Where to start, or where to pick up.  Last post was all about the construction of the rainwater cistern.  To feed the interior plumbing, that water needs to be lifted to a height of ~ 5m to allow gravity to do its work.  The following photo is a semi rotary hand pump, good for 28L/min at 30m head, so we can expect to achieve about 50 L/min in our application.  This equates to about 5-10 minutes of physical work per day to pump water to the upper tank.  This system has proven to be robust, inexpensive and very appropriate for the location and water needs.  The alternative options were solar-powered DC pumps and a gas-powered generator/pump, both expensive and unreliable.

Semi Rotary pump

In the case that there is no rainwater in the cistern, we devised an alternate input to the pump that can pump water out of a jerry can fetched from a nearby borehole.

Pumping water from jerry can into gravity feed tank

Me and the crew

Here’s a couple of photos of the water tower.  I became good friends with the fabricator who made it for us – he’s an engineer that used to work on cotton farming equipment and started up a fabrication shop in town that makes steel windows and doors, and various metal items.  It took a while to make, since the power is out so regularly.

Yahayo checking some measurements of the water tower

climbing up the tower

The solar panels went in about 3 weeks late due to delays in the construction at the beginning of March.  Pushing for lock up phases took some work, but finally near the end of March we got the panels up and connected the system to the electrical panel.  With a few minor challenges, it went together well.  We built a wood cabinet to house the inverter and batteries, and the panels themselves are mounted with a theft proof systems that would require the use of a torch to remove them.

panels up on the roof - don't worry, the ladder is safer than it looks

battery cabinet / work counter in midwife's office

inverter and batteries

Leaving Uganda was emotional.  We went one last time to the birth house to say goodbye to our new friends.  Ben and Kristen drove us to a hotel in Entebbe, where we were to stay the night before our long trip home.  Here’s what this new place looked like the day we left..

Main Building and Women's Group Hut

The Birth House

Thank you to Natalie, everyone at Shanti Uganda, my family and friends for supporting this project, and all the wonderful people I met in Uganda.  Can’t wait to go back and see this place buzzing with people.

-Nicolaas

Here’s how it went  ::::

Mixing marem / cement mixture for pressing bricks

Working the brick press

About half of the total bricks made

crew

tank, pre-plaster

Happy to say Natalie and I are happy, healthy, and excited about the final month of the birth house build in Uganda.  Life here has been busy and exciting, so exciting that we pretty much forgot about the Olympics, and heard about the massive earthquake in Chile a couple days after it happened.  After a serious media blackout, and limited time on the net, we again find ourselves hunched over 22″ Dell monitors in the Business and Internet Centre at Oasis Mall.  Not the most inspirational setting for blogging about the last month or so of adventures, but I’ll do what  I can as I milk my luke-warm americano.

The month of February has been eventful.  We bought a Mitsubishi Pajero IO at a Japanese import lot, went on a safari, brought water filters to the the kids at new hope school, built a big water tank, erected a steel water tower, made new partnerships, had volunteers come and go, put a new tire on the motorcycle, brought a woman to the hospital on the back of the motorcycle, gotten more familiar with the local bureaucracy, and learned how to drive in Africa on the wrong side of the road.

Greeting from Uganda!

-Nicolaas and Natalie

As we walk, Sam discusses the building methods used by his family over 3 generations. His home, pictured below was built used fired mud bricks,which according to him are the best building material available today. Still in progress, he says, still needing some attention to detail – windows, flooring, etc.. In the back of the house, there is a pen with about 20 ‘local chicks’, his latest business. Eggs sell for 1000 Ugx per half dozen, about 75 cents Canadian.

Natalie and Sam

Passing through the home he grew up in, we meet his mother and sister and several children who are living there still. He points out to us that the style of bricks used in this home is no longer used because of problems with erosion from heavy rain. This home was built some time in the 70s during a time that his father was making good money working at a hospital.

His grandfather’s house. Built in 1910. It has a large verandah, and is made with mud and elephant grass. This method is only now used for temporary shelters like cook huts and pig pens, but it seems that if given regular attention, the structure could last for another decade.

Housing style, circa 1910

At this point Sam discusses the Bush War - a guerrilla war waged between 1981 and 1986 in Uganda by the National Resistance Army (NRA) against the government of Milton Obote. During this time, he was in school in Kampala, but his family was all displaced – either in camps in town or hiding in the dense bush.

We then visit Sam’s family cemetery, something he appears to be very proud to show us. When we tell him that in our culture we don’t have such places, he laughs in disbelief. Passing through the cemetery, passing graves of all shapes and sizes, we get a good sense of his family history. I don’t ask about the child size graves, but inquire about that of his sister that passed away in 1993. “She died from the HIV,” he plainly states. I quickly remember where I am and the devastation this disease had brought most Ugandan families.

Family Cemetery

Thanking him for his warm hospitality, we part ways and make plans for future volunteers and visitors to get the same walkabout. Sam is a great neighbour and a big supporter of the Birth House project. Later that week at the community meeting, he is instrumental in getting support from the community – the outcome being bi-weekly community work days, the first of which is tomorrow morning at 8am.

My first day here consisted of getting settle in, having a nice lunch, then going to the site for the ground breaking ceremony.  The Shanti Uganda women’s group attended, along with the neighbours and builders. Here’s a few photos to get a better sense.

The Shanti Uganda Women's Group with the Earth Rising Builders in behind

The ceremonial planting of the mango tree

The construction of the Birth House is well underway. Adam and his Earth Rising crew are blazing full speed ahead getting the foundation and walls up for the two buildings. Once the roof is up, we can work to get the solar panels in place. This is expected to be done around mid to late February. We will have a few weeks to cycle the system and get all the bugs out before the end of March.

Adam briefing me on what he's learned about the septic system from local engineers

Having met with Solar Energy Uganda, we have confirmed that we can build the pv system that we need with the budget I have to work with. Harnessing the power of the sun, we’ll be able to power 1 fridge, 1 laptop, 2 cell phones, 1 autoclave (basically a pressure cooker to sterilize tools), 8 light bulbs, inside and out, and a microscope that may be used in the future. For those interested, here are the components that will make up the photovoltaic power system:

4 x 75w Solar Panels
2 x 200Ah Batteries (maintenance free)
4 x Battery Interconnects
1 x 20A Charge Controller (shows battery state of charge)
1 x 1000w Xantrex Inverter
8 x Cable Lugs
1 x Panel Security Mounting Frame
6 x Interior Light Sockets (for 11w compact flourescent bulbs)
2 x Exterior Light Sockets
2 x Power Outlets (with provisions made for 2 more in the future)

Put all this together, and you have low maintenance, ‘free’ energy for years to come!  Thanks again to Greenscape Capital for allowing this project to happen.

Discussing the PV system design with Richard from SEU

As far as the water system goes, I am still investigating the possibilities for collecting water. Rain water collection is our main goal, but given changing seasonal conditions and increasing dry seasons, we may not be able to rely on solely rain water year round. Kato, the boy that collects water for the construction needs, will be available to collect water from the nearby borehole on a regular basis, so he may end up being a crucial part of the system. He lives two doors down – next to George, our smily neighbour with an abundance of eggs. In his words, he’s ‘looking for money’, as his parents and aunt and uncle died years ago, and he’s had to fend for himself through his teenage years.

Building Construction

From what I’ve heard before Natalie left, Adam has teamed up with a local builder to get things started by clearing a driveway and a preferred spot for construction of the birth house.  Here are some images of the birth house design we worked out a few weeks ago:

Birth House / Learning Centre Site Plan

Building Floor Plans

I’ll post updates to these as things change (as they definitely will).  Notable changes that I’m aware of will be integration of a solar hot water heating system and reconfiguration based on water tap locations.  Adam had these drawings done by Trengrove and Blunt Architects in New Zealand.

Biosand Filtration and the New Hope School

We will be building 1 or 2 biosand filters for use at the New Hope School with money generously donated by Barbara Agostini.

A few months ago while researching water filtration techniques, I came across biosand filtration and the Canadian for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST).  Based in Calgary, CAWST has made positive impacts on more than 3 million people with their training and implementation.

Biosand Filter Cross Section

This technology is easy to build with local materials – concrete, sand, and tubing.  Because there are no moving parts, it is very robust and easy to maintain.  The following photo shows how it works.  CAWST supplies, for free, the plans to make steel mould to produce the filters.

__

Stay tuned for an update of the photovoltaic system.  I just got a book in the mail called Solar Electricity that will keep me busy reading, and provide me with good reference material while there.

My upcoming adventure will take me to Uganda, where, with the support of Shanti Uganda and The Earth Rising Foundation, I will be responsible for the design and installation of a solar electricity system and a water filtration system for the planned Birth House and Learning Centre. This project is very inspirational as it will give support to birthing women in Uganda, where the death rate during childbirth is at a historical high. Given my background in engineering and my passion for renewable energy and the environment, this is an excellent domain for me to work and learn. See more details about these systems as I write more on the blog.

My hope is to build on the generous donation from Greenscape Capital to allow for greater solar electricity capacity and added water filtration units for New Hope School (a nearby orphanage that Shanti Uganda works with). What I’m asking from you is to spread the word about this project, and consider giving a cash donation or a material donation**. Donations of any quantity are very much appreciated ($10-$50), and can be made by sending a cheque made out to the Shanti Uganda Society at the address below (make sure to write solar/water on memo).

We will be working with community members to install these systems, which will also include training a superintendent to maintain the building and systems, so we will need a set of tools kept at the facility.

The following is a list of materials I am rounding up to bring with me.

- 500W power inverter (available at Canadian Tire or the like)
- 12 guage wire (any quantity, 50′ rolls appreciated)
- Battery cables
- Electrical tape
- Digital multimeter
- Screwdriver set
- Small solar module (5W, small enough to pack with me)
- Solar cell phone charger (for volunteer house)
- Frisbee
- Soccer ball

Please see list here for Birth House supplies

mailing address for donations:
The Shanti Uganda Society
1900 Bowman Ave
Coquitlam, BC V3J 6E3

**Donations of $20 or more will receive a charity tax receipt (make sure to include your e-mail address at time of donation)