Sunday 14 September 2008

Progress at Shyogwe

The walls are up to ceiling height. This shows the wooden scaffolding our builders are using
They have decided, after all, not to put any windows on the outward-facing wall. Perhaps this is a good idea - you can see how close it is to the volleyball pitch.

Men and women are working up on the scaffolding.

This is the master builder. Very softly spoken and courteous, but he has eyes in the back of his head to see all that's going on!

Every classroom has three windows this side, and will have a semi-glazed door, so the rooms will not be short of light.



A close-up shot


Women's work - 1. Women do most of the labouring jobs, such as carrying ladders. Nobody wears safety helmets; everybody seems to wear plastic sandals.


A close-up of one of the windows



This is a shot from inside one of the classrooms.



Close-up of the brickwork. The layers of mortar are thicker than we would allow in England, but overall the quality of workmanship seems high.


Women's work - 2. Mixing mortar and carrying it to the bricklayers.


Women's work - 3. No protective clothing at all; carrying heavy loads in all weather - but delighted to have a job and be bringing in money to her family.

Women's work - 4. Taking the mortar up the ladder to the bricklayers, while the woman wih the red headscarf is throwing bricks one by one to the masons.


The scaffolding poles are freshly cut trees. One still has green leaves attached to it!
I have no idea why they have cut the poles so long - they are far loger than necessary for this single-storey building.

No comments: