Compound factions

Down a mud road, just off the end of the tarmac, Stephen and Ritziki have rented a compound from the local butcher. Family, some students and the volunteers all stay here whilst helping at the school that is 10 mins walk away, also in hired premises for now .
The compound, reached through a narrow gap between buildings which serves as the spout for water collected in the yard, is a series of square, concrete, single story rooms interconnected only by the exterior. They all have a window at the rear and a steel door at the front. Beds are all doubles: two for the family, three for the girls, and two for the boys. Luckily, I have one to myself.
The tree is laden with mangoes. What a shame they are nowhere near ripe.
One of the rooms has a camping gas stove and is used to store pans and crockery - as well as another double bed. So this is the kitchen, and home to the motorbike at night.
We eat in the living room, sitting on sofas around a coffee table.
The local butcher owns the shop at the end. He chops meat up with an axe, starting at six every morning and selling everything by 2 or 3 p.m. Just as well since there is no fridge.Read more