Thursday 28 July 2011
Post 4
With two and a bit weeks to go before the completion date work has stepped up a gear. The roofers have finished most of the main structure and are adding the batons making the whole roof resemble a upturned wicker basket! Fred the builder have discussed how to set out the bricks as due their dimensions we are only able to set them out a certain way; the problem is that one length does not equal two widths plus a joint. We have worked round it and are undertaking the tiring process of transferring the 5000 bricks from the bottom of the site to the top in wheel barrows. The bricks look good though the stabalised rammed earth, air-died method of making them means they are heavy and pretty fragile. The reason we are using them is that it recycles the earth and saves a lot of energy and carbon by not firing them. There is an issue of deforestation in Uganda so this method is much more sustainable only using 6% cement in the mix. The second batch of benches have arrived and look excellent. It will be tight but we might just about make the deadline though do have overrun time if needed.
In other news i'm looking forward to attending my first Ugandan Wedding on Saturday which should be amazing. It's a small wedding by Ugandan standards of 250 guests, average is around 600! Thanks again for all the support.
welaba
Bricks
Sunday 24 July 2011
Post 3
This post is coming to you from Rev Diana's office at All Saints Cathedral.
I will try and keep this update fairly brief. As far as work on the chapel is concerned there have been a lot of changes as the roof starts to take place. Most of the main beams are in place and should be finished by Wednesday. There have been quite a few issues to iron out with the roof regarding maintaining a suitable pitch to ensure the roof is water proof vs ensuring a good view of the walls. A few compromises have had to be made on both sides but I think we have pretty much reached a final soloution that the roofers and I are happy with. The roof is now two pitches with a skylight at the top to ensure enough light into the space and some ventilation. It will also add some drama to teh now tall inner space. I will try to post some more images later in the week. Furthermore we had the first delivery of benches for the chapel which look great, they are slightly curved to match the curved walls.
This week I was also able to visit my university friend Adam Rush at the project he is working with for 7 months. They are called 'Revelation Life' and are an organisation that works in the slum areas outside the city, building relationships and discipling the inhabitants. Their aim is to bring transformation to the areas through the gospel, and to seek ways to change improve the conditions of the areas themselves. A large undertaking as one slum contains 1 million inhabitants; but very encouraging to see the reall difference the work is having with 60 people being saved this past year.
Thankyou for your continued support
I will try and keep this update fairly brief. As far as work on the chapel is concerned there have been a lot of changes as the roof starts to take place. Most of the main beams are in place and should be finished by Wednesday. There have been quite a few issues to iron out with the roof regarding maintaining a suitable pitch to ensure the roof is water proof vs ensuring a good view of the walls. A few compromises have had to be made on both sides but I think we have pretty much reached a final soloution that the roofers and I are happy with. The roof is now two pitches with a skylight at the top to ensure enough light into the space and some ventilation. It will also add some drama to teh now tall inner space. I will try to post some more images later in the week. Furthermore we had the first delivery of benches for the chapel which look great, they are slightly curved to match the curved walls.
This week I was also able to visit my university friend Adam Rush at the project he is working with for 7 months. They are called 'Revelation Life' and are an organisation that works in the slum areas outside the city, building relationships and discipling the inhabitants. Their aim is to bring transformation to the areas through the gospel, and to seek ways to change improve the conditions of the areas themselves. A large undertaking as one slum contains 1 million inhabitants; but very encouraging to see the reall difference the work is having with 60 people being saved this past year.
Thankyou for your continued support
Tuesday 19 July 2011
Earth design Review
Thursday 14 July 2011
Post No 2
A lot of progress has been made since the last post. Most of the time has been spent helping to dig holes for the column foundations and then setting them in concrete. Building the retaining wall and steps at the front going up into the chapel and pouring the floor slab. All the concrete is mixed by hand nothing is done with machines really as it costs too much and mannual labour is so cheap. Jon Jerram and myself have been getting stuck in with the work getting throughly covered with red earth which gets everywhere. We have built up a good friendship with many of the men enjoying Feney fruit with them, which is a huge green boulder of a fruit roughly the size of 3 footballs, so plenty to share around. It has a sap that is so sticky you need oil or 30mins brick laying to wash it off.
The roofer delieverd the poles yesterday which was good though they seem to be a odd/random choice of sizes and lengths! The event of this week though was definatly being asked for my first bribe. Two smartly dressed men drove up one day explaining they were from the local goverment and would stop the building unless we gave them an approved plan, which having not been told that any sort of regulations existed was a little worryinjg. Then he said I had 3 options, 1 the approved plans, 2 details, areas etc and a set amount of money and the plans later or 3 a man to man chat where i gave him a little money for them to say all was fine and the plans were in. We went for the second one eventually once we varified that was ok too. They probably only came along after hearing sdome white men were building something and so they might get some money out of them!
Jerram is leaving tomorrow and Jon on monday after helping to set the chapel's construction in the right direction. We are really enjoying spending time with our lively hosts Rev Solomon and Diana and Phillip and Frances. It has been pretty tricky at times communicating with various tradesmen but it has so far been a great experience and fairly stress free. We ordered the internal and external carpentry work yesterday and work on the roof begins today.
I chose the verse to be carved on one of the entrance doors is 2 corinthians 4vs7; 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
welaba!
The roofer delieverd the poles yesterday which was good though they seem to be a odd/random choice of sizes and lengths! The event of this week though was definatly being asked for my first bribe. Two smartly dressed men drove up one day explaining they were from the local goverment and would stop the building unless we gave them an approved plan, which having not been told that any sort of regulations existed was a little worryinjg. Then he said I had 3 options, 1 the approved plans, 2 details, areas etc and a set amount of money and the plans later or 3 a man to man chat where i gave him a little money for them to say all was fine and the plans were in. We went for the second one eventually once we varified that was ok too. They probably only came along after hearing sdome white men were building something and so they might get some money out of them!
Jerram is leaving tomorrow and Jon on monday after helping to set the chapel's construction in the right direction. We are really enjoying spending time with our lively hosts Rev Solomon and Diana and Phillip and Frances. It has been pretty tricky at times communicating with various tradesmen but it has so far been a great experience and fairly stress free. We ordered the internal and external carpentry work yesterday and work on the roof begins today.
I chose the verse to be carved on one of the entrance doors is 2 corinthians 4vs7; 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
welaba!
Monday 11 July 2011
Monday 4 July 2011
First entry from Uganda!
We are currently sitting in Rev. Solomon Nkesiga's office waiting to go a bloke about a roof, an example of large thatch roof to be exact, in Kampala. Jon and I have been on site for two days, joining Jerram who has been helping lay the foundations for two weeks. The building work is progressing really well, half of the foundations have been laid and we are hoping to have the slab and column foundations laid within the week.Jon and I spent the morning of our first day having a in depth design planning meeting with Fred the builder, Appollo the thatcher and Dan the sustainable brick technologist and civil engineer along with Phillip and Frances. The afternoon Jon and I had our first taste of brick moving via and chain of people just chucking the bricks along a chain form place to place; you defiantly need tough hands! We also had a very enthusiastic attempt at using the mannual brick moulder to great the compressed stabalised bricks which will form the chapel's walls. These save a lot of energy as they do not need firing. Then I (tom) helped with brick laying for the retaining wall while Jerram and Jon moved earth. We have had a few challenges to overcome, the metal footings for the columns being fabricated incorrectly, but that is part of building here. The appreciation of health and safty is a thing of beauty, some great pics will follow. Rocks thrown over peoples heads and a 7 ft very deadly snake being killed at lunch yesterday by one of the workers, standard building site hazard!
It's great to finally have arrived after 13months of planning and 3 years since Jon and I were last in Uganda. The centre is more rural and has fantastic views and to see the centre in the flesh finally has been brilliant. I understood more about the place within 5 minutes there than I did from all the photos I had seen previously. We have also enjoyed the lively and joyful hospitality of Solomon and Diana who live on site. It's great to be back! No photos this time as we need to work out how to upload them, will keep you updated...
Welaba!
We are currently sitting in Rev. Solomon Nkesiga's office waiting to go a bloke about a roof, an example of large thatch roof to be exact, in Kampala. Jon and I have been on site for two days, joining Jerram who has been helping lay the foundations for two weeks. The building work is progressing really well, half of the foundations have been laid and we are hoping to have the slab and column foundations laid within the week.Jon and I spent the morning of our first day having a in depth design planning meeting with Fred the builder, Appollo the thatcher and Dan the sustainable brick technologist and civil engineer along with Phillip and Frances. The afternoon Jon and I had our first taste of brick moving via and chain of people just chucking the bricks along a chain form place to place; you defiantly need tough hands! We also had a very enthusiastic attempt at using the mannual brick moulder to great the compressed stabalised bricks which will form the chapel's walls. These save a lot of energy as they do not need firing. Then I (tom) helped with brick laying for the retaining wall while Jerram and Jon moved earth. We have had a few challenges to overcome, the metal footings for the columns being fabricated incorrectly, but that is part of building here. The appreciation of health and safty is a thing of beauty, some great pics will follow. Rocks thrown over peoples heads and a 7 ft very deadly snake being killed at lunch yesterday by one of the workers, standard building site hazard!
It's great to finally have arrived after 13months of planning and 3 years since Jon and I were last in Uganda. The centre is more rural and has fantastic views and to see the centre in the flesh finally has been brilliant. I understood more about the place within 5 minutes there than I did from all the photos I had seen previously. We have also enjoyed the lively and joyful hospitality of Solomon and Diana who live on site. It's great to be back! No photos this time as we need to work out how to upload them, will keep you updated...
Welaba!
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