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!
Thursday, 14 July 2011
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!
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Detailed History and Information about the Center and the Chapel
The aim of this project is to construct a Chapel for a counselling and retreat centre in Budo, Uganda. Budo is 9 miles south-west of Kampala, Uganda’s largest city and capital. I (Tom) was invited by my god mother (Frances) and her husband Phillip to design the Chapel about a year ago.
I am travelling to Uganda for 6 weeks this July to help build the chapel and hopefully see the project near to completion. Two of my close friends are also coming out to help with the building work: Jerram Bird, who is helping to lay the foundations, is staying for a month; Jon Small, is going to help out for a couple of weeks. We will be working with a Ugandan builder called Fred alongside other workers.
The Centre began through the work of two native Ugandans, husband and wife team Solomon and Diana Nkesiga. Following a theological education and some missionary work in South Africa, the couple returned to settle in Budo. Solomon is now the principal of the Kampala Evangelical School of Theology and his wife works for a Protestant cathedral, also in the City. Solomon met Phillip, who taught him during his sixth form years. Phillip and Frances have been working in Uganda since 2009, and it is this established friendship that has got them involved in the Retreat Centre's work.
The Centre is called Phumla - a Xhosa (an African language) word for 'sit here awhile, rest a bit here'. This describes one aim for the Centre, a place of retreat and healing for the local and wider Ugandan community. Frances is a trained music therapist and will support this role. A second aim is to provide a place for spiritual refreshment and training for the Church of Uganda clergy, pastors and leaders in other denominations and Christians from all walks of life. It will also be a base for visiting Christians to meet and engage with Ugandan Christians, offering mutual support and growth. The Chapel of Reconciliation will be the focus of the Centre as it seeks to grow and expand its operations over the coming years.
The Centre is called Phumla - a Xhosa (an African language) word for 'sit here awhile, rest a bit here'. This describes one aim for the Centre, a place of retreat and healing for the local and wider Ugandan community. Frances is a trained music therapist and will support this role. A second aim is to provide a place for spiritual refreshment and training for the Church of Uganda clergy, pastors and leaders in other denominations and Christians from all walks of life. It will also be a base for visiting Christians to meet and engage with Ugandan Christians, offering mutual support and growth. The Chapel of Reconciliation will be the focus of the Centre as it seeks to grow and expand its operations over the coming years.
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