The last few days of images for 2005 show PHASE ONE of the Commons completed to the trusses. The trusses are hand crafted from steel on site. They are now installed. It is expected that the roof will be installed before interior work begins in 2006.
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| This is the final image that the travelers saw of the Commons in March 2005. Rising high on the landscape, it will be the tallest and coolest building in Mangu. The air flow will enter the screened windows and rise to the peak. The kitchen is on the far end and will benefit from the careful design of the arichitects from Engineering Ministries International. The community excitement is rising. We expect the completed buildng to serve many functions. First is the kitchen, dining, classroom, and administrative space for the Joseph Wweru Home School. In addition the kitchen can be used for community use, a small library installed and possibly a site for the Distance Learning Center. There are many options from which to select. | In addition to saying goodbye to our participation in the construction for a year, the most difficult is to say goodbye to our constant friends. Chege has been with the construction since the beginning. His smile, listening ear, tolerance to our "American emotives", and faithfulness to the project endears him and many others to our hearts and prayers. |
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| Phase One of the Commons is approximately 1/2 of the full building. As the school accepts more children, the Commons will be completed to allow for more dining and classroom space. For now, the foundation for PHASE II was given a smooth coat of cement and will be used for impromptu ball games, soccer practice, and eventually basketball. | We are all anxious to use the new kitchen. Cooking to this time has been done in a private home. As Expanding Opportunities is committed to utilizing and introducing alternative technologies, the Commons will boast a large solar kitchen. It is attached to the main kitchen, which will be utilizing gas and eventually biogas for cooking. The solar kitchen is an open wrap around counter space to hold several solar cookers of various designs. The kitchen will have space for total preparation and cleanup. Here Mama Mwangi and her neighbor check on the beef that is slowly cooking for dinner. Nothing tastes as good or as tender in Kenya as solar cooked meat. As soon as the kitchen is fully operational we will offer a short seminar in solar cooking and solar cooker construction for the community. |
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