The Road less Traveled - Djati Updates

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Fredy Schafer- missionary and Project Manager It Takes a Village

We haven't had any word about our projects since summer but Fredy is back and today we have

News from Guinea Bissau!

Since Maritza's car is on its last leg, she has been unable to meet up with Fredy to get an update on our projects, (when she tried to drive to Quebo last week, her tired old car broke down and she was stranded for 10 hours).  So, the other day, Fredy made the 3 hour trip to Bissau to meet up with her. Thank you Fredy!

Maritza Reports - 

D J A T I -

Medical Clinic

The walls to the medical clinic are in final stage of completion and the finishing touches are being put on the floors. Fredy is trying very hard to have the clinic completed and looking good in time for Willie's visit later this month. Willie is a member of the It Takes a Village team and will be making his 2nd journey to Guinea Bissau. He will be taking with him a a recent DNA traced Guinea Bissau descendant and this will be her first visit. We are expecting LOTS of pictures!

The problem

The road to Djati has just recently opened but delivery of material has become difficult.

As you may recall, the children from Djati are the ones who work on getting the road cleared. The road has to be reclaimed from the jungle that literally grows with such force during the rainy season that the road disappears.

The kids opened 6 miles of road using hand machetes.  When they finished clearing the 1st 6 miles, they asked the villagers (who live along the road) to help out. Most of them refused. This made the route to Djati almost impassable, and caused the truck drivers to refuse to make our deliveries.

Fredy was none to happy about this, especially since these same villagers benefit from sending their children to attend our school in Djati.  After a 'little convincing', the last few miles of road was cleared and is open.

However....Now that the road is open, the truck drivers are still refusing to enter. This time they are claiming that the road is too narrow, or that it is not in very good condition or that they do not want to deliver sand and/or stones to what they refer to as "the end of the world".  And, It all boils down to one thing, which is....more money!

Maritza says

Fredy continues to be positive and full of hope with the attitude, it will get done. "God will help us" and I know it will get done and somehow the trucks will go in and the sands and stones will get to Djati.

Fredy and the guys from the project spend 2 days collecting sand from the jungle roads. They locate the sand, clear the weeds and shovel it unto the 'willing' trucks.

I know Fredy's next project will be a truck. Too often the truck drivers overcharge and with no alternatives, there is no other choice but to pay!

And that's why I love Fredy! He is the best! He is kind, caring, wise and devoted to helping the people of Guinea Bissau and he ALWAYS gets the job done!!!

Thank you Fredy for all you do! And thank you Maritza for keeping us in the loop.