Week Seven: Mayo Building Workshop hosted by Mayo Women’s Association – ‘Dalu for Development’

The SHPDO boss pays a visit, the team adds some earth mixer helpers to replace the blue mixer, and some interesting details appear on the dome.

Clockwise from top left: Amjed, Ahmed Ali (AKA Dr. Turab), Rashid, Eng. Mujtaba, Mohammed Issa, Saifadin, Ahmed Abubaker (AKA Big Red), Ahmed Abdulrahman (AKA Sheikh Ahmed), Abubaker, Eng. Mubarak, Hassan, Mr. Elfadel SHPDO Director, Ustaz Hooman, Lila, Bushara, Aaron, Abeer, Suliman, Rihab, Adam, Fatima

Sunday was toasty and damp after the weekend rain. We decided to include some mixer helpers on the team so we can redirect the well developed skills of the rest of the team to more constructive endeavors.  The team created some fancy benches that will have arches when the supports are removed, and also started the outside staircase.

With the team's help, Ustaz Hooman creates some fancy built in benches with arches
in the entrance dome

Raha, Eng. Mubarak, Mohammed Issa, Ustaz Hooman, and a friendly neighbor sit on
the newly unveiled bench

Abubaker, Aaron and
Mr. Alfadel Muktar
 (SHPDO Director)

Alfadel pretends to work,
Eng. Mubarak, Abubaker,
with Saifadin standing above

Alfadel Muktar, the SHPDO director (Sudanese Hilef for Peace and Development Organization- whom we met through UNHCR) made his first visit to the site and chatted with Abubaker and Ahmed Abubaker, then posed for some pictures with us.

The whole team fits on the bench and ground in the entrance dome

Alfadel reported that one of the communities in Darfur that saw the presentation on the earth buildings had already collected money to build a mosque with the method. 

Some young mixer helpers joined the team and Ustaz Hooman promoted Ahmed Ali (AKA Dr. Turab) to 'earth mix' supervisor.

Supervisor Ahmed Ali (Dr. Turab) with two of his new helpers Babiker and Muslim

The weather cooled off for a few days and the work was more pleasant. The dome gained some beautiful details of stairs, benches, and arches this week, which slowed down the height but added aesthetic touches. 

Suliman sits under the stairs while Amjed and Mohammed Issa enjoy some down time

Professor Abdelgadir from the University of Khartoum taught his second class – this time for two full hours… Since the team arrived at 0700 to make up for the hours in the classroom, they were pretty darned tired by mid afternoon. We voted to nix the early arrival on the classroom days. 

Raha takes some photos of the ladies
asking questions in the business class

After the business class, several of the crew discovered some pictures of 'superadobe' houses on Ustaz Hooman’s computer. Now that they all are more familiar with the material and its flexibility, they were doubly fascinated with the imaginative and diverse buildings that can grow out of the earth bags.

Lila, Rashid, Amjed, Suliman, and Rihab sneak a peek at some files on Ustaz Hooman's computer and are delighted with pictures of earth buildings from around the world... now that they fully understand the building techniques, the pictures become more meaningful and open up a world of possibilities!!

Abeer envisions a brighter future 

The team had a group meeting where we all discussed safety issues, and team work. 

Abubaker, Hassan, and Saifadin take some pictures during the safety meeting

 Someone from the British embassy showed up looking for the UNICEF Compound, so we invited them to visit us as well. We are working on closing the roof curve of the dome before Eid, but it may have to wait for Mathias and Jooren’s return from Belgium.

The intersection of the domes from above showing the bench arches in the entrance dome

Councilman Abdlrazeg
(now dubbed the 'Wire Sheikh' for his
expertise in placing the barbed wire)

Sheikh Ahmed measures Babiker's height
Eng. Mujtaba and Muslim look on

Ustaz and future Ustaz

Aaron passes the chain up to Rashid

Aaron and Rashid set the bag placement
with the chain compass while
Abubaker observes

The team furthers their skills with the measuring compass as the height of the dome rises.

 Doc hands the camera to Babiker who takes some pictures of the team at work.

Fatima and Bushara pass the earth mixture up the bag to Rashid and Engineer Mubarak

Abeer, Rashid, Bushara, Saifadin and Suliman gather around Aaron
(from For A Purpose) in the guard shack for a picture after work

Rihab, Abeer, and Mohammed Issa
hang out in the shade 

Equipment

Muslim fixes his shoes

Babiker poses

Babiker takes a picture of Ahmed Ali 
(AKA Dr. Turab) and HS4S's Director 
(AKA Doc)

Suliman presents his drawing 
of a future house and 
living compound

Bernard shows up to hold down the
fort at the end of the workday

Abubaker poses in the stair arch 
after changing out of his 
work clothes

Rehab and Doc take pictures of a beautiful neighbor from the South living in Mayo