The bulldozer, make Allis Chalmers, was donated to the Kythera WCC Team by the German Aid Organisation “Brot für die Welt” and arrived at Kapsali in 1961 (March 9). Its steel tracks would damage the asphalted roads, in those years being from Kapsali to Potamos and from Karvounades to Mylopotamos. Therefor it had to make detours to avoid these roads. Lots of agricultural roads were bulldozered and accesses made to properties. Everybody could hire this machine for 100 drachmes an hour. Collecting of costs for the amount of hired hours still many times was rather difficult. Unfortunately too many times it needed some repair and spare parts were difficult and expensive to get from Athens.
A new home economic school for girls in Mylopotamos was from the beginning as of 1960 a main project for Anna and George Koksma. Its construction started in 1964 by the bulldozer demolishing a stone wall surrounding the property. A deep excavation was required for the water cellar.
Volunteering youth from The Netherlands came to Kythira to excavate for column footings and interconnecting foundation beams. They strung reinforcement and poured concrete.They also enjoyed in another way the availability of the bulldozer.
*on the photo summer work campers from the Netherlands in the year 1964
From the small village Agia Anastasia to Agia Pelagia there did not exist a road. One of the Team’s projects was to promote agricultural reform. To prove to farmers that a reasonable living was to be obtained from even rather poor soil they wanted to start an experimental garden. For this Anna Koksma bought in her name a property at Pagouroti in April 1962. Slowly, slowly, a dirt road was cut from the village up to Pagouroti. There it ended in 1965. The remainder 1500 meter to Agia Pelagia was cut out in the mountainous slope early 1966.
In The Netherlands, in the town Vlaardingen, youth had adopted the project “Water to three villages” in 1965. These three villages were Ano and Kato Livadi and Katouni. For this project a lot of money was collected in all kinds of very inventive ways in 1966. Also, two groups of each 30 youngsters came to Livadi to dig the required trenches for the installation of pvc pipes and pour the foundation for a large water tank on top of a nearby hill.
Too often the bulldozer broke down and costly repairs had to be done. The maintenance and management of the bulldozer was quite a burden for the Team. Therefor George Koksma was very content with the installation of a local committee by the Bishop in October 1966. This committee would take over the Team’s responsibility.
Other equipment: the air compressor and the jeep