Power Pole.jpg (22 of 44)

August 18, 2007 Hi there, Two pictures attached. Robert completed his 5 day traffic instruction course yesterday and attached is the graduation photo. Robert is easy to find..the only white guy! I love this photo! He looks great and has a wonderful smile. This is the Robert I love and miss. He shared that completing this class was the most important thing he has done since he arrived because he actually felt like he made a difference. Other photo shows how they install power poles in Yei. See his description below. "The are installing power poles all along the main roads of Yei first, then the secondary roads. They are making great progress, when Mark and I first came here there was only four poles in the ground and they were at the power generator plant. Now there is over 80-100 poles in the ground. They are being funded by an American government company who employees all locals and trains them to be linemen. The amazing part is they dig the holes and install the poles all by hand.. no machines at all. The picture is of them using a rope and pulley with their "Dinka spears" holding the pole to up it up right in the hole." Robert said it takes one day to install a pole and at the rate they are going it will be one year before the main roads will be completed and 2 to 3 before all of Yei has power. He said Yei geographically is the size of Bedford and has about 100,000 people. That's all for now Paula