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| After deciding the optimal size and location for the new cistern, two men with shovels dug a hole 11 feet deep through sandy clay and muram for the cistern. |
Each stone for the walls of the cistern is shaped with small hand tools. |
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| The walls of the cistern will be holding an enormous amount of water weight. Between and attached to each layer of stone encased in the connecting mortar is a triple ring of wire reinforcement. Each ring is painstakingly attached by hand with a pair of pliers. |
After the walls of the cistern have been erected, a layer of chicken wire is attached to the interior surface for extra reinforcement. This is cemented into place and the interior receives layers of waterproof cement until it is smooth and ready to receive its supply of rainwater. |
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| Once the inside of the cistern is complete, a form is built to create the top. Using cyprus timbers and thin plywood, the form is cut by hand and installed in place. A hole is left for a manhole cover to check the water level and clean the tank during the dry season. A rhythmic cement relay is established to keep the mixing, transfer and pouring steady until the top is complete. |
Catherine and the boys celebrate the completion of the cistern and the beginning of the rains. The Joseph Waweru Home School now has plenty of water storage. There is the original small cistern, a smaller underground tank used often for bucket crop irrigation and now the larger cistern. All the rain water from the building will be harvested, stored and used. Let the rains begin! |