Saturday, January 21, 2012

Yes, things are still moving - and quickly!

So the last posts you saw from Steve and I were during our last day or so in Kopeyia.

At that point, we had procured much of the material for fencing and well construction, broken ground on the building site and had many hunters and other local community members out looking to procure antelope.  As any of you who have traveled in this way are aware, things move on their own time.  We were hoping to have the first antelope into the enclosure before we left, but many aspects of the construction took longer than planned.

We flew back to the U.S. on Jan. 3rd, and had a total of five days at home before leaving for another month to teach an intensive undergraduate course out in Colorado.  Since then, we've been here monitoring progress and communicating with Emmanuel.   After some additional needed funding came through, we received this news directly from Emmanuel (today):

I have started moving things. I got the pumping machine [well pump - J.], we have laid the pipes from the well to the site.


From next week we will be finishing the fence and we will start planting the trees, pond and the other things that will be needed around the enclosure.

The hunters are finding it hard to move the net to the bush. so, we had to rent a truck to help them move the net to the bush. That is making it more difficult and more expensive to work with, but i'm managing it and i think we need to get some funds and buy the truck to make it easier and less expensive.

During our youths inauguration which we had on the 14th of this Month, Torgbui Fitsi the paramount chief of the Aflao area came around and saw the site and asked questions.  I told him what we are doing. He was soo happy about it and even said he will give us a bigger place when things work out well and we need a bigger place.

I know we are going to get there. I will keep you in touch.


Emmaunel.