Construction of a kindergarten in Tanzania: Part 9

Our Fundi reported healthy again in the morning, but immediately logged out to get more materials. Henry and I didn't see him all day. But he has already instructed two helpers who claim to know what to do. We removed the side walls of the formwork for the ring anchor. The result looks good (see image gallery). The helpers want to continue and remove the wooden bars that support the ring anchor. Apparently, this is what was agreed with Fundi. You can say what you want, once people here start working, they don't want to stop anymore. However, even I know that the supports should not be removed after 48 hours. But they don't care, they just want to work, whether it makes sense or not. After a phone call, it becomes clear that they should not remove the supports. There seems to have been a misunderstanding, to put it kindly. I wonder what our Fundi is doing when I'm not there anymore and no one really thinks or pays attention. Does he accept that the helpers simply dismantle something prematurely, build it wrong, etc.? I would only let the helpers work alone for a short time here. There are simply too many 'misunderstandings' happening here. Then Henry can take care of it. I ask him to watch over the construction site for me in the next few weeks. Our Fundi can't always be there. Henry grins.

After I was finally able to prevent the helpers from removing the supports, I let them pull the nails out of the boards. At that moment, I found new friends, because I can see the joy in their faces. Okay, they weren't really excited, but that's part of it too. But of course, I'm helping. We then tidy up the construction site a bit so that we can work properly again. Henry likes that, the two helpers not so much. I think they only wanted to do the demolition (remove the formwork). And now the mzungu (that's me) is annoying them with the stupid cleanup work. But when we're done, they also start smiling again.

Later, I go to the city with Henry. I buy the bus ticket for the trip to Dar es Salaam on Thursday morning and eat something there. At home, I bend the last iron bars. Then I water the concrete again. Then it's the end of the working day. So, I only have one more day on the construction site. I will enjoy that again, with Baba Steve (our Fundi) and Henry, maybe also with a few helpers. I would like to see some of them again. We'll see...