Bricklaying and more bricklaying!

Work on the campus construction continues, and new rows of bricks push the entire project a bit further every day. Gradually, more courses of masonry are being added, the reinforcement cage for the stabilizing reinforced concrete ring beam is being prepared, and for safety reasons, we have extended the reinforcement that will be installed in the next phase of construction.

At the same time, we hauled in construction materials and timber for the complete roof structure and continued the production of clay roof shingles.

During the week, we reviewed the brickmaking machines to test how they are working and to try and devise a maintenance plan. The brickmakers are showing signs of wear and tear, and we know that we will soon need to address a new prototype.

Updates

The composting toilets have also seen significant progress. We built up the masonry base on which the reinforced concrete slab will rest and finished the sewage piping. This part of the construction was technically very demanding because laying sewage pipes underneath a building is not a common solution in local conditions. As a result, we passed on valuable experience to the locals, which they will be able to apply to future projects.

We were delighted by the repeated leakage test of the sewage system, which passed with flying colors. This was followed by pouring the concrete foundation for the future composting boxes. The concrete is now curing, and next week we will follow up with formwork, tying the reinforcement, and pouring the concrete ceiling structure.

This ceiling structure will mark a historic moment for the entire project, as it will be the very first reinforced concrete ceiling in Kashitu. It is further proof that the project is constantly moving forward and that even technically demanding structures can rise right in the heart of this community.

During the week, we were also visited by representatives from the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Lusaka, to whom we presented the current construction progress and plans for the project's further development. The meeting focused primarily on opportunities that the embassy offers to projects in Zambia and how we could leverage these possibilities both this year and in the future. We also shared photos and positive impressions from the meeting with our colleagues from the UNDP program.

For our joint composting toilets project, this is an important step in official communication and presentation. Crucially, the local community members took the presentation into their own hands for the first time, speaking about the activities and goals we are focusing on. The progress is truly visible every year, which makes us very happy!