In mijn vorige blog vertelde ik jullie over de €2080,- die ik heb opgehaald voor mijn project.
Dit is waar het geld naartoe gaat en wat ze tot nu toe al bereikt hebben, zo gaaf om te lezen! Het geld is echt zo belangrijk voor ze en ik ben zo blij dat ik mijn steentje heb kunnen bijdragen.
Het is een intervieuw met de lokale projectmanager, Dulla. De interviewer is een van de vrijwilligers die nu op het project zit, ik heb het hele stuk gelezen met een hele grote glimlach op mijn gezicht.
'After a strong rain all you can smell is the earth, this morning was no exception. When I reached our land there was a smell of fresh earth and one guy with a large white smile waiting for me to interview him, ‘’ Jumbo Dulla’’ I shouted as I entered the gate. ‘Jumbo, thank you for coming’’ he replied, let’s sit here under the tree, its paradise’’. And sure it was a land with a large wall around it, and many trees and vegetables that the community has planted.
Have you been interviewed before?, I asked, wanting to play it smart. ‘’ I did a documentary’’ he replied, so I opened my eyes, removed my hat and started asking the questions.
How do you feel about the land?
"The land is very important to the community; the aim of this land is to build our future. There is a proposal of building a school on one side and growing a garden on the other side. The garden is also for the community, for example we grow bananas and send them to three nursery schools. We also take seeds and give them to the community so they can grow and harvest themselves. We really believe the cultivation programme will be very successful and we cannot wait to build the school. In order to offer official certificates we have to the meet government condition of having our own building. We hope the school to take many students. It will offer adult classes, nursery school and possible computer lessons’’ this last sentenced made him so excited that I regretted no attending my computer classes when I was younger, I found them to be boring, but for him it was like an ultimate dream."
So you have just connected the water to the land. Can you tell me more about that?
"Oh yes, he said, and his body language changed, showing the big achievement they have reached. ‘It took us and the volunteers 2 ½ weeks to dig a trench of 950 metres’’ he said proudly, waiting for me to applause, and so I did, after all I can not forget digging the trench myself, on my birthday day!!!
At the moment the pressure is not strong and we are checking what is the problem, but once we fix it, it will help with irrigation and with the future construction work. Also people who live close to our land will connect to our water, approximately 103 people’’
What are the school construction plans?
"Well, at the moment we are collecting funds and donations from locals and volunteers, the plan is by 2018 but if we get the funds then maybe even by 2015.
I really want to say thank you to my volunteers, I don’t know how much to thank them. They have helped me, and when I say ‘ME’ I mean my community. Local people appreciate the volunteers and they are always grateful for their help. You can always be a tourist in our island but as a volunteer the experience is different, you get to live us and experience us."
Can you tell me how you see the importance of African impact?
"There is a big difference. In 1995 before African impact we had just 2 nursery schools and then 4, but understaffed. Since we started the programme 7 years ago, the number of children in nursery schools increased and now they speak English so when they go to primary school they have a foundation to build on. African impact is about ideology and education. With ideology I mean helping each other, making the community aware about issues, for example the marine project taught them how to clean the beach and neighbourhoods.While with education, we have students that are more optimistic about their future."
‘’Thank you Dulla, can we go and see the water connection?’’ ‘’Oh yes, right this way to the Magic Aqua’’ he said and we spend some time talking about the plants, trees and the beautiful decorated scarecrow that keeps the birds away from the valuable garden. “Can you please tell me your motto, a line you believe in and live by”, and he replied “Penye nia Pana Njia’’... where there is a good determination there is a way to succeed!!'
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