works. Love it.

We went out at the weekend on Saturday night with the people that I work with to a....well I’m not quite sure. It was a restaurant that did pizzas, Chinese, Burgers, Mexican, Italian, Thai and Arabic food. IT also had an ice cream parlour below. There were also a couple of mice in there but not sure if they were eating or on the menu.

Ah yes my cockroach catching skills have increased as well. So far I have removed two from the kitchen. I think they were different ones, the second was a lot slower than the first and just demonstrate my manliness here is a picture!

 

 

 

So our house is in a compound of twelve. Four are two bedroom and eight our single bedrooms. All are made with hydraform blocks which are basically earth with 10% cement powder. Very cheap and very good. There is one family, that live next door to us, then four other single volunteers all working for the same charity as me, although not all in construction. Pam is the outsider working for the Hospital. For the astute among you – yes that is a swimming pool. Just beyond is the main house where Charles, our site manager/cook/handyman/whatever else is needed serves us dinner. This Africa life is tough I tell you!

 

 

 

And then this is our house with me sitting on the veranda writing this very blog. It is small and basic, we have a lounge, a kitchen, a double bedroom and a single bedroom, a toilet and a shower.

So far we have had no rain either. Although today there was some cloud. Pam’s driving career has made in this far (no she hasn’t crashed) but she was stopped by the police.  They checked her driving license and tattoos and seemed satisfied with both. I on the other managed to get lost on the way home and got stuck between two armed checkpoints. I waved an apology to the army man and turned round and left via the same dirt track I had arrived by. Apparently it is the way to the presidential palace. I didn’t check!