Back to Pela and the Arewa Diocese Secretariat

Back to Pela and on to the Arewa Diocese in Secrtariat Kala’a (N10.254555, E13.01706)
Friday June5th:

Today was a day trip to Pela and Arewa Diocese Secretariat. At Pela we took pictures of the completed borehole and platform and took water samples. Two weeks ago we went to Pela to install the pump we ran out of sunlight with the platform mostly complete. We left instructions on how to finish it with the mason and more instruction for the principal. When we arrived we found that they had completed the work and the principal had the area around the borehole cleared and stones laid for about three feet around the platform to form a hard surface. The edges on the area were designated by large rocks and a path from the road down to the borehole was also made and designated with stones. If the path and area around the platform had not been constructed these areas would have been planted with maize or ground nuts.
The masonry work was lacking in skill. The mason we had been planned to be used was at a training class so we used a cabinetmaker that used to work for a mason and a man that said he was a mason. The cabinetmaker was the better of the two for deciding what to do and how to do it. However, he was technically the helper. The area at the end of the trough was becoming a small mud hole. I pointed this out to the principal. He said that they are buying some banana trees, guava trees, and mango trees and plan to plant them in the area downhill from the end of the trough and channel the water to keep these trees growing. This was one of the suggestions that was in the papers we had left with the principal.

We then continued on to the village of Kala’a where the Arewa Secretariat is going to build their Secretariat. They had hired a driller that was in the area doing two other boreholes. They advanced the driller 150,000 naira to drill the borehole. Nobody was on site when the driller was there. But it is the same story we have heard many times. They setup, drilled a little ways hit a rock and say it is too hard for their drill rig, filled the hole and went back to Yola with the advanced money. However, since they were from the Upper Benue River Development Authority (UBRDA) they suggested that the Geologist come out and see if there is any water. The Diocese advanced someone money to do a geological survey. Someone came out one day again with nobody from diocese around, they declared that the area only had enough water for a hand pumps. No written report was ever given. The site is a wide flat valley, with many large Shea Trees and other trees. It is mostly farmland. There are streams on either side of the valley and mountains all the way around. Adams immediate statement was that there should be water here. On the way in we passed an old and productive hand pump and a few hand dug wells. Adams knows the people at the UBRDA he will contact them to find out how deep the boring was and which geologist went to the site and if they actually did a geophysical survey. If the site cannot sustain a high flow pump then I suggested low flow solar pump with batteries that are charged during the day by the generator powering the Secretariat and then continuing to pump at night.

The diocese has built a building which they will use as the temporary Secretariat until the new one is built. The foundation for the Secretariat has been dug and they have ordered a container of portland cement. The design differs from the other Secretariats. It has five one story wings from a central two story pentagon shaped building. They are going to build the foundations for the whole facility and then build one wing at a time. When all the wings are built they will build the central two story structure. I did not hear what all the wings are planned for but on is offices and one is for Women Groups. I asked what the building for the temporary offices was going to be used for. Bishop Amos said he had a use. I asked what. He smiled and said raising chickens. To me it looks like a small church without a steeple and cross.

From Kala’a, Yakubu continued north to Mubi to visit family, Adams is going back to Hong to visit family and I am headed back to Jimeta with Bishop Amos. On Sunday or Monday Yakubu will drive to Maiduguri another four hours on from Mubi. He has to pay almost 30,000 naira at the UBA bank there to get the proper receipt so he can apply for an interview at the US Embassy in Abuja. The next interview dates are the same time I am flying home. If he gets an interview date on June 18 or 19 we will share the expenses of driving to Jos on the 16th or 17th. I can then buy stock from Women of Hope for our Fair Trade business. On the 18th there will be three of us driving to Abuja to share the expenses (A missionary named Phil is looking for a ride from Jos to Abuja on the 18th). If he cannot get those dates I will have to cash in one of my last $100 bills and buy an airplane ticket.