Monday evening

Well its been a much more restful day with chance to just sit and  read. Still took time out to go and pick up the kids from school. I went with a driver, still sems strange to be able to call up someone to take you places. This meant for the first time as we got to Police check point we were stopped. They wanted to see his licence and checked the boot. Then the penny dropped it was the ministers car. How are you ? I am well. How are you? Fine thank you said the officer and we were allowed on our way. They can stop you anytime and find a problem, and of course to pay a tip ( bribe to you and me) and you avoid going to court. Off we sped to school. 

My driver was happy to chat. Edem a church member and someone who graduated yesterday. He is married with three children the eldest 11 and youngest 5. One wants to be a nurse, another a pilot and another a minister. Of course all depends on their schooling. He is a farmer , looking for a better paid job. Eric tells me he had a good job but the corruption meant he could not work there any longer. His integrity is clear when you talk to him. But it has cost him. 

I promised Erics eldest when I met him from school to put picture of him on blog as his sister and brother are there today. 

Then on my return we just sat in the cooler weather chatting and enjoying fresh mango. They smell and taste divine, proper mangoes not the stuff you get in Waitrose or Tesco!

Then we started a conversation about how we set the school up sustainably. We start be creating a small buisness that produces safe water. Like the one I visited the other day. Eric believes the driver I talked to has the skills to manage such a buisness. This would create both employment and a regular income to help sustain the school. So for £10,000 a small factory with equipment and the bore hole required can be set up. So 10 investors at £1000 each, or 20 at £500 each, or 40 at £250 each, or 80 at £125. The intention being you get your money back with a small amount of interest. Take about 3 months to set up. It seems to me such an idea has a lot of merit. It stops creating a dependency culture yet goes towards a vision of a school providing excellent education regardless of ability to pay. Ooops it sounds like the kind of welfare system the UK once believed in, but which has half heartedly voted against  at the general election.    

If anyones interested in such an idea please leave a comment on the blog. It would be really great to get such an idea off the ground. It gives me even more reason to return and keep supporting these wonderful people. Here's the factory I visited. Emaculate in cleanliness as they package water in small plastic bags the way many get their clean water. Its treated to a high standard. As a side line, water can be delivered to tankers to take to work sites for building work, and does not require the same treatment. The simplicity of it is its strength.