What a week!

Been an amazing week in Sierra Leone so making some progress:

• Appointed Lyndon Johnson as our SL Communications Director – he is an outstanding addition to our team.
• UNDP auditors Pricewaterhousecoopers, came to audit us.  They have 3 days to study us and the auditor said this was the first time they found an NGO to sign off in one day!  We are approved for funding so will see what that means
• Met Vice President again (see picture) and he said “we want this project” so now proper action to funders with minister of state and his senior secretary
• Met head of the defence force and progressing that opportunity
• Met head of new airport.  We may get to tender to build 200 homes for them for those they are relocating.  Significant.
• Brick factory started work and wonderful quality.  Problems with generator but working on it.  Hired JCB and set up enough clay for next 6 months.  First 2 orders in. Manual brick maker arrives 2 April
• Materials arrived and the foundation breeze blocks made for foundations of next 8 houses.
• Water project – Dam was stopped up and water now flowing and ready for solar pump finally placing when we get back
• Wonderful time celebrating Nehemiah Lifelines trainees (16 young people working with us for 3 months))and gave them all a decent tool kit c/o work aid and tools with a mission
• Laid out the first 4 classrooms for the school and dug its cesspit
• Did a selection day with Lyndon, Jonathan and Millie.  Went well and suggested the application procedure is robust.  We aim to have 200 suitably qualified families by 31 October.
• Princes Foundation will make a donation towards a waste management project.
• Joe met a man on the beach who visited the village  It turned out that he had a spare garage lift and now a tyre change kit that he is interested in donating.  This is key as Toby joins us in September and comes to set up a garage and train mechanics as part of our village development