Transportation Needs

‘It’s not easy’ is a very common phrase that I hear in Damongo. I joke with my new friends that it should be the motto underneath the Ghanaian flag. Perhaps it could be translated into Latin: ‘non facile est.’ In truth, things being easy or not is a very relative term. Arguably, none of us has it ‘easy’. When I hear the phrase in Ghana, it is not said with any resentment or sadness. It’s just a statement of fact. The people here are amazingly resilient. Many are used to living on the fringe and making due with what little they have. Being very community and family oriented certainly eases the burdens, at least spiritually. Their traditions place great value in looking out for each other and sharing. Frankly, it’s something that we have lost in the West and could relearn from them.

One of the biggest obstacles here is transportation. While the costs of basic food, shelter and clothing are very relative in the developed and less developed areas of the world, vehicles and fuel are not. Like most developing countries, the most common form of getting from one place to another in rural Ghana is by foot, a healthy tradition I have happily embraced. Longer distances are most commonly traversed by means of bicycles, scooters and small motorcycles. When you see a car or pickup truck, it’s common to see upwards of 15-20 people in and on them (and 4-5 on a cycle!). These are the basic ways Ghanaians attempt to address fuel and vehicle costs. For reasons I will clarify, my role here as a contractor and facilities manager often demands a more utilitarian means of transport: a work-dedicated and shared-usage pickup truck.

The Diocese of Damongo is 11,000 square miles in area (a little larger than the state of Massachusetts) and serves approximately 410,000 people in 13 parishes. While my work is mainly centered at the Secretariat and its Unity Centre Complex (guesthouse, restaurant and bar) as a manager and head of maintenance, there is also a glaring need for my abilities to repair diocese buildings in the outlying parishes. Unfortunately, there is currently no vehicle or driver assigned either to the Unity Centre Complex to take care of such things as food and beverage procurement and the transport of larger maintenance materials or for building maintenance at the outlying parishes. My proposal here will help to solve both issues.

The Unity Centre serves as the Diocese’s sole method of generating income, and often times the restaurant matron and I will engage private transportation to go into town and buy food, supplies and other materials which affects this very important bottom line. To maximize the efficiency of my manager/maintenance role here, it would seem that a vehicle, which is not currently budgeted for, is a necessity.

The Secretariat and the local and outlying parish ministries are the first line of defense in the battle against poverty (national per capita income is about $2200, but far less in rural areas like Damongo and the 13 other parishes). Equally important, is that the church serves as the source of spiritual well-being and community. The people here take great pride in their worship, always clean and well-dressed and participating with great energy in the weekly and special services. Like any other structures over time, the churches and other diocese buildings need repair and would greatly benefit from the simple, regular maintenance that I could provide and thus help to foster that pride and devotion that congregations and employees bring to the buildings. This is a large part of the reason Lay Mission Helpers sent me here and, as of now, is a scope of work that has yet to be addressed mainly because of transportation issues.

Currently, the diocese owns a vehicle (2008 Nissan D22) that needs @$4,300 in repairs to make it safely road ready for travel within Damongo and the more difficult travel to parishes further away. In addition, my licensing, insurance and miscellaneous fees would total @$1,000 and a years-worth of fuel and oil changes is estimated at @$1100 per year. The appeal I’m asking you to consider would total $7,500 (repairs, fees, 2 years of fuel and miscellaneous costs). Any donation would be greatly appreciated as I try to live up to the LMH credo and mission of ‘For we are God’s Helpers.’ (1 Cor 3:9)

You can make a tax-deductible donation on the LMH website www.laymissionhelpers.org by selecting the DONATE button and choosing “Mark McGraw’s Mission”.

Peace and prayers, & my deep thanks in advance!