Prison Farm Work Continues
Tomorrow we bid goodbye to Madagascar, and head back to India. We will stop over in Brussels to visit our daughter, Andry and her partner Kevin. Terah (our oldest son), Mariamme and Keiyona are flying up from Ivory Coast to meet us as well. When kids live all over the globe, we all take advantage of opportunities to see each other as often as possible.
…. and YES the work is continuing, thanks to Maoly and Hanitra who are on the ground to make good things happen. We will keep in close contact and make team decisions about our prison work via zoom. Bruce and I will return yearly, God willing.
Maoly and the construction team are quite remarkable. This prison farm project is extremely challenging, due to its isolated location, bridges washed away and roads turned into muddy tracks. At every turn, the team is confronted with new challenges. For instance, vehicles for transporting sand and stone keep breaking down. Heavy steel rods must be transported over the river using dugout canoes. While the cement bricks are being molded and seasoned at the farm itself, the cement bags need to be brought over separately. Organizing this all is Maoly. He somehow makes it a grand adventure most days.
There are two possible river crossings. The first is a better bridge, but farther from the camp. If the prison vehicle breaks down and doesn’t arrive on the other side, it’s a three hour walk to the camp. The second ”bridge”is a bit closer to the camp. If the vehicle doesn’t arrive on the other side, it is “only” a 8 km (5 mile) walk to the camp.
Maoly sometimes hires a motorcycle-taxi to reach the camp, but it has to be carried part way through the river. Then he either spends the night at camp with the rest of the crew, or he walks the entire way back to his simple hotel in order to charge his phone, and take a hot shower before heading back the next day.
Yet they persevere. The members of the construction crew sleep together in a ragged hut, wrapped with temporary waterproofing. They've improvised a makeshift table for community meals and somehow figure things out. I gave Maoly my yoga mat before I left, which he sleeps on.
In just ten days, they have managed to almost finish the foundation and ready to start the next stage.
Friends, this is a project that has potential to make a huge impact on food security. It also is an effective way for prisoners who are farming the land on conditional release to slowly make their way back into society.
Thanks for your donations, your love and interest in this project. I’ll keep sending photos of the building progress. And don’t worry, when this project is up and running, and funds permitting chambers 3, 4, 5, 6 renovated (wind turbines installed, roof repair and painting) in Antalaha prison, we still have plenty of other ideas up our sleeves. It is a matter of prioritizing. We have the infrastructure in place to continue carrying on this work and faith that funds will continue to arrive as needed. By God’s grace and your support, we dream big dreams.
