Wednesday was the team’s last full day in the community. They had great volunteer turnout this week, which enabled a lot of progress on the construction front and completion of some important meetings with the community to coordinate next steps on the project.
Implementation Trip #2 Team with Mangi community members.
On this second implementation trip the team worked alongside the hard working Mbokop community members to build two break pressure tanks (used to relieve pressure in the system) and lay the first two segments of the water pipeline.
EWB-DC team member, Ashley Johnson, helps dig the trench for the water pipeline.
Pipeline installation involves digging a trench in which the pipe will be assembled and then buried – depending on the type of soil you are working in this can be anywhere from “good, hard work” to “back-breaking, intense labor”. From what we’ve heard from the team, there have been A LOT of rocks and hard earth to work through (tipping the scales to the “back-breaking” side of things).
All that digging ensured the team worked up a good appetite for dinner each day! They were fortunate to have two talented cooks working on meals for them. Here is a photo Ashley snapped of some dinner preparations underway (Lucy is working on a large pile of cabbage with her daughter Lois close by).
Left: Lucy and Lois in the kitchen in Mangi. Right: Dinner of plantains, ndolé et sauce d’arachide.
Baby Lois and Perpetua (from HEDECS) – taken on Assessment Trip 1 (March 2013).
We actually met Lois on EWB-DC’s very first trip to Mbokop in March 2013. The team enjoyed the fun of having a baby around as part of the household. Check out this photo of her from 2013 – she sure has grown!!
Packing up the van on Thursday morning.
The team packed up the van on Thursday and traveled to Bamenda. After spending the night in Bamenda, the group departed this morning for Douala where they will stay tonight before flying out on Saturday. The team is expected to arrive back in DC Sunday morning. We are all eager to see them when they get back and hear all of their stories from the trip!