Hoe kijkt onze partner terug op het project?

De partner vertelt... van 8 november 2018 door Edward Bailor


Na elk project vragen we onze partner hoe het project is gegaan en welke lessen de partner heeft geleerd. Je vindt hier het bijbehorende rapport.

1.    CONTEXT AND SUMMARY
1.1.    The original plan of the project
Yes the project is being executed as planned:
-    WS local committees (children, technical and cultural) were formed.
-    When CTF received the funds for the construction, all building materials needed for the construction were procured.
-    Local people also gathered all the local materials needed for the construction at the building site.
-    Afterwards, CTF and the community prepared the foundation and three layers of blocks for the 3 classrooms, office space for teachers and staff room for the head teacher.
-    The accommodation for the participants was renovated and ready before the participants arrived in Sierra Leone on the 4th August, 2018. Instead of two, the three layers of block work in Kambia was based on the typology of the land. The land is sloppy.
-    Upon arrival the participants worked with CTF and the local people until they reached the highest peak of the building. Large percentage (say 70-75%) of the building was plastered, roofed with zinc, metal doors and windows are also fixed. The preliminary handing over of the building was done before the participants left for the Netherlands.

1.2.    Implementation of the project
The participants arrived in Sierra Leone on Saturday the 4th of August, 2018. We spent the night at Lungi and traveled to Kambia on Sunday 5th August, 2018 to a warm reception by the pupils of the school, parents and some members of the community. In this mood we marched with the participants to the project site. In the evening of that same day (Sunday 5th August), the leaders of the participants and CTF held a leadership meeting and planned for the start of the project on Monday (6th August, 2018). On the 6th the project was formal launched with Christian and Muslim prayers. The occasion involved community stakeholders. Every day of the project the technical team of the participants, CTF and the local contractor set targets and worked hard to meet those targets. At the end of the day the targets for the day were evaluated on the basis of whether they were achieved or not. New targets were then set for the next day. We continued like this until we accomplished all the tasks described in section 1.1 above. Various evening, cultural/touristic and children’s programmes were also organized along-side the construction work by the participants. Some of the cultural activities included: boat tour, Jungle, home visits, visit to the market, hospital, wood work and mechanic shops, young people (Sierra Leonean youths) sharing their experiences of what it means to be a Christian in Sierra Leone and in the Netherlands, and so on. I also led the team leader Cees and three other participants to Debia on a story telling visit. The outcome of the story telling showed impressive growth in population and economy as a result of WS’s projects. This has given rise to the need for a senior secondary school in Debia

2.    CONSTRUCTION
2.1.    Buildings worked on
-    We have reached the highest peak of the building and roofed with zinc
-    Large percentage of the building(say 70-75%) was been plastered,
-    Metal doors and windows have been fixed.

2.2.    Tasks to be done
-    To complete plastering
-    Screed the floor
-    Fix the inside celling
-    Paint the building
-    Officially hand over the building to the community

3.    FACILITATION OF THE TEAM
3.1.    Children Program
The children’s programs were also well planned and executed. Like for project SL118, Participants divided themselves into small groups. While some participants were at the construction site every day, some were allowed to attend the children’s programme. In this way, all the participants were given the chance to attend the children’s programme. The children were told different Bible stories such as the story of David and Jonathan, Daniel, etc. The children were also involved in different arts works. At the end, a children’s party was organized that brought together over 300 children. The CTF and WS children coordinators worked with the participants as interpreters throughout the programme.

3.2.    Cultural and touristic outings
For the cultural and touristic outings, all participants attended some cultural and touristic outings like: boat tour, Jungle and home visits, the market and young people (Sierra Leonean youths) sharing their experiences of what it means to be a Christian in Sierra Leone and in the Netherlands. Some visited the hospital, wood work and mechanic shops and so on as they interested.

3.3.    Life Skills
Life skill programme was organized for three days and the participants concerned addressed young people on the topics “You are Special’, “Marriage” and “sexuality”. The turnout of the youths however, was very low at the three meetings. This was possibly due to the distance most of the youths have to cover to come to the accommodation for the life skill program.

4.    COOPERATION AND INVOLVEMENT
4.1.    Leadership team World Servants
The level of cooperation of stakeholders (Leadership team World Servants, Local leaders/key persons, Community, Beneficiaries, (Local) authorities) was very impressive.

4.2.    Local leaders / key persons
Kambia representatives of the paramount chiefs, pastor, Imams, the Deputy Director of Education, the District chairman of Kambia district Council all attended the opening and handing over ceremonies to grace the occasions.

4.3.    Community
Beneficiary participated by fetching water and cooking for the local team

4.4.    Beneficiaries
See 4.3

4.5.    (Local) authorities
See 4.2

5.    PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS
5.1.    Accommodation
In my opinion, the accommodation was good as some members of the leadership team attested during the final evaluation with the CTF team. Camp beds (double) were provided by CTF for participants also Kambia and a Generator provided lights at least up to 12 pm Sierra Leonean time almost every day.

5.2.    Food
Discussion with the participants in Kambia revealed that to provide rice for lunch and rice for dinner was too much for them they are used to eating bread for breakfast and lunch. But overall the food was ok. We have noted this point.

5.3.    Transportation
In Kambia, like In Lunsar, bus services were also provided to pick and return participants to the airport and for all major touristic events. The two jeeps in Lunsar were also at the disposal of the project in Kambia. One of the jeeps is a WS jeep while the other belongs to Woord en Daad. However, the WS jeep is now very old and not in good working condition.

5.4.    Safety
Security arrangements were made with the Sierra Leone police in both Kambia and Lunsar for the nights and the day and there was no complaint of theft throughout the stay of the participants in Sierra Leone.

6.    LESSONS LEARNED
-    Participants place equal value on the cultural/touristic and children programs compared to the building. We learned that these should be give equal importance during their stay. Like I stated in the lessons learned in Lunsar, because we now know that participants have different cultural and touristic aspirations, we will ask the leaders of the team or WS to share the different aspirations of the participants with us before the participants arrive in Sierra Leone. This will put us in a better position to where they will get best cultural and touristic experiences.
-    In a discussion with participants in Kambia we learned that bread for breakfast and lunch food is preferred over rice. That is, participants told me that to cook rice for lunch and sometimes dinner was too much. They will prefer bread for breakfast and lunch.
-    The life skill programme was not well attended possibly as a result of the distance and cost the youths have to cover to come to the accommodation where the like skill was organized. We have learned that next time the participants should go and meet the youths where they are and not the other way around.