It was the 27th of April 1960, that we came here at Kythera.
Precisely one year later we again landed on the rough shores of the old island, after a wonderful time in Athens and Western Europe, full of all sorts of events. After a stormy travel with a kaïki from Gythion to Agia Pelagia, in the grey dawn of the new day, we landed on good solid concrete and looked around and tried to visualize what we had gone through this past year.
Lots of people still are saying “What does this Koksma-group…?”
Can we give an answer?
Yes sure, we can.
My wife and I measured the environments of Karavas, of Potamos, of Gerakari, of Agia Pelagia, of Logothetianika, of Mitata and something above Kapsali in order to get the data we needed for a design for domestic water. We were able to finish three (3) of these designs, that of Karavas, of Logothetianika, and that of Potamos.
The Nomarchia promised us all possible cooperation for the effectuation of these schemes. We hope that the future will soon show how well this goes.
We made a design for a sports hall at Potamos and this is almost ready now.
We finished some 1400 meter temporary fencing, to protect the young trees, around Myrtidia Monastery.
We finished the foundation of the experimental water retaining dam at Myrtidia.
We improved many unpainted things at the hospital at Potamos. Lateron we made a design for the improvement of the building of this hospital.
We made a design for a shop in Potamos, but this was not executed.
We made the design for the roof of the market hall at Potamos, for a hotel at Agia Pelagia and in Kapsali, for stables at several locations.
We (especially our American team member) made a complete (social) review of the island. And certainly due to this same American is, that there have been planted all sorts of trees on the island, although this is only a weak start.
Far more than 100.000 trees are now growing in nurseries and Yiannis Zerlendes and his helper Kosta worked wonderful.
By means of our work we could provide for a good education for one of the smartest children of the island.
We were able to give some looms to the girls’ school of Mylopotamos.
We did a lot of talking, wrote letters and articles to secure the help of other parties: there came a bulldozer, an air compressor, and 2 sheep. Along the way are two to three bulls, artesian well drilling and the best X-ray set for the hospital, and also a radio distribution system for the hospital. We also have promises for help for the domestic water systems for several (3) villages.
(In Word by Jean Bingen, Nov 2009)
(Parts taken from an article by J.M. Koksma to the Kythiraïki Typos in April 1961)