Author: Bethany

More cement and pebbles. The pillars will be filled with very strong concrete.

Bethany Leave a comment
Bags of stronger cement are purchased for the school building pillars.
I see now what Emmanuel talks about. These expensive “pebbles” are hard pieces of rock unlike the smaller less expensive “pebbles” that are various sizes of volcanic rock, which are much more plentiful. One truck load of the large pebbles cost 1,000,000 tsh, or about $500 usd.
These volcanic smaller pebbles are only 250,000 tsh per truck or  about $125 per truck.

Construction continues with more pebbles, more hard bricks and wood for setting the pillars

Bethany Leave a comment

Emmanuel checks on the farm land which will provide food for our school

Bethany Leave a comment
The farm is close to Tarangire National Park boundaries, so many zebras, wildebeest, and impalas that can be destructive to the crops.
A Maasai watchman is staying on the farm land to keep watch over it. He has been there since the day the crops started to grow.

The foundation has started, and it must be very strong, and Emmanuel gets a headache…

Bethany Leave a comment
The foundation, dug 100% by hand, is complete.
Steel is purchased and Emmanuel learns he has not purchased enough steel. He has to buy more.

Only a few times in all our communications has he said he has a “headache,” and that is when things cost more than he anticipated.

This book keeping continues to be exemplary. I could not have asked for a more honest and trustworthy person to be working with, and he is only 26 years old! So amazing. God has blessed him and us.

This is the landscape of Kisongo. We are certainly making a lasting change in this village, and for the children of the village. Thank you!

Construction has started on the Community Center and Kitchen!

Bethany Leave a comment
This being our third round of building, I feel like I know the process now! First Emmanuel needs to collect pebbles or aggregate to mix with the cement. This can be a challenging task. Pebbles have become more difficult to obtain and expensive as they are in short commodity, as the government wants a majority of the pebbles for their building purposes. Emmanuel searched and searched and found his first load of pebbles along a roadside. He purchased them for some what of a discount, about $500 rather than $600 usd. He ultimately has needed two more loads of pebbles.
Aggregates or pebbles as Emmanuel calls them are hand shoveled into the truck.

Sand is the next material needed. Sand seems to be in readily available. Emmanuel does not have to “hunt” for sand. I am continually amazed at these big trucks that come up Kisongo Street!
Bags of cement are the next supply to obtain. The price of cement bags has varied over time, but generally stays about the same.

Steel is next. We will need thicker steel for this building as the walls will be taller. 12 mm vs 10 mm. More expensive.
Rough sketch of the building size and configuration.

To save some money, Emanuel had the Maasai women chip bigger rocks into smaller rocks that we purchased.