Progress with English

The English lessons now being led mainly by Andy is progressing very well. There is a core group of 10-20 (varying on whether there are any community activities etc) who still attend the lessons every Sunday afternoon.

Last week they had some 'homework' to do with basic sentences in English. Working through them today, Andy and I were pleasantly surprised yet proud and impressed with what the guys had done. They had made an effort to incorporate place names and activities they had learnt over time at the site into their sentences. So, in addition to being able to construct basic English sentences in conversations, some of them can now write it as well. Although the spelling is still phonetic at times, it is extremely pleasing to see this progress.

There are of course some who can't write (never learnt to write) but that has not put them off as they push forward by remembering all that's said and practicing the sentences. This pleasingly puts to rest some people's opinions that if someone had not gone to school, it is very hard, if not impossible to teach the person(s) the new language.

At this rate, this part of our staff training will be well advanced by the time we start the training in hospitality matters.

Finished section

After a lot of admin and meetings the past week, there is also some more good news from the site.

The second overland parking is also finished. Having been led by one of our new masons, this parking area looks brilliant and as level as anything. A lot of work has gone into this parking with, as mentioned before, tons of rock being used to fill up the area first. This was followed by a base layer of rock and finished off with a top layer of large rock compacted with soil again.

Looking at this spot before we started there shows how much work really had to be done. The front end of the parking had to be dug out, almost 1.5m deep. The centre hollow had large loose rocks that we then had to remove to see where our firm base is, this left a crater over 1m deep by 4m x4m.

For comparison, look at the pic in the previous post on 12 Feb showing the half-finished site. (I will post a photo of the finished product at a later stage)

Now follows the joining by rock of the entrance areas of Overland parkings #1 & 2 as well as the approach road from Reception. Every stage of this work now has to be monitored carefully as this is also from the road leads down to the southern-most two overland sites, which is also about 5m below the level of this section of road.

Overland Sites: parking & approach

The junction where the road to the right branches off the 4x4 campsites circle road and the one to the left approaches the overland campsites.



Looking in the direction of the junction in the first photo from the overland campsites. At this point about 10m from the parking areas.










Work in progress at Overland parking #2. This is post having filled in the site by hand with approximately 1.5ton of rock (looking west toward the front of the parking)










Overland parking #1 finished. The end of the parking in the foreground will be joined by an upslope 'ramp' from the approach road. Looking toward the front of the parking here in a NW direction.

4x4 Campsites: Circle road

Prefect, one of our main masons on the this road doing an absolute sterling job with his team. As can be seen in this and the next photo, also a brilliant job on the retaining walls at this junction in the road.



Looking west, this junction is the South-east 'corner' of the circle road that leads around the 4x4 campsites.

Part of the junction seen from higher up on the eastern leg of this road.

Kazungu, one of first 3 employees when we were still marking out the site. Here he's part of Prefect's team working on the eastern leg of the 4x4 circle road.

Pathways: photos

Looking down in a southerly direction, this path leads off to the campfire area at the centre of the site with the path going off to the right, leading off to 4 other safari tents.


Looking west, this path shows how some large sections of rock on the site have been incorporated into the pathways. Mini-retaining walls have also been added so we don't have soil washing onto the pathways with rain.

A section of path I fondly refer to as our "garden path". This is all plants that are and have been on the site with this particular section being extremely rich a fern species, enhancing the garden-like effect.

The Past week reviewed

In addition to the excitement of our first foundations, work has been progressing very well. The "Ikoro Girls", the puppies, also had their next set of injections and two of them have left us today to Kigali. Akajama and Ingwe have settled in very well in their city home according to their new owner. Hopefully Mpisi and Imondo won't be missing their sisters too much. They will also now be going to the site with me everytime I go giving them and even bigger area to run around in but also more used to being in the car with me and being between people.

Andy and I have taken on another 20 employees on the site. 18 of them are masons which brings our number of masons on site to over 30. The total number of people working on the site is now 70! The enormity of the workforce hits home when one sees everyone setting off to their various workplaces on the site in the morning.

The pathways are proceeding quite rapidly as the guys are clearly into the swing of it with the masons knowing what we're expecting. Its becoming a more and more pleasing sight to see the pathways meander further and more widely through the site. Latest photos of the pathways in a follow-up post.

The roads are going very well with the 1st overland truck parking place completed. The second truck site has commenced which is quite a lot of work as there's a lot of filling up to do but the guys there are working hard with a high level of productivity.

The circle road around the 4x4 campsites is going very well too with a team that seem to outshine the rest in productivity with absolute ease.

In respect of the roads I'll also do separate posts to show some of the latest photos.

1st Foundations

Foundations commence at Safari Tent sites

A very happy day indeed. The first foundations were started today being the foundations for the supports of the safari tents and and the rock bathrooms.

The supports will first be erected after which the bathroom foundations proper will be dug. These foundations will then incorporate four of the supports' foundations. There are 12 support uprights in the planning which will support the tiled roof over the safari tent and bathroom.

The Ikoro "Girls" - latest photos

These photos were taken on their first day back at the site since the day as very small puppies, they went with me to wish all the staff a merry Christmas on the last day of work. Needless to say, everyone on the site gasped, as I initially did too, at how much they had grown. On the site they followed Andy and I around all around the site with the boundless energy of young puppies. As per the vet's initial estimate, they are approximately 12 weeks old here.

"Ingwe" - her head sticking out below her slightly bigger sister "Akajama". Getting a bit bullied at times by her 3 larger sisters, but bully might be an overstatement as she's very adept at holding her own.


"Imondo" - one of the girls that will be remaining with us. Also the tallest of the four and already barking quite readilyat people she doesn't know.





"Akajama" - still energetic and living up well to her name of 'little gangster' by more regularly than her sisters still testing the bounderies of what's right and wrong...as kids do.










"Mpisi" - still my favourite and also one that will remain with us and "Imondo". Second in height only to Imondo, she's bulkier of the 4 and also true to her name 'Hyaena' specialises in being opportunistic, especially when it comes to sneaking up behind me and grabbing my legs/ankles in her little sharp teeth.