Dove in Sierra Leone needs a math teacher to fill in for Tracy who is currently on leave. Dove uses Alpha Omega homeschooling program in our school. We have students in grades 1-8. If you can help fill this need for 3 months beginning now, we would love to hear from you.
We also need a handyman to come paint, repair broken windows of which there are many, minor electrical, service diesel and petrol vehicles and do a bit of carpentry work. We need someone for 3 months beginning in March. Can you help? Give us a call!
Filed under: Uncategorized on February 5th, 2008 | No Comments »
At Dove we often post jobs that need doing, that we will pay the kids for. The kids that are interested in the job must write a letter stating why they should have the job. Recently we needed to have the foundations of our buildings painted with a termite poison, to kill termites and to keep bugs out of the house. Termites are called bug bugs here. The following is one of the letters we received. It has not been altered:
Dear Mum;
Just wanted to let you know that I’m in need of the job title: Painting the foundations of the school, No6 and the children’s home. I am happy to do it because it’s part of our home. I can perfectly do it without any mistake, and I too hate the habit of the bugs bugs eating our home. I promise you that after doing the painting you will not see any bug bug with your eyes again. I want to ensure you after killing them with the chemical, the distroction of our compound with the bug bug will finally stop.
Moreover I need the job because I can do it with all my perfection. I will also like to begin it Friday 28th September 2007. Please let me know if I’m perfectly qualify for the job, just text Salma or GM so that I can go up early for the materials. Thank you very much for ready my application letter entitle Bug Bug Painter.
Yours Sincerely, Samuel K.
We gave Samuel the job!
Filed under: Uncategorized on October 8th, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Last night the ants came. I hate the ants. The ground was a seething, squirming mass of black. I didn’t know they were there at first but it only took seconds before I discovered them in the most painful way.
The chickens were fussing, squawking and flying around when they should have been sleeping. Then the dog started growling and yipping. It was dark, 10 at night. The generator was off and the moon was behind clouds. I stepped outside, cautious, expecting to find the ‘big big’ snake that the night guards said had been coming to visit at night. I stood still for a moment, listening but seconds later I felt horrendous biting, stabbing pains all over my feet, up my legs and back. They were like hundreds of needles poking me all at once. I knew instantly what it was before I saw them – Driver ants, also known as Army ants. In rainy season they come up out of the ground and move through self-dug trenches by the millions. They are not small ants but they can’t be felt crawling on you. When they are satisfied they have covered enough territory, they all bite at once. They don’t sting either, they bite and they don’t let go of the skin. To get them off, one has to pick them one by one, with little chunks of skin coming off in the process. The pain lasts for a long time and if you get enough bites, a person can feel quite ill. I got enough bites and was nauseous and in desperate pain in minutes.
Hopping from foot to foot, and whimpering in pain, I shone my flashlight around the ground to see how bad the infestation was. Worse than I thought. I couldn’t see the ground at all for the ants. They were pouring out of numerous holes in the ground. I heard my rabbits hopping back and forth in their cages and realized with horror that the ants were covering their cages. A couple years ago I lost several flocks of chicks and some hens when the ants attacked their coop and ate them within half an hour, leaving only beaks and little feet. The rabbits were only 20 feet way but I couldn’t get to them without going through the ants and I was suffering more and more bites all over my body, right up to my shoulders by now.
I started screaming for the night guard. Our compound is 12 acres and he appeared to be at the farthest corner but he came quickly, huffing and puffing up the mountain side to my house. He stopped and shone his flashlight at me as I was dancing back and forth, flailing my arms and legs. Seconds later he too began the dance and yelled ANTS!” He started to run away. He was on the opposite side of the driveway from me, nearer the rabbits. I started crying and begged for him to come back. I yelled at him to get the rabbits, get the rabbits! The poor man, he isn’t a young man but he is spry and very loyal. Stomping his feet, he threw down his flashing light and started grabbing the rabbits one by one, making the run to the front step where I was blubbering and shoved them in my arms. Once they were all safely in the house, I threw a can of bug spray to him and he started spraying arcs around the house to move the ants away from the door. I ran inside, peeling my clothes off, pulling ants off my legs, stomach and shoulders. The pain was excruciating but at least my animals were safe. There was nothing left to do but soak the bites and go to bed and pray that the ants wouldn’t come in the house. I made the guard promise to wake me if he saw so much as one ant climb the wall and come in a window.
Every rainy season the ants come. I hate the ants.
Filed under: Uncategorized on September 3rd, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Its the middle of rainy season - not a good time to discover that our aluminium roofing is substandard and has rusted out completely in less than 4 years. However, the damaged ceilings, mouldy walls and tidal pools in the rooms are true evidence that we have a serious problem! The cost of re-roofing and putting in new ceiling is an unexpected expense. Want to help? Its easy - see our page on how to donate.
Structural problems are causing the same mass flooding INSIDE the children’s home. If you have expertise in building engineering, please contact us by email. We need help sorting these problems before next rainy season.
All the Dove buildings need to be repainted inside and out once the rains have stopped. Interested in joining a team or coming individually? Send us an email. Oct/Nov is a good time to get started. Drop us an email - PLEASE. We have the paint - we need the manpower.
Want to see some good stuff? The community around us has lots of poor families. They are cold and wet during the rains. Our Dove kids took excess clothing, toys and games and distributed them in the community. Even though they got mobbed, they had a great time sharing. See their photos in our photo album.
Filed under: Uncategorized on August 28th, 2007 | No Comments »