I wanted to show you some video of the construction process of our 25’x25′ home here in Tala, but after many MB’s of internet use and hours waiting for the upload I was not successful…sorry. But I do have some pictures that I can try to explain. Remember, however, that I am no contractor so my explanation may be rudimentary at best!
We first began by humbly asking Gideon (on whose compound we are living) his opinion on how the house should set on the property. Being sensitive to his love of trees!
The video I wanted to show was the men digging the foundation, with pick axes and shovels…things here are done by manual labor, no cement mixers, no backhoe, no dumptrucks.
Here the guys are making the cement. They make a mound of cement mixture (cement and sand? I’m not really sure!) and put water in the middle of it. Then they start shoveling the cement mixture into the water, eventually creating a small hill of cement which is then transported to the site by the bucket full or wheelbarrow.
The fundi (craftsman) is shaping the stone to be used for the building. You can tell when a fundi is skilled by how smooth and well shaped the stones are. We were blessed with skilled and handy fundi.
Then the shaped stones are carried one by one to the building site where the fundi who lays the stones will make some last touches to the shape and then lay it in place…all by hand! Again we are blessed to have Bonne (sorry if I spelled his name wrong) doing the work, he is skilled and very attentive to detail in his work.
Gideon and Chuck decided to relax and survey the work after a productive day of stone laying. They both agreed it is turning out very nice!
The house is beginning to take shape! All the stone at the bottom will be broken up (by handheld hammer, no jackhammer) and spread out before the cement is poured for the floor.
It never hurts to have another set of eyes watch what is happening! Our little neighbor came over to watch the construction and I think to keep an eye on Chuck!
Again, sorry for no video. I will be working on that some more and hopefully have some on the blog in the next few days or so. But a big THANK YOU to those who were moved to help make this home possible for us here in Kenya. “…By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country…” Hebrews 11:9a