A Video Look at the Project

The limits to my documentary film making skills are revealed...But here's at least a quick look at the state of affairs.

PROJECT UPDATE

March 12: Two Weeks Till Opening!

The fundraising began on November 1st and the first materials--some forty tons of cement, sand, and gravel--were purchased just before Christmas. Actual construction--the mixing of said cement, sand, and gravel--began on January 2nd.

As of March 12th, the basic structure is in place.  The rooms are electrically wired and the plumber arrives in the week to come.  The grand opening is set for Sunday, March 26th.

In short, ten weeks and approximately $27,000 dollars has turned this:

into this:

The grand opening will be on Sunday, March 26th. Though it's likely that some details will remain uncompleted by that date--the paving of the driveway, the touch-up painting, and the beautification efforts on the veranda, the young people will be living more comfortable lives.  Your money did good things.

Next?  Well, once this is completed and a full accounting of where the money was spent is undertaken, we may try to fund some plumbing upgrades on the original building.  (At this point, only one of the six toilet stalls is functional.)  And, if we wish to dream big, the existing bedrooms could be renovated with lofts and light- and air-creating windows.  And maybe these plans are too grandiose. We'll see.  But if it stops at this two-bedroom extension, we'll all done something that will make a tangible difference for 75 kids today and for their successors in the generation(s) to come.

My documentary film-making skills are in full bloom here, as I take you through the project to date, along with a quasi-English interview with a resident and the rap stylings of Antoine, Kimbondo's most accomplished pre-adolescent rapper:

The Work To Date

I'll leave you with the photos from the March 12th visit:

                       

The girls' room from the outside

And from the inside

And the boys' room

                     

Hard at work on the exterior

And a little rest afterwards

And finally, an introduction to a few of the current and future residents...