… some pictures of our Christmas market in Ottenhofen – Outjenaho was there!
Category Archives: Projects 2022
Dining Hall opening in Namibia local News
Dining Hall Handover Ceremony
Project Dining Hall – September: WELL DONE – the Dining Hall is finished
It’s Friday, September 2, 2022 – and we are soooooo proud of the result.
To implement a construction project of this size is something very special.
You have shown us in the last 9 weeks what is possible through good cooperation and mutual support.
YOU ARE A TEAM:
the local Project Board of the school (construction support on site), the principal Mekukuje (always available and as a coordinator for all questions a great support), our 5 local workers (super integrated with the construction company – you have really worked great), the construction company Afrideca with their foreman Thomas (such a team is hardly to find), the complete planning and projecting on site by Fortitude (Sven, you really implemented our idea with a lot of commitment and professionalism), the building material from Polycare (thank you Keith for your support and thank you Gerd for the idea and your support) and thank you to all the “photographers” (Kanguu, Puje, Mekukuje,. .. – you always gave us the feeling that we are live with many pictures)
We have really managed to do something unique in the past weeks – see for yourself what has happened in the last 3 weeks:
We are totally HAPPY that everything worked out so well: From the planning, starting with the architect plans by Andi, to the selection of the material by Polycare, the construction management by Fortitude, to the construction company Afrideca, our local workers, the support by Floyd and the support on site in the last weeks by Eddy and Uli.
A few more pictures of many proud people on site: Construction company, local worker, the principal Mekukuje with her learners, Eddy and Uli,…
We would like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt “THANK YOU” to ALL donors and supporters of the Dining Hall project. Without your help this project would not have been possible. We are sure that the Learners of Morukutu Primary School will enjoy their new Dining Hall for many years.
And of course our “November Plumbers” came up with several ideas for the kids this time: brought beds to the hostels (flexing and welding) and built a new drinking fountain for the Learners (and finally made a new friend at the Wildlife Foundation Harnas).
The date for the official handover ceremony is now set for November 23. We will then be back on site to officially dedicate the Dining Hall and turn it over to the school.
WE ARE A TEAM
Morukutu Ayeye, Morukutu Ayeyeeeeeeeeeee
Project Dining Hall – August: on and on,…
… we’ve only been building since the end of June, but check out how the Dining Hall has grown in the last 2 weeks:
The steel girders are erected, the walls made of Polycare blocks are finished and anchored, everything according to the plan specifications, our general contractor was also on site and checked the compliance with the specifications. Partially the windows are already installed, the doors will come next, installation of water supply for sinks and sinks is done and in the last days the roof was built.
Guys, you’re simply SUPER!!!!
Timewise, the construction of the Dining Hall is fully on schedule (even almost 2 weeks ahead of schedule), so we have enough time until the planned end of the project (mid-September).
By the way: according to current planning, the official opening of the hall will be on November 25.th This will be a huge party and we will of course report about it
Eddy is on site since last week, and supplies us regularly with pictures. In the last few days he has been busy cutting up new beds for the hostels. Unfortunately, the bunk beds do not fit through the entrance doors, so disassemble (with the flex), bring in and then reassemble (weld). At the end of this week, Uli will join them and together they will build a new drinking fountain for the children while the Dining Hall continues to be built. So there is a lot to be done.
More information coming in 2-3 weeks !
WE ARE A TEAM
Morukutu Ayeye, Morukutu Ayeyeeeeeeeeeee
Dining Hall project – August: things are moving fast
… It’s amazing what our workers on site have achieved in the last 3 weeks:
The foundations and floor slab have hardly finished hardening when the truck arrives with the steel construction for the walls and roof – important for the statics of the large building and the roof structure.
Everyone helps, some this way, others that way 😉
The erection of the steel construction is started immediately – we also need the support of the crane from the truck to erect the heavy roof construction.
… and as soon as the steel construction has been erected the next part begins: now it’s getting exciting and anyone who once played with “L…” as a child or teenager will remember and understand why:
Yes, it looks simple, but it’s not. It has to be worked on very precisely over the next few days, all according to a predefined plan that specifies the distribution of the various Polycare blocks and the bracing lengthwise and diagonally. The reason “why” is clear: we want to build a hall that will stand for a long, long time and even longer.
Eddy will be there at the end of next week, Uli will join a few days later. Together they will continue to accompany the construction and maybe even build a second drinking fountain for the pupils:
So we are very well on schedule, the next 1-2 weeks we will work on the walls, then comes the roof construction before we can start with the interior work (electrics, water supply for washbasin and sink).
More soon!
WE ARE A TEAM
Morukutu Ayeye, Morukutu Ayeyeeeeeeeeeee
Project Dining Hall – July: we are on schedule
We are on schedule, the earthworks and foundation works are done, now we are waiting for the delivery of the steel beams on Monday. Then the steel girders are erected and then the walls made of Polycare blocks can be started.
Eddy will come to the site on August 13 and Uli will join him a few days later. Both will surely provide us with great and exciting pictures.
Keep it up!
WE ARE A TEAM
Morukutu Ayeye, Morukutu Ayeyeeeeeeeeeee
Project Dining Hall – We are building since the end of June
Finally,
We started building at the end of June. And of course, we (meaning me) were on site for the first 2 weeks of construction.
First I had to get used to the cold temperatures (especially at night the temperature sometimes falls below 0 degrees) in the Namibian winter, only partly the sun could warm the air during the day so that you could put your sweater aside.
Anyway, we started: Material was transported to the school (building blocks, cement, gravel, rain barrels, pipes, etc.), the construction company built its own area right next to the construction site for the next 3 months (sleeping tent, cooking and dining area, container with solar panels and batteries for tools, refrigerator,…) and on the first day, after some surveying work, the construction project was officially opened with the “Ground Breaking Ceremony”. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
We, that is 6 employees of the construction company Afrideca (with construction manager Thomas2), 5 employees from the surrounding of the school, Mekukuje (Principal of the school) and the local “Project Board” (members of School Board, Parent Board and the community Otjiyarwa), Sven from our GU Fortitude (who leads and is responsible for the complete construction) and I (=Thomas1 for easier distinction with the construction manager of the construction company) have coordinated the first days and developed into a functioning construction group. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
The first two weeks were mainly dedicated to the delivery of materials and the extensive earthworks (removal of soil from the sloping terrain, consolidation and preparation for the foundations). In the process, we first had to dig up the supply lines for the water tanks and reinsert them elsewhere, as they had been laid directly under the Dining Hall area. A little “plumber” work, but with skill and creativity this task was accomplished.
The cooperation between the construction company and our local workers has worked very well since the first day and when I had to leave the construction site again after 2 weeks, I left behind a really cool group on site. We are sure that they will carry out the rest of the construction work with the same motivation and quality.
In August and September Eddy and Uli will visit the school and report further with many pictures from our construction site in Morukutu Primary School. Mekukuje and the Project Board are constantly on site and we are in regular contact with the GU (Sven), the Project Board and the construction company.
We will keep you updated in the next weeks and report about the construction progress with pictures. The current plan is to complete construction by the end of September. The official handover of the Dining Hall to the school is then planned for the end of November.
Have fun with the following picture gallery
To ALL donors who have made it possible to realize the construction of the Dining Hall we say in advance Thank you very much – without you this project would not be possible.
Greetings
Thomas, Member of the Board
Project Dining Hall – “ready to start”
The time has come – the construction of the Dining Hall can begin
Yes, we actually made it: The financing of the Dining Hall for the Learners of Morukutu Primary School is in place, the contract between the school authority and the construction company has been concluded and at the end of June we will start with the construction project on site.
We plan with about 3 months construction time, i.e. if everything works out then the building is already erected in September.
Inauguration and official handover is then planned for the end of the year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all private donors in advance, and in particular the two foundations that are supporting us with a grant for this project:
Together with the developer Fortitude, the construction company AFRIDECA CONSTRUCTION, the workers of the community Otjiyarwa and the Morukutu Primary School “Project Board” we will now realize the project together.
We owe the planning and also a large part of the implementation to our architect Andi Schmitt and the company Polycare. Without Andi’s plans and the support of Gerd Dust with building blocks from the Polycare company, we would not have dared to undertake such a large project.
We will report on the construction with pictures and of course we will be on site regularly during the construction period.
