Thomas Gabriel - Day 3
Day 3

The unfamiliar becomes familiar. The strange landscape is no longer strange. Our temporary resting place has truly become our temporary home. My walk to the Schoolhouse this morning seemed much shorter and today was a day when a form of madness took hold of the group. Given the brutal heat and humidity of yesterday, all teams agreed to start earlier today and there were two of us on site at 6am, moving trestles and generally getting ready for the day ahead. The team was driven. I don't want to name anyone in particular because everyone did what they could - but if I knew on Sunday what I know now and had the chance to pick the team - I wouldn't change it at all!!! We had a sense of urgency to get the back of the
project broken and through sheer hard work we made staggering progress. I estimate that I drank 10 litres of water on site (not to mention five cups of tea in the canteen and three cups of a re-hydration formula), yet I didn't need to go to the toilet!

We broke for breakfast at 8:30am and were treated to a dazzling display of dragonflies and butterflies dancing outside. I learned that yesterday the temperatures topped 42C (which is almost 108F - for those like me who still struggle with centigrade!). Today was hotter. The presence of armed security and UN troups was seen for what it is - a high visibility deterrent. By lunchtime the walls to the additional classroom were over three quarters complete. This facility will allow 50 children to stay on at school for an extra year without having to make the very long walk to the nearest alternative.
The basketball court was levelled, the gable wall completed by early afternoon and the concrete was spread across the first section. I am really proud to be a member of such an enthused team. Everyone has mucked in and given 100%. When a job is to be done, people would move from what they were doing to help. Whether it was shifting blocks by means of a human chain, taking scaffolding down, spreading rubble, fetching heavy water cans from the well
down the hill, going round the team to ensure that everyone was drinking water, we all did what we could.

One of the hardest parts of the day was the emergency request for those who had arrived for lunch to go back out into the midday sun and help move hundreds of bottles of water that needed to be put into the shade. We all trouped out and did our bit till the medics said that we had done enough and had to remove ourselves from the sun. When we went back inside, we were all ready for lunch and the break afterwards to avoid the worst excesses of the heat and humidity.
The catering is very good considering the number of people that are being fed. I have enjoyed all my meals - though of course, hunger is a very tasty sauce and
by dinner time, we were all ready for whatever was on offer. I will be very very surprised if I have not lost weight by the end of the week.

Tonight we have a table quiz - I'll go, and as with everything this week, I'll do what I can! Tomorrow, we have an opportunity to visit Ounaminthe village and the
local orphanage. I think that tomorrow, I shall cry.