Waya - Long Trip - Several Challenges

 I written and re-written this blog a few times. It is always too long. I get too much into the technical details that would interest the people on the Minneapolis Area Synod, Water Committee but not what regular people would be interested in. Yes guys you are not regular people.

We started the trip to visit Waya from Jimeta in Adamawa state on Monday morning April 2. We traveled through Numan and up to Gombe where we stopped for lunch at a roadside cafe near the bypass junction. Clean place and the three of us ate for 850 Naira ($5.40). It was a quick lunch. Then back on the road for Jos. We had arranged for a 6:30 dinner meeting for the pastors, mission committee members and the driller from Jos. I was called on our way to Bauchi and asked to hold the meeting at 5:00 PM so people can get home before it got dark. The security situation in Jos makes travel at night difficult. I checked with Yakubu and my GPS, both said we will make it in time. We moved the meeting to 5:00.

As we were going through the railroad crossing on the east edge of Bauchi, a group of young men in safety vests, tossed boards with nails in them into the road and signaled us to pull over. We did. They told us they worked for the local government and were inspection vehicle certifications. This is a national program which authorizes the local government to certify vehicles and issue decals for the Local Government, State Government, Federal Government and other groups. Adamawa State was not yet doing this. We told them we were from Adamawa and would get the certificates when we returned. They said we could not pass until we paid 25,000 naira ($160). Yakubu told them we do not have that kind of money and explained to them that we were NGO's and were working on drilling boreholes in Bauchi State so their people could  have water. That they had educated us and we should now go. The young men were firm they wanted their Naira. We asked for their identification. They refused. We said OK one of you get in we will go to your office. They said no not until 4:00PM. We got out and hailed a taxi to go to the Bauchi Local Government offices. There we discovered the boys were working for a contractor for the local government tax collector. After an hour of arguing the head of the tax department called the contractor and asked him to come over. We ended up paying only 15,000 Naira and got the stack of certificates. Now it will be hard to get to Jos by 6:30.

We had our meeting with the District Pastor and the the District Church Mission team. Waya was not a concern to them. Then wanted to know when we were to start drilling in Polchi and Gadabiyu. I have not visited Polchi but did visited Gadabiyu last year. They said that the money for boreholes had been donated and they wanted the boreholes drilled. Yakubu explained the procedures to do the work. That the Water Team was part of the Medical Board now and the objective is to improve the health of the village. The village has to be prepared and have to agree on providing part of the funding, agree to maintenance, agree to sanitation and hygiene training and agree to building of VIP latrines if they do not have latrines in the village. They said the Danes did not have these requirements. The Danes do not require the village to give any naira just collect sand and give labor. We explained that our experience over the past five years is that naira was precious and labor or sand were of little value. If the village wanted to be part owners of the project they would donate a little naira. If they donate naira they will feel like they own it and will maintain it. I told them that we are not the White Man coming to help the Poor Nigerian. The Nigerian can help himself and we would help but we will not pay everything. The mission chairman seemed to understand but I do not think I made a friend of the District Pastor. It was now near 8 pm and the generator had little fuel. We arranged to meet the Catechist from Gadabiyu as our guide to Waya the next morning. We checked into our rooms to discover the water tank was empty that supplied the rooms and the barrels in the rooms were also empty. So we fetched water from the hand pump down by the main house and shared the little drinking water that was in our rooms. The next morning they turned on the generator and pumped water to the tank after we were at breakfast. 

 The next morning we were to meet the geologist at 8 to leave for Waya. They were there at 7. I am impressed with them. So far everything they have done has been professional and timely. Of course they wanted to leave and we wanted to eat breakfast. We did not know when our next meal will be. While we were eating they went to get camera batteries. We finished breakfast and needed to buy a little oil for the truck. The water truck is a 1995 Toyota Hi-Lux with a rebuilt 2.8 liter diesel engine. The only size of diesel engine oil the Total Station had was 4 liters. As we added the oil, the geologist called and we told them where we were. We joined up and then got another call. The Grace and Light Mission people had arrived back at Dogan Dutse Guest House with HIV test kits for their Yola office. We told them where we were and waited for them. The test kits were quite useful at the check points. When the soldier or police man asked what was in the bag and we said HIV test kit. He would look at me and I assume he assumed I was a doctor and would wave us through. Much easier than when our clothes or computer bags were on top of the piles.

Waya is a small village that was visited by a pastor from North Dakota a number of years ago. He was disturbed at the water the people were drinking. He decided he cannot help everyone in the world but he can help this one village. He has now contributed enough money to install two boreholes, two VIP latrines and provide sanitation/hygiene training in the village. VIP latrines are Ventilated Improved Pit latrines (not Very Important People latrines). The LCCN water program is part of the overall medical efforts of the LCCN to reduce illness and preventable deaths. Clean water at the water source by itself has a little effect on health. Clean water that is kept clean by proper sanitation and hygiene efforts have a greater effect. Hand washing, proper food handling and using a VIP latrine (followed by hand washing) will have the greatest effect on the health of the village. Sanitation and hygiene are harder to sell to the villages and the churches supporting the villages. Borehole water is seen as a status symbol and the cause and effect are immediate. When you are thirsty you drink water and quench your thirst. But for sanitation and hygiene the link between disease and sanitation is more remote and less easy to understand. When you get sick today it is harder to understand that it was caused by something you eat or drank up to 3 days ago. As long as I am up on my “Soap Box”, here is Jay’s understanding of the water priority for people living in rural villages: 1. Be able to collect enough water to live. 2. Have a water source as close to where you live and farm so you do not spend all day just collecting water. 3. Have clean water.

Hand dug well that is nearly empty. The water is muddy. Other hand dug wells had more water and were clear.

The village is split by a stream that floods during the rainy season. A single borehole would only help one side of the village. I changed my travel routine last year and visited the village on my way into Nigeria. Instead of flying from Abuja to Yola, I went by land and stayed a few day in Jos. The Jos District Church is the church that has worked with Waya in the past. The two churches in Waya are part of the Jos Distirct. Due to some confusion last year about two Pastor Emmanuels in Jos I was only able to visit Waya for a short time on a Sunday afternoon. I did not get in contact with the correct Pastor Emmanuel until Friday evening. During my brief visit I performed an initial survey and later created a draft project description and initial budget. It was 10% higher than the pastor had intended to donate. He said no problem, he can find another $1000.

Yakubu and Gary Sande from Global Health Ministries visited Waya last fall after the donor’s conference in Jos. They visited three villages. Waya and the two current mission out-reach areas of the Jos District (Gadabiyu anbd Polchi). Like my trip, their visit was brief in each village and they were not able to talk with the chief about the requirements of village participation, maintenance, sanitation and hygiene. I only visited 2 villages the third was too far for an afternoon visit. They started earlier and went to all three with the furthest village last and took back roads to Bauchi from there. They arrived late into the evening and totally worn out by the long day of driving on bad dirt roads.

 

We arrived at the less populated side village where the older Church is located with the driller, three geologists and their helper. We explained to the geologist that we did not want the borehole sited at the church because the Muslim part of the village would not use it. The geologist looked over the area and decided on three potential sites. While they were starting the geo-physical survey Yakubu went to the other side to speak with the chief. The chief had heard of the project and the village would be glad to participate. Wherever the geologist decide to put the borehole he will talk with the owner of the land and make sure they understand that it is a community borehole and he as chief fully supports the project.

 

We spent the whole day at Waya while the geologist performed surveys at six site. I spent most of the time in shade. In spite of SPF 30 sun screen my arms and neck got a little burned. This sun here is SPF 60. I had brought along a red and white checkered cloth. I soaked it in water and put it over my head to cool me and to protect my neck. I was told I looked like Yassar Arafat. As I walked up to the drillers they joked they thought that Al-Qaeda was coming. The kids would come to see the Batura but would not get close to me. For many of them I was the first white man they had seen. Others had seen me last year and Gary last fall. But they still would not get close to me until it was time for a picture.

The bad news is that the hydro-geology of the area does not look good. The basement rock is pretty solid and appears that the water is in the overburden and it the top few meters of the basement where the rock was weathered many centuries ago before it was buried. The plan is to drill through the weathered rock down into the solid material to make a reservoir to pump from. We will get the cost estimate for the work next week. We had hoped to find a site capable of handling a future solar powered borehole. But the rock fractures do not go deep. Even the hand pump may run dry. This is a site that my benefit from small check dams in the streams to force more water into the earth. The pro is a higher water table and less erosion. The con is that some loss of farm land could happen.

Little girl posed for me. I took several picture before a got a good exposure and good smile.

We ended the day at Bauchi with a visit to the Bauchi Church to talk to them about their project with Redeemer Lutheran of Minneapolis. Their companion congregation has raised enough money to install one borehole. The Bauchi Church has a mission field of six villages. All have similar problems with water. They want to put in six hand dug wells instead of one borehole. Gamakesa from the LCCN Rural Development Department had spent the previous day visiting all the sites. He will give us a cost estimate for the six hand dug wells with concrete walls, concrete covers and hand pumps after Easter. In general a properly built hand dug well is about half the cost of the borehole. The money that is available for their project will not cover 6 hand dug wells. They seemed to think that this was not a problem that Redeemer will furnish the funds. Yakubu went through the same conversation about participation that we had the previous evening in Jos. Then I told them that I was familiar with Redeemer Lutheran. That they are a small church in the poor part of Minneapolis. That they had worked hard for several years to save enough money for one borehole. I explained that Redeemer are involved with many programs in their own community. They feed the poor. They provide housing. They have youth programs and many other programs to help the poor in their community. Many of their members are poor themselves. They are a very active church that stretches their financial resources to the limits to help their neighbor in Nigeria and in America. It was hard for them to raise the money they have raised so far and do not expect that they will be able to quickly raise more money. (Sorry, my friends at Redeemer if I misrepresented you.) They were impressed that their companion was such an active church helping the poor. It probably is not my place to give the people a reality check. I have to be honest. People are always asking me to drill them a borehole. I look them in the eye and say "No". After their shocked expression goes away I tell them that "I will help you build your own borehole. Nigerians are capable of making their own boreholes. They do not need me or any other American to do it for them. We can help them by they must do it themselves."

Wednesday morning we left Bauchi headed home. Stopped at the Bauchi Church to say good bye to the Dean. His wife had hot water for tea and coffee ready for us and fried Irish potatoes. The night before he had said something about Irish and I heard coffee. I missed him saying potatoes. I asked if he was going to give us Irish Coffee? He knew what Irish Coffee was and laughed and said Irish potatoes. Yakubu did not know about Irish Coffee and did not know what was so funny. Adams, the Dean and I were laughing and poor Yakubu was wondering what the joke was. I explained it is coffee with alcohol. He asked they add a little alcohol to their coffee. We laughed again and said no, not a little. The Irish add a lot. (Sorry, my Irish friends but I have stereotyped you.)

As we were getting in the truck to head to Yola, Yakubu looked at his truck registration and insurance card. They had expired. We got past Gombe and we were stopped by the Gombe Vehicle Inspection Officers. Yakubu said "this will cost me." It cost us an hour and 7,000 naira. They had a manual typewriter with them and they typed up new registrations and new insurance papers on the spot. With as many people they had pulled over the wait was to get your turn with the typist. All very professional and official. Not like the young men in Bauchi. Like Bauchi any one with local plates were not inspected. We had plates from Plateau State.

Our final stop was in Lamurde. It was partially a waste of time. The Bible College was on holiday and the principal was not available. Global Health is interested in doing a borehole for the Bible College.The road from the main highway to Lamurde can hardly be called a road. Disconnected patches of asphalt. You spend more time on the dirt shoulder than on the road bed. Probably average 20 to 30 kilometers per hour. Finally, we stopped in Numan for an Nigerian lunch / dinner (pounded rice with okra soup and a little tuff meat. Got back to Jimeta before nightfall which is 6:30 this near the equator.

March 17th - Jos to Yola - What is in that box?

Today there is only one goal. To get from Jos to Yola. Pastor Ansom picked up at 6:30 sharp. He checked my out of the lodge and took me to the bus park where I got in a bus (15 seat van) of the Adamawa Sunshine Transportation Company. The first clue there could be problems was when they push started the bus. It kept running but the shifting was difficult for the driver. Unfortunately, with the pot holes and many check points the transmission has to be shifted often as we slow or stop and accelerate back through the gears. At each checkpoint I peer out from behind the large box I am taking along with me. The policeman or soldier looks a little surprised to is a white man on public transportation. Then they ask what is in the box. I explain it is donated items from America and show them the TSA seals on the box. Sometime the driver says clothes. One soldier wanted to see documents. I should him a letter I had prepared that explained what was in the box and where they were going. He noticed my slogan “The CIA that is helping people.” and asked if I worked for them pointing to the CIA and smiling. I smiled and said yes. He laughed and waved us through. 

When we got to the middle of Bauchi at the military check point just in front of the Peoples Democratic Party zonal headquarters the gear box gave a bang and the gear shifter was no longer doing anything. The engine shut down and the conductor jumped out to get some men the help push start the bus. The driver tried to jam it into gear but nothing was happening. They pushed us to the curb. Now here we sit in front of the main political party zonal headquarters, just beyond their entrance road. People were gathering for a big meeting with to head of the party scheduled to arrive. My big box in the window of the bus. Security was not happy. The driver called a mechanic. I could hear him sawing and hammering under the bus. The puddle of transmission grease in the street told me this van was not going to move.  Finally, they told us to push it back beyond the entrance to the PDP building. People were arriving by the car load and the line to get through security was out to our bus.  Here we set with a bus full of bags and my large box. After about an hour and a half they called for another bus. Soon a truck load of soldiers showed up. The Captain shouts “What is this bus doing here. Where is the driver. Move it. Move it Now.” The people had been unloading the van and their luggage was on the sidewalk. They explained what happened and showed the Captain the transmission fluid on the pavement. He told us to push it back into the parking area for a nearby store. Soon the newer but slightly smaller van showed up. With only a 2 hour delay we were off and I was glad we were away from the biggest target in northern Nigeria. 

Loading baggage into new bus

This new van was not as long or wide as the last van. My feet barely fit between our row of seats and the front seats. The seats had more padding which was good since we had most of the journey left to go. After a few hours without being able to move my knees my old soccer referee injury began to ache in my right knee. An hour later we arrived at the Numan bridge over the Benue River and another check point. The two year old that was two rows back could not hold his pee any longer. They handed him forward and I lady held him up to the window as we crept slowly up to the check point. Some of the vendors sitting along the road quickly covered their wares.

At the check point, an Army Corporal with fancy sunglasses and an attempt at a New York accent asked me where I was from then asked for my passport. He looked at it and one of my older Nigerian Visas then asked about the big box. I told him there were computer donated in the US going to Yola. He said “Let me see them”. I told him that I have documents and he said “I don’t want to see documents, I want to see the computers.” So we emptied bus and got the box out. It had been opened and inspected at the Minneapolis airport so it was sealed with TSA tape. We found an old saw blade on the ground and cut open the boxes. There were four computers also with TSA tape and each marked as inspected. I told him. “See, 4 computer each sealed by the US Government.” He was satisfied and my knee was no longer hurting. I thanked him and told him I really needed to get out and stretch my legs. He gave me a big smile. We loaded back into the bus and headed into Yola. I turned and apologized to the people in the van. The laughed and said no problem. 

I had been texting Yakubu my progress whenever I had a cell signal. As we approached Yola I sent him a message but the status stayed at sending. Finally, I checked my account balance. My prepaid account had 0.30 Naira. I takes 5 Naira for a text. Now I can only receive calls and texts but I cannot send. Yakubu called me and I told him where were and I did not know where bus was going to finally stop. When he called again, I told him we were now turning on to the road to the market, he said he was not far behind. The bus stopped at the Jimeta “Ultra Modern” market right at 5 PM as the market was closing. The streets were jammed with motorbikes, peddlers with wheelbarrows filled with merchandise, people and cars. A few minutes later Yakubu drove in the cluster of vehicles. We tossed my box and bagging in the back of his truck and headed down the street to the Jimeta Cathedral compound. 

The kids of the security man that lives in the round house between Yakubu’s office and the old mission house I live in, saw me coming and started jumping up and down. Their family has been working on cleaning the house the last few days. No one had been there in almost a year. They had it pretty clean for having had two Harmattans this year. But there was no water in the water barrels. I will stay at the Adip Hotel for the night.

March 16th Dogon Dutse Guesthouse and Bats, Bats and more Bats

I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast and tea. While eating Pastor Amson called to tell me he was coming with a member of his church who works for a driller and could familiarize us with the drillers and part supply in the area. They arrived as I was finishing the last piece of toast.

The driller, Michael Josiah Sande, is a partner in the company Supel Jos. They have 2 drill rigs, 4 compressors, and their own equipment and staff to perform geo-physical surveys. He has over 15 years of drilling experience working for European and Nigerian companies. They only drill after they have completed a geo-physical survey. All of the area from Jos to Gombe is primarily “basement complex”. Boreholes with an Afridev pump installed run between 500,000 to 570,000 Naira and are normally 25 to 40 meters deep. He told us that there are few drillers in Bauchi and Gombe area. They mostly hire drillers from Jos. There are many drillers in Jos. Due to the current security situation they are not drilling in Bauchi city but will go up to the edge of the city. His company is one of the drillers that have contracted for UNICEF.

As for the availability of pump parts He told us that you can buy any pumps or parts you need in Jos but they are expensive. In Jos you pay 70,000 Naria for a Afridev pump. He has a supplier in Kano who will ship a pump down to Jos for 60,000 Naira.

I am happy to see that they are using the Afridev pump. It is a little more expensive than the India Mark II that is the common pump in Adamawa. But it is a stronger pump with less parts, the handle is adjustable for the depth of water in the borehole and it is easier to maintain. A person in the village with a two simple inexpensive tools can pull the foot valve and piston without removing the riser pipes. Replacement of the leathers and gaskets on the foot valve and piston are the most common repairs made to a pump. The India Mark II takes a team to repair the pump. To get to the foot valve and piston the riser pipes with the cylinder attached have to be removed from the borehole. If the foot valve does not leak and the steel riser pipe does not have leaks the pipes will be full of water adding to the weight. With a deep borehole it takes three men to lift the pipes and the job can be dangerous. Once above ground it the cylinder has to be disassembled to get remove the piston and foot valve.

Another problem that is solved by using the Afridev pump is that the riser pipes are made of PVC with stainless steel fittings. We have been finding the galvanized steel riser pipes used in Adamawa have rusted through and have to be replaced. In one borehole last year we replaced more than half of the riser pipes. The piston was in pretty good shape but more water was leaking out of the riser pipe than reached the top. The people had to pump hard to get little water.

Borehole with electric pump.

Yakubu Bulama, the Water Projects Director, had also asked me to look into the pump problems they were having at the guest house. The water and other programs that I have been working with have emphasized self reliance. I started the discussion of the guest house water before Michael had left. Pastor Ansom explained the situation that they had two boreholes drilled in 2004. One did not have enough water for an electric pump so they installed an Afridev hand pump. Michael had fixed the Afridev last year and trained the maintenance man in routine maintenance and repair. The other borehole had an electric pump that pumped water up to the storage tanks above the guest house. The pump is operated manually. In the dry season the pump run dry and if the operator does not shut it down soon enough it can burn out the motor. Pastor Amson has had the motor rewound before and was wondering if a hand pump could be installed. Michael said it could be done but it would be less expensive to install a pump that has a low water shut-off and overheating protections with a new controller. He said that the cost would be between 45,000 and 50,000 Naira. The Afridev would be 60,000 Naria plus the cost of the riser pipes and the building of concrete platform. Pastor Amson also took us to the pump in one of his hand dug wells that also supplies water to the storage tanks was not working. Michael suggested that the controller may be the problem here and not the pump. The guest house maintenance man who also operated the water system came over with his tools and they determined there was power going to the motor. The motor was trying to spin the impeller but was just torqueing the riser pipe. We pulled the pump and cleaned debris from the screen and from behind the screen. After reinstalling the pump in the well, the motor ran and pumped water. To keep this well operating a float system that turns the pump off before air and any floating debris can enter, should be installed. Michael said that float switches are available in Jos. Also, Michael suggested that the well should be cleaned and chlorinated. A better cover needs to be installed that will decrease the amount of insects and other debris from entering the well.

Clinton and Pastor Ansom

At 5PM Pastor Ansom stopped by with Clinton the guard dog. This picture does not show how large Clinton is. In the daylight he is menacing in the dark he must look like a monster. People do not go outside after 10 PM when Clinton is working. Later in the evening as I was waiting for the bookkeeper to pay my bill bats started to appear out of the haze of the Harmattan dust. First there were a few merging out of the haze and blending back into as they head for their hunting grounds. As I stood there the few became dozens and then more then more than I could count. Wave after wave of bats continued for the next half hour. They were still zooming over when I was driven inside by the mosquitoes.

March 15 – Travel from Abuja to Jos

Today the diocese’s driver Joseph picked me up on his way to work and drove me to the Nynanya Church. Bishop Ben was waiting for me. We walked over to the Bluewhales Transport Company bus parking area and Joseph drove up the shoulder the wrong way with my bags. Bluewhales drives vans and small buses from Nyanya to Jos several times per day. They put the large box on the back seat as a paid passenger. The cost was 1000 naira ($6.37) each (me and my box). They wanted to see the receipts for the TV in the big box. I told them that it was not a TV but donated equipment for the Charitable Trust in Adamawa and they were brought in American. I showed them a copy of the official looking letter I had written and put in the box. They were happy with that and told me to have the letter available. 

The bus holds almost 40 people if you do not count the kids on laps. We were full except one seat when we left the bus park at at noon. My seat was a tiny one between the side door and the front door. My computer bag took up most of the leg room and my man purse was in my lap. Yes I carry a bag on these trips. It has my gps, hand sanitizer, multi-tool, hand level, camera, notebook, pens, and the rest of my mobile office. You can see it on the table in the restaurant at ECWA in the previous post.

About a half hour into the trip the driver stopped at a market. The peddlers in the area attacked the bus shoving all sorts of items through the windows at us. The man in the front seat and the tall man sitting on the jump seat over the engine both loaded up on fresh bananas. The prices out in the country are lower and the food fresher than in the city

After about 15 minutes another man got in for the one vacant seat. The bus erupted in shouting. The passengers were upset that with the security situation the driver was putting on a man that was not on the manifest. Most of the people did not know that the driver only had the first page of the manifest with 24 names. The driver ignored all the yelling and the man held is own in the seat right in the middle of the bus. The driver let everyone vent for a while and then turned up the radio. 

The first couple military check points went smooth. Then just before a check point at a railroad crossing the Federal Road Safety stopped us. The driver showed them the fire extinguisher and his drivers license. Then the officer looked at me and told the driver to get out of the bus. They went to the back of the bus and opened the boot were the rest of the luggage stored. They were back there for a few minutes and then we went on. I figure he had to negotiate a little. We went through several more check points and a little ways outside of Jos we started stopping to let off passengers. It seemed like about every quarter mile we stopped. 

Canada House at LCCN Guest House

Finally, we reached the bus park but the driver kept going. He told me that he was driving up to Dogon Karfi dropping people and then coming back. Pastor Amson was waiting at the bus park and flagged down the driver a few hundred feet down the road. We got my bag out of the boot and passed the box out a side window. He brought me to Dogon Dutse area if Jos to the LCCN Guesthouse. I checked the location on my smartphone GPS and it showed lodging called Christian Guest House. I am impressed with the accuracy of streets on the maps (maps are licensed from Tom Tom by Sygic). I am the only guest at the guest house. They usually host more travelers and conferences. But due to the security situation the business is very low.  Amson has a member of one of the churches here in Jos coming over Friday morning to discuss drilling in Jos area and the availability of parts here in Jos. 

Got to Amsterdam (Updated March 12)

Flight from Minneapolis to Amsterdam and on to Abuja

Things for other people.

I have departed on my seventh trip to Nigeria. I have my Visa and been collecting things to bring. It started as one GPS, some donated American Sign Language books, and an envelope for a companions church. Now is a full box and more. In addition to my GPS, cameras, and computer I will have 4 computer, 8 cameras, two battery chargers, a GPS, and a large comfy towel.  I will take a couple of the sign language the Signing for Idiots on the plane with me to practice. I am back to a one year old level of sign. 

My flight leaves Sunday March 11th from Minneapolis to Amsterdam. It is a little over 8 hours and 7 hours of time changes. I have three hours in Amsterdam (long enough to loose my luggage.) then a 6 hour flight on KLM to Abuja. I arrive on Monday night a little later than I started. I have confirmed that someone from the Abuja Diocese will pick me up at the airport Monday night. Probably, my good friend Bishop Benjamin Fuduta. By the time I get to the ECWA guesthouse it will be near midnight.

I hope to spend a few days with someone from the Abuja Diocese to research pump and pump parts suppliers and have a discussion with the Abuja Diocese on their water, sanitation and development goals. In Abuja I will have 3G or 2G in most parts of the city.

From Abuja it looks like the water team from Yola will be working in the Bauchi area and I will hook up with them. Probably catch a ride to Jos first, then join them. Mr Yukubu Bulama has told me he has many projects waiting for me in Adamawa State.

One week while I am there I hope to drive over to Bali and visit Pastor Bunduku and the Bali Project over in Taraba State.

 Jimeta has 2G internet (EDGE) over the cell phone most of the day, but will drop to 1G (GPRS) fairly routinely. At midnight the cell tower with internet shuts down to save generator fuel.

This is the first time with a smartphone in Nigeria. I should be able to post to Facebook from the phone. I will also be able to find out what level of internet is available in Bali and other remote areas. Probably will only be 1G.

Bad news is the Yakubu Bulama's US Visa was not approved. He said they were mostly approving immigrant visas and few of the business/tourist nonimmigrant. I am trying to organize an appeal for reconsideration. I found a FAQ about the visa that said you have to show significant economic and social ties to Nigeria. The application is not very good to that end. Yakubu certainly has those. Now how do we show that on his next application.