Travel Team Returns to USA, but Work in Rwanda Continues

Everyone returned home safely (and healthy!) after the trip to Rwanda. While we did not quite complete all of the original objectives of the trip, we feel very satisfied about the number of latrine repairs accomplished and our relationships with the community in Rwanda. We are confident that the foreman and masons can continue to repair latrines. Since we left, two additional latrines have already been completed (photos will be posted when available).

Photos have been added to many of the prior posts - so you may want to review them. Updates from here on out will be more infrequent.

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Ready to leave Kigali

Adam, Linford, and Laura waiting to check bags in the Kigali airport.

Leaving Gisenyi

Before we left Gisenyi this morning, we were visited by the police commander, the local government executive secretary, the Red Cross director, and the owner of the guest house where we were staying. All wanted to wish us a pleasant journey and asked us to be "ambassadors" for Rwanda.

After taking the bus to Kigali, we met some Rwandan medical students for dinner - and we all agreed it was the best Indian food we had ever had.

Travel Team Leaving Gisenyi

Yesterday was our last day in Rugerero - we completed construction of the first latrine and worked on repairs of some of the other latrines in the village. Then we met with the health committee (pictured here) to discuss proper maintainence of the latrines, surveying the community about the latrines, and how we will continue to keep in touch with them during the rest of the project.

We also talked about how solar ovens could help them reduce charcoal and firewood use for pasteurizing water and cooking food.

We are traveling to Kigali today to meet with some medical students there, and fly back to USA tomorrow.

First Latrine Complete!

We finished work on the first latrine yesterday. There are still a few cosmetic additions to be made (like a door), but we are happy with the result.

Also, here is a picture of the team of masons, helpers, Red Cross volunteers, and EWB-MAP travelers. We think this was a great team., and we are confident that the masons will do a great job on the remaining latrines without us.

Wrapping up

Laura and Linford repaired 4 latrines with broken pipes. Rich and Adam tested solar ovens for water pasteurization. It's hard to believe we only have 1 more day in the village?

Educational materials

Today, we organized educational materials to leave in Rugerero - guidelines for latrine repairs, latrine use, interviews. W also visited a local hot spring and had a leisurely afternoon lunch at a likeside restaurant owned by Mama Chukula - who also owns te guest house we are staying in.

Photos

Pouring the first slab - everyone helps out. Concrete mixing is occuring in the background (Linford in yellow) - when it is ready, there is a bucket brigade for pouring it in the form. Then several people work the concrete (Lora on the right and Adam in the middle) while the mason smooths it out.

Almost all of the material is moved around the village by hand. Here laura is moving a PVC pipe - with some help from the kids.

More Photos

Everywhere we go, the children follow us - often holding our hands. The kids frequently ask us to take a "photo" of them - then we show them the picture on the camera and they laugh.

Here Rich is tying rebar together for the structural reinforcement in the first latrine slab. We have been working side-by side with Rwandans and feel very comfortable with them despite cultural and language differences.

Photos!

We went into town and are using a computer for internet - so here are some photos from the last week.

This image shows a heated discussion about the latrine design. Linford is in the middle in yellow and is talking to (from left to right) Michele (the foreman), Jean (the red cross director), a mason, and Semajeli (the head mason)

A long walk home

Today the mason put up half of the adobe for the first latrine and we poured the floor slab for the second latrine. The taxis were all full so we walked back to Gisenyl, which took about 50 minutes with crowds of kids yelling "bonjour" and "muzungu" (white person) the whole way.

First Latrine Repair Complete

Today we poured a new lid for one of the latrines that had a broken lid but was otherwise functioning. We spanned the pit with square pipe, then a layer of galvanized tin roofing, then rebar-reinforced concrete. As with the latrine, we worked side-by-side with Rwandans - some from Rugerero, but most were a mason and some helpers we hired from Gisenyi. We feel really comfortable working with this group - they are learning English and we are learning both French and Kinyirwanda.

Here's a typical day for us:
7 AM - breakfast on the veranda overlooking Gisenyi (usually a crepe and eggs)
8 AM - hike around the mountain to the north (Adam calls it the 'freaking mountain') on a short-cut to the taxi stop
8:30 - cram into a van-taxi with 16 others and ride 10 minutes uphill to Rugerero
9 AM - 3 PM - work in the village - lunch is clif bars or nothing
3:30 - catch the taxi back downhill
4-6 PM - shower, relax, tea
6 PM - dinner
7 PM - meet to discuss the day and plans for tomorrow
9 PM or so - head to bed

This has been our schedule so far with some modifications. We work really hard during the day, but have plenty of time to relax and analyze our work plan.

The slab looks great!

Today we met with the community. Jean Bosco introduced us and bragged how the village will soon be rich because of our help. Tomorrow we start replacing broken slabs with a second mason.

The First New Latrine!

Today, we poured the slab for the first new latrine. In the morning, we tied rebar and prepared the support for the slab. The afternoon was spent mixing concrete (7 batches!) and spreading the concrete in the form. It was a good day working side-by-side with Rwandans. We had lots of fun and laughs with them as we tried to communicate with them in three languages and gestures.

New frustration

We discovered that some villagers (including the president) are breaking their existing slabs on their septic pits and cleaning them out so they can get a new latrine rather than a repair.

Re-using rocks

We are saving rocks to be used for the next latrine. After filling, we started construction of the support for the slab. Linford worked hard to make sure the mason and foreman understood the plan. Communication is a BIG challenge.

A Day of Labor

We spent the day in Rugerero today. After re-arranging the storeroom, we spent most of the day back-filling the first latrine. Rich broke up the wall then jumped in and helped a local throw rocks out of the pit.

Update - 2nd mason

On Tuesday, a second mason will start working with us. He will be repairing latrines that are partially functional.

This afternoon, we walked around Gisenyl and almost ended up in the Democratic Republic of Congo!

Update - Planning Day

Today was a planning day. We reviewed what had been accomplished by the team so far and planned the next two weeks. Tomorrow we will begin construction of the lid on the first latrine.

Update on Rich and Adam

After Adam and Rich's bus arrived in Gisenyl, we enjoyed a nice dinner and the view of Lake Kivu from our guest house.

Update on Lora and Linford

Lora and Linford were invited to participate in a remembrance ceremony at the Rugerero Genocide memorial. They tried to remain out of the spotlight but as the only foreigners, they kept getting pushed to teh front. Linford even had to give a speech (in Rwandan style with lots of praise!)

Update for Adam & Rich

Adam and Rich arrived in Rwanda. They are taking a bus to Giswenyl - the total transit time from Philly to Giswenyl is ~30 hours including layovers.

Last Day for the Bobs in Rwanda

The bobs are leaving tomorrow (Thursday). Today we had a good meeting with the health committee. We told them about the change in design and they understood that we are building a strong structure with only one chamber. More of the walls for the latrines have been constructed. They are moving along at a good pace.

Travel Team Obtaining Advice on Structural Design

The team in Rwanda is proceeding with construction of the latrines. We have solicited advice from structural engineers about the modifications to the latrine design and are thankful to Grace Hsuan (Drexel University professor of Civil Engineering) and Neil Yersak (EWB-MAP member, Duffield Associates) for their help in providing critical feedback about the design.

The form (angle iron beams and roofing material) is only intended to be a temporary structure to hold up the concrete. The concrete will span 2.2 meters and be 10 cm thick. The concrete is reinforced with 12mm rebar on 10 cm centers. The angle iron will be mortared into the wall.

The aggregate available in Rwanda is not the correct size (1.5" aggregate is available but we need <0.75") and we are still trying to determine how to modify the concrete recipe to accomodate.

Lora and Linford arrive in Rwanda

The second part of the travel team has arrived in Rwanda. Lora and Linford arrived in Kigali yesterday. They rode the bus from Kigali to Gisenyi - apparently the bus was pretty cramped. There is a business class bus which has larger seats and a place to put bags. Linford lost feeling in his legs because they had to put our bags in front of us. But it was a fun experience.

The team (BobH, BobDF, Lora, Linford) visited the village today. The Bobs have been doing a lot. They have been working closely with the new mason. He and his team of either 2 to 4 people have been working hard to pour the footing for four of the units. The walls for one of the units was built today. Some of the original walls had to be torn down and rebuilt. They will be meeting with the health committee tomorrow to discuss changes with the design. They have recalculated the cost for all of the latrines and found that the price will be close to $800/latrine - similar to the original estimate. The Bobs have visited the hospital nearby which also has a collapsed latrine. The Bobs have visited a lot of stores too. Shopping is really challenging because all of the stores have different goods. There are not large quantities of anything so sometimes several stores have to be utilized for purchases.