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Dagarna går i ett och vår tid här i King’ori börjar lida mot sitt slut, så vid sidan av byggarbetsplatsen jobbar vi med att färdigställa ritningarna och budgeten för tillvattensystemet så att det är förberett inför nästa fas.
Felicia, Rebecka och Anthonia
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Det är full fart på bygget med anläggning av dagvattensystem och avloppsystemet. Idag har vi fått leverans på cementblock och grus som ska användas till brunnar och slamavskiljare. Tuff grävning i den superkompakta marken pågår för rördragning och brunnar. Idag har de första rören till takvattnet monterats. Regnvattnet är den enda vattenkällan och varje droppe måste tillvaratas.
Vattnet från duschar och toaletter, som endast spolas för hand med en skopa när barnen har bajsat, ska ledas till en slamavskiljare och vidare för infiltration i växtbäddar för bevattning av papaya- och bananträd. Vi har till sist beslutat att slamavskiljaren ska platsbyggas med betongblock, armeringsjärn och vattentät betong istället för att använda en prefabricerad vattentank av plast.
Hakuna matata!
]]>Going over the plumbing drawings, one last issue we had to think about was how the heavy galvanised pipes were to be mounted to the ring beam, as well as to the facades. On the Baobab house the pipes had simply been put on top of the ring beam, but for the children’s centre this would have to be solved in a different way.
Together with Caroline and Maxi we therefore went to Arusha to enquire about pipe mounting solutions at a few metal industries. We discussed and sketched quite a few different solutions, but finally ended up with a preferred solution (considering construction and budget), which we added to the planned plumbing budget.
In addition to this we also spent some time at a sisal wood retailer, to understand how much wood would be needed for the construction. We realized that the irregular shape of the sisal wood would only enable us to use approximately 2.5 m of each bought pole as the upper part is naturally crooked. Consequently, we had to adjust the sisal pole budget. We also discussed ways of creating an inspection door within the sisal wood façade, to allow for roof inspection in the children’s centre.
Apart from planning and budgeting, we had some time to do some hands-on work on our own: painting the steel shoes of the roof. The trusses of the roof were mounted onto the ring beam with steel shoes, which were produced on demand out of an untreated steel plate. Therefore, the steel shoes had to be painted with red oxide paint in order to protect them from environmental degradation. So with some paint left over from previous volunteers, and with fresh thinner bought from Arusha, we started to climb up and down the children’s centre, to paint all steel shoes. With four houses, and at least two applications needed, there was quite some painting work to be done!
With planning and painting all done, we had reached our final day at the project site. After that, we couldn’t leave Tanzania without scaling the beautiful Mt. Kilimanjaro! After a successful trek, we headed back home, full of wonderful memories from beautiful Tanzania and the wonderful Econef site!
Linda and David
]]>Our (Emil and Felix) arrival in Tanzania started quite interesting in the middle of the night. Due to a misunderstanding we took a taxi to Leganga instead of Kingori,
and aimlessly drove around on the bumpy dirt roads unable to find neither the Baobab house nor Econef. When we finally arrived at the Baobab house the following day, we were greeted by the charming and hungry house cats Tiffany and Dolores. What a peaceful site to build an orphanage, resting in a sunflower field between the breathtaking Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. Heaven on earth!
When we’d gotten accustomed to the place we started with the calculations for material costs. We needed over 250 pieces of wood, storm drains, nails, corrogated metal sheets etc to build the roofs for the two remaning houses.
Next step was to visit different manufacturers in Arusha town to check and bargain down the prices, so that we could send a cost estimate to Pilvi in Sweden. Luckily for us, we were accompanied by our sweet host Mama Caroline, who is also the head of Econef Tanzania. A couple of days later when the money arrived Emelie also arrived, the third volonteer to join the project. We then went back to Arusha to buy the material. Emil went to the timber yard and Felix and Emelie went to the welder. It took about three to four days to prepare the material, which included planing (hyvling) of the wood and metal cutting.
Some of the suppliers didn’t deliver the promised material on time, so the process got prolonged. Finally all the material was purchased and the transport to the building site began.
With all the wood at the site, we had to impregnate it with thermite pesticide. This was easier said than done, due to a constantly leaking plastic sheet. Now it was time to build the actual trusses. Halfway through, we realized that some of the beams needed to be individually measured to fit into the steel shoes properly. This took some time to get right, but soon all the trusses are completed thanks to a hard-working construction team.
It sounds that we’ve done nothing but working since we got here but that’s not really the case, so what else have we done?
On sundays most people in Tanzania go to church and we can get some time off. We’ve been on safari in Ngorongoro Crater National Park. This was an unreal experience for all of us.We saw a lion eating on a buffalo while beeing surrounded by hyenas.We saw Simba and Nala making love in the bushes. We saw elephants, antilopes, rhino, hippos and zebras, all running free in the circle of life.
Yesterday we also took some time of to celebrate swedish midsummer with all the children. Emelie made cakes and meatballs and one of the teachers from the orphanage made some local food. We played with the children all day and at the end they all lined up as a choir and gave us what must have been one of the best performances of all time. They gave us a five minute ABBA-medley mixed with local songs, dancing and laughter at the same time.
An emotional and beatiful moment! When they all left they all came up to us and gave us a hug while saying ”A hug is great gift”.
Kwaheri
Emil, Felix And Emelie
]]>Preparations has been many and after several days treating the wood with anti-termite the roof construction has begun.
To start, we needed a perfect prototyp truss to assist in the building of the rest ones. This since the workers prefer taking measurements from a built object rather than using drawings. The first truss made needed some improvements in detailing, so we stayed out in the dark to to finish, lighting the workshop with solar lamps and torches in order to have a new one ready before the building team would come back the next morning.
This second prototype was perfect and the production of the trusses for two of the houses is running. Ericis team have got help from more people in order to speed up the process, with the goal too finish the first roof this week while there are still volunteers one site. The remaining two will start as soon as the economical situation allows.
Erici, Chirstian and Peter taking down the form for the second level of the tower. A work that has been paused since the roofing needs to be finished.
Last saturday we visited the children in their current home and brought paper, clay and colored pens. Playing together, drawing and folding paper planes, as well as seeing them taking care of each other, joking and laughing was very enjoyable. It is nice to spend time with the future users of the building we are making.
In the new children centre, we can picture one of their favorite spaces to be the built in sofas in the study room; just as one of ours is the sofa on the terrass of the Baobab House. The sofas are in a shaded place, protected from rain and will be comfortable with pillows – giving the kids a nice space to both study and play.
Imanuel, Ebeneza and Clinton
Hosianna, Brian, Naomi, Faradja and Maria
Rajabou and Clinton drawing while Faradja sits in the back rinsing rice
Future photographer?
Gathered in the baobab sofa today are seven people. Except for Lydia and Karin there are the volunteering landscape architects Anna, Julia, Hanne and waste water engineer Johanna with her son Ragnar, that pays Econef a vist of for ten days. They are here to work with an ecological grey water system and designing the court yards.
One thing that we find beautiful in this project is how many people that are involved and contribute in different ways. Econef children center is a real collective act, where all: from the donators to architects, volunteers and others spreading the word are connected in the work of creating a better home for the children.
Kwaheri!
Lydia and Karin
]]>We made it! After weeks of digging, making an earthquake proof foundation, laying stones, forming plywood, reinforcing and casting concrete the second water tank is done. Since we, Karin and Lydia, came here almost a month ago we have participated in the process with great interest and excitement.
Christian and Erici about to cast lower slab
Almost redy for plaster
Peter working with reinforcement
Erici and Safil building the form for the upper slab
Even though the work has taken a little bit more time than expected, Caroline’s wish came true: it finished before rain season. Normally the monsoon would have started already, but just as the work and time estimation can be, the weather has been quite unpredictable.
The last few days the temperature has sunk a little and every now and then thunderstorms and rain are hitting the area. Yesterday, while eating a fresh vegetable dinner out on the terrace, we watched a spectacular scenery of flashes lighting the sky over the valley. Together with the cats we hid under the roof watching the powerful forces of nature from a distance. The monsoon seems to approach, but still most days are sunny and nights lit with stars.
Meanwhile Erici and his team has been working on the tank we have continued the work of Kajsa and Sabine, preparing for the roof construction. After finishing the budget there has been many purchasing trips to Arusha with Caroline getting all material needed.
Steel shoes painted in red oxide
Choosing & sizing wood
This week we have bought the last things as corrugated metal sheets, wood and steel needed for the roof. Lydia has spent several hours on the welders office for the making of steel shoes with custom drilled holes to even up the differences in the placement of the t-bolts; Karin as many at the wood shop picking straight and dry pieces of the right length. After a long dealing of the price for the wood transportation it was brought to a wood workshop for cutting and cleaning. Since electricity is a luxury that you cannot take for granted here, we waited for several hours until the power came back and the work could continue.
Now almost all the 262 pieces of wood is delivered and piled on the basket field, the only flat surface on site. Metal sheets and nails are kept in the storage waiting for Erici, Maxi, Safil, Christian and Peter finishing the water tower connected to the tank. Next week the wood is going to be termite treated and the walls cleaned from cement before the roofing and building of the trusses can start. Exciting!
We have experienced a lot of interesting and enjoyable cultural meetings in this fantastic project. Now, since it is friday, it is time for us to head over to the builders with one of the most important things in Swedish culture: “fredagsfika”. In Swahili Ko-fika means “jag kommer”. And that is what we will do now.
Ko-fika to fikat!
Lydia & Karin
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I juninumret av Damernas Värld skriver Sofie Zettergren om ECONEF och bygget av det nya barnhemmet. Artikelns tema är deltagande välgörenhetsarbete och hur bidrag resulterar i något konkret. Jättekul tycker vi förstås!
Förra veckan deltog också drygt 190 personer i Baxers årliga golftävling på Eskilstuna golfklubb. Vi tackar återigen Baxer för det goda initiativet som för oss ett steg längre i insamlingen till nästa byggetapp.
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Nu står det första huset färdigt och vi är alla väldigt stolta över resultatet. Vi skulle gärna lista alla som varit med och stöttat oss under resans gång, men listan skulle bli så lång att ingen skulle orka läsa inlägget och kolla på de fina bilderna. Därför tackar vi här alla som varit nere i Tanzania med oss och gjort detta möjligt. Till resten av er skickar vi en stor kram och en varm inbjudan till att åka med oss nästa gång när vi börjar bygga etapp 2 – barnhemmet!
Tack till alla i vårt fantastiska prototyphusteam:
Barnabas, Exaudi, Abu, Babu, Frank, Dickson, Shelia, Gucko, Samueli, Zakaria, Emanuel, Bariki, Limo, Christian, Obama, Mathew, Hasani, Tete, Antony, Noah, Frida Öster, Tobias Sjögren, João Lopes, Charlotte Lindqvist, Carolina Wikström, Arvid Sylwan, Pilvi Vanamo, Max Lönnqvist, Katrin Johansson, Anna Autio, Emma-Liisa Hannula, Eva Nordberg, Christine Tam, Conny Jerer, Louis Castaing, Else Abrahamsen, Sara Elofsson, Malin Sandström, Johan Nilsson, Jan-Erik Nilsson, Owe Kagerud, Sara Boustedt, Nathalie Mair, Anna Weber, Petter Abrahamsen, Caroline Nicholas och alla barnen!
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