News from Zambia sounds optimistic – work goes on in Kashitu! Sewing machines are running at full speed, solar panels are supplying energy not only to the workshop, and beekeepers are preparing for the next big step. Every day brings a small step towards greater self-sufficiency.
This year, on October 18 and 19, the Maker Faire festival took place in Brno for the fifth time. It is an event supporting the creative and technological community, popularizing modern technologies and a creative approach to problem solving.
After this year's challenging summer in Zambia, a post-return team-building event was held, where participants shared their experiences and feelings from Kashitu and evaluated the past season together. Current volunteers also had the opportunity to meet former volunteers and share their experiences.
As in previous stages of the Kashitu School project, we have once again implemented a proven structural solution for the new building's roof system — nailed timber trusses. These trusses, fabricated from locally sourced wood, are treated with a protective coating made from used motor oil to provide resistance against moisture and, more importantly,...
Inspireli Awards is a platform bringing together students and universities in the fields of architecture, urban planning, and landscape design from nearly every country in the world.
After completing the reinforced concrete foundation slab, the construction continued with the next phase – the erection of the external and internal walls. As in previous stages, we used unfired ICEB bricks (Interlocking Compressed Earth Blocks), i.e. pressed blocks equipped with a pair of interlocking joints. Again, for this construction season,...
Every year between September 20 and 26, the ESDN (European Sustainable Development Network), one of the EU initiatives, organizes the Sustainable Development Week festival. During which, discussions, exhibitions, workshops, conferences, and other events are held with the aim of showing our care about the world we live in.
At the end of August, we successfully completed the trusses for the roof – this time without the help of a crane, unlike last year. Everything was done by hand because we didn't assemble the trusses on the ground, but directly on the building itself. Once all the trusses were in place, we attached the tie beams, and electricians joined...
At the current stage of construction, we focused on the foundation structures. The foundation footings were built using concrete blocks with a bottom. This system differs from common practice in the Czech Republic – there, blocks are typically used as permanent formwork, filled with concrete throughout. In Zambia, however, the blocks have a bottom...
The work of our construction manager Vašek is coming to an end, and in order to stay on schedule we are even working on weekends. In Kashitu, the WiFi was down for half the week, so nothing distracted us from the construction site. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our workers, we have achieved great progress – the...
The construction of the Kashitu Secondary School campus continues with the realization of its third building. In cooperation with the local non-profit organization New Renato Community Society, we are now focusing on the first facility designed directly for educational purposes – a beekeeping laboratory. This step represents a fundamental shift in...
