Burundi project construction work continues apace!

Hope Centre makes great progress:

Even through the rainy season, currently in full swing in Burundi, the Hope Centre work has continued. Charles & Val Carr undaunted by the heavy rain and flooding have continued their vital work in the construction of the orphan's homes.

The only way is UP!

Much of the construction work, up to ground level (sewage systems, foundations etc) has been completed. Large amounts of pressed blocks have been created and stored ready for use and the busy team await the arrival of the container which holds lots of construction materials as well as tools and equipment.



To see more news and to donate to the Hope Centre, Burundi please click here.

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Hope Centre Kids benefit from food donation:

A local trader provides food assistance:

A local trader in Bujumbura, Burundi has provided 150kg of rice and 150 kg of beans to help feed the Hope Centre Kids after having been sent funding from a member of the family in Pakistan. Pastor Leonard Tuyishimire has expressed his thanks to the family in question as has Charles Carr who is currently working on the building project at the Hope Centre in Mutimbuzi, Gatumba.

The Children are thankful for this donation, their health and growth as well as their education will benefit as a result of this kind gesture.
The bags of food are loaded into Charles' car to be transported to feed the children. Mission International has expressed thanks to the family who made the donation. Working together like this is the only way to bring much needed support to the many orphaned children in Burundi.

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Further progress at Mutimbuzi:

Hope Centre work moves quickly on:

The Hope Centre work continues apace now that the block presses have arrived. The red earth, purchased locally, has to be sieved and then mixed with a small amount of cement and water to make the blocks, the blocks are then allowed to dry before they can be used for building. The result is a nice red brick building, as you will see below there are plain blocks and interlocking blocks, as well as interlocking slightly curved blocks (not shown) for building water tanks.

Below the red earth is passed through a sieve to prepare it for the block making process.

Below Charles views the results of the plain block maker.

This block press makes an interlocking block.

Here the local ladies carry freshly mixed concrete in buckets on their heads.

To see more information have a look at the Hope Centre website http://www.hopecentreburundi.com/

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Hope Centre site sees major changes:

Development of the Hope Centre site:
Since arriving in Burundi in mid July Charles & Val Carr have managed to bring about considerable change to the Hope Centre site in Mutimbuzi, Gatumba. Due to the fact that the rainy season will be arriving soon, there is a bid to make sure that the six foundations are in place so that the house building can continue even if there is some flooding on the site. The foundations have been raised to almost a metre off the initial ground level to allow for inevitable flooding and this will be back filled between the houses and landscaped when the building work is over.

Below: The considerable area to be developed is disturbed as the foundations are dug and the building work is initiated.

Below: This building work has caused quite a stir in the area and as a result some of the locals have managed to find work labouring and using their skills to prepare for and build the Hope Centre.

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Cementing relationships?

Cement Company support the Hope Centre:

Click in image to enlarge it.

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Container on its way:

Packed with potential:
A 40ft shipping container is now on its way from Westhill in Aberdeenshire to Mutimbuzi township, just outside Bujumbura Burundi's capital city. The container is loaded with all sorts of building materials, some donated and some purchased at cost price, for the construction of the Hope Centre in Burundi. Charles & Val Carr will travel to Burundi, with three of their boys, to become involved in the final planning and then the construction of the Hope Centre, Burundi.

It is hoped that the Centre will be completed in around a year. Six houses will be built in all, becoming the homes for the 40 children, eight children and a mama to a home and a separate home for Pastor Leonard and his wife and three children. This phase will take up about half of the plot of land and after canvassing the surrounding community, predominantly made up of returning refugees, it is likely that a skills training centre will be built on the other half.

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You can help!

The materials are being gathered:
Charles & Val Carr and their boys are heading for Burundi during July, their house in Scotland is sold and their flights have been purchased, however they are still gathering materials to put in a container which will be used to build the Hope Centre in Burundi. To view the list of requirements and see other news of their trip follow this link -
http://www.eulogia.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.pl

What will it look like?
To give an indication of what the orphan homes in the Hope Centre Burundi will look like Charles has prepared a few drawing a couple of which are situated here. These designs may change a little but are likely to be along these lines.

The children have never known a home of their own, having lost their families during the 13 year war which Burundi has recently emerged from. The small community where the Hope Centre is to be built has in the region of 6000 orphans and so this project is just a start to what needs to be done to help what is now the poorest country in the world.

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