Thursday June 4th
This week has been a bit boring. I have been writing and cost estimating. I have less than 2 weeks left to get a few more documents done. At that time, I hope that what I have is enough information to interest donors to provide the start-up costs and ongoing support necessary for the program to become self sufficient. I must admit that I have not created a detailed plan and followed it. It is more like a made a rough pencil sketch. I have been adding details, to parts of the picture without the time to step back and see what I have created a landscape or an abstract Picasso. Maybe it is a paint by number with a lot of the numbers missing. When I leave here it will be up to the LCCN to decide if they want to fill in the numbers and continue to create the program.
Based on an insightful comment from one of the reviewers in Minnesota I have written an organizational chart showing the entire program under the control of the LCCN Health Services Management Board to provide transparency and uncomplicated the management structure. I have created a Capital Expenses Start-up Budget (without a timeline) and estimate for staffing support needs for a ten year timeframe for the program to create enough project income to support the staff without outside donor support. I still need to create and outline for an operational budget and a paper on how to finance the program. Since, we will be doing a day trip tomorrow to see the finished borehole at Pela (They were still working on the concrete when we had to leave.), take a water sample and going to the future site of the Arewa Dioceses in Kala’a to review possible borehole sites. Next week we will have out last day trip back down to Bonotem Dioceses to take water samples at the Dashen and at the Secretariat. So I have four days left for working on the program if we drive to Abuja and stop in Jos or six days if I fly to Abuja and skip buying fair trade at Women of Hope in Jos.
Gongola Secretariat Spring (N9.
66009, E11.97756): On Wednesday June 3rd, we drove to the Gongola Diocese Secretariat. They have moved into the Secretariat earlier this year. The Secretariat in on a hill in the long Gongola River Valley. This might be one of the windest places in Adamawa. We were there to see if the spring located 600 meters from the Secretariat was a fissure spring that was barely reaching the surface. Unfortunately, when we emptied the water from the spring we found two seeps coming horizontally out of the side of a layer of sandstone. We found out that the spring was created by the Fulani about three years ago. They were camping in the area and needed water. They observed the green grass and vegetation that needs year around water so they dug there until they had a constant pool of water. We dug deeper and found the two seeps shown as holes. We widened the holes. The Fulani may have originally created the holes to increase the water flow. The men that dug out the area were not here. I estimate that the seeps produce ½ liter or less per minute. This is less than 700 liters per day and not enough to supply the Secretariat and the neighboring village. We were disappointed. The seeps may have been from a fracture but it could be a long distance away. Below the seep level we found a layers of soft sandstone, a thin layer resembling shale ,relatively dry sand stone below it, then a clay resembling bentonite. Below the clay was a hard rock. All of this in two feet. We went back to the Secretariat for lunch of small catfish in red sauce, rice and beans.
This week has been a bit boring. I have been writing and cost estimating. I have less than 2 weeks left to get a few more documents done. At that time, I hope that what I have is enough information to interest donors to provide the start-up costs and ongoing support necessary for the program to become self sufficient. I must admit that I have not created a detailed plan and followed it. It is more like a made a rough pencil sketch. I have been adding details, to parts of the picture without the time to step back and see what I have created a landscape or an abstract Picasso. Maybe it is a paint by number with a lot of the numbers missing. When I leave here it will be up to the LCCN to decide if they want to fill in the numbers and continue to create the program.
Based on an insightful comment from one of the reviewers in Minnesota I have written an organizational chart showing the entire program under the control of the LCCN Health Services Management Board to provide transparency and uncomplicated the management structure. I have created a Capital Expenses Start-up Budget (without a timeline) and estimate for staffing support needs for a ten year timeframe for the program to create enough project income to support the staff without outside donor support. I still need to create and outline for an operational budget and a paper on how to finance the program. Since, we will be doing a day trip tomorrow to see the finished borehole at Pela (They were still working on the concrete when we had to leave.), take a water sample and going to the future site of the Arewa Dioceses in Kala’a to review possible borehole sites. Next week we will have out last day trip back down to Bonotem Dioceses to take water samples at the Dashen and at the Secretariat. So I have four days left for working on the program if we drive to Abuja and stop in Jos or six days if I fly to Abuja and skip buying fair trade at Women of Hope in Jos.
Gongola Secretariat Spring (N9.
66009, E11.97756): On Wednesday June 3rd, we drove to the Gongola Diocese Secretariat. They have moved into the Secretariat earlier this year. The Secretariat in on a hill in the long Gongola River Valley. This might be one of the windest places in Adamawa. We were there to see if the spring located 600 meters from the Secretariat was a fissure spring that was barely reaching the surface. Unfortunately, when we emptied the water from the spring we found two seeps coming horizontally out of the side of a layer of sandstone. We found out that the spring was created by the Fulani about three years ago. They were camping in the area and needed water. They observed the green grass and vegetation that needs year around water so they dug there until they had a constant pool of water. We dug deeper and found the two seeps shown as holes. We widened the holes. The Fulani may have originally created the holes to increase the water flow. The men that dug out the area were not here. I estimate that the seeps produce ½ liter or less per minute. This is less than 700 liters per day and not enough to supply the Secretariat and the neighboring village. We were disappointed. The seeps may have been from a fracture but it could be a long distance away. Below the seep level we found a layers of soft sandstone, a thin layer resembling shale ,relatively dry sand stone below it, then a clay resembling bentonite. Below the clay was a hard rock. All of this in two feet. We went back to the Secretariat for lunch of small catfish in red sauce, rice and beans.
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