Building African University: Photos Day 4

After the intense planning meeting late last night, the team felt really prepared and anxious to accomplish our goals back out at the site. After the driving portion of our trek, we began the hike through the bush back to the site. We were shocked to see that the jungle had already began to grow back over the path we cleared the previous day, and that new green shoots were starting to come up through what we had trampled down just 24 hours earlier.

Once we got to the site, we found a young, but established Bubinga Tree (same species as the "Big Tree"). We, along with the members of the Tali community that were with us, said a prayer and blessed the future home of African University.

Group from Tali (plus Brasil, our driver) blessing the site.

After this brief reprieve, it was time to get to work. The team began to measure, stake out, tape, and record the coordinates of the Phase 1 buildings and the central roundabout.

Bubinga Tree that is the Axis Mundi of African University.

Field Team around the roundabout.

Staking and taping the building footprints.

Corner of future dormitory

Footprint of first academic building

From left: David Russell, Sarah Hempstead, Wayne Schmidt

Wayne Schmidt & Martin Sams

William Agbor-Baiyee & Elizabeth

Once all the work was completed and we all took a few minutes to rest and rehydrate, we began the hike back to the vehicles. Along the way William, Elizabeth and our guides took some time to show us some of the useful and interesting flora of the rain forest.