CEG

The start of the sixth week and the gables are up; the concrete brackets to the support the roof overhang have been boxed out and the concrete poured.

Although we'd been back onsite barely a week, this became the morning of the last day we were in Mahatalaky working. We were due to stay another two weeks but were evacuated early the next morning due a flood risk from cyclone Bingiza coming across from the west of the country. We were told midday that we would be leaving the next morning. In addition to cleaning the site (the last thing anyone would want was stray bits of rebar, or timber being picked up by the wind) we had our work cut out (with wind and rain coming on) to get the concrete tie beams poured to the tops of the gables to help stabilise them before the storm hit.

You can see that the speed of work had been affected badly by the weather, compared to the same shot two weeks ago.

At this stage we thought we would be going to Fort Dauphin for a few days and then back to Mahatalaky, so we concentrated on our tasks and didn't make any good-byes. Unfortunately, once we were back in town Azafady decided that when it was clear for us to leave, we'd go straight to Beandry rather than back to Mahatalaky, which was disappointing though understandable.

The problem with being in Mahatalaky if there is a flood is that there is only one road back to town and if there is an emergency (if someone got Malaria, or had an accident) there is no way to reach the hospital or airport. So they take the volunteers back to town before it gets to that point.

R. and the guides are working with the April to June Pioneer team, back at Mahatalaky finishing off these classrooms and starting the next one.