e mail received from David Dewey in Newton 12/12/06

Plans have changed. We are moving to Waterloo on Thursday instead. Not all Brima's ideas are materialising. However, we had a good day on Sunday at St Mary's. We gave out all the presents to eager hands. Met Claude and handed over the envelope. They express their thanks. Did you know there will be a new vicar from January?

Also met Abu Bakker, and Mbinti Cessae. With them we went to Amadiya Primary (the one at four-mile; there is another at six mile) and also the Secondary School, though the head was not there.

We have seen the school desks (and have the photos). Apparently 40 were made, 20 for each primary school. Each desk seats three children. They do appreciate the text books and hope to open a small library. Another need of the secondary school is for bicycles for children who come from a distance, though given they were preparing for a funeral of a child killed at Newton Junction, one has to wonder. Paper is also needed still. The secondary school also needs desks. Their numbers are growing, but they have empty classooms without desks. Each desk would seat one child.

We also saw the embryonic skills centre in a small, temporary building near the Junction. Tailoring is under way as is carpentry. They also hope to develop computer teaching skills eventually when a larger building is available (obviously, there will need some form of power). Abu says that the primary goal should now be the schools and skills centre once the remaining 10 houses are completed (70 in total). Other agencies are building houses and some people have been able to build their own.

Brima is aksing for a computer of his own, which we cannot recommend.
Collecting computers for the skills centre is a much better use of resources. Again and again we realise how much better it is to help communities rather than individuals. Conversations with people helping the YMCA over many years from Germany confirm the importance of this.

We will find out more when we attend a committee meeting, now fixed for Thursday.