Everything is flowing!!!

Dear friends,

the weekend is over and so much has been going on, that the CBSM school has a totally new look and feel! Now everyone can see it is a school, not just a hut standing in the middle of a field!

Everything is flowing (and this word-for-word!): we have running water!

Water for 250 kids (here one kid is washing her hands...)

Now 250 kids can wash their hands and quench their thirst. Before that, the older kids had to carry heavy vessels filled with river water so that the school students had something to drink. Washing hands was just not possible as the water wasn’t sufficient.

 Furthermore, the water has been used for the heavy construction going on on our grounds.

For example, this Saturday we with the support of community members constructed the mud walls of our two new class rooms. It was fun to chop the ground (ok, that part was less fun), to add the water and to mix everything using every body parts available. The mud pulp is then added between the wood constructions. Now it needs to dry for a few days before the second layer is added. Furthermore, doors and windows still need to be fixed.

How is the weather in Switzerland / Germany? Are you enjoying the snow ball fights? We had a fight over here as well using mud balls. That was fun! And that evening we were praying for water not to be off again…

Two new school classes

Alex insite one of them (doors, windows and flooring still missing)

Meanwhile, one community member constructed seven new school benches for the new classrooms. We used the same wood supplier and with the increased bargaining power (and the memories of aching backs after the transportation of 146 feet of wood for the first 4 school benches) we got transportation included. As you can see, we are growing wise with the tasks over here… J

Seven new school benches

The toilets are also making big progress.  The students’ toilets start looking like (Kenyan) toilets:

One student infront of the student's toilet

And the teachers’ toilets are even nearly finalized (only doors are missing, although we do admit this is a very important part of the toilet):

Teacher's toilets

The land purchase made progress as well today. This morning, the landlord and CBSM members (us included) went to measure the land with an official surveyor (= land measuring guy). Bad news is, that the purchase of the land is much more expensive than previously expected. Main reason for this is as simply as two little white girls using the wrong measuring unit. While the Kenyans were talking about a plot being 50 x 100 feet, we assumed “meters”. Therefore, the land is much bigger (and therefore more expensive) as we estimated around 1.5 plots but in reality it’s nearly 2.5 plots that need to be bought with the agreed prize per plot. Lucky enough, with your support we are able to pay a first installment that will pay for 1.5 plots and fix the prize for the remaining land.

Have a great start of the week!

Alex & Agnes