The men started filling the foundation with gravel today. Last year we had Red haul 7 dump trucks of gravel to the job site. We think that we have underestimated the amount of gravel we will need. These men are beasts! Today they shoveled and hauled “with wheelbarrow” 3 of the dump truck loads of gravel; they did not even get half of the foundation filled. Around noon we walked back to check on the work and the men that were hauling asked us if we would give them more money because the job was bigger than they had originally thought. After some haggling we agreed to give them more money. They were pleased with the increase in their pay. It will take them 2 maybe 2 ½ days to get the foundation filled. We are paying them 1,000 Cedis (about 100 dollars) to do the filing. Materials in Ghana are very expensive but labor is cheap. Today they also dug the foundation for the front and back porch, set the blocks around the porch foundation and set the 8 center pillars forms. Everyone that comes to work gets chop money (lunch money) and we keep them supplied with all the cold water they can drink. No other job site provides their workers with cold water; many do not even give them water.
We took some pictures of the foundation of the building this morning and a little bit of video. Even the workers are using their phones to take pictures of the octagon shaped building with the spider web looking foundation. The spider web foundation is just for structure; once we put in the floor the spider web will never be seen.
This morning we had to go to town and get passport photos made to add to the things we are gathering for the Social Welfare report to renew the Child Center’s license. While we were out we stopped at a few shops to buy brooms to give to the churches. At one of the shops we found canned mushrooms; they were a good price so I bought all the cans that were not dented. In Ghana when you see something you had better buy it because there is a good chance that it won’t be there tomorrow.
This afternoon Steve worked on the gate at the back of the property that leads into the field where we are working. The gate is a solid metal gate. We made it solid so the children could not get their feet in the gate and climb over. Since the gate is solid it cannot be opened from the outside. Steve cut a square hole in the gate near the padlock so we can now open it from both the inside and the outside. We have been meaning to cut the hole since the gate was hung but we keep forgetting until we have a project.
Enjoy your weekend!
In HIS Service,
Steve and Kandie
