The Container
Ninth Report, 30^th April

In 2003, Paul Mobbs went to Jamaica for a month to assist in training and building 'The Container'. These pages document his visit.

The Container IS HERE!!

Reports from Jamaica –
No.9, 30^th April

By the time we got to The Container, people were already hard at working setting up for the launch. We waited for the floor to be covered, and then we were able to get in to get everything up and running.

After getting everything up, I went to work on the server to install web pages for people to browse (we still have no phone connection, so for the moment, everything will have to be run locally). Then we turned off the monitors and shut the doors and windows (fingers crossed that all the processor fan's I'd fixed still worked, and they computer's wouldn't overheat).

The locals turned up, and then the local dignitaries, and the launch got underway. Various people spoke about the project, and Mervin. This included a couple of Mervin's local school teachers who seemed happy that he didn't turn out to be so bad after all.

Then The Container was officially opened. A group of us rushed in to open the windows, and turn on the monitors (phew! – they all still worked even though it was hot in there). Then with a one-way system in operation around the table, everyone walked through to see the finished Container.

Later in the evening I put together about 80 of the 350 or so photos I'd taken over the past two weeks in a slide show. Mervin managed to get hold of a data projector, and we projected onto the walls of the old shop, from the door of The Container, so everyone could see the transformation from rough container and boxed junk to a function access space.

We had a little party, with a really loud sound system, and not too late, went back to Spanish Town.