NKhoma Orphan Care multi-purpose hall

Scott Van Dyken has provided some pictures and a description of the Nkhoma Orphan Care project multi-purpose hall (funded by the Business Group of Central Alberta). Surrounding communities are expected to volunteer alongside the contractor. The project began in December 2008. The first phase of the project was to put in a solid foundation.

A couple of 14 pound sledges were employed and 50-60 tons of stone was broken, gathered, wheeled, carried on heads, etc.

The local masons showed their skill by expertly building and lining a 750 gallon water tank. Then the five "water women" began their task of filing and topping up this tank by carrying water from a borehole in the nearby village.

Secure storage for building materials and tools is important since a shovel is worth a week's wages and a bag of cement worth two. A steel container was moved using a flatbed truck, one five ton bottle jack, two partially crushed 50 gallon barrels, one over-stressed chain knotted in a tree, an odd collection of stones, a few bent pipes and 15 men. After two days of sweating, slipping and scampering out of the way, the task was completed. "We do it manual" was repeated with pride by the men involved.

Mountains of bricks were made by community volunteers. All the bricks were used up in the foundation.



The foundation completed at last with much of the work buried below ground.