14.3.14 Friday. Off to work we go!

Steve and I were up early and left before the pupils arrived for the day at 8am, to buy breakfast for the Belle Vue Party. The gate at Jamwelly was damaged on the hinge, and so it was loaded onto the back of the truck for us to take to Kaur to be fixed.  We stopped for breakfast and a welcome cup of coffee at the small café at the crossroads and also to buy the bread and sandwiches for the boys.  We arrived at the school and met all the party, up and raring to go.  We left them eating breakfast whilst we went into Kaur to buy the paint and rollers for today’s task.  The library was opened and work commenced, sweeping all the cement dust out before the paint was opened.  The new bookcases were brought out into the open to paint, and the old ones from the small store were emptied and also brought outside.  Arsalan opted for the long poled roller, and work started on the painting, all the boys had a roller and it was not long before the room started to take shape.  Shahid, Miss Fox and Atique went out to paint the bookcases, and it was a hive of activity all morning, Mr Macateer, being 6’4 was chosen to stand on the table and reach the parts no-one else could!  Dinner was called and a halt to all the work until later in the afternoon when it had cooled down a little.  Because Kaur is so far from the coast, about 200 kilometres, it is much hotter than the tourist area which benefits from a sea breeze.  Our new truck has a temperature gauge and the hottest temperature recorded during our visit was 47 degrees.  After a rest we all returned to the library and as all the paint had dried we were able to get out the boxes of books sent by Belle Vue and others for the new library.  Some of the Kaur pupils helped carry the boxes, the tables and the chairs across to the new room, and everyone started to clean the furniture and arrange the books onto the newly painted shelves.  Very soon the room took shape, a map was stuck on the notice board, library carousels were stocked and the books sorted into categories.  Yusef  and Bahsan were busy finishing off the painting on the outside of the building, helped by our driver, Omar.  Several elders from the village and school management committee turned up to see the new structure.  Eventually, very dirty and very tired the work was finished and we were able to lock the building for the night.  Steve and I were too tired to eat! We collected the mended gate and returned to Jamwelly for a shower and bed, leaving the boys to enjoy their specially requested Domada tonight.