On the advice of yesterday’s Rakoro team I stayed behind at the hotel today. The journey up yesterday had been tortuous, alleged making the journey to Sangore look easy. The bikes had to give up some distance away from the school, leaving the team plugging through mud, uphill for 30 minutes before they arrived. Thankfully the head teacher had sent pupils to intercept and who carried up the equipment for the team.
So I set myself up in the bar area, judging by the number of large speakers, I’m sure in the past this room has seem a rare party or two. My task today to try and catch up on the blogging. I’m amazed how long it takes to put your thoughts and recollections down, my hat off to those regular bloggers. I started at about 10:00 working through with a flask of hot water by my side until about 14:30 when I decided to take a break for a swim. Changed and dropped into the pool, I’d had time for just one length when Malaki is pool side saying that he’s had a call from Gilbert saying the others finished at Racoro and are heading to Ndhiwa and I should meet them there. Presuming that they’d only just left I allowed myself the luxury of a few more lengths before climbing out. Dried off, changed into working clothes and heading across to Ndhiwa primary on my own seemed strange and I fully expected to arrive well ahead of the others. But no, they were all there sat on the new benches, all bikes gone from the field, tools out and ready to go.
I looked around and was concerned that there were only two of the three benches on site. I asked Sam to check what was happening. Calling the carpenters, apparently the rain had started whilst the first two had been transported, they would send the third up straight away. Then came the job of positioning and as it turned out we got it wrong the first time and not realised until the last bench turned up on a boda boda. Tom by this time had marked drilled the wall and fixed four of the five steel brackets we’d had made. Ribald jokes about measurements and perception, the brackets taken down and the benches all moved around we started marking and drilling again. The two central benches finished, Tom moved across to the last bench which Tim had narked the bracket positions on the wall. Sod’s law and one and a half holes drilled, the drill ran out of power, if it hadn’t been for the false start we may have got away with it. Bench put away, brackets marked and stored, we’d be back again tomorrow.
Barbara and Tim meanwhile where chasing up the headteacher as children were using the tank water for drinking, the taps ŵere left running and a group of girls obviously under instruction were throwing buckets of the water onto the new classroom concrete floor, wiping it down and using more buckets of our freshly captured water. None of the drinking water butts were in use at all within the school. There were raised emotions and the head saying he would deal with it tomorrow. For Tom, this was the final straw, he pointed out to the head, that the water in the tanks was primarily for drinking water once filtered, the wash stand being independently supplied. He went on to say that should there not be a marked improvement in the conservation and use of the water when we returned the next day he would be speaking with Chief Cyprian.
With this we headed off down into Ndhiwa and a drink at the deputy heads bar
22/05/18 Rakoro – thanks to Adam Milne for these notes
Written By Adam Milne
The usual start to the day with the problems of getting all the gear on to the bikes, before we eventually set off. When we finally set off, my usually ballsy boda boda driver (Bilius) said that the road was very bad which was quite a bit of a concern.
The journey there wasn’t all that far in terms of the total amount of kilometres to get there, it was probably the second closest school. However, the journey was definitely the worst. Turning off from the main road, the initial dirt road turned into a rocky road, and then a mud path. The mud was so bad that the drivers stuck to the far sides of the road, almost into the bushes. Gradually the roads turned into rivers [Tom has a photo] which were impassable. We tried to continue on, but it was never going to happen. So off we trecked on foot, luckily the school kids came down to meet us and helped us with the gear [ Tim has a photo]. The trek up was awful, I fell over once and almost went over a few more times!
We finally got to the school, the running track looked immaculate, but sadly the main school buildings weren’t. The rains from the night before had turned the paths around the classes into streams and the rest of the place was thick mud, it was definitely a ‘wear your wellies to school’ day. We were as ever welcomed and politely greeted by the Headteacher. Charles on this occasion was the head, and the vice chairman of the schoolboard [Name?] came to meet us too.
The work crew of Tom,Tim, Sam and Myself (Adam) split into two teams. Tim-Tom worked on the guttering, while Sam-Adam went to work on the concrete base for the wash stand. The first problem for both teams was the resting water, the rain water from the night before had managed to form into a mini reservoir and a series of rivers. We had to literally irrigate the whole land before we could get on with any work on the actual project.
Team Tim-Tom had to spend a lot of time straightening out the fascia boards, because either the guys who had put them in had done a bad job or the wood had warped! A lot of loud hammering to get the boards sorted out was very good at drawing a crowd of bemused young students. They had a bit of a task putting the gutters up as the ladders kept sinking into the mud.
Team Sam-Adam cracked on with concreting the wash unit, the only problem was all the flowing water from the recently irrigated reservoir!
Both teams progressed wonderfully and got the tasks done quicker than expected, so we combined strengths to work on the main large water tank before lunch time. We were aided by the vice chairman and a few of the older boys from class 8. Tim once again drew the short straw and got to go in the tank, luckily this one was a lot easier to get in to after we had sprayed it out with DOOM. The temperature inside the tank was like a sauna, so Tim was more than deserving of his post work beers. After the tank was in place it was time to call lunch. Soda and biscuits were more than welcomed, well the soda was more welcome than the biscuits.
After lunch we sorted the fixtures and fittings for the taps and the pipes in from the guttering, before moving on to the other part of the work. There was some already existing guttering installed, but as my Dad would say, it was very ‘Heath Robinson’. It was just a hodge podge of bent pieces of aluminium, quite surprising that it had actually worked. Team Sam-Adam removed the random old guttering, before team Sam-Tim installed the new guttering. The structure of the building and the state of the present tank meant that we were just going to use it for direct rain water collection without the first flush system. So the small tank was just going to be used for hand wash water rather than drinking water unlike the bigger tank which we installed the first flush on.
The work was almost complete and the time was getting on, so we packed up and called the boda boda boys up. Same routine as the way in, the bigger boys from class 8 carried the gear down to the bikes and we walked down. The journey back was far more pleasant than on the way in. We got back at base after the other crew had finished and plonked ourselves down in our muddy gear for a well deserved bit of sit, and a tusker!
Quick swim this morning, sky overcast, heavy rain last night from 20:00 – 23:00. Breakfast cornflakes, sausage, Spanish omelette, brown bread. Following yesterday’s conference the accompaniments have returned, new peanut butter, blue band spread, tea bags and honey. The others are still experimenting with their coffee grounds, I’m not convinced that it’s really that good, my hot water is fine.
Two handover of equipment meetings today Ndhiwa hospital primary and Sangore primary. We don’t need everyone to attend these so we’ve split the team up. Barbara, Elaine, Les and myself will handle the presentations and filter demonstrations. Everyone else will be heading up to Racoro to start the installation there. We load all the equipment onto bikes and wave them away from the hotel. We just need to walk over carrying the filter and the gifts. It was good to see that the small tanks were 75% full, making the large tank full to about 50% of its capacity. Children were thronged around the wash hand stand, obviously novelty value. Barbara and Elaine went to speak with the staff and make arrangements for the presentation whilst I set up the filtration demonstration, including my fake pond water. There really didn’t appear to be much organisation, certainly when you compared this with the handover at Otange.
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The majority of the staff were not in sight, head teacher finally appeared and introduced the chair of the management committee, no parents noticeable. The children formed a loose mass and Barbara started her WfK talk., there was no staff control of the children noticeable at all. Barbara and Elaine followed on with their hand was demonstration, the children remembering the motions and following up by singing the song. 2 volunteers were selected to move to the hand wash station and demonstrate there. This went well, with the remainder of the children joining in the motions and singing the song.
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I then demonstrated the filtration unit as before, the children as ever were well impressed with the resulting clean water. We appeared to be done at this stage so I asked for volunteers from the senior classes to come forward to see in more detail how the filtration unit worked. Three boys and two girls came forward, we asked for the others to return to their lessons. I then went slowly through the filtration process, taking apart to filter and showing how to clean. I demonstrated the back flush and then suggested that they have a go themselves whilst I was there to assist if they had a problem. So off they went, I slowed them down on the pump, suggested that they use long smooth motions rather that short jerky ones, but they ran the system through and produced clean water. I kept asking that they change over so that they could all experience the pressure changes on the pump handle. Back flush completed and we packed the unit away in its travel case, I suggested that this should be stored in the staff room and just brought out for use each morning.
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Barbara meanwhile had sought out the absent group of teachers, pointing out the need for them to look after this equipment as it would not be replaced by WfK in the future.
We cleared up, gather our bags, said goodbye to the staff and that hopefully they would have clean water in each classroom the next morning, also that we hoped the new benches would arrive tomorrow and we would return to fix them in position. Walking back to the hotel , the bikes had been arranged for 13:00, we were in somber mode. Having got such a buzz up at Otange primary, Ndhiwa hospital primary just didn’t seem to care. There were no parents present, and very few staff appeared to take any interest.
No bikes at 13:00, 13:30 before they arrived and we had arranged for a 14:00 presentation. The boys did well, we seemed to fly up the track, bump by bump that is. The approach up into Sangore was yet again a different on, this time through a field of maize. Yet again the ground got the better of us with my bike attempting a small hillock and sliding back, still upright thankfully. We all dismounted and walked up the hill for about 50m where the bikes were sat waiting for us, in fact we were actually right at the back of the school playing field. Just moments later we were dismounting at the school buildings. I walked across to tap the tanks, both seemed to be around 75% full, great result.
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Rejoining the others, the head Oliver Otieno introduced us to the chair of the board of management Wayambo O Joseph, as well as some board members. There were a few parents around and the feeling here was so different to that we had experienced this morning. Having sorted ourselves out, the head called all the school together, they gathered in circles around him and he was issuing instructions on K just how they would parade across to join the presentation. A pupil was taken by the hand and a circled unfurled moving across the grass and forming a semicircle some 3 m away from us. The remainder of the school followed in similar vein, no fuss no bother, no pushing or shoving. All the smaller children were brought to the front and the teachers were at the ends of rows.
So school assembled we started, Barbara with her WfK talk, emphasising the need to take care of the system and that it was no longer ours but their property to safeguard. Some applause and the head mentioned that they had already purchased a roll of chain link fencing and that the tanks were due to be fenced in.
Elaine and Barbara discussed how they had completed the hand washing programme and invited the pupils to demonstrate, which they did with relish. Volunteers selected and the process duly worked through with the remainder of the school singing to encourage the volunteers. Elaine and Barbara went on to encourage the pupils to go home and spread the word, show their parents and siblings just how good hand washing should be completed.
Time to demonstrate the filtration unit again, the clean water this time passed to the chair of the board, another out to the children to much applause. I asked the head to look for volunteers from the senior class and a couple of teachers so that I could demonstrate in more detail. This he did, but before I started, the head thanked us for our efforts and our gifts to the school. He then handed over to the chair of the board who likewise thanked us saying what a difference this system would make to school life.
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I went through the process with the volunteers who all paid great attention, one of the lads putting back the filter I had removed to demonstrate a part of the cleaning process. The volunteers then repeated the process and finished the back flush packed the filter into the travel case. I reiterated that their task would be a difficult one, that they should each morning sufficient clean water to fill the 25 Lt. drums for each classroom and then enough to back flush the filter. I wished then good luck with their task and reminded them to take great care of the filter.
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As we were assembling our bits to leave one of the other teachers approached me to ask about the function of the prefilter units in the supply pipe work. We walked around the building to the pipe work and I described the profiler process. I then pointed out the small hole in the stop end and described how this allowed the 4″ pipe to drain, I then unscrewed the cover and removed the back plate and water gushed out soaking my leg and just missing the teacher. I checked a plastic dwarf from the hole drilling had blocked the internal hole, greatly reducing the drainage flow. I pointed out that ordinarily it should only be necessary to do this perhaps once or twice a year, but a good job that we had looked. We walked across to the second and again repeated the process, again a cascade of water ensued, although not as great as previously. In this unit a small plume of what I suspect was the foliage from the maize plants had neatly ŵedged itself into the hole. I suggested that for a while it would probably be a good idea to check the drains on a regular basis just in case.
The head had all the children assembled around hi again as we headed to the bikes. He was explaining that we had left a bag of goodies, from which he produced a football and kicked it into the air. To rapturous screams we drove off across the playing field, back to the hotel, arriving there before 16:00 a good hour before our colleagues who had gone to Racora.
My thanks to Adam Milne who provided the text for that day in Racora.
Into the pool under an overcast sky, the rains had started mid evening last night and lasted well into the night. Pool temperature seems to remain constant despite the daily refill from the heavens. The initial body contact with the water causes an intake of breath every time, but nothing to be gained by dithering, by the time you’ve swam a few strokes the temperature feels just fine. Those of you who know me know that I have casually worn a style of Jilbab that Diane produces for me around the house and on odd occasions outside. With the pool here bringing one with me has proved invaluable, a quick wipe with the towel, drop the Jilbab over myself and modesty is protected, not that there is generally anyone else around.
Changed and into the dining room with the others for around 08:30, breakfast today, banana, boiled egg and chopped potato with tomato and coriander. Back to the room sort out my backpack and back out to the front of the hotel. I’ve just heard the bikes arriving, fittings and some pipes out of the empty shop we’ve been using as a storage space for the less sensitive items loaded onto one of the bikes with the two sets of steps and the tool chest from Tom’s room. Everyone ready and we head back off to Sangore fully intending to complete the installation today. Riding up the track there is the constant sound of I suppose mountain streams, the runoff from the adjoining land cascading along either side of the track, in places as the level changes cutting across removing the track surface in places leaving chasms a couple of feet deep.
In others it can result in mini lakes some perhaps 3 – 5 metres wide covering the track surface, the topsoil washed away and the underlying rocks exposed. Our drivers, constantly wearing wellies skilfully walk and slide our bikes through these obstacles, all the while managing to keep our feet dry. The track surface is muddy and slimy, the bikes generally choosing to take the same paths though puddles mud and chasms resulting in the formation of deep ruts that with the next rain will be brim full of water. Ŵe carry on slipping and sliding our way, with somehow the occasional stretch of track that appears dry and the speed increases until we turn off the main track and now head up to Sangore. These rutted pathways are again wet, muddy and very slippy, but now also narrow. This is meal motocross, we keep heading uphill, the drivers skilfully keeping us upright and moving forwards. Then all of a sudden we’ve slipped, the driver, bike and I and now laid on the ground the bike motor still running. I can feel the damp mud leeching its way into my shorts. The couple of bikes behind us have stopped, the riders disembarked and set about lifting the bike off of us both, I’m checking that my driver is ok whilst the others are asking how I am. We are both fine, the driver I’m sure embarrassed, but amazing neither of us worse off for the incident other than decidedly muddy. The bike righted, may driver pushes it on ahead until reaching a patch of clear grass. I join him there and we all continue on our way. Those who had been ahead of us unaware of the incident and wondering just where we had got too.
Arriving at that school, we unload and the bikes make the journey back to Ndhiwa. We’d been two stop ends short yesterday for some reason, we’re hoping that somehow they’ve ended up in Racora, our first task now is too move one of the existing ones to close off the end of one of the running outlets. Job easily done, we all look at moving the tanks around into position. These are the tanks that whilst the same size 8000lt were a different width (short and dumpy) and equipped us to have the bases remade, but they are lined with a white interior, meaning that whoever ends up in the tank will actually be able to see. Tanks on the bases, measurements transferred now across to the school wall can start on the down pipes into the pre filter systems. Measuring, pipe cutting, solvent welding and the pipe work takes shape, both tanks served independently by a roof slope.
Elaine and Barbara are working through each classroom with the aid of the couple of the senior girls acting as interpreters giving the hand wash teaching. Tank one marked up and now back on its side off the base, Tim has volunteered to tank dive. Only problem now is that the opening for this style of tank is central in the top as opposed to one side on all the other tanks. Tim can’t get in off a set of steps so eventually is posted through the aperture. The tank had been pretreated with ‘Doom’ a mosquito killer and allowed to vent, this following Tom’s experience up at Otange. Tap and overflow inserted, backnuts in place and tightened up, we now need Tim out of the tank, with a set of temps directly in front and held tightly Tim holds onto the steps and then is lifted out of the tank, one down one to go. The white interior certainly made it easier, with the sun streaming through the opening hitting the white surface, it was daylight inside the tank. Now placed back into position we repeat the process on the 2nd tank. Now a practised team, we seem to be getting quicker with these processes. Tim popped in and out of the 2nd tank with ease, job done. 2nd tank righted and back on its base, only the final connections from the pipe work to the tank remain.
Tom had decided that we would bring the pipes across and with an elbow, drop them into a hole we’d cut in the tops with a 2.5″ hole saw. We were looking around and now wondering if we actually had sufficient pipe to connect both tanks, we had a full length and stubs various, the longest about 20″. We were now puzzling over where the 4th length from the overnight bus delivery had gone to. However, we were here and we needed to crack on, careful measurements to the back tank, not wasting any pipe, elbow and a stud and the tank was connected.
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The last tank to go, I had looked at the rainwater connection from the pipe work and the top of the tank and commented that I thought it would be uphill. My comment obviously unheard, we repeated the previous operation, just making the connection with the long stub. Climbing down from the steps Tom exclaimed ‘bugger’, worried looks aground and what’s the problem. The problem is that it’s difficult to make water run uphill. We’d have to cut a 2nd opening in the side of the tank and cap off the unnecessary hole in the top. Without much ado the task was completed, the extra hole filled with the disc that had been removed and some of Tom’s wonder tape. It was just after 14:00 and the system was complete.
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The deputy head Mike had advised that the rains were coming. We worked on with the final connections to the rumbling of thunder in the distance. The boys had returned with the boda boda, we debated whether we would go as far as the turn to the hotel and then make a decision as to whether to go on to Rocara for a couple of hours. Having bounced and slid our way back with the occasional rain drops bouncing off ponds and my shoulders, Tom rolled in behind us and declared that we should return to the hotel, time 14:50. I changed and settled in to hopefully catch up to date on the blogs, the others were walking down to the bar in Ndhiwa.
Sam called in having been collecting money from Tom for the tap cages, he then came across the hall to my room. the benches were finished and he needed the balance of K$5400. This brings our outlay for the additional tank base, fittings, the benches and Sam’s time to K$35,000. We just need to fit the benches and return to Otange, repair and install the additional tank. Plus of course start and finish the installation at Racora.
Time for an afternoon swim, peace and tranquility, then back to do some more writing.
Dinner for some reason delayed, eventually at 19:30, portioned Tilapia, chips, tomato salad and a couple of plates shredded cabbage like green vegetable (Swahili mrenda and Kunde)
Into the pool for around 06:30, a peaceful place to glide up and down thinking about how privileged we really are. Thinking what we expect for our children and grandchildren and compare that to the children we are seeing each day here in Kenya. These children can walk miles to school, often without shoes, there is then a 2 hour lunch break to allow them to walk home, eat and return to school. The standard of education has been really surprising and I hope that some of you reading these pages will make contact with one of the schools and start a communication between your pupils. This is a real eye opener, concrete floors, often in poor condition, wooden benches a a smoothed section of concrete wall. Yet all the children learn English as well as Swahili, they have classes in mathematics and English, physical and human geography. I have even seen work around microbes and biology on the wall in these dusty rooms. As everywhere the staff sit with stacks of books marking, the big difference for them is the money they are paid and the facilities they have at their disposal. They want the same as the majority of teachers, the best support for their pupils.
Hopefully our work here will help them in some small way, hopefully at least in reducing absence caused by gastrointestinal illness, that will also help the parents who will no longer need to purchase medicines to combat those bouts of illness. As for us we head into breakfast about 08:30, we’ll be heading into Ndhiwa around 10:00 to get a Makati (minibus) into HomaBay, for us a day of relaxation. Breakfast was weetabix, chapatis, boiled egg and chopped potato in tomato and coriander sauce (coriander does appear to be the herb of choice for the majority of dishes) with bread.
Boda boda down into Ndhiwa pulling into the main road. Paul and Sam were there and ŵe asked about having a Makati (minibus) for our own use. At this particular time there were very few Mataki about, other times I had seen over a dozen here, now only three. Paul went off, coming back a few minutes later and said we could hire a car, how big how much? The white Toyota was sat on the other side of the road and was the one that had taken Tom, Sam and I up to Otange on one occasion, price was K$4000. Tom haggled and the price came down to K$3000, www put in the petrol and Tom drives. I handed over the cash and deal done we now try to all get in, Tom in the driving seat, I’m ushered by Sam to the front passenger seat, 3 on the back seat, leaving Elaine and Tim to climb into the back with the spare tyre, I had a couple of rucksacks up front with me to help out. Everyone in, Tom tried to start it without success, the lads had the bonnet open, fiddled (difficult to see exactly what with) and urged Tom to try again. Success, bonnet closed and move just 50m up the road to a petrol station, I pass over K$1000 for fuel. The gauge had been flashing and that had now stopped, but gave no indication of just how much fuel we actually had. Still, that’s what the boys had said would get us to HomaBay and back so off we set. Bumping our way along we are frequently flagged from the roadside with people wanting to buy a space in the probox. I just waved as went past, swerving around potholes, goats and cattle. Pulled into a police checkpoint, I chatted with officer saying we’re headed for HomaBay – continue and enjoy your day came the response. So that’s just what we did, Tom driving just like a Kenyan, the occasional ouch, bump and groan from the back when he didn’t clear a pothole.
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HomaBay, and Tom dropped us all off opposite he bus station and headed off to park up at the Tourist Hotel HomaBay, pointing out to us that the supermarket we had previously used was just visible over the rooftops and he would rejoin us there. So we weaved our way through the dusty street with calls of ‘hello mzungo’ greeting us along the way, or ‘mzungo, my pockets are empty’, arriving in the comparative sanity of the supermarket. My colleagues were desperate to find Kenyan filter coffee and jams, myself, I just wandered looking at the array of fresh produce and picked a a couple of cartons of juice and a half bottle of Kenyan rum, you need to just check these things out! Surprisingly as I rounded a counter end Tom was there. I went through the checkout, joining Adam outside. One by one the others came out with their purchases until we were all gathered back together. I checked with Tom that the market opposite was in fact the one we had visited for our hardware shopping before the others had joined us. That confirmed, I said we needed to visit the stall again to purchase the bits and pieces to carry out the tank repair and to allow it’s connection into the system.
So off we all headed, conga style, the only white people amongst the local population. ‘How are you’, a favourite call as we wound through the fresh produce, fish stalls, butchery, fabrics and finally I spotted the stall we had used previously. Somehow the young girl recognised Tom and I from the previous week? It always amazes me that people remember who I am. We gathered up nuts and bolts, a couple of taps, insulation tape, short lengths of threaded pipe, couplings, ptfe tape and a shovel. I settled our account K$1650, we distributed the goods and the headed off looking for the bank. By our recollection this should be on the other side of the market, so we walked through the clothing, I couldn’t see any suitable shirts or I could have been tempted. On past furniture and oddments looking for a way out, after several false tries we made it out, roughly where we had expected. The Barclays Bank we were looking for was just around the next corner. Tom and a few of the others headed in to use the ATM’S, coming out saying ‘if you want to cool down spend a couple of minutes in there’.
Banking completed it was time to head across to the Tourist Hotel, Tom and I electing to take boda boda, the others, with direction saying they would walk. They headed off, we flagged a couple of bikes and 15 minutes later we were sat in these events spot we’d been a week ago. No weaver birds, but plenty of special starlings, and canary type birds flitting around and again a proliferation of butterflies. The breeze from the lake and the relative quiet (back at the hotel, in order to have power there is the constant drone of the generator) is a pleasure to be savoured. Tom and I sat just chatting about the way the project was going, and about his work out in Africa over many years. Tom had spent time on various projects for various people/organisations, in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Zambia. A man with a fascinating past and a wealth of stories to tell.
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Joined first by Elaine, Barbara and Tim, Les and Adam coming into view about 10 minutes later. The staff came across and took our order and we sat contented, just chatting on. Drinks came and a menu, I went for the chicken salad again, Tom, still being careful decided to just stick with a drink, a range of foods ordered around the table, the waitress headed off for the kitchen. Tim was busy attempting to identify the birds, I was content to feel the grass on my feet, no dust, no mud. The food came and as before was plentiful, fresh and I’m sure tasty. Our meal complete, drinks finished and the account settled, time to venture back to Ndhiwa.
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We loaded up in the car park, Tom turned the ignition and nothing. Opening the bonnet, it was easy to see that it was the battery the boys had been tinkering with in the morning. The negative was connected with a short length of copper wire wound around the terminal, the positive terminal had a clip, but the terminal post was corroded. Using Tom’s pen knife, having removed the lead, I scrapped the terminal post and attempted to tighten the negative terminal connection, still nothing. At this time a couple are returning to their nice new Toyota Land Cruiser parked next to us, the man asks if he can help. I ask if he has a set of jump leads, but he says no and climbs into his car. His wife however says yes we have and getting out opens the boot and is moving stuff around. The man now appears with a pristine set of leads, we have also now been joined by one of the Ascari from the main gate checking out what the problem is. Our potential saviour needs to relocate his vehicle to allow both batteries to be connected. That done Tom has another go, a flicker and then nothing, but perseverance and the tired little engine bursts into life. Cheers, thanks, the jump leads coiled and retuned, we load up once again.
Heading out into HomaBay, I query with Tom our fuel situation and should we put mor in, just in case. Tom felt that as the boys had said K$1000 should get us from Ndhiwa and back we should have faith (that was actually around 2 gall of fuel) and so off we headed. It is incredible just how many people use these Probox services, the roof of our car is concave where loads have been strapped on over the years. Every 500m or so someone waves looking for us to stop, even once out of the town there will be someone stood beside sacks or bags waving us down. The car ploughs on through another checkpoint, nearly always around the potholes, often driving on the wrong side of the road until at last we are back in Ndhiwa. No sign of the boys and no arrangements previously made for the return of the vehicle, I suggest to Tom that we just keep going back to the hotel. 20 minutes later and we pull into the hotel car park, hesitating over switching off the ignition, but off it goes, our belongs gathered together, off to our rooms. Tom calls Sam and explains that the car is at the hotel.
I’m changed and heading for the pool, as I passed Barbara And Elaine on the reception veranda, they inform me that I have other people in the pool. So it was half a dozen locals were in the pool, splashing and enjoying themselves, the remainder of their families sat poolside. I derobed and climbed in, ducking down and swimming a length. Surfacing at the shallow end the older of group said hello, can you teach us to swim and pointed to a young lady in her mid to late teens. I said that I couldn’t help as this would be inappropriate, but demonstrated breast stoke and crawl. The lads in the group all had a go and I then noticed a young girl, maybe around 9-10. I turned to the older man and said that when we taught our children to swim we would just support them with an open hand under their stomach, allowing them to move both arms and legs. He took the advice and with the girl balanced on his hand she valiantly thrashed in the water using an excellent doggy paddle. I said, that’s perfect, you just need to keep practicing. The lads meantime had been trying to practice a crawl, splashing and spluttering but not necessarily making much headway. I called them across and suggested that they were using a lot of energy keeping their heads out of the water, that when they bring their arms a over have their hands act as a knife into the water then into a cup pulling through the water. Off they went to try again, I swam another half a dozen lengths, climbed out bade them all farewell and said, ‘keep practising’.
Changed and down to reception to join the others, power and wifi intermittent, we had a beer and I then returned to my room to try and write up some of the blog notes. Somehow I’d lost the notes for the 17th & 18th, no idea how and no idea how to retrieve, I’d not been able to send them out to Catherine due to poor or no signal, I was quite low at this point. No point in moping though, I’d just have try and remember and rewrite them.
Generator on from 07:00 for an hour. Early swim and for the first time as I made my 1st turn I had a spectator. A bird, nut brown plumage, about 15″ tall, 18″ with the neck extended and a plumage visible with this extension. Wing span about 2 feet when it flew off, the under wing feathers slightly lighter than the rest. I had thought it would disappear as I swam up the pool, but no, it remained there nodding into the pool for about 6 lengths, then obviously feed up took off flying over the treetops.
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Swim completed under an overcast sky, changed and in for breakfast with the others around 08:30, weetabix, Spanish omelette, fried potato, watermelon. A discussion as to whether we actually venture up to Sangore, it is the furthest project away and inaccessible by minibus. The tracks up are generally in a parlous condition and taking into account last nights rain there are doubts about safety. A call to Sam who advises that the way is alright and 10 boda boda are ordered, 2 for the equipment. Around 10:15, bikes arrived and loaded we head off in convoy to Sangore. The track initially the same approach to the hotel, but then we turn left uphill as opposed to the right tun downhill into Ndhiwa that we’ve been used to. The track is certainly not as stony as that to Ndhiwa, but what it lacks in stones it makes up for in ridges. We bump up and down, through rain filled potholes, past remote, isolated dwellings, occasionally some compounds with decent looking properties. We twist, turn, bump and slide our way up, the views are stunning, I should have thought to bring a GoPro (although I never really dreamt I’d be on the back of a motorbike). One last big puddle about 10′ across and the bikes decide that’s it, from here we’re on foot.
The bikes with the equipment did keep going and quickly left us behind. Muddy underfoot and an uphill climb, it soon felt that your feet weighed 3 times the weight, they probably did with the volume of mud encasing my boots. The hillside is lined with deep ruts running down the hill, obviously where the water cascades down eroding the top soil, this doesn’t help in picking a way up. I can see the others ahead, but this is tough going, my knees are shouting at me, my backpack pulling and my breathing to pot. In fact I do catch up with Tom, although technically I think he has fallen behind as much as me. We both are breathing heavily and struggling with painful joints. We mount yet another summit and find ourselves at the edge of a football pitch, it’s been about a 2k slog up here and we need to keep going to reach the school at the far end of the pitch.
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First job is to attempt to get shot of some of this mud from my boots, in fact I kick them off and put my sandals on from the backpack. Children are already starting to gather and this is a Sunday. Tools and steps out and we discover just how muddy it is around the classroom perimeter, obvious when you think of it, all that rain running from the roof has just been falling straight to the ground.we get a straight line up to a fall to the far end where the tanks will be placed. Difficult moving the steps as they sink into the mud as you climb them. By now we have a couple of dozen children around us, watching the ‘muzumgos’ working. Tom fits the running outlet and the far gutter clip, Adam and Les then start marking out 1 metre lines from the running outlet. I follow on placing gutter clips below the next two marks, leaving the 3rd clear for a coupling. Experience has taught us that as the gutters are not exact lengths this is the easiest way, fit the coupling the the actual gutter length. One side completed, we repeat the process on the other slope., not quite as muddy, but bad enough. It’s getting on for 14:00 now and Sam has invited us all to his home for food, the bikes have been summonsed, tools collected and when they arrive, strapped to one of the bikes. Tom is still rough from the journey up this morning, but has still been dashing up and down the site rather than directing the operation.
The bikes have actually come right up to the school this time, coming a back way across. We mount up and reverse the tortuous journey from this morning. The top surface mud has dried a little, but with 10 bikes following the same track through the puddles it soon becomes very slippery. Back at the hotel and the bikes will wait for us to take us to Sam’s. Quick dash to the room, a wet wipe wash and change of clothes and back to the front. Everyone, including Tom assembled, we set off to the far side of Ndhiwa, about a 20 minute ride and certainly easier than the 45/50 minutes to Sangore. A shortish distance off road and we come through a small settlement, just beyond which we come across Sam’s Bar. Sam explains that in Kenya parents must leave their children land and property, that his father had purchased this plot many years ago and overtime they had developed a bar and some rooms for accommodation. A backpackers dream, but still only used by locals as a bar run by Sam who had run a bar previously in Ndhiwa next to one of the schools. Changes in licensing legislation meant that Sam’s bar had to close and despite the fact that he had paid his annual renewal only a few weeks before, he received no recompense. Trying to start again in an alternate location didn’t work for him so he fixes and odd jobs to support his family.
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His site stretches through woodland and borders a stream at the bottom of a slope. Monkeys play around the site, apparently during the day, drumming on the accommodation roofing. Sam intends to further develop the site with more accommodation and a small holding to produce fresh produce to be used on site. During our tour of the site, Tom had remained sat up in the open area to the rear of the bar and on our return said he was going back to the hotel with and upset stomach, a bike summonsed, Tom left us.
The Kenyans are polygamous, Sam having 2 wives and 6 children, the 2nd wife inherited (tradition) on the death of his brother along with her children. Barbaric , the 1st wife and Vivienne the 2nd introduce themselves and shake hands all round. They then disappear back off the house, situated on a separate plot above the hotel area, returning carrying on their heads and in hands an incredible array of foods, the crockery, cutlery and utensils. The spread included chapatis, fried potatoes, rice, onion salad, mung bean Dahl, a sort of coleslaw, boiled eggs in a tomato and garlic sauce, chicken both fried and braised along with an enormous platter of diced fresh fruit, bananas from his trees, mango, papaya and pineapple, what a spread, we were no longer used to eating a lot, but gave it our best shot.
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We had started out with sodas and then moved onto beers, Tom having arranged for a case of each here when he got the case of beers for the hotel. Sam gave me a half bottle of brandy, apparently we drink the same brand. A tally was kept of the sodas and beers we’d drunk and this would be added to our accounts being managed by Tom. We had all handed over a sum to Sam for the food a few days previously, but very little in comparison to the spread they had produced. The time now around
17:00 and rain imminent myself and Barbara opted for boda boda whilst the others decided that they could walk it, seeing what torches they could rustle up between themselves.
Barbara and I arrived back in about 15 minutes, the others making it for just after 19:00 in the pitch dark, slumping in reception and having another beer. The rain had held off for them, but not for much longer. No lights on in Tom’s room so we didn’t disturb for a while. Barbara knocked on his door about an hour later and between the decided that perhaps he was actually dehydrated, not having drunk any water during the morning, despite the balmy 27/28 degrees. She provided him some salts and left him.
No wifi so for many including myself an earlier night.
Early swim and then changed into tidy clothes as we got ready for the handover at Otange, tidy that is in a clean tshirt. Breakfast, cornflakes, pancakes with pan fried potato in a tomato sauce, bread.
The goodie bag and the filtration pump loaded into the hotel minibus along with some of the tools, we still need to recover the wash tank and stand from the welder and concrete into position. Sam will undertake this whilst the rest of us take part in the handover event. Arriving on site at 10:00 it is encouraging to see several people sat in the shade of the trees. Mrs Lencer greets us and we arrange to move a couple of tables into the stand of trees, one as a demonstration table the other to display the goodies.
The children are starting to arrange a line of chairs for us and moving school forms and desks out for themselves and parents to sit at. I unpack the filtration pump and then set to to create some dirt water for the demonstration, either that or someone would need to walk off and carry me dirty water. Job complete, with assistance from Adam and Mrs Lencer we laid out the goodies as best as possible, they certainly proved attractive to the children and Mrs Lencer shooed them all back and away. As we were setting up I caught sight of the bullocks and cart moving off to collect the wash stand. Adam and Tim set to blowing up a dozen balloons that they threw out to the seated children.
Mr Nicholas Andiego, the deputy head stood and welcomed everyone, he thanked us for our work and the opportunity it provided for the school. He then handed over to the Chair of the management board, the board itself made up of 8 women, 6 men and 1 student representative. The Chair repeated the thanks and said how impressed he was with the work and how quickly it had been completed. These speeches had initially been delivered in the ‘mother tongue’ Swahili, but with each of the speakers able to repeat to us in English, in fact although they use it very little the children are all taught English. If you take the time and gain their confidence you can have very good conversations with them.
Tom then responded on behalf of WfK, explaining the work of the charity, not only in Kenya, but Zambia and Uganda. He explained that the infrastructure that we had created was now the property of the community, that they must look after and take care of it. He went on to say how similar projects elsewhere were still in use over 12 years after installation. Tom’s words were translated by Mrs Lencer for the benefit of the parents. Tom having finished I stood to demonstrate the filtration unit. I thanked the assembled group for attending and what a privilege it was for me to have taken part in this project. I initially took a glass of water from my ‘pond’, priming the pump, I changed the valves and continuing to pump produced the clean water. I took a sip and then offered the glass to the chair of the board who shared it with the deputy head. I explained the workings of the pump and how if looked after it would give them years of service, Mrs Lencer had been doing Stirling work translating. I said that I would show senior pupils and staff in more detail how to use and look after the pump.
Whilst my demo was receiving a round of applause I moved across to the goodies table. I explained how all the volunteers had gathered together donations and gifts to bring out with us to Kenya. I told the gathering that we had divided up the gifts equally between the 4 schools we were working at. I said that we hoped that whilst there was not enough for everyone, at least with the balls everyone could be involved in games. We all hoped that the staff could use the other items, soaps, sewing kits, bracelets, small rugby balls, pencils pens and tshirts to help encourage work within the school. I then told how as a group we had decided to repair the damaged water tank, have a new base created, which they could see was already under construction, and to include the repaired tank into the system we had already installed.
Barbara and Elaine then rose and taking over the demo table set out the hand wash kit. They explained how they had been working with the children on hand hygiene and wanted now to show just what they had done. 2 volunteers arrived from the school children and with the cohort singing the ‘Wash your hands’ song they had all been taught , demonstrated the process. Elaine then invited up any parents who may care to have a go, one man and one woman swiftly came forward and again with the children singing and Barbara and Elaine helping they went through the process.
As they sat down the deputy head, Mr Andiego stood and said that the pupils would like to say something. A senior boy and then a senior girl took turns in thanking us for the gifts we had given them and saying what a difference the water would make to their school days, how during the rainy season at least they would not need to bring water from home to school.
We thought at this juncture the event was over, when Mrs Lencer announced that the younger year pupils would also like to say something. With that a group of perhaps twenty stood to the side and started singing in Swahili, they swayed down into the demonstration area, finished their song and then walked back away.
Again we thought this was the end when a stirring female voice started up at the head of another 20 or so more senior pupils ‘Hallo to our visitors, we are happy singing today, sit you down and listen to us, Otange pupils sing today’ the remaining singers joined in as as a chorus as they all danced down into the demonstration area. Here they stopped parading, but carried on with the song and dance whilst Mrs Lencer was encouraging members of the volunteers to join in the dance line. As the singers had started dancing down, a lone African drum had joined in as they moved providing the perfect accompaniment, unfortunately I was unable to find the player or their instrument of which there was no sign before or after their event. What an incredible emotive climax to our morning. I took a bracelet from the gift table and having spoken with Mrs Lencer presented it to the soloist
At sometime during the event the bullocks, cart and Sam had returned complete with the washstand. Sam had then carried on working and had the base concreted in place. Our time here now complete we shook hands exchanged thanks and gathering our belongs headed off for Ndhiwa hospital primary in the hotel minibus. Enroute we collected the 2.5″ pipes that had been overnighted on the bus from Nairobi for us. We also gathered up a carpenter to come with us to the school. Whilst sitting on the veranda of the new building on an earlier occasion, I had been surprised how cool it was in the shade and what a breeze there was in this area. Speaking with Sam, I’d asked him for an estimate of what it would cost to provide bench seating along the length of the veranda.
Arriving at the school I went to speak with the senior teacher on site to explain what we were up to, finish off the installation now the water pipes had arrived and provide hand washing education classes. She was happy with this and said that once the pupils returned from lunch (2 hours- to allow time for walking home eating and walking back again). I asked that we use the new classroom as it was larger and we could get bigger groups in there in the shade. She agreed with this, the classroom not yet in use and said she would divide the pupils into 2 groups for us. I then explained my idea for providing seating along the veranda, she thought this an excellent idea. I then asked about meeting with the parents, board of management and of course the pupils for a formal handover of the scheme, asking if it was possible to arrange for Monday. She felt this was to difficult but that we could do this on Tuesday at 10:00.
I joined Sam and the carpenter on the veranda and we took measurements, we could provide around 35 feet of seating in this area. The price still to be fixed, as the head carpenter had not been in the shop, we shook hands. I joined Tom in completing the installation whilst Barbara and Elaine with occasional assistance from Les and Tim worked through the hand wash sessions. Our work completed, all unused equipment gathered together and tools packed up, we loaded all these on a boda boda and we then walked back to the hotel.
In the pool for 06:30, really is a great way to wake up.
Back to the room and changed, actually washed my hair, what a terrible colour the water was, swimming obviously isn’t doing a great job there. Breakfast ready for just after 08:00, no power of wifi available before breakfast., cornflakes, maize dumplings, sausage and boiled egg along with a plate of sliced water melon.
Tidy up, grab kit and back to reception, arrangement made for use of the hotel minibus. Loaded up with steps, fittings and people, I’m privileged to get the front seat. Gilbert the hotel manager driving we set off, great journey, no obstacles and a generally smooth ride. On site and all equipment unloaded and that stored on site retrieved. It was good to see that the materials for the additional tank base I had ordered had been delivered to site, rocks and bricks so far. We have a discussion about what tasks that we need to be completed by us during the day.
The tanks need connecting, which will involve laying them on their sides, climbing inside in order to tighten the backnuts to the taps and overflows. They can the repositioned on the prepared bases and the final down pipes slide into place.
We need to deliver hand washing education to all the children.
As part of the project and to demonstrate to sponsors the effectiveness of their investments, we need to gather data. With the aid of the school staff we need absence records over the past 3 months, ideally figures related to gastrointestinal illnesses. Following the rainwater harvesting system implementation (dependent on the tanks being supplied with rainwater) again 3 months of records. We would hope also that the staff may supply us with the same type of data at 6,9 and 12 months. From the 4 schools this would be invaluable data to be used in pushing forward similar projects, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia.
Les and Tim, will undertake the data collation and talk with the teachers around the purpose and use of the collated data.
Elaine and Barbara volunteered to lead the hand washing classes, leaving myself, Tom and Adam to deal with the tanks. Sam was a mission to try and get steel straps welded to the washstand. This wash tank and stand had already left the hotel before the welder from Ndhiwa had arrived.
First things first and a meeting with the teaching staff to map out our intentions for the day and how it may impact on the operation of the school.
The washstand and tank was already on its way to Otange when the welder turn ref up at the hotel. This set therefore need attention before concreting into place.on two boda boda the wash tank and Sam headed off to a local welder to get the work completed
So to our tasks, with Tom steadying Adam and I pushed the tank over and between us rolled it into a suitable position. Thankfully Tom volunteered to go inside. I must have been thinking about this subconsciously this morning because for the first time I had my head torch in my back pack. All the tools and fittings were prepared and laid out appropriate places. Tom stripped of his tshirt and climbed in. I passed in the head torch, tools and fittings. Next we heard were shouts and Ouches and ‘has anyone any mosquito spray’. Thankfully Adam had a spray which we passed in along with Tom’s tshirt. Back to work, the tap and overflow were inserted and backnuts tightened. Tom passed out the tools and then claimed out, red, sweaty and displaying an impressive number of mosquito bites.
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A short interlude for Tom to regain his composure and we righted the tank and pushed it around to the correct location. I went and found the previously prepared connecting down pipe and slide it into place. One down, one to go. At this moment a brightly canopied motorbike rode up the school drive. The rider went across and spoke with the teachers and then made his way across to us. He introduced himself as local Pastor David and thanked us for the good works we were doing for the school. He went on then to say how other schools and his church needed our help. That if we had some time we good visit the other places.Tom replied that we were working as charity volunteers, that the funding for the project was very tight and that we had no spare time or funds. Pastor David, thanked us well for carrying out Gods work, mounted his motorbike and rode off.
Tank 2 and Tom was happy to go back inside. This time he gave a healthy spray of mosquito repellent into the tank then waited a couple of minutes before entering the tank. With the practice from the 1st tank, the connections seemed to go much easier and quicker, Tom and the tools out. The tank was righted, positioned and the connecting pipe slide into place. Tools and surplus parts gathered up and packed away, we wandered across to watch the remaining hand washing class, which was progressing well in the shade of a stand of trees. The children were enthusiastic in their responses.
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Sam had just returned, there was still no power in the village so no welding, he had left the stand and tank and would return tomorrow to hopefully collect the completed job.
Les and Tim had made a good start with the data set and in helping the Mrs Lencer Ochola understand the importance of completing sand submitting the follow up data.
All wrapped up for the day, the hotel minibus called, for we bade farewell to the staff and that we would see them the following morning, when we would meet with the staff, board of management, parents and of course the pupils. The purpose of this meeting to formally hand over the system into the care of the community. We would also bring and demonstrate the filtration, pump and a selection of gift’s from kind benefactors back home.
Time for a swim, still no other takers from the rest of the group. The buffet dinners are working well, portioned Tilapia, chips, shredded cabbage, mung bean Dahl followed by some sliced water melon.
Following dinner we agreed to bring all the gifts together in the bar area below reception. What an incredible accumulation, footballs rugby balls stress balls small balls, soaps of all description, from hand made to hotel soaps, sewing kits pencils, pens, crayons, girls bracelets, t shirts and balloons. We slowly brought order to what had looked like an impromptu jumble sale. Four equal piles of goodies now adorned four tables, luckily I’d a roll of bin bags in my luggage (lucky these hadn’t Beeb impounded at the airport as I now know that plastic bags are banned in Kenya. Now came the struggle of pumping up the deflated balls for tomorrow’s presentation, challenge met and everything bagged up.
Into reception for a drink (we’d arranged for a box of beers to be brought up from the town) and shortly for me, to my room.
Early morning dip is a real revived, plenty of rain again through the night, having started mid evening. Could be mistaken for thinking this is Sunday morning when we go in for breakfast. Cornflakes, Apple juice then a Spanish omelette type egg mix and a sausage (chicken I think), plus bread and spreads. Obviously expect us to be doing a hard days work.
Tom and I walk across to the school about 1k, taking care with the rushing water and slippery mud from the nights prolonged deluge. The staff welcome us back as we retrieve, fittings, tools and ladders from their staff room. Set to and complete the guttering installation without any further complications. The chair of governors turns up during the morning on a school visit and stops to talk with us and thank us for the improvements we are implementing. The children are keeping a respectful distance but watching closely when we do something of interest such as drill into the rendered wall with a cordless drill.
Interesting in that there is a window opening in the staff room wall with a shelf where the children place their exercise books. Talking with the staff, this is homework for marking at the start of the day. Completed exercises from classes as the day goes on
again in printed exercise books.
Sam has arrived on his motorbike with cement which is stored away safely for later. IN readiness for its use, the wash tank and stand are placed in position and the down pipe fitted from the recovered guttering. This is a huge roof area to supply such a small tank (250lt), but this was an extra task that had not originally be factored in. Should the school receive some funding in future this water source could easily be adapted to supply a much larger tank in addition to the wash stand.
The mason has arrived on site and is now hand mixing concrete to secure the wash stand to prevent theft. We are now concentrating on the installation of a primary filtration system between the guttering and the storage tanks. This is constructed from 2.5″ and 4″ pipe work. The 4″ having an elbow solvent welded to the bottom and the a small hole drilled into the screw cap which has also been welded in place. A rubber gasket connects a short section of the smaller pipe to the top of the 4″ and a firmly secured. A t piece is then added above this with the 90 degree joint aimed at the tank. The top joint has the guttering downpipe attached. Rainfall will now run off the roof taking dust and debris, which collects in the 4″ pipe. Once the 4″ pipe is full of water, the now cleansed water from the roof flows across through the t into the water tank, simple but very effective.
Once the rain stops, the small hole in the stop end allows the filter pipe to slowly drain, the only servicing need here is tat the stop end is opened before the start of teach rainy season and the accumulated debris removed. Annoyingly we do not have sufficient 2.5″ pipe on site to fully complete the installation. The mason now comes across and creates a cap with bricks and mortar around the 4″ elbow, leaving the front screw cap clear. This will protect the vulnerable part of the installation should children decide to stand on it.
We tidy up and explain to the staff we’ll be back to fully complete the installation in a couple of days. As we’re in Otange tomorrow, we take all tools and steps with us. Tom rides pillion on Sams’ motorcycle, with the two sets of steps, while I walk back with the remaining tools. Definitely time now for a swim.
Sam comes up with a car and driver to take us the 10k to Otange primary. Plenty of space for the tools and additional fittings that had arrived, the steps and additional guttering strapped to the roof. Paul who had often been one of the boda boda drivers was now driving an old station wagon.
The road out of the hotel is becoming more difficult on a daily basis as the rains wash away the soil between the rocks. Where the flow of water has crossed the track, the drop is now easily over 500mm, across approx 1m of uneven rock bed and then a slope back out, makes for an interesting ride. I still find it fascinating that whenever we are using this track the number of others, who are walking, boda bodas and cars, when other than a few shacks, 1 church and a clinic, there really doesn’t seem anywhere else to go. That being said, these people walk miles, it is incredible when passing the schools either at start or ends of the AM or PM sessions, the distance children, some really tiny are walking or running. It is easy to differentiate between their destinations as each school has its own uniform and all these children are immaculately turned out.
After perhaps 500m of turning off the metalled road onto the sugar factory track, we come across a rope today being held across the track by a couple of women. We have seen this before with various people holding the rope, sometimes the police. Each time we approach from either direction the rope is raised and we pass through.only now I ask the question, just what is that all about? Apparently a toll point with funds collected going to the local administration. Why aren’t we charged? Simply because we are visitors. Seems counter intuitive to me, but we do seem to be known wherever we travel around. Headteachers from other schools have been to see what we are doing and talk about the poor condition of their own schools and how such a project would be of great benefit. If we have any materials left at the end, could we perhaps visit their school. Regrettably the funding for this project and because of the location on the sites we are working on, transport costs are high. Tom, who has worked extensively on projects for WfK in other African countries, mainly Uganda, reckons transport costs here are easily double what he would normally expect to pay.
Arriving at Otange, we are again greeted by very enthusiastic children. We are welcomed back head and teachers. The car unloaded, Paul leaves us and heads back to Ndhawi, he will return when we call later in the day. Tom and I discuss our plan of action, deciding that with a tank at both ends of the building line we will have a single gutter that falls from the centre to two running outlets and stop ends. That way each tank should receive any equal amount of the captured rain. The roof valley on the axis of the two buildings is heavily clogged with leaves and small branches. Rather than risk this level of detritus getting into our system we stop the gutter run about 1.5m shy of the corner.
The plan made, Tom and Sam proceed to mark out the bracket positions on the facia board. I follow along placing the requisite bracket on the ground below. We set a string line with a screw in the centre to ensure our two opposing falls. With the cordless Tom starts screwing the brackets in place. With the first running outlet and set of brackets in position I use the other steps and place the first gutter section. After the 2nd gutter section was offered up, I pointed out to Tom we had a problem.were we were setting our connecting clips at exact 3m positions, regrettably the Kenyan 3m gutter sections were not all the same size. We reformulated our work process and each Tom was ready to locate a connector, I offered up a length of gutter and Tom adjust his marks accordingly. This system worked well will Sam is steadying steps as necessary, making phone calls to arrange for assistance with some issues, transport and generally ensuring that we were good to continue with the project. Just two hours and the guttering was finished, stop ends in place.
We then proceeded to construct two first flush filtration systems as we had at Ndhiwa hospital primary.the school staff were asked for their preferred location for the hands wash tank. The tanks were aligned with the running outlets and holes cut, amazing how much work you can get out of one little cordless drill. Found a new little friend when moving one of the tanks.
The connecting pipes were cut to size and offered up. The weather however was not keen on us continuing, dark clouds scudding in and brisk winds were announcing a forth coming storm. Sam phoned for Paul to return and collect us and Tom and I gathered up all the tools. Tomorrow we go to Kisumu airport to collect the other volunteers, so we would take all the tools and steps offsite. The drinking water butts and the wash tank assembly were safely stored along with the two conning pipes that had been cut to size.
I spoke with the senior teacher on site and explained what we were about, also that we would return on Thursday to hopefully complete the work and start hand wash instruction classes. I asked if it would be possible for the area they selected for the hand wash stand to be levelled off prior to our return, explaining that we would then set it in position and concrete it in place. This agreed we loaded everything back into the car which had now returned, just as we started to unload at the hotel, the weather had caught up with us, with the heavens opening., looks like I’ll miss a swim this evening.
Tom and I sat in reception discussing progress and the potential to pick up our missing lengths of 2.5″ down-pipe in either Kisumu or HomaBay the following day. Arrangements ŵere made for transport to be away for 7:00 and breakfast to be available at 06:00. Rain still pouring down I opted for bed.
The children are starting to arrange a line of chairs for us and moving school forms and desks out for themselves and parents to sit at. I unpack the filtration pump and then set to to create some dirt water for the demonstration, either that or someone would need to walk off and carry me dirty water. Job complete, with assistance from Adam and Mrs Lencer we laid out the goodies as best as possible, they certainly proved attractive to the children and Mrs Lencer shooed them all back and away. As we were setting up I caught sight of the bullocks and cart moving off to collect the wash stand. Adam and Tim set to blowing up a dozen balloons that they threw out to the seated children.
Back to the room and changed, actually washed my hair, what a terrible colour the water was, swimming obviously isn’t doing a great job there. Breakfast ready for just after 
WFK Kenya 2018 