Triumphs and Delays

From Blake Clark, Executive Director and Project Manager

Check out our new project page! Come back for updates in the weeks ahead as the building takes shape. The website has been designed and developed entirely by volunteers. They’ve been busy completing the new look in time for our trip. Thanks!

Speaking of the trip to Sudan, last minute delays have pushed us into the beginning of the rainy season. As many of you know, we are pioneering a state-of-the art foundation system to combat poor soils and flooding. Though we shipped the foundation from Denver, CO back in January, it was delayed en route at the Port of Durbin, South Africa. A computer glitch caused our container to be temporarily “misplaced” among the 10’s of thousands of containers moving through the port daily. As of this Tuesday, the foundation has made it as far as Mombasa, Kenya where it will be loaded onto a truck for the final length of its journey.

We are very lucky (and grateful!) that our building contractor, Global Development Co, has championed our unconventional model from early in our partnership. Though they face a much more laborious task assembling the building in the rain, GDC remains enthusiastic about our approach.

A small team will be traveling to South Sudan in less than two weeks assist in construction and document the progress. The main steelwork – all 35,000 pounds – arrived on site several weeks ago to much fanfare. For the community, a much anticipated school now seems closer than ever to becoming a reality!