Once upon a time there was a little bush: June 12 we started.
The civil engineer Fr Augustino Rwebangira came with a ruler to measure.
Then the contractor dug some grooves on the ground
and put stones on those grooves and called it the foundation!
Then the masons said "we need sand and gravel and steel bars...!
And I said what the heck are you guys talking about?
They said we also need burned/baked bricks: and so I did bring all that stuff!
"why the rope?" You crazy masons!
and the rocks were buried underground and called it a foundation!
I was tired of their demands, lost some pounds and my trouser almost fell and became angry!
The hungry man is the angry man, so they prepared lunch on the spot!
and continued burying rocks on the ground.
Lorries brought in a hell of rocks for the exercise: lo so much money!
The masons said we need water to make cement and mortar...give us the water and NOW!
so we dug 80 ft down and found the water. Who put the water there?
and the water came to the surface not clear but clean!
I looked at the whole commotion from a distance and looked pretty stupid!
I said bring me lunch of ugali and beans and all 'shall be well'
A widow came around and I asked if she would volunteer help with the orphans on the spot. 'Yes' she said and today she lives there with Mr Jonathan Gray.
On the rocky foundation emerged the signs of walls and a miniature of a house!
That now makes sense to me!
Then the masons said we need window and door frames and time for the ring beam!
Now some semblance of a house emerged and the villagers admired the speed and beauty.
Great foundations make great and durable houses: the masons really know their job!
Then again I looked from a distance and all seemed to emerge well, "yes, all shall be well"
So we became addicted to building and we built more and more!
but money ran away and we had to stop!
Just like a ring beam reinforces a house so finances reinforces the morale for work.
Every thing needs a hat to cover the head and so the houses also do
I looked from a distance and all was well again
Jonathan Gray, welcome to Ibumila, feel at home and be merry!
Again, it was more and more and more of the same structures!
Hi, Jonathan, no showers, not flashes no wash machines etc, in Ibumila water comes from the bottom! Jonathan responds 'that is no fun' life can be precarious here in Tanzania. How do I take shower and bathroom? Know what Jon, use your brain and your bucket!
And we had more of the same structures again! Roofing, roofing and roofing!
Can you see the stupid fotographer, that is me with the iPad?
Each one of us at some point enjoying sacrificing on the altar of stupidity in order to please man and the divinity, said Einstein one time!
Here is Theodosia Mtewele, one of the matrons of TOUCO who enjoys looking at the emerging village which will soon house more than forty eight orphans in Njombe Diocese.
Now there is reason to smile a bit!
True, more remains to be done: plastering the inside, putting windows, doors; bringing in beds and shelves and chairs etc. Our joy is the rough work is done and the roof is on top, the rain is out and we can now sleep in.
Our volunteers need a descent place to live and we are preparing a place for them. Jonathan Gray is the first of them and who knows we might have more in the future: be prepared
The construction of the Volunteer House has begun, will it end this year before the rains as the fifth unit in Ibumila Village construction: Let us pray to God and wish them well. Below is the view of the four units for the orphans from the Volunteer House foundation.
That marks the end of our 2014, where we made this world better not only for ourselves but also for our invisible brothers the orphans in Tanzania. May the Lord bless all our benefactors, may he bless the orphans all over the world and bless too the work of our hands. Amen!
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