Second episode … 1st and 2nd February, 2011
Our second day on the building site. Lots more clearing up and cleaning of the rooms in the building. It consists of three rooms, plus a large L shaped central room, with a huge double door (gap) left, I suppose so that there is space to bring in wood. The inside walls are just bare red brick, with holes left for wiring to go in later.
We carried out loads of rubbish, and made a fire outside, then set to work shovelling out dropped plaster and broken bricks, and finally (which took hours !) swept all the floors, using traditional African short stiff grass brushes. Back breaking work, and very dusty, especially as the wind got up. Frequently damping down helped a little. We attract quite a few observers while we work like coolies !
Once the floors were clean, we started sieving sand, as being left outside for several months, it had grown weeds, and had many stones mixed in. The plasterers were going to use the sand in the morning, so we had to have some ready for them.
The local children have started to come and chat, and we made sand castles in the sifted sand. There are twins, Millicent and Carol, who took a fancy to 18 year old Dan, or was it his sun-glasses ? Gill has taken a fancy to a six month old little boy, Fidel, who is fascinated by her white face. However, there is another little girl who is frightened of us, and obviously quite unwell. Her mother says she had malaria at Christmas, but I wonder if she has HIV ?
Wednesday was the day the plasterers came; Frederick, Stephen, Meshak and Eric. They make 'plaster' using sand and cement, which they make very sloppy and just flick on to the ceiling. The scaffolding they make is just poles with ropes holding on a framework, with rough old, nailey planks laid on top. It looked most unsafe, but obviously wasn't.
Gill and I mostly sieved sand … again, all day; while Nigel and Dan were mixing 'plaster' and carrying water, and fetching more bags of cement from the local shop. They borrowed a bike to fetch the cement to the site; no delivery here ! All the tools used are very rough and inadequate. A few decent spades would make a lot of difference, as would a second wheel-barrow. We were using the local metal bowls to carry sand in, and the sieved out stones out. Back-breaking, and for seven hours … I've never worked so hard in my life. By two, Gill and I had had enough, and went to sit with the local women in the shade, and talked about their children and families. I must take my photos tomorrow to show them snow in England !
Dan and I dropped off the tuk-tuk on the way home to visit the cyber cafe, where a chilled Fanta was very welcome, and we did our emails and I updated the first instalment of this blog ! I see daughter #1 had made a comment on it ! After, as we walked back to the apartment, we talked about the astonishing amounts of rubbish there is everywhere; mostly plastic bags and bottles, as well as rags and old shoes. What is the answer ? It was never like this forty years ago … no plastic, and any paper rubbish, bottles and tins were re-used. The only rubbish then was bio-degradeable cabbage leaves and fruit stones.
Surprise when we got in ! BEDS !! David, the African owner of this apartment who is here intermittently, has found us beds ! It means we can now sleep above the level of the sugar ants, which tickle …
Lilian had done our laundry and the shopping, and was making us a very welcome meal; its a good idea to employ her, for I don't think any of us could be capable of cooking as we were so tired.
End of second instalment !!
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