Nyakigyera Project Site

I have settled into project life and have spent the last 2 weeks at the camp at Nyakigyera. I have come into the city for the weekend to take care of a few things. Life at camp is good. Its very slow and easy going compared to what I'm used to. If it rains, we dont work, which is a pleasent change. We have begun working on one of two reservoir tanks for the project. This is the most time consuming part of the project construction. We will begin putting the pipe into the ground after the Christmas break and the tank should be complete by then. So far the site has been levelled (its on the side of a hill) and preparation has been done for pouring a concrete pad which should take place tomorrow. Once that is complete, brick work will begin.

Nothing to exciting to report. Camp life is pretty basic. We eat pretty much the same thing for every meal: rice, beans, posho (basically cooked dough), matoke (Mashed plantains), peanut sauce, cabbage. We can expect any 3 of these at any given meal and breakfast is whatever is left over from the dinner the night before. Friday we have meat and this last friday they bought a goat and killed it. Friday night we had the meat and Saturday lunch was all the rest including the stomach and other interesting parts. I passed. We spend most of the time playing cards and I've done a lot of reading.

Less than 2 weeks til the November off. We are going rafting at the source of the nile, Jinja, and sending some time in Kampala.


I have spent more time over here swinging a pick-ax and doing labour jobs than anything related to engineering. Most of the engineering is complete plus these guys are pros and know what theyre doing without any input from us.

Most construction crew looksing at pictures of themselves at a recent visit to Queen Elizibeth National Park




Bored at night playing with my camera. Here the shutter is open for 15 seconds while i swing my headlamp in circles with the office tent in the background.



The work ethic here resembles hockey. They bring at least twice the number of people that can work at one time, than work full out for as long as they can, and then rest while someone else works


Charles, one the members of the construction team, listening to his portable radio.








At the camp we spend most of the free time playing cards. The Africans play cards with more passion than I have ever seen, slamming the cards on the table, trash talking, and erupting in laughter at each others misfortune.

This a local guy near the tank site. He is digging a latrine and is about 10 feet deep. The hole is barely wide enough for him to fit but he's excavated it perfectly.







Once the site was levelled, rock was brought up the hill, broken to size, and layed flat. This will be the foundation for the pad which will be poured next.




All the construction materials are brought up to the reservoir site by the locals. Sand and rock have been brought up so far. Water, cement, and bricks will also be carried up. There are 12 cells which will be served by the project and 2 cells are scheduled to work each day.




The sand slowly accumulates










The rebar is cut and tied by the construction crew for the pad construction






On Saturday a lot of kids came and helped bring material up the hill. Again, the kids love to see themselves in the digital camera.





The kids take a break to play cards at the work site









This is the most recent stage of the project. The pad has been levelled, rock layed as a foundation, rebar prepared, and the aggregate and sand carried up the hill to the site. The pad will be poured tomorrow.



This is one of the valleys that will be served by the water project