A landscape improvement work undertaken for the Sacred Heart Catholic church ground at Hohola, National Capital District, has come to a sudden stop due to lack of funds.
The much-needed K250,000 work involving excavation, back-filling and stone walling started in March this year, but was suspended two weeks ago pending availability of fund.
Upon completion of the landscape work, there would bigger car parking area as well as catering for extension of the church building and the parish priest’s residence.
The work includes 200 metres of stone walling with seven metres high back filling.
Project manager Alphonse Kalai said K82,000 has been spent employing 15 unemployed youths to manually do excavation work into the rocky hill as well as backfilling and stonewalling.
Kalai said the money was mainly from tithes, fund raising by parents of students attending Sacred Heart Primary School and individual contributions from Christians.
He was concerned of erosion and wash-out caused by rain water following the current frequent rains.
“The shortage of funds has not dampened our spirits to continue fund raising to complete the job before Christmas,” Kalai said.
The original plan was for work to be completed in three months, well before December 25, 2017, to celebrate Christmas with the church ground improvements.
Fund raising efforts are continuing with letters to business houses and public appeal for financial assistance.
Those willing to assist are to contact Hohola Parish Priest, Fr Justin Ratsy, or Kalai.
(Project manager Alphonse Kalai, right, with Fr Ostin Magara, Assistant Priest of Hohola Catholic Parish, standing along the incomplete seven-metre high stone wall and excavation work at the background)