A House Under One Roof, Solar Panels in Action, and Shared Celebrations – But We're Not Quite Finished Yet...

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 in, starting to dig the trenches for the wiring and preparing the room for the photovoltaic system.

Locals officially established the first community clubs – beekeeping, carpentry, and masonry. Some club members then went on to present workshops at a youth meeting, where they generated great interest and gained new recruits for their teams.

The first days of September brought a mix of hard work and joy from the major progress made. Clay tiles and battens were being laid onto the tarps on the roof. However, there was a small hiccup – instead of 150 m² of tarp, only half had arrived. Well, that's how things go in Zambia! We always have to find a solution, so a trip to town was made for the rest. On the 4th and 5th of September, we installed skylights, put in the first windows, and even laid the first sheet metal on the roof. Saturday saw work from morning till evening, but Sunday brought a well-deserved rest – church, a bit of sports, and some light stomach issues that affected part of the team.

Not only did construction continue the following week, but other community projects also progressed. Zuzka, along with Tracy and Ashel, started painting a poster for the stall where locals will offer products made in workshops – beekeeping suits, honey, hives, smokers, and more. At the same time, we did a thorough cleaning of the workshop – we took inventory of the tools with the locals, established new rules, and appointed responsible persons to manage the stock.

Meanwhile, on the construction site, the last battens and sheets were being used up, and by Tuesday, September 9th, the house was completely under roof. Michal and his team also completed the installation of the photovoltaic system and Starlink on the same day, so the teacher's family house could start running on its own electricity. After that, we began cleaning the floors and walls so that we could start laying the polished concrete.

There was also great joy in the visits to the kindergarten and school – the children received coloring books and plush toys from the students of Jamné Primary School. You brought huge smiles to the local children, and we thank you so much for that! We must not forget the school supplies that Terka and Martin also handed over to them.

On Friday, September 12th, we celebrated the year's construction with one last shared lunch with the workers and carpenters. But the work doesn't stop here: the locals already have a plan for what comes next after we leave – from painting the walls against termites, to tiling some rooms, drilling skylights, and glazing the windows… We ended the day with a farewell bonfire, symbolically marking the close of this chapter, but certainly not the end of the story. Stay tuned so you don't miss any updates!