Facelifts and Thunderstorms

The work has begun!

From where we left off last, the team has started work on the facelift and reconstruction of the school of San Miguel in Fernando de la Mora. We first arrived after lunch yesterday afternoon. While we had seen a couple of pictures of the school, we really didn´t know what to expect. We all had very different ideas of what we would see when we got there, and it´s very possible that we were all, in some way, right.

The school is surrounded by a community that can only be described as a slum. The word seems to convey a very negative image, but it´s really the only one that´s appropriate. Fernando de la Mora is in fact quite a large city and it´s directly attached to the capital of Asuncion, but the community surrounding this school seems to have been forgotten about. Next to the school is a very normal looking area of dirt. What really caught out attention was that before we got there, it was just an open field, but by the time we left, it was a soccer pitch. Goals had been erected using long, forked sticks and boundaries were outlined with various objects. I guess Scouts aren´t the only people who are wise in the use of all resources.

Our work was quickly cut out for us. In the end, we have a number of goals. Talking with Nelson the architect, we learned that there is a classroom to build, a roof to put on, a corridor to level, walls to sand and paint and a playground to clean up. We have a lot to do, but even more dedication and inspiration to do it.



Our job was to get the work started. There were materials to bring in and the walls were ripe for sanding. Since we´d all been itching to get down to business, our energy seemed boundless. We sanded the entire school exterior so that it can be patched and painted. We unloaded a truckload of bricks by hand and we began working on the foundation of the new classroom. If we continue at this rate, we may have the school completely finished by next week.

Afterwards, covered in dust from sanding all afternoon, we came back to the Scout Headquarters where we´re staying and settled in after a round of showers to fight back the plaster. The day was just what we´d been waiting for.

Today however, was just what we didn´t need. It rained all day long and is still to this minute continuing the downpour. In fact, last night, as we were all heading off to bed, the city was surrounded by quite a nice show as lightning brightened the sky in every direction. We spent today preparing some activities for the weekend, as well as doing some team building activities. It was a lot of fun certainly, but work tomorrow is what we´re all looking forward to again. Rain or shine, we´re at the site for work. The trouble today was not in actually working on the site, as we´ve all learned from Mud Mazing at various jamborees, a little dirt never hurt, but the logistical nightmare of navigating the quagmire of muddy red roads leading to the school was the real challenge. This we´ve now overcome, so more progress will follow in the next post. Until then, we´re having a movie night with some of the local Venturers and Rovers so tomorrow, we can be sure to have all the energy needed to continue on Creating a Better World.





Good Scouting