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John in Ghana's Home Damaged in Storm, Flooding in Philippines [1]
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Date: 2023-09-14
This is just a brief update.
Some months ago my friend John in Ghana was fortunate to be able to buy a small plot of ground in the James Town area of Accra in Ghana. At the time he bought it, it was basically just a framework in what is the slum area of the city. His intention is to use it as a shelter for homeless children and those in need.
At any rate, since purchase John has done major improvements. Instead of just some beams it now has solid walls. He has been living there to save expenses and he has even opened a small shop there, selling odds and ends to the local customers. For a very limited budget and such a short time he has done wonders.
What he did not do was put up zinc sheeting for a roof. He just had covered it with a plastic tarp to protect the interior.
Two days ago a heavy thunderstorm blew in off the ocean while John and I were chatting online. It stripped the tarp from the roof and rain flooded in. This was not just a mild shower, this was a heavy downpour in a severe storm. He sent me photos of water literally pouring through the rooms.
Many of his possessions were ruined, including his computer that he uses for his work promoting the music of the homeless children he is mentoring. (He can still communicate by phone, fortunately.)
Well, I am not trying to tell a tale of woe. Yesterday we raised the funds (thank you to my friends!) and John bought zinc sheeting this morning. Today the carpenter is going to put up a new roof and hopefully the end will be better than the beginning.
I have no idea how John will eat for the rest of the month but sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.
The flooding in the Philippines is another story I will just tack on here. One of the people we work with is a poor young woman named Criselda who lives in the Philippines. She is in a very desperate situation financially but I admit I don’t know her very well.
At this time any work we may do there is just in a very preliminary, planning stage but hopefully at some point she will be able to do some of the things in her country that we are doing in Ghana and elsewhere right now.
Yesterday she sent me a message that they had had flooding there and included a video of a neighborhood street with cars sitting in water up to their windows. She asked for help but right now there is nothing I can do.
On a brighter note something is happening that may be good news. I will post an update perhaps tomorrow or as soon as I have something definite.
God bless.
Update: It is now 7:46 PM EDT and John just messaged me that he has finished fixing his roof. After the tarp blew off his house was wide open to the sky but he now has it covered with zinc sheets so his belongings are now safe from the rain.
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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/14/2193301/-John-in-Ghana-s-Home-Damaged-in-Storm-Flooding-in-Philippines
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