Resource Center update

Here is the Community Resource Center. It is being built with donations from my friends and family in America who are reading this blog - good job! The front wall was totally rebuilt and a new roof installed. Look in previous blogs for more pictures.

It will be used for development planning, community meetings, training, education and entertainment. We hope to get a grant for a solar electrical system, computer, printer, TV and DVD player. There will also be a small library.

That's my bike in front with my water container.















Tearing up the old floor.















More work on the floor.















These women are carrying "dambo sand" to be used for plastering the walls. It is a mixture of sand and clay and is mixed with a little bit of cement.















Women can carry a lot and a long way.















Plastering the walls.



















Mixing the plaster.



















Leveling . . .















. . . and finishing.

My House

Let's start with the kitchen and my "sink". On the left is a water filter for drinking and cooking water and on the right is water for washing dishes and hands. I have to carry my water about a mile. I use a 20 liter (about 5 gallon) container which I carry on my bike. That's about enough for one day unless I need to wash clothes. When it rains I set out tubs and buckets to catch rainwater.



















This is my counter and storage area. In front, under the white pot is my kerosene stove. It has one burner. I use kerosene because when I get home it would take too long to start a wood fire. I have to haul most of this stuff in from the BOMA on my bike. I made the kitchen unit from local wood



















This is the living room. I have a small table and chairs where I eat and it's also a storage area for bike, tools and supplies. There is also another room through the door on the right which is used for storage.















My backyard with clothesline and bafa (bathing room) in the corner.















One of my most valued possessions - a solar heated shower. I hang it on a 10 foot pole over my open, outdoor shower stall. The way most people bathe is with a tub of water and a cup. You don't get in the tub, which is small, but scoop the water with the cup and pour it over yourself.















Here is my bafa. . .



















. . . and my outhouse. It has a concrete slab inside with a hole in the center and 2 foot-shaped spots to stand on. Never backs up or gets plugged and it's very deep so it will take a while to fill up!




















These are my solar panels. They provide 50 watts of power to a car battery inside. I use that to charge my computer and batteries for radio, camera and lights. For lighting I mostly use a camping headlamp so the light is always where I need it and it doesn't use much power. I also have a kerosene lamp which I use occasionally.

Mangoes

We did a mango drying workshop with the ladies of our tree planting group.















Here we are laying out pieces of mango for drying.














The drying stand.















The drying stand with screen to keep away flies.















Amayi (madam or Mrs) Saka holds some of the mango pieces she has dried. She is the sister of my landlord and I live next door.




















Mango Jam

We did a couple of jam making workshops to show how it's done. Here the mangoes have been boiled and are now being peeled and having the juice and pulp scraped out.















Next equal amounts of sugar and juice are boiled for about an hour until it jells then the jam is put in plastic jars. Mason jars are not available in the villages. Notice the 3 stone fire. All cooking is done with firewood.

Local Doctor

There are local doctors who uses traditional healing to treat people. Some people trust them and some just can't get to a health center or hospital. The health centers and hospitals are often understaffed and short on medicines anyway. Often there is not even a doctor, just a "health technician". I don't know much about these local doctors but here is a sign for one I found on the road to Mkanda.

Sports

Here is the girls "hoop ball" or basketball team. They use a soccer ball and play outside on dirt with 2 hoops nailed to sticks in the ground.















This is part of the boys soccer (called football here) team. These teams are from the primary school which you can see in the background. Football is very popular here as it is almost everywhere in the world except the US.















The students and villagers are very enthusiastic and run out of the field after every goal. Football is one of the few local entertainments and there is usually a game between village teams every Sunday afternoon.














Some wig!














Cheerleaders.

Mushrooms

This is mushroom season and one day Calvin Mukhuna, my counterpart and Forestry Guard, and I went into the bush to find some. They look pretty tasty!















Here they are in the pan!

Toy Cars & Slashing

Boys make these cars out of wire, plastic jars and wood.



















They can actually steer the front wheels by turning the stick.















This is how grass is cut. It is called slashing. In the village people slash here and there but along the highways and in bigger cities men are hired to slash along the sides of the roads.