The first two chicken shacks were being damaged by a huge
tree that had sent roots under the foundations and were lifting the walls and
causing cracks. So our first two days were spent hacking at the roots with an
axe and digging trenches that we would later fill with concrete to protect the
new buildings from damage in future. This was back breaking work and the axe gave
me blisters all over my hands, but it was worth it to protect the houses. Then
Wednesday was spent cutting the walls down to a level that we could build on
again, we used a grinder to cut the windows out and then made a start on the
interior walls.
On Thursday I took a break from building and joined a team
who were going out into one of the communities we work in. It was my first
Zambian community visit and it was brilliant seeing a community so different to
the ones I’ve seen in South Africa yet still using the same system and goals
that make up the Hands at Work Model. I went with Russell and Dianne to visit a
home, the family that lived there were Mother, Father and 4 year old son. Both
of the parents were paraplegics. They had one wheelchair and a hand-pedal three
wheeler; it was hard seeing people living like that whereas if they were in the
UK they would have all the support and healthcare they needed.
Friday and Saturday were spent building again, I had my
first try at brick laying and the houses really started to look like rooms
rather than a building site. We mixed bags and bags of mortar and concrete by
hand (not fancy mixing machines) and filled in the trenches we dug earlier, fitted
the first doorframe and some other bits and bobs that needed clearing or moving
or recycling. So after 2 months of doing very little manual labour I’ve been
back at it and I’m loving the feeling of exhaustion after a days work.
The internet here isn’t strong enough to upload photographs
but I will keep trying. The Video Blogs won’t have a chance uploading so there
will be very little visual stuff on my blog until I’m living somewhere with a
better connection. But I’m not moaning! I’m just glad I can email home!
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