Young boys and older men with greying beards half-heartedly mixed cement and worked iron rods as we walked through the site and were shown the skeleton of a 16 classroombuilding.
Paterno promoted a "Grand Experiment" of doing it the correct way, of not falling prey to the cheap tricks and classroom shortcuts, and building a winning program of integrity.
"I called to check on another classmate who was still inside the building and she said the classroom was on lockdown and she said one of the classmates had been stabbed, " said Margo Shimfarr-Evans told KHOU-TV.
The project, coordinated by Sazani Associates, has been included as an ESD success story for its focus capacity building both inside and outside the classroom.
He highlights a bright spot: A building in the community converted to a makeshift classroom and library where residents can get tutoring help and then take the GED --- the high school equivalency exam.