Finished!!!
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Our lady builders pose beside the completed domes - the team loved the 'southwest' look, though it took them awhile to appreciate how to use rocks and stones
to make a nice garden - the site was full of petrified wood making for great landscaping |
We were honored with visits from the University of Khartoum’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, the former governor of North Darfur State, and the folks from CARE International Switzerland.
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So many great sunset pictures! no one wanted to leave...
Here the team poses with the former governor of North Darfur, Hamad Ismael Hamad,
and Mr. Izzeldeen from CARE; Ms. Basma Saeed, the CARE Manager of
Innovation and Partnerships, was taking the photos... |
We finished the inside plastering this week, hooked up the electricity, and just had time for some final landscaping.... Last town hall meeting…
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We started the week with a final last town hall meeting to update the team and set out the
tasks for the week to reach our deadline!! |
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Djo talks about what needs to be finished, divides the group into working teams -
while Sheikh Ahmed (in costume) translates |
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Dr. Neimat, Director of the Centre for
Entrepreneurship at the U of Khrt
braves a visit inside the domes during
the plastering phase |
The ladies from the University of Khartoum's Centre for Entrepreneurship made it all the way out to Mayo to visit with the ladies from the Mayo Women's Association. They were very impressed with the women's knowledge of the building process and methods - and were proud of their countrywomen for such a great achievement.
They asked the women to accompany Doc to do a 'case study' presentation at the Entrepreneurship Week Conference in December at the University of Khartoum. Doc will do the power point with pictures, the ladies of Mayo agreed to talk. One of them has a university degree, the second is working on her degree and the other two have HS diplomas and have completed a couple of business courses. Homes for Sudan intends to follow up with all of the trainees to help them in their new ventures. This will be the goal of the new grant applications and continued partnerships with the organizations on this project!!
[NOHS, SHPDO, ARC Peace, USAID/TEPS, University of Khartoum, For A Purpose, Mayo Women's Association Dalu for Development]
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The ladies exit the domes to sit in the guard shed for a chat:
Lila Khamis sits by Dr. Neimat, Rihab explains the building process,
Dr. Elham, head of Business Administration at U of K, fields a phone call,
and Fatima, who is usually pretty quiet, showed that she knows the start to finish steps of dome building!!! |
The team worked on the finishing touches inside the dome, keeping the ceiling rings by covering them with a thin layer of gypsum based plaster.
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| Saiadin, Amjed, and Rashid become master plasterers! |
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Mujtaba and Abubaker discuss future
plans while plastering |
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Hassan and Lila support
the arch plastering |
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Suliman demonstrates that he is
a master plasterer |
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The team has to learn new techniques
with the earth building that they are
not used to doing... |
Yes, we did actually hook up the electricity on the very last day!!!
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| Rashid points to the light in the mezzanine |
We did some last minute landscaping and beautification of the construction site.
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| Lila and Doc go to choose some plants with the bit of money left |
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| Bushara plants a bougainvillea to grow over the guard shack and make it beautiful |
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The ladies bring some cuttings from their own gardens to expand the landscaping...
Lila and Djo do some planting |
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Lila has the proven skills to be the designated resident in charge of
maintaining the beautification of their training center |
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Mathias plants the aloe that Ustaz Hooman rescued from the refuse pile next door at
the beginning of the project... we know the greenery will bloom with the success of the team! |
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Babiker stands in the doorway, Architect Mubarak photo-bo_mbs Doc, while Ahmed, Adam,
and Rashid admire their landscaping and get a chuckle.... |
Djo taught the team how to make natural paint to even out the plaster on the inside. Mr. Hooman tuned in to the final day with the miracle of electronics.
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Babiker takes a photo of of the natural paint that Djo taught the team... sample hearts...
definitely a symbol of the bonds the team formed... |
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| Triumphal entry into the completed dome for a farewell get together! |
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The team breaks out in a cheer at a surprise electronic visit by Ustaz Hooman -
engineered by Mathi and his cell phone |
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| Rihab, Abeer, Lila, and Fatima receive the new padlock to their training center!! |
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Djo sits by Mr. Izeeldeen (former construction manager from CARE) and Ms. Basma Saeed, Manager of Innovation and Partnerships from CARE International Switzerland...
CARE is investigating the 'superadobe' method for
building grain storage elevators, counseling centers,
and other edifices for their relief efforts... |
Some final 'team posing' by their new building!
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| Mathi and Djo pose with the lady earth builders |
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The team can't resist climbing to the top...
may they ever keep climbing upward in their achievements after the project! |
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| Yes, we know Mubarak likes to pose.... but even more, he is unbelievably proud of their building! |
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The Omdurman buddies - Mujtaba, Mubarak, Abubaker and Adam
pose with Babiker, Bushara, Suliman and Hassan |
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Eligible bachelors Mujtaba and Mubarak pose with Rihab, Abeer, and Lila (bachelorettes),
and Fatima (married with children)
The gentlemen members of the team had a wonderful rapport with
the ladies of the team...working respectfully together -
the mixed team effort was a great example of what can be in this world! |
It was hard to leave new friends... everyone stayed well into sunset goofing around with each other - when normally they are ready to leave at 3:30....
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The team poses with Abeer - who has been visiting the site during the final week after breaking her
ankle a few weeks earlier... |
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The 'boys' can't resist some last minute joking around... Djo douses Rashid with the water for
the plants |
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Mathi, Ahmed Abdulrahman, Adam, Mubarak, Abubaker, Djo, Babiker, Ahmed Ali, Amjed, Hassan,
Lila, Rihab, Ahmed Abubaker, and Saifadin |
Final portraits....
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| The guys toss Mathi in the air after succeeding with Djo below |
And a long overdue shout out to our 'eco volunteers' from 'For A Purpose' - Jooren Surmont (AKA Djo) and Mathias Vandewouwer (AKA Mathi).
Djo was traveling in Nepal during the 2015 earthquake, and immediately rolled up his sleeves and started volunteering with relief distribution. He returned to Belgium, raised some funds, and traveled to Nepal the following year, and volunteered with architect Adam Chalupski building a school with earth bags.
He decided he would return to Belgium, gather some of his friends like Mathi and Aaron; and start a group on Facebook to bring funds and builders back to Nepal to build earth quake resistant buildings for the communities.
While some people fervently believe in God and are very religious, God fervently believes in great human beings like Djo and Mathi who might not be religious, but who selflessly volunteer their time and money to help better humanity and bring relief to victims of poverty and earthquakes. Djo will be going back to Belgium to work for a few months, host some more fund raisers, and then attend an earth-building workshop to learn some new techniques before resuming their work in Nepal. Mathi will be taking a break with his significant other for a few months, also helping to raise funds with Djo before returning to Nepal.
We cannot thank them enough for their tireless contribution to the team and the community of Mayo!!!
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| The guys toss Djo in the air as a final hurrah!! Djo is the creator of 'For A Purpose' |
...and a few more portraits ... showing off our beautiful bit of 'Southwest Desert' in a Khartoum suburb.
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| The SHPDO gang at the OK Corral: Ahmed Abubaker (AKA Big Red), and Abubaker Omer |
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Abdlrazeg - our resident councilman
brings his friend, the former
governor of North Darfur
Hamad Ismael Hamad, to visit
our newly completed dome, we
were most honored!! |
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Bushara loves taking selfies... well, so
does the whole team,
Babiker, Big Red and Adam
all participating in final shots!! |
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Djo teases Abeer about tossing her
into the air with her cast... |
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Hassan poses with the landscaping!
beautiful in the evening shadows! |
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| Rashid and Mubarak finishing up by the door! posing while Mathi is digging! |
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Adam, much more than the team driver, poses with Mubarak, while Doc, Ahmed Abdulrachman,
Leila and Bushara check on the newly planted banana tree... and the newly planted neem tree that
Mathi brought back to life from near death along with Ustaz Hooman's rescued aloe |
Hoorah!!!
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| "V' is for ........... |
Someone is really happy about the team's accomplishments!!!
Saturday we have a Nile cruise to honor the team...
