Almost finished

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On February 10, members of the Bega Kwa Bega and Iringa Diocese staff took another trip to Mpalapande to inspect construction of the primary school. I'm told it was very hot, so you can see above people taking advantage of the shade.


Program Coordinator Julia Hubbard provided this report:

We began with a tour of the of the site.  Things to note from the work progress report are:
  • Window Frame Works have all been assembled, but 9/18 are still yet to be installed as you can see from the photos 
  •  Electricity Works (aka sockets and accompanying wiring) were installed in 2/3 classrooms, but have not yet been installed inside the third classroom.  
  • They also added a cement platform around the school after we had expressed the concern of rain water affecting the foundation
  • The next three work areas are the toilet, finishing the windows, and painting





Inspectors: Bega Kwa Bega Director, Rev. Peter Harrits; Iringa Diocese BKB Liaison, Rev. Lusungu Msigwa; Iringa Diocese Project Manager, Amos Mkuye; members of the parish and village.



"Minnesota 'hearts' Mpalapande - Tungamalenga. Mungu Awabariki [The Lord bless you]"





the base for a large water tank



septic pits for the toilets to be constructed

After we finished the survey we came back to the acacia trees (for shade) and sat down for a short meeting.  Pastor Msigwa opened in prayer, and asked individuals from the Community, Parish (Pastor Paulo, Eva, and Bryson), District (Pastor. Ambrose), BKB, and Sama to share their observations and comments.

Ibrahimu (a masai elder):  
  • Thanks for the good work
  • Observation that the cement platform was built after this challenge was discussed at the last meeting
  • There hasn't been much rain, but this has been helpful for the construction of the school

Pastor Paulo:
  • Noted that one of the door frames wasn't set right, and soon after the fundi righted it > trust in fundis

Pastor B Msigwa:
  • Gratitude for good communication - "Tuko pamoja" We are together

Pastor Ambrose:
  • Noted that steps have been added from cement platform/ground up to the the floor platform of the school, which is good for those able bodied
  • However, asked "What about the disabled?" > Everyone agreed this was a very good point and that 1 ramp on either side of the school would be a good addition for those moving around on wheels 
SAMA:
  • Gratitude for support
  • Plan of working windows, bathroom, and painting in the next three weeks (with faith that funding will be arriving)
  • Project Finish date: March 15
I can tell from the comments that the parish and village elders are really pleased with the construction and with the responsiveness of the contractor. If they see something that's not quite right, the elders bring it up and the workers fix it.

For all this good work, and for all the givers who are funding this project, we give thanks to God!

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