Today was a big one! At KYC we finally started to use the measuring tools, that were so hard to get into the country. Julius and Muriel set up the equipment and put in the first location points of the site. We took the measurments of all the existing buildings, and also of the proposed building site we are drafting for. The GPS tools we used for that do not only save length, but also (very important to us) they measure the exact height of the points. As per usual we got some help from local students:
At the headteacher Christine’s Sweet Angels School (part of CIFEFA and supported by nyendo) we started the construction of an arched bridge. Tonny (nyendo-employee), Sepp and Felix got help by teachers, students and one father (a well-versed craftsman).
The old bridge was made of timber and got stolen several times to be used as firewood. Thus, the design-task was to build a solid bridge from material, that was not going to be stolen again. As a solution we introduced the arch, which (apart from the foundation) is completly made up of natural stone and mortar.
In addition to its obvious purpose (getting students to school safe and sound), this little project can serve as a little introduction to us. We get to know the materials hands-on, we see the processes needed, but most importantly: We are able to work together with our Kenyan friends, to build a mutual foundaton of trust.
Kangemi Youth Centre Architecture 