Day 5 – Aug 17

I, for one, am feeling the days of hard work in the fresh air. I don't think I am the only one either, as we have been a little slower getting started every day. But still out on the job and working by 7:45 or so. What used to be the wheelbarrow ramp into the structure, is starting to look like the enclosed, 2-flight stairwell that it will eventually be. Bill has been working diligently with the local mason, Jonathan, to complete the outer walls and build the forms for the concrete stairs and landings before the end of our trip. Our team goal is to have all of the ring beams (the 8”X18”, re-bar packed, poured concrete beams that go along the top of the outside walls of the first floor) ready to pour by the time we leave. Thats about 250 feet of re-bar framing; made from differing thicknesses of 40' steel rods that must be cut, bent, and wired together by hand. These re-bar frames are then laid horizontally on the top of the outer walls and wired to the vertical re-bar frames standing out of the poured concrete pillars spaced around the outside walls. Then wooden forms are built around these frames. All remaining large gaps where concrete can run out of the forms (and there are lots, due to the unevenness of the stone walls) need to be closed off with pieces of scrap wood. After that, all remaining small gaps get stuffed with empty cement bag scraps until it is tight.

Two of our team have been smitten with a stomach bug (not Malaria, yay!) and have had to spent most of the day resting and recuperating. Unfortunately they also missed the big night out on the town. Adam drove the team, along with Sean and Maredith, to Kitale for dinner at a local Chinese/Indian restaurant. We had 13 people (14 until we dropped off Hoglah, the site's Social Worker) packed into the Land Rover for the ride. The food was tasty, and the discussions interesting. It was late by the time we got back so the blog didn't get written until Sat evening. And now that Friday's blog is done I am going to bed, so I will add Sat and Sun blog on Sun (our day of rest :-)

- John Trentini