John Clancy Speaks

Greetings from Ireland, thousands of miles and a world apart from Suji. My name is John and I had the privilege of being the project leader of the build in Suji last November.

The plan called for 15 experienced builders and two weeks of hard work in order to complete the 30 metre by 10 metre extension to the secondary school in the remote village high up in the Pare mountains in northern Tanzania. Working 8 hour days for 5 days a week we would finish the project and have time for a Safari before returning home. However this plan of mine went out the window when, after weeks of radio interviews and other promotional activities, our volunteers turned out to be, (how shall I put this) well, less than desirable.

There was a DIY handyman (yours truly), a former plasterer, now a desk jockey in a council office in Birmingham (Sean), a retired teacher, albeit a frequent volunteer in Africa (Gerry), a dairy farmer, who thinks a shovel belongs in a museum (Noel), an electrician, the only trade we did not need (Niall), a film maker from a family of concrete contractors, whose admiration for Stanley Kubrick, although informative, was little use when laying bricks (Peadar), a cockney, now living in Leitrim, handy enough with a hammer though (Darren), a stonemason, even though stones in Suji were as scarce as tradesmen (Tom), and a youngster from Sligo, who never set foot on a building site before, but was willing (Enda).

As if this was not bad enough we were joined by recently qualified teachers from Galway (Jim), Mayo (Aine), Leitrim (Aisling), and Donegal (Belinda and Aaron) who insisted on helping out. (helping out?).
 Last but not least our volunteer force was complete with the inclusion of an economics researcher and teacher (Maureen).

Much has been said already of our arrival in Suji, the project itself, the friendships formed, the lifelong sense of well being achieved and I concur with all these sentiments. I would like to add that this group of individuals from separate parts with separate ideals and separate hopes and ambitions, all saw the enormity of the task ahead and somehow merged into one entity and with one mind set - to complete this challenge.

When asked about Suji, I remember the friends I have made (friends I will most likely never meet again, but friends nonetheless), I remember the hard work, the fun, the debates, the jokes, the tricks, the local pubs, the food, the lack of hot water (we didn't really have a jacuzzi in our house), and the little sisters I acquired (thanks a lot !!).

 But best of all, when faced with a difficult task or an impossible situation, I remember what we achieved in Suji and I can take on the world.

See, I told you all I was full of s**t.