Conf Call with travel team today Nov. 20, 2011

Hi All,

Just got off the phone with the travel team, we had a conference call.

All is going well.

Concerning the Solar Panels and Lighting:

The solar panels are installed and the lights are VERY bright, they may go to lower CFL's.

There has not been much sun, therefore they have not seen much charging yet.
There are two teachers (I could not catch their names) who are responsible for cleaning the panels and collecting data. They helped with the installation. Tomorrow, Tom and John will be providing a training and maintenance manual along with teaching the them (and Chris Schmid, who is a physics major) all about maintaining the solar panels.

The administration building will have lighting all night long for security purposes.

The team plans to run a test tomorrow by operating lights for 1-3 hours to bring down the charge and see how well the batteries charge back up.

There seems to be some questions about remote panels and convertor in standby mode. Jim Butt and Tom Power will speak in a separate conversation to discuss.


Concerning Water:

Bill talked with Mustapha Thomas and three well drillers in Freetown. He will also meet a well driller in Freetown on their return.
The mattru hospital now has a well (160 meters deep) and it is providing water at double the capacity of what we need for the school, this is encouraging. BBC were the drillers for this well and Bill did speak with these people also.

The Jong river has had mining contamination upstream, this confirms our concerns not to use this source as a primary potable water source, since regulation and controls are not in place to protect the quality of this source. If we do not have enough water from other options (Sowa creek-gravity feed, or Deep well) then we could use the Jong for NON-Potable if needed.

Bill has looked at the Sowa Creek, so far he has not located a higher elevation than the school, so gravity feed is still inconclusive.

Diana asked Bill to get the elevation of the Jong River, at the Falls (Chris goes there often, approx 1 -1 1/2 miles upstream) incase we need this water option for non-potable use.

Diana asked Bill to get sample of the Well water at the hospital since it is close to the school and could be similar to what we would find at CSS.

Bill said there is a slow sand filter at CSS, he will check it out as a possible option for water disinfection at Centennial.


Concerning Sanitation:

Boys and Girls ARE using the urinals in the bath houses. The girls are using the handwash stations also. The boys are not.
Perhaps the boys need training, as this was not done during the last visit. Albert did take the boy students, class by class, to the boys bathhouse when they finished the renovation.

The tiles in the urinals are not broken-yahoo.
The urinals could be cleaner, the students are cleaning tomorrow.
The Data Journals are in and there has been NO residual water in the soak pits and cesspits, which is a good sign that they are draining properly.

Concerning Cultural and Other:

The computer that was given to the board on the last trip is not working. Tom has it torn apart and is trying to fix it. The laptop keyboard does not work, but they have a USB plug in keyboard and that works. If they cannot fix, Mr. Kallon will get it fixed with a local person who fixes computers.

Ahmed picked up 5 sewing machines in Bo along with getting needed pipe. He is an amazing help!
Sewing machines will be presented to the school/board for the home economics classes on Wed. at the board meeting.

Teacher and board member, Olive Tucker, made curtains with the fabric provided to the school for the girls bathhouse, looks very nice and provides the necessary privacy.

Mike wants inside dimensions and picture records on some of the buildings. (V, P-Chem and Physics building, S-Woodshop, X-Home Economics) the team will take photos and Diana will call with priorities tomorrow morning.

There is a new refurbished building on-site, Library built by district council. Building L1.

Tuesday Night the team is having dinner with all the principles: Mr. Kallon, Mr. Barrie, and Mr. Gobio

CIIB Board Meeting will be on WED.
Agenda:

Tour Facilities and Latrines
Convene Board meeting,
Report from Team on status of water, sanitation, Electricity.
Ask for priorities for various project focus from board
Review Board Function and responsibility - Handout from Lori
Request for a report from the Board in financials and otherwise.

Team sounds good, even got to watch a soccer game yesterday!

Best Regards,
Jamee

Travel team update Nov. 15, 2011

Hi All,

Heard from the travel team again today, I spoke with Tom, John and Lori they all sounded very upbeat and happy.

The three of them are in Mattru now. They have met Mr. Barrie and Mr. Kallon and Albert. Mr. Kallon has been very helpful and really taking charge. They are working to keep up the pace as things are moving faster than they expected, such as the holes have already been dug.

Bill and Joe are doing very well also and have gotten very good information on Water during their visit it Freetown. Those two are still in Freetown, they are staying an extra day because they are going to a major Rotary meeting that was today. The travel team met some other rotary members while on the plane.

Tom, Lori and John also met Francis Mustapha and went to his school.
Lori is loving the CSS school, she said the children all have uniforms and have been very well behaved.
John needed to know the inner diameter of 2 inch schedule 40 pipe, I gave that information to him.

That is all for now.
Best Regards,
Jamee Pemberton

Google Images

Google Images

The Travel team is in Sierra Leone and well!

Hi All,

I just got off the phone with Bill MacNair, the whole travel team has made it safe and sound to Sierra Leone and they are all well!

The trip was pleasantly uneventful and the boat ride was good. We only spoke briefly. They were at Jay's with Joe, having cokes and relaxing.

They called me at 7:30PM our time, it was 12:30 AM (just after midnight) their time.

I will keep you all posted.

Best Regards,
Jamee Pemberton

EWB Travel team heads for Sierra Leone

The EWB-LVP travel team of John Cirucci, Lori Cirucci, Tom Power and Bill MacNair head for Sierra Leone today, Nov. 12, 2011. They will all be meeting Joe Abu who will travel with them throughout the duration of the trip.

I will keep all posted on status through this blog as I hear from them.

Safe Travels and success to the team.
Jamee