Week three plus
I have six days left in Nigeria. Today is Friday the thirteenth. The featured event scheduled for this week was a trip to the village of Sokoron in the high hills north across the Benue River. Unfortunately, due to security concerns the trip was cancelled. This area has always been known for having thieves that would create roadblocks and extort money. But now there are groups of people, some call "Fulani Herdsmen", who on mass, with weapons have attacked villages, killed people, stolen cows and anything they think of value. I think they are just thieves and robbers.
On the Google Earth photo below, the red line is the dirt road from the highway to Sokoron. This is the longest part of the trip. Sokoron is located in a complex geology. Several boreholes were drilled in the area and they all were dry. They were what we call "Political Boreholes". A politician comes to town and promises the government will drill a borehole. He arranges for a "so called driller" to come to the village and drill. No geophysical survey or professional opinion, just come drill before the next election. They follow no standards and when they hit hard rock or they go as far down as their rig has drill pipe they quit. The Water project brought out a consulting geologist and he did several geophysical surveys with a Terrameter and found little indication of water in the upper 50 meters (165 feet). This is the maximum depth that hand pumps commonly available here can pump water.
My task was to look at alternate water sources, seeps, spring, etc. This would have been a very long and interesting day. Doing a Google Earth survey I found several areas where the trees were thicker and could be an indication of water. All were more than a kilometer from the village.
Most of the week was administrative work. Sitting in the hot office, under the ceiling fan, reviewing project proposals for the Health Board and trying to help the Deaf Center with some of its administrative challenges. Things have been a little slow. We had a sunny day on Monday, I decided to put my solar battery out on the porch to recharge. Then I decided it would be a good day to make some sun tea. I cheated a little. I had just brewed a cup of hot tea and I poured that in to the water. I used several Earl Grey bags and several Hill Top bags. Hill Top is a local Nigerian brand of tea. I added one sugar cube for every two tea bags. When finished that afternoon I cooled it in a tub of water then put it in the freezer. I was too strong for ice tea. I had to dilute it with cold water.
That evening I, took a table water box and made a small solar oven with tin foil and tape. The next day I tried to cook a little rice but it was an overcast day and the box was open so a lot of the heat dissipated. I had to finish the rice on the stove. The Wednesday I decided to try noodles. I found a clear plastic bag to put the small pot in. It was a brighter day but still a little overcast. We got busy with work, talking and visitors. I forgot about the noddles. When I finally checked on them they were overcooked and no fluid left to mix in the flavoring and hot peppers. I added some water, dried vegetables the flavoring and ground red pepper and put it back out in the sun for about an hour.
The noodles were a little soft but the taste was good. I had a late lunch and a light dinner that night.
The that night the people started arriving and staking our places to set up vendor stalls to sell to the mass of people coming for the LCCN Gospel Singers National Convention. There are now several thousand people on the compound, in the school class rooms, camped under the trees, on porches, and almost any space fit for a human.
Vendors are selling everything from, fried grasshopper, water, soda, lots of different things to eat, There must be over a hundred three rocks and a pot cooking fires going.
Regina and her family are selling cool pure water sachets and small bags of roasted ground nuts (peanuts). She sold out of the peanuts the first night.
This picture is taken from the old East gate. The Hostel is up the hill behind the Training Hall. Mostly, hidden by a tree. The two buildings of the Health Referral Center is behind and to the right o the Training Hall.
A container of equipment and supplies arrived from Global Health Ministries in March. The Training Hall is being used as a temporary store room while they inventory what was received. In the back corner of the training room we had a shallow borehole driller and have can mount a hand pump inside during class to show trainees an actual pump being installed or removed. When not in use the hole will be covered and tables and chairs put over it.
The Hostel is up behind the Training Hall and uphill about 100 meters.
The Hostel has two large rooms with a bathroom at the far end of each room. They wanted to have two Hostels. One for men and one for women. The budget for the project could not afford that. We made one building with two rooms but the entrances are on the opposite sides of the building from each other. Each side is a mirror image of the other side.
That pretty much the highlights of my less than interesting week. This is typical. We make a schedule and it all falls apart for one reason or the other.
Over the past several years I have been measuring and sketching the Jimeta Mission Compound using Sketch-Up drawing software. This year I added the approximate positions of all the trees and updated the new classroom built at the LCCN Deaf Center. I stay in the house shown in the bottom right corner with the round hut behind it. The two building at the top of the drawing are outside the wall of the compound but still owned by the LCCN. The Church for the Deaf is the building by the back wall with the step in the front. The two builds to the left of the church are the LCCN Deaf Center buildings. Building on the Mission Compound are shown in grey.
One of the vendors was selling the instruments used by gospel singers. I purchased a Talking Drum. You put it under your arm and change the pitch of the drum by squeezing the drum with your arm.
On the Google Earth photo below, the red line is the dirt road from the highway to Sokoron. This is the longest part of the trip. Sokoron is located in a complex geology. Several boreholes were drilled in the area and they all were dry. They were what we call "Political Boreholes". A politician comes to town and promises the government will drill a borehole. He arranges for a "so called driller" to come to the village and drill. No geophysical survey or professional opinion, just come drill before the next election. They follow no standards and when they hit hard rock or they go as far down as their rig has drill pipe they quit. The Water project brought out a consulting geologist and he did several geophysical surveys with a Terrameter and found little indication of water in the upper 50 meters (165 feet). This is the maximum depth that hand pumps commonly available here can pump water.
My task was to look at alternate water sources, seeps, spring, etc. This would have been a very long and interesting day. Doing a Google Earth survey I found several areas where the trees were thicker and could be an indication of water. All were more than a kilometer from the village.
Most of the week was administrative work. Sitting in the hot office, under the ceiling fan, reviewing project proposals for the Health Board and trying to help the Deaf Center with some of its administrative challenges. Things have been a little slow. We had a sunny day on Monday, I decided to put my solar battery out on the porch to recharge. Then I decided it would be a good day to make some sun tea. I cheated a little. I had just brewed a cup of hot tea and I poured that in to the water. I used several Earl Grey bags and several Hill Top bags. Hill Top is a local Nigerian brand of tea. I added one sugar cube for every two tea bags. When finished that afternoon I cooled it in a tub of water then put it in the freezer. I was too strong for ice tea. I had to dilute it with cold water.
That evening I, took a table water box and made a small solar oven with tin foil and tape. The next day I tried to cook a little rice but it was an overcast day and the box was open so a lot of the heat dissipated. I had to finish the rice on the stove. The Wednesday I decided to try noodles. I found a clear plastic bag to put the small pot in. It was a brighter day but still a little overcast. We got busy with work, talking and visitors. I forgot about the noddles. When I finally checked on them they were overcooked and no fluid left to mix in the flavoring and hot peppers. I added some water, dried vegetables the flavoring and ground red pepper and put it back out in the sun for about an hour.
The noodles were a little soft but the taste was good. I had a late lunch and a light dinner that night.
The that night the people started arriving and staking our places to set up vendor stalls to sell to the mass of people coming for the LCCN Gospel Singers National Convention. There are now several thousand people on the compound, in the school class rooms, camped under the trees, on porches, and almost any space fit for a human.
Vendors are selling everything from, fried grasshopper, water, soda, lots of different things to eat, There must be over a hundred three rocks and a pot cooking fires going.
Regina and her family are selling cool pure water sachets and small bags of roasted ground nuts (peanuts). She sold out of the peanuts the first night.
The drumming is constant all day and into the early morning. The program at the Cathedral goes to well after midnight. Then people continue singing and drumming here on the compound.
In the morning the pots start rattling at the firs sign of the sun. By 6 AM there are over a thousand people talking, laughing, arguing and singing. The drumming starts by 7 AM. Saturday is the last day of the convention.
Today, we drove to Demsa Health Referral Center. Last year we built a training hall and a hostel to hold students.
Today, we drove to Demsa Health Referral Center. Last year we built a training hall and a hostel to hold students.
This picture is taken from the old East gate. The Hostel is up the hill behind the Training Hall. Mostly, hidden by a tree. The two buildings of the Health Referral Center is behind and to the right o the Training Hall.
A container of equipment and supplies arrived from Global Health Ministries in March. The Training Hall is being used as a temporary store room while they inventory what was received. In the back corner of the training room we had a shallow borehole driller and have can mount a hand pump inside during class to show trainees an actual pump being installed or removed. When not in use the hole will be covered and tables and chairs put over it.
The Hostel is up behind the Training Hall and uphill about 100 meters.
The Hostel has two large rooms with a bathroom at the far end of each room. They wanted to have two Hostels. One for men and one for women. The budget for the project could not afford that. We made one building with two rooms but the entrances are on the opposite sides of the building from each other. Each side is a mirror image of the other side.
That pretty much the highlights of my less than interesting week. This is typical. We make a schedule and it all falls apart for one reason or the other.
Over the past several years I have been measuring and sketching the Jimeta Mission Compound using Sketch-Up drawing software. This year I added the approximate positions of all the trees and updated the new classroom built at the LCCN Deaf Center. I stay in the house shown in the bottom right corner with the round hut behind it. The two building at the top of the drawing are outside the wall of the compound but still owned by the LCCN. The Church for the Deaf is the building by the back wall with the step in the front. The two builds to the left of the church are the LCCN Deaf Center buildings. Building on the Mission Compound are shown in grey.
One of the vendors was selling the instruments used by gospel singers. I purchased a Talking Drum. You put it under your arm and change the pitch of the drum by squeezing the drum with your arm.
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