3. The Project Begins..
After a fantastic weekend of getting to know the place and enjoying some amazing experiences, it was time for the project work to begin on Monday morning. The previous afternoon had seen the team take part in a highly impactful visit to the Elmina Slave Fort. Although this was harrowing, it felt a necessary and important introduction to the culture which we are serving. If we were born in a different generation, would we have acted differently!
The group were toured round each of the project sites – firstly, the major building project that we will be undertaking – it’s a renovation of a large building that was build some 10 years ago, but not ever completed or maintained. The vision is to re-build it to become a full functioning accommodation block for the teaching staff that work here. A huge undertaking – in fact ‘gargantuan’ as described by the Headteacher here! It is by no means certain that we can complete this task this week, but certainly an amazing project to undertake. Although the other two projects are smaller and more achievable, they are no less important. An IT classroom which has fallen into disrepair, and will be completely renovated and re-built this week, and finally a classroom for Social Sciences and Humanities which is to be re-painted.
The morning meeting saw the students choosing and splitting up into 3 teams to begin work, and the pace and purpose with which they worked was truly inspiring. There was vision, celebration and encouragement as they worked, and the sheer numbers of people this year is making the project work really move quickly! There is also an overwhelming sense of support from the local community and the school population is mobilised like a small army, fetching and carrying sand from the beach, and water from the tap – suddenly the impossible is seeming a little more possible. It seems amazing to think that 15 months ago we were sitting beneath the same tree as today, considering what could be possible, and yet now we are sitting under the same tree – the ‘tree of ideas’ – watching it all unfold.