Second Burere Implementation Trip Complete

Second implementation team, including EWB-UC travelers and community members

After two weeks of construction in Burere, the columns are poured and the bricks are being laid for the two-room school building.  Early last week, we removed the formwork from the columns and began laying the ISSBs (Interlocking Stabilized Soil Blocks).  By the time of the EWB-UC travel team's departure from the site, the entire first row of bricks had been leveled and mortared.  The community in Burere, with the help from our contractor, will be finishing the ISSB walls in the next few weeks.  The next implementation phase will include the ring beam followed by the roof implementation.

Travel mentor, Richard Elliott, stripping formwork

Columns with the formwork removed

Otiendo and Jim laying the first bricks at the site

Southeast corner of the building with the first brick courses

I would like to thank Village Life Outreach Project (http://www.villagelifeoutreach.org) for their mentorship (Richard Elliott and Emily Roush Elliott) and their continued partnership on this project.

As we begin the fall semester at UC, we look forward to continuing the progress we made this summer and look to have another successful year.  As a reminder, our first general meeting will be this Thursday (8/30) at 6 PM in 3250 CRC.

Columns Set and Poured For School in Burere

Overview of the columns being poured

This week the community in Burere and the EWB-UC travel team assembled, leveled, and poured all 19 columns for the two-room Kinigoro Primary School expansion.  Earlier in the week travel mentor Richard Elliott worked with the carpenters on site to construct the formwork, while student travelers Jim Moyer and Ben Gentry assisted the community volunteers with the bending and binding of the reinforcement bar.  Once all of the rebar cages were assembled and placed on the dowels from the foundation, the forwork was added and leveled, and ready for concrete.

Head contractor, Julius, and other community volunteers binding the rebar cages

Richard coordinating the form work construction

For the last two days, a dedicated concrete team measured, mixed, and poured each of the 19 columns by hand. All together, 5 cubic yards of concrete were used to pour the columns.  After taking a well deserved day off today, the community and travel team will begin laying the ISSB blocks this weekend and early next week.  Stay tuned for a post next week with the final progress for the second phase of implementation.

Jim and community members mixing concrete

Jim running through some on-the-go calculations with Julius on some scrap wood

Otiendo pouring concrete into the column

Ben shortly after vibrating the box by hand to settle the concrete

Ben with future beneficiaries of this project

EWB-UC travel team and community workers in front of the site

Burere School Second Implementation Phase Kicks-off

Second EWB-UC implementation team after the first day of work on site.

Jim Moyer mid stroke.

Travel mentor, Richard Elliott, coordinating column formwork

During the first day on the ground in Tanzania, the EWB-UC travel team (Jim Moyer, Ben Gentry, and Richard Elliott) traveled to Tarime to order materials and purchase new equipment--enough to fill a 7-ton truck!  The order included 50 bags of cement, 40 pieces of reinforcing bar, and nearly 300 pieces of lumber for forms.

On Day 2, the team made it's first trip to the project site in Burere, where we were met by a large group from the community eager to continue construction.  The team broke into groups, cutting the rebar (#3 and #6 bar) by hand, making ISSB's, and putting together the form work for the columns. After a long day under the equatorial sun, we had all the rebar cut and 2 of the 19 column boxes assembled.  Our goal is to completely assemble the corner columns of the building, so we can begin pouring the columns in stages early next week.  We have already made great progress and we are looking forward to completing another successful phase of implementation.

Keep up with the blog in the coming two weeks for updates and pictures as we continue construction in Burere.