Why Botswana? Well, Botswana is one of the countries in Africa where Habitat for Humanity International works. We have always felt that Habitat for Humanity does good work, and we have supported them financially. We have, however, never volunteered our time. Most of our time in Africa was spent with the Habitat group and we built a house in the village of Kasane.
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This is the job site the way we found it. A group of high school kids had put in the footing, and built the outhouse. This is the start of a series of pictures showing the progress of the house each day. |
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Here's our workyard. This was not a Home Depot type work site. The blocks are made by hand, not bought. The pile of sand on the left is being prepared for block making. The 7 wheelbarrows of sand will be supplemented with two bags of cement, dry mixed and then mixed with water. The straw buildings on the left and center are part of the rooms where the family currently lives. |
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Here is the cement mixer in action: spade and mix until done. There was usually a much bigger crew mixing, but this shot is on a later day when a bug had laid many low. |
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Compacting the block in a mold. The mold is then compressed by hammering it with the flat of a spade, and then turned out to dry for a week. |
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The results of a couple days' work, with Wilfred proceeding to set blocks in the building. |
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Setting blocks, nearing completion of the walls. |
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Cutting a block to fit the windows. This was the usual complement of kids for each of us at the work site. They would help help out at anything they were able to help out with, and loved games of any sort. About 30 children joined us each day. |
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Pointing the internal wall. |
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Knocking off for the day, with the last of the mortar nearly used up. |
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The house essentially complete. The floor still has to have a skim coat, and window glass is due later today. |
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Another view of the house, with the homeowner-Chimbe and her son Sundamo. The house took about 9 work days to build. |
