Uganda Update

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The Building Tomorrow crew in Kyeitabya has been working hard on the construction of the brand new BT academy. Yesterday was the first day of work on site of the new academy and despite being sunburned and exhausted, the group is getting along extremely well with the community.

Brian, one of the students on the trip described some of the work the group has been doing- which includes clearing away brush to make room on the construction site. Armed with machetes and hoes our fearless BT team has made tons of progress, and are even gaining compliments from the community members they have been working with for their efficient pace and effectiveness with their tools. Despite the language barrier, the group says it has been a “pretty awesome experience” working alongside the men, women, and children of the community who are devoting thousands of hours to building the academy.

The group is staying locally with Gasana, the community leader, who graciously provided the land upon which the BT Academy will be built. They have 3 rooms with bunk beds and have to collect water from the village, but Gasana- an engineer by trade – and Apollo – a teacher by trade and a recent addition to BT’s staff in Uganda, have been sharing stories with them about the history of Uganda and teaching them about the community.

Overall, the group is pretty stoked about the experience so far, and are getting along great together, enjoying evening soccer games with some kids from the community after finishing work for the day.

The plan for tomorrow is to continue making the bricks that will make up the academy walls. The bricks are made entirely on site by the team and community by compressing dirt, sand, and a small amount of cement together and allowing them to cure. The locally made bricks have the advantage of being easier to make than regular bricks, as they are made from compressed earth and don’t need to be fired. Additionally, they fit together like ‘Lego’ blocks, providing a sturdier structure as well as insulating the inside much better than regular bricks. Aside from making the bricks, the group plans to create a make-shift shelter to house the bricks so that they may cure properly over the next week.

So there you have it! Our first real update from Uganda. Keep checking back for more info and details on what the BT group has been up to.

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