Wednesday, November 28, 2007
We now have sprinklers
What a great day it was when we finally got the sprinklers up and running. Unfortunately, the funding going to Willow Park staff has stopped and YFC need to find ways in which to utilize the staff they have more effectively ... one way was with the watering of all the vegetable patches. Previously, four women would spend 4 days per week watering the vegetable patches; they can be used in other areas now that the sprinklers are in action.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Speaking at Falcon College
The other Wednesday night I was invited to speak at an evening Praise and Worship service at one of the most hosh posh private boys’ boarding schools in Zimbabwe. Falcon College is about 30 minutes past the Willow Park turn-off heading south towards the border. It was a great turnout from the boys … there is about 350 boys who board at Falcon and about 150 turned up for the service. It was a great night to spend with the boys and being able to share a few words with them. I think one of the things that stuck out to me the most was how polite these guys were, after the service a majority of them came up and thanked me and shook my hand … I don’t think that would happen back in OZ. Sorry I don’t have any picci’s of this event … you will just have to trust me.
Because Falcon is so far out of Bulawayo, Jodi, Gabi, Heather (a friend of ours) and I decided to spend the night at Willow Park and do just a little bit more work the following morning. Our task was to fit 20 mattress covers to 20 foam mattresses that were donated by an Ozzie couple earlier this year. These beds are looking fantastic now; when we first arrived the campers slept in a “W” position because the framework of the beds weren’t done properly and a lot of the mattress’s were old and waterlogged because of the leaks in the thatching. They look a million buck’s now (not using Zim currency), and once we are finish they will look even better (the only thing to do now is to repaint where we have welded extra supports on the base of the beds and buy some more wood for the bed heads).
Because Falcon is so far out of Bulawayo, Jodi, Gabi, Heather (a friend of ours) and I decided to spend the night at Willow Park and do just a little bit more work the following morning. Our task was to fit 20 mattress covers to 20 foam mattresses that were donated by an Ozzie couple earlier this year. These beds are looking fantastic now; when we first arrived the campers slept in a “W” position because the framework of the beds weren’t done properly and a lot of the mattress’s were old and waterlogged because of the leaks in the thatching. They look a million buck’s now (not using Zim currency), and once we are finish they will look even better (the only thing to do now is to repaint where we have welded extra supports on the base of the beds and buy some more wood for the bed heads).
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Milking Willow Park Dry
It’s not what you think … I promise!!!!! I have the pictures to prove it.
I know this seems a little weird … having a couple of bottles of milk pictured on the blog … what does milk have to do with Willow Park????? But I promise you, this is no ordinary milk … this is Willow Park milk.
Let me tell you the story … Willow Park has had a couple of dairy cows for a few years and until just last week, all the milk was being turned into sour milk and then the curds where collected to make a side dish for the mealie meal. This side dish was produced for the girls’ who live at Samkele, which is a short term orphanage for abused girls, that is run at Willow Park. Unfortunately, the product used to help stimulate the cow to produce milk is getting REALLY REALLY expensive and YFC were finding it hard to continue to fund this milking project … until the other week.
Now, people who know me, know that I have a little thing for excel spreadsheets and after creating a few worksheets and looking at the stats derived from some pretty complex formula and algorithms we were able to work out that it would be cheaper and more economical to start to sell the milk. So that is what we are now doing … this “milk project” is now a self funding project and it creates enough revenue to purchase it’s own milk stimulant, cover the veterinary bills as well as purchase kapenta (really small and really smelly dried fish), which is used instead of the curds as a side dish for the girls mealie meal.
Who would have ever thought that milk could be soooooooo exciting!!!!!!!!!
I know this seems a little weird … having a couple of bottles of milk pictured on the blog … what does milk have to do with Willow Park????? But I promise you, this is no ordinary milk … this is Willow Park milk.
Let me tell you the story … Willow Park has had a couple of dairy cows for a few years and until just last week, all the milk was being turned into sour milk and then the curds where collected to make a side dish for the mealie meal. This side dish was produced for the girls’ who live at Samkele, which is a short term orphanage for abused girls, that is run at Willow Park. Unfortunately, the product used to help stimulate the cow to produce milk is getting REALLY REALLY expensive and YFC were finding it hard to continue to fund this milking project … until the other week.
Now, people who know me, know that I have a little thing for excel spreadsheets and after creating a few worksheets and looking at the stats derived from some pretty complex formula and algorithms we were able to work out that it would be cheaper and more economical to start to sell the milk. So that is what we are now doing … this “milk project” is now a self funding project and it creates enough revenue to purchase it’s own milk stimulant, cover the veterinary bills as well as purchase kapenta (really small and really smelly dried fish), which is used instead of the curds as a side dish for the girls mealie meal.
Who would have ever thought that milk could be soooooooo exciting!!!!!!!!!
Monday, November 05, 2007
More Work at Willow Park
Yes, that is right … believe it or not Jodi and I have been doing more work at Willow Park. We packed our bags and ventured out for a night where we were able to help with the final touches of painting the dorms. It is great to finally have all the dorms painted and looking just soopa. We are hoping that next year we will be able to get all the asbestos roofs off and re-roof with thatch; then that will be about it for the dorms … except for building more … maybe having each dorm with viabrating massage beds … what about ensuites with private sauna’s and spa’s … I am sure we could add an extra couple of levels so that each dorm has it’s own entertaining area with pool table and plasma TV. There is so much is planned for this place … I look forward to sharing some more ventures in the near future.
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