Lessons Learned

Now that I've been back for over a week, I'm struck by some of the lessons that I learned in my time in Africa. I wasn't there very long but there are some things that are sticking in my head.

1. Learn a language by immersing yourself in a foriegn culture AT HOME

I have often said I want to learn a language. Hindi has been high on my list because I loved my time in India. I have checked out CDs from the library and tried a little. I listen for a little while and then give up, saying "I just need to learn by immersion." Florence, a friend of Cammie's and someone that befriended us all while we were there, is learning English. She has been practicing by making friends that speak English as their native language. What an amazing idea! I actually know people that speak Hindi as their native language. The grandma of a friend of mine once invited me over to speak with her. And I haven't followed up on that. Florence really was an inspiration on how you can learn a foreign language while at home.

2. Water is precious

During our week or so in Africa, I realized how little water you need to live your daily life when you're not able to take long, warm showers or flush the toilet too much. When you have to boil water to drink it, you realize that water is sooo vital. That you wouldn't throw any extra water away because it took some work to get it. We also discussed pumping water over 400 feet up so that the villagers and surrounding residents could use it.

I thought about that this week. I passed a broken sprinkler as I was walking home and saw all this water gushing out of the break. And it's all drinkable! So much drinkable water pouring out. And that happens all the time! We talk about water shortages in California, but we don't even realize how much water we have and how much more we would have if we didn't waste so much.

3. There is hope in Africa

Right before I went to Africa, I watched a movie with one of my friends. The Last King of Scotland. It was pretty spooky and a true story. I had a discussion with that friend about the dark stories we hear of people in Africa. I wondered if God could really be working there when so much is happening.

When I went, I realized that there is hope in Africa. We're not hearing the amazing stories as much as we are hearing the terrible stories. But I met Christians and heard about the things that they are working towards and I heard their stories. There are really cool things that Christians and other people are working towards.

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I am thankful that I went. I learned a lot about myself and about Africa. I met some amazing people, did some amazing work, and had some experiences that broadened my mind and my heart.

If you are a planner, architect, or engineer... and want to get involved with something similar, go to the eMI website and check the project needs:
http://emiworld.org/volunteer.html

Final Funding Update

Once again, thanks to everyone that made this possible! I got the final count on how much the trip cost and how much was contributed.

The trip cost $3,200.

eMI recieved $3,281 on my behalf!

So... yeah! And thank you!

The extra $81 will go towards paying for the general administrative costs of the trip.

Silly Songs

The last few days we started singing all the songs every American Christian child learns at camp in the summer. One of these is "I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N". Akachi filmed this one so that he could teach the kids when he got back home. This was among the many songs sung in the back of the van on our way back from church.

We also sang another camp song and created new lyrics for it.

The original lyrics:

Give me oil in my lamp
Keep it burning, burning, burning
Give me oil in my lamp I pray (hallelujah)

Give me oil in my lamp
Keep it burning, burning, burning
Keep it burning 'till the break of day

The lyrics we made up:

Give me juice for my laptop
Keep me planning for the hilltop
Give me juice for my laptop I pray (hallelujah)

Give me juice for my laptop
Keep me planning for the hilltop
Keep me planning ‘till the break of day
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Give me water we can pump up
So the village they can fill up
Give me water we can pump up we pray (hallelujah)

Give me water we can pump up
So the village they can fill up
Let them fill up till the break of day
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Cammie’s casting out the vision
So the team can meet its mission
Cammie’s casting out the vision I pray (hallelujah)

Cammie’s casting out the vision
So the team can meet its mission
She’ll be casting 'till the break of day
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Poto’s burning down the street
To keep us from the heat
Poto’s burning down the street we pray (hallelujah)

Poto’s burning down the street
To keep us from the heat
He’ll be burning ‘till the break of day
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Poto’s driving to the site
So the team can get a ride
Poto’s driving to the site we pray (hallelujah)

Poto’s driving to the site
So the team can get a ride
He’ll be driving ‘till the break of day
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Ginga Ninjas write the plan
But it’s really in God’s hands
Ginga Ninjas make the plans we pray (hallelujah)

Ginga Ninjas write the plan
But it’s really in God’s hands
They’ll be planning ‘till the break of day
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Akachi’s counting up the cost
So the project won’t be lost
Akachi’s counting up the cost we pray (hallelujah)

Akachi’s counting up the cost
So the project won’t be lost
He’ll be counting ‘till the break of day
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Tom is planning for the school
So the children will be cool
Tom is planning for the school we pray (hallelujah)

Tom is planning for the school
So the children will be cool
He’ll be planning ‘till the break of day
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Clear the bush for our Bumjoo
To get the survey done, do
Clear the bush for our Bumjoo we pray (hallelujah)

Clear the bush for our Bumjoo
To get the survey done, do
Clear the bush until the break of day

Congolese Clothing

The following are pictures of women's clothing I saw while in the Congo. They had a lot of beautiful clothes. I just wish I was able to take more pictures.

Here's my impromptu skirt I wore the first Sunday. It seemed to fit into the usual style pretty well.
We visited an orphanage and the woman in charge wore this outfit. I wish I had asked to get a shot from the front. It was beautiful from top to bottom.

Lucy and I went to the dress-shop on Saturday to pick up our outfits. Florence (pictured in the middle) came to help us. We ended up sitting in the shop for about 4 hours while they completed our outfits. Thankfully, this was after the presentation and the guys were off having fun swimming at the American school. It was worth it! I enjoyed meeting the women at the shop and trying Maltina (a non-alcoholic beer) while I waited.

These are clothes of a typical school girl. Every skirt was different. Some of them were really lovely and showed all different styles of blue skirts.
A woman walking down the street.
Florence again. She had some great clothes. This outfit was especially lovely.
A woman walking down the street with a baby strapped to her back.

Some women standing around at church.
Another woman from church.
And another woman from church. So many amazing clothes. I really wish I had taken more pictures! But it really isn't encouraged AT ALL to take pics.
Another woman walking by.
Our pastor's wife. She cooked us an AMAZING meal on our last day: chicken, fish, beans, rice, greens, other veggies, fried plantains, cold water, and juice!

Presentation

I am posting some pictures showing the presentation we did. We presented to an audience that included Cammie, folks that sit on the board of Elikia Village, a local guy that had lived in the US and had done Elikia but is now living in Kinshasa again (more on him sometime later), a friend of Cammie (and ours) living nearby, and a visitor from Canada.

We were able to borrow a projector from the Canadian visitor and project onto the wall of one of the houses we were staying in. This is the first screen of our presentation. One of Cammie's friends gave us permission to use this picture. This is really a picture of the vision for this village. Giving children and women families. We discussed whether the front should show the plight of widows and orphans but felt that we wanted to have a picture that showed what we are all hoping for and this is it!
Kevin, our fearless leader, started the presentation with a verse and a picture of the team.
David discussed the survey and showed the contours.

I followed with an explaination of the master plan.After I talked about the phasing, Colin showed the preliminary plan for the staff housing.And Austin talked about the design of the school.Tom followed us with some discussion on the structural designs.Ric gave us a variety of options on how to get water from the spring and how we would deal with wastewater.Alvin gave us the overview on how we would get electricity where and when needed.


Akachi finished the presentation by telling us how much it would cost and how long it would take.

This was an intriguing presentation after an amazing week. Everyone had their strengths and skills to bring.

And Lucy helped to put all of our individual presentations together into one.

Architect vs. Engineer

We had some great times working with all the different disciplines. At one point in the week, Austin said, "It's amazing to be able to work so closely with the engineers. Usually my only interaction with them is when I send them a building plan and they send it back with a column right through my bathroom."

Well, at one point during the week, Colin and Austin drafted up some sketches for the blueprint of the school. They gave it to Tom and asked him what we would need structurally to make it work.

Tom said, "What would you think about having a column in the middle of the classroom?"

We all laughed.

Thankfully, that issue has been resolved. Apparently, there is something called "reverse trusses" that can help hold up the roof without causing the kids to have to deal with a column inside the classroom. Good thing!!

Kevin had an email that someone had sent him that illustrates the usual relationship between architects and engineers. I thought it was amusing and I'm sure all the architects and engineers working with them will be even more amused.

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CAST
Engineer: Jack Nicholson
Architect: Tom Cruise

Engineer: You want answers?

Architect: I think I’m entitled to them.

Engineer: You want answers?!

Architect: I want the truth!

Engineer: You can’t HANDLE the truth!!Son, we live in a world that has CHILLERS, BOILERS AND SWITCHGEAR. And those PIECES OF EQUIPMENT have to be LOCATED IN ROOMS. Who’s gonna DESIGN THEM? You? You, MR. ARCHITECT? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for LOST PARKING SPACES and you curse the SIZE OF MY GENERATOR. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that THOSE MEP SYSTEMS, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives… You don’t want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about at parties. You WANT me on that DESIGN TEAM. You NEED me on that DESIGN TEAM. We use words like DESIGN, CODE, ANALYSIS… We use these words as the backbone to a life spent PROVIDING OWNER COMFORT AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY. You use ‘em as a punchline at a party.I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain my DESIGN to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very ENVIRONMENT that I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I’d rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a DUCTULATOR and DESIGN a BUILDING SYSTEM. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you’re entitled to!

Architect : Did you OVERSIZE THE MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ROOMS?

Engineer : (quietly) I did the job you HIRED me to do.

Architect : Did you OVERSIZE THE MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ROOMS?!!

Engineer : You’re damn right I did!!!

Malaria, Misquitos, and Vitamin B

I have no bites. None. And it's not because I used my misquito net, because I didn't.

I attribute this success to my B Vitamins. I took B-1 and B-12 everyday. I will definitely do that again for other misquito-prone areas.

Last week, Cammie was sick and thought that it was probably Malaria. She doesn't take Malaria meds, just takes a 3-day cure whenever she gets Malaria.

And I looked up Malaria on Google. Apparently, it's a parasite. Not a bacteria. Not a virus.

Meet the team!

Okay... so I posted pictures in the beginning before I knew any of the folks. Now I am going to post some better pics for each member of the team! This is our fearless leader, Kevin, showing off some "takeout" the guys got on Saturday. While Lucy and I waited at the tailors, the guys were off swimming and having a grand time at the American school in Kinshasa. I hear it was lovely. Somehow the guys were all a lot cleaner after that! Kevin was a great leader, with just enough encouragement and just enough push to keep us on target. He had some great stories about other places he has been. In some ways, we had it pretty posh compared to some teams and in other ways, not as posh. This was an amazing team of people and I am sooooo glad I came!

This is Ric. There was nothing he wasn't willing to do. And get dirty? No problem. He's taking some soil samples in this pic with Akachi holding his feet and Tom looking at him. I should try to find some clearer pics of him to post. I promise there are some. He doesn't always take fuzzy pictures! He was our team lyricist and leader of silly songtime (an impromptu sing-along on the way to and from church). I will be writing some of these lyrics down in future postings.

This is Austin. Yes, he is drawing on the face of the cliff. The thing about our site is that it is almost pure sand from the very bottom to 200+ meters above. The team stopped here to add some "good" graffitti to the mix. If I'm remembering correctly, Austin drew a heart and a cross, I think meaning that Jesus loves or that Jesus is love... not sure but that's my interpretation for now! He works for a Christian architecture firm and they do meaningful projects at a lower cost for organizations that may need architectural skills but may not have a lot of money. He always had great ideas on how to make the project more sustainable using natural processes, passive solar, etc.

I have to show two pictures for Bumjoo because two things really stood out. He couldn't sleep on the plane on the way over so he was VERY VERY tired for the first couple of days. Otherwise, he was always willing to help out. He tromped through bushed helping Dave with the survey, carried water up from the spring with Alvin, etc.

This is Lucy. She's always ready to chat someone up or teach them something. She would help some of the kids with math (she has taught university-level), or teach how to knit. She and Tom brought lots of toys, crayons, and other fun things for the kids. The kids living in the houses nearby knew who would always have time for them. She also did the powerpoint and is helping to assemble the report. She really acted as our team mom and helped everyone to stay a little bit more tidy and fed.

These two guys are Akachi and Dave. Akachi always had a great smile and hearty laugh. He also had wise and thoughtful things to say. A great singing voice and always willing to lead us in a song or encourage us in our camp songs. A great man for numbers, he is helping to figure the cost of the project. If only we had someone like him on every project I do.
This is Dave. He was our surveyor and always up for meeting new folks or trying new experiences. You could always count on Dave to have great shots of people. Don't let the strong Canadian accent fool you. He's always the first to leap out and get something started and get things done. He really pushed to get the survey of the site done after a rough start. The bag of survey equipment didn't arrive until Monday so he had to get things done in a much shorter time frame... but he pushed through and did it!
This is Alvin. He has gotten a reputation for always being hungry. This picture was taken at Carnivore, a restaurant at Nairobi. Bumjoo, Alvin, Austin, and I left the airport during our 7+ hour layover in Kenya and went here to dinner... and yes, we all ate meat. I am going to blame the boys for that one! :) Oh, and Alvin was also our resident electrical engineer. You could always count on him (or David) to try rewiring the house anytime our power went strange. He is also the quintessential firstborn, taking responsibility for our money and telling me to eat things I shouldn't... Long story... but suffice to say, I shouldn't be so gullible! My plight as a lastborn. I trust older siblings. They speak with such authority!

This is Colin. He's always up for an adventure, like this time when he climbed the mango tree. He was one of our architects. He's in the middle of getting his Master of Architecture degree. He's from England and I keep hearing his accent run through my brain over and over and over again. It's like when you get off a boat but the world still feels like it's moving. Colin and I would practice saying things in the other's accent and now his voice is stuck in my head!

These two guys are Kevin, our fearless leader and Ric, our water/sewer expert! I would notice no matter where we would go, the engineers couldn't help but wander off and investigate the infrastructure. I found these guys poking into generators, fuse boxes, water lines, and anything else they could. Curiousity, thy name is engineer!

This is me, Colin, Austin, and Tom talking over the site plan. All the ginga' ninjas, and Tom, talking together. Tom is our structural engineer, helping to ensure that our buildings stay up. He was a great person to bounce ideas off. I would do some preliminary work on the site plan and then ask him all sorts of questions about how to make the placement of certain buildings possible on this slope. He is a vast storehouse of knowledge and is always willing to share it in abundance.

This is a picture of Tom and the Ginga' Ninjas. See if you can spot all four of us among the mangos!

Home at LAST!!!

After more than 40 hours in transit (truck, waiting at the airport, flying, waiting, flying, driving, etc) I am home!!!

I'm trying to keep myself awake at least until 8pm.

So, I shall post some photos!

First Sunday, Second Sunday!

First Sunday: The team dressed in our Sunday best visiting the site. Of course, since none of us got our luggage except for the few smart people that had carry-ons, don't look too closely or you might see the dirt! I am wearing my piece of cloth/skirt Cammie gave me. It seemed to get tighter and tighter as the day went on and harder to walk in. I was given compliments that it looked very African... so I'm glad I went for it rather than showing up in my grungy pants.

Second Sunday: Much more nicely dressed and much more rested! All the boys wearing their Congolese shirts and Lucy and I in our Congolese outfits. Apparently, the Congolese are known for dressing very well. They may be poor but they look great! I'll be saving my outfit for this year's work holiday parties.

Saturday

September 27, 2008

It’s shocking that today is Saturday. It seems so short and yet so much has happened. We just gave our presentation on the master plan, water and electricity supply options, and cost. It has been such a pleasure to work with architects and engineers. I have learned so much about building on a hill, building without electricity or air, bringing water in from a spring, and about working in a great multi-disciplinary team.

This afternoon, we are going to visit an orphanage. Ric suggested we bring rice and Alvin made the suggestion that we bring a goat. Cammie said, “sure!” so… we will be bringing them a goat! I had asked about getting a nanny goat to milk but looks like this one will be eaten. Apparently Alvin saw a few goats strapped to the roof of someone else’s vehicle and thought that would be cool. Poto said that it should cost around $70 to buy a goat so we will buy a goat AND a bag of rice! :)

This is probably the last blog entry before returning back to the States. It’s been an amazing week. I look forward to telling everyone about it.

We have a long layover in Nairobi, and a much shorter one in London.

Some more info

1. They take American dollars here almost as much or more than Congolese Francs.
2. I am getting an outfit made. Most of the boys got shirts made. I will have to post a picture of all of us with our Congolese clothing.
3. Rice and beans can be very, very tasty. I’m hoping my roommate will help me make some when I return. I realize how well you can exist on rice and beans… oh… and some junk food that folks brought over in their suitcases.
4. Tom and the ginga ninjas climbed a mango tree yesterday. Hopefully, I can upload a shot or two of us.
5. Papaya trees look a lot like palm trees and mango trees look a lot like avocados.

The Draft Master Plan

Phase 1: School, Staff Housing, Water Tower, Underground Water Storage, Shop/Mechanic's Garage, Pump, and Generator.
Phase 2: Community Center/Church, Administrative Offices, Baby House (for children under age 2), Guest House/Director's Home, One village pod (containing 4 homes and a central meeting area)
Phase 3: Main buildings in Ministry Traning Center (training parents and staff how to work with the children), Visitor's Dorm (for visiting teams like ours), Vocational School (to teach parents and older children trades), and second village pod.
Phase 4/Buildout: Visitor quarters/huts for the Ministry Training Center, Medical Clinic, additional village pods.

Pictures

This is the house we are staying in. Flush toilets, electricity! Even if they don't always work all the time...

Uploading pix takes too much time and we are only here for a few minutes... so more when I return to great internet connections!