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We were able to complete the block work on the first floor of the storied building. For lack of space where to keep the students, we converted two classrooms upstairs into dorms for the boys. You will remember that we run our secondary school entirely as a boarding school. We intend that the top floor of this building, when built, will be the dormitory for the boys.

This year, too, we were able to qualify for the accreditation of our secondary school by the government at the Junior Secondary level. That took a lot, believe me! Thanks to the good books that many of you donated last year, our library was rated the best in our state. We shall start the Senior Secondary level when school reopens on September 29, this year. For the accreditation at this level, much more is required. Part of the requirement is teachers. Up until now we had to use the services of some part-time teachers and some on national youth service. But now, we have to have permanent teachers. So, we have hired a new and resident principal with a sense of mission and eight new teachers to add to the six we had before. Of course, to be able to keep them, we have to pay them relatively well, since they are all college graduates, even though our pay cannot match what they would get if they were to be employed by the government. But, the government is not hiring! $75.00 (seventy-five dollars) a month will encourage one teacher to work for us.

To make sure that these teachers are available to render optimal service, we have had to put up a building to house them. It is not possible to rent any room or house for them in the village where the school is located. So, we stared the house in July of this year, hoping that by some miracle, it will be ready for the teachers by the end of September. Since this is a priority, we have to cut down on the number of new students for the next academic year starting in September.

CHALLENGES
Dear coworker in the vineyar of the Lord and co-care-provider for the Lord' s little ones, I guess that many of you know better than I do that the development of any child is a joy and a challenge at the same time to the parents. Sometimes I tell myself that if I had known the involvement of this school project I most probably would not have gone in for it. As the students increase (we had 106 this year), so the responsibilities on our part increase. Up until now, they have been fetching water from a nearby spring water outlet to supplement the underground reservoir of rainwater that we have. This outlet serves also the villagers. Sometimes the students have to wait long before they are able to get water, and some of the youth from the village can be rough too. Only one person gets water from the outlet at a time. Consequently, we thought of sinking a well in the school premises for the students.

After spending the equivalent of $3000.00 (three thousand dollars) on the well project, the contractor said he hit a large deposit of clay and could not continue, since he was usirig a manually driven machine. We contacted another contractor who said it would cost the equivalent of about $9,400.00 (nine thousand, four hundred dollars) to sink the well using a motor-driven machine. The need for this well is ~ rather urgent now, not only because of the student population, but also because soon it will be the dry season back home. Think also of the situation where the underground reservoir supplies water for the construction works that we do at the school as well.

Just to foresee the question some of you may have about the school bus, I have no good news concerning that bus. Between the unavailability of genuine repair parts and mechanics that are not honest, we have suffered a lot of stress and distress over the bus for no use. A mechanic bought a motor for the bus last year, but it turned out that it was not a good one. So, right now, we have no school bus. And that is adversely - affecting, especially, our nursery and primary schools. We are down from 460 pupils to 247. Drastic, isn't it? But we are hopeful, and our hope will not deceive us!

I

The grounded school bus in front of the school block

CONCLUSION
Looking at our checklist of special needs as of last year, we have accomplished much, even certain things that
we could not foresee. Thanks be to God! However, the following require urgent attention in this order:
1. The sinking of a well for the students ~ ~
2. The completion of the teachers' house
3. The completion of the dormitory
4. A dining hall for the students
5. Transportation for the school children
May the almighty Provider bless you and your families as you continue to be for the poorest of the poor a living evidence of His caring love. I am in the U.S. until October 5, 2003. You will be getting an invitation to an "Open House" being arranged by the members of our organization sometime this month. Please endeavor to come so that we can see each other and have some cordial interaction. See you then! But in case you cannot come and wish to contact me, feel free to call me at (817) xxx-xxxx, or by mail, 5808 Coldsworth Ct., Arlington, TX 76018.

Please find enclosed an advert for a catholic phone company that offers you the opportunity to pay less and yet with your phone bill, further support our mission for the greater glory of God and your eternal happiness.

Sincerely yours as always in His Image,
- A j d 7

Rev. Fr. Akannamdi Gerard Mary Anyanwu (Chief Steward).