The Prayer, the Frame, and the Last Week’s First Step | Diary Entry - 9th June 2025

Yesterday was Whit Sunday, and today, being Whit Monday, was a public holiday too. But for me, the concept of "holiday" rarely means a pause. Today wasn’t an exception. While the town might have been slow and sleepy, the plant had its own rhythm to maintain - and so did I.

The morning meeting had a sparse attendance. Mr. Edoh and Mr. Mensah were missing, so the usual ceremonial flow of prayer and translation seemed to have lost its pace.

But what could possibly stop me?

I stood up, took a deep breath, and sang “Itni Shakti Hamen Dena Daata...” in full voice. Two minutes and fifteen seconds of complete surrender, echoing through the room like a call to awaken not just the body, but the spirit.
This prayer has been my lifelong companion - through difficult shutdowns, long journeys, and moments of silence. And today, it wasn’t just a melody; it was a message - to myself and to those present:
Even when the system slows down, the soul must sing louder.

After the prayer, I took the liberty to translate it in English, explaining the meaning line by line. I could see a few nods - curious eyes, trying to connect not just with the words, but with the intent.

Then, I invited Mr. Aluih to speak about the significance of Whit Monday, and he did a decent job explaining its religious roots and regional observance. It felt important - to know why we were on holiday, not just that we were.

The HOD meeting was short, concise, and efficient - because I led it. No frills, just focus.
It’s the start of my final week at WACEM, and I want each moment to be intentional.

During the plant round, something caught my eye - a team was fabricating a large metal frame. I didn’t need to ask much; I could guess they were building a screen for the feeding hopper - a protective measure to stop oversized stones or hard lumps from entering the system.

Good intention. But the execution was off.

Once again, I found myself at a crossroads where initiative meets ignorance. I couldn’t help but think: in an era where knowledge is just a click away, how can we still operate with such mechanical instincts and zero design thinking?

I asked a few questions. Their logic was simple: “This is how we’ve seen it done.”
I paused and replied, “And this is why you keep seeing it break again.”

So I drew a simple sketch, right there on a piece of cardboard. I explained the right approach - how slant angles matter, why the support structure must be designed with easy-to-clean access, how the spacing affects throughput and screen life.
I shared pictures and past KAIZEN solutions from my previous plants - ideas that were born from failure and refined with iteration.
I could see eyes lighting up. Maybe a few seeds planted today will grow into better screens tomorrow.

But not everything is a screen you can fix in a day.
Raw mills are struggling badly.
Silo levels have dropped to dangerous thresholds - any further delay and we’ll be staring at a full stoppage.
The root cause? Obvious.
The grizzly screens before the crusher are damaged, letting oversized rocks slip through, causing choking and mechanical delays downstream.
Simple problems, known to all - but solutions never implemented seriously.

I highlighted it, yet again. Maybe in this last week, I can make someone believe it’s worth fixing now, not later.

Evening brought a gentle drizzle, almost like a farewell note whispered by the sky.

This is the first day of my last week here.
But it didn’t feel like the end -
It felt like the last chance to make the beginning right for someone else.

Key Points - 9th June 2025

  • Holiday for Whit Monday, limited attendance in morning meeting.

  • Sang the full prayer “Itni Shakti Hamen Dena Daata...” and translated it into English.

  • Mr. Aluih explained the significance of Whit Monday to the team.

  • Conducted a crisp and focused HOD meeting.

  • Observed improper fabrication of a screen for the feeding hopper; intervened with proper design suggestions and shared KAIZEN ideas.

  • Raised concerns over low silo levels due to damaged grizzly screens.

  • Shared visual aids and previous experiences to promote correct design thinking.

  • Weather: Light drizzle in the evening.

  • Emotional undertone: First day of the last week at WACEM.

Let the machines run as they may.
Let the weeks end when they must.
But let the right thoughts and the right examples remain - to guide someone, someday.

[This won't work. It's a bad idea.]


[Basic explanation about the grizzly screen.]


Next Day - 10th June, 2025

Previous Day - 7th June, 2025

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