Category Archives: Progress Report

Walls Completed on the Nkhanga Village Library

September 2008

Nkhanga Village Community Library (Nkhanga Branch) is a major project of the Zambia Knowledge Bank. Phenomenal progress has been made as the construction of the walls of the 3100 Sq. ft. building has just been completed. The Construction of the walls was completed on August 27, 2008. The last amount of funding that is now needed for the roofing of the library is $6,000.00 (Six Thousand Dollars). The urgent matter is that rains in Zambia start in November (in about 2 months) and if the roofing is not done before then, the rains which are from November to April, could ruin this almost finished gorgeous 3100 Sq. ft. building which is perhaps the most ambitious but successful project so far.

 

During Winter and Spring this year, a fundraising campaign was conducted to raise      $10,000.00 (Ten Thousand

Dollars) to complete the construction of the Nkhanga Village Library brick walls and roofing. Donations were received from Luray United Methodist Church and Bridgewater Church of the Brethren congregations, Bridgewater College Students, faculty, staff, and dozens of individuals from the community in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and elsewhere in the United States. A total of $5984.50  was raised which was immediately sent to the Construction Committee in the village to buy door and window frames, transport, paying contractors, and temporary workers. The construction of the walls has just been completed.

 

One of the key reasons why the raised funds could not be stretched to finish the roofing is that the US dollar had declined over the summer so much compared to the Zambian Kwacha, even just over the last 3 months, that the money raised was not enough to complete the roofing. Just to give you specific examples:

In June 2007 a 110 lb. (50Kg) bag of cement cost $12.50 but now costs $21.87. Each one of the 4 large Library windows was estimated to cost $35.89 each last June 2007 but this June 2008 cost $156.25 each. The windows are made and welded in the small town by small businesses. The exchange rate of the US dollar to the Zambian Kwacha was $1.00 to K4,000.00 in June 2007. In June 2008 the exchange rate was $1.00 to K3200.00. The US dollar compared to the Kwacha had depreciated by at least 20%. The rising oil prices compounded the difficulties.

 

 

 

My heartfelt appeal is that if you can contribute or you know someone who might be able to donate toward the completion of the roofing of this very valuable project, please let me know immediately. Any amount you can donate will go for a great cause. If the roofing is completed before the end of the year, the library could be open for community use within a matter of months. Please write checks to: Zambia Knowledge Bank.

Send the check to:  Dr. Mwizenge Tembo, 302 Sandstone Circle, Bridgewater, VA 22812

Thank you

The Nkhanga Village Library

June 13, 2007

This is the first of what I hope to be periodic reports from the ground on how the Village library project is going.

Since early March 2007 when the construction of the library project took off in earnest, I had received reports by email and cell phone on the progress. I arrived in the village on June 1st and visited the site.

Since the Zambia Knowledge Bank Libraries: Nkhanga Branch construction committee did not have a bank account yet, the money Six Million Zambian Kwacha ($1500.00) was wired by Western Union. This initial amount sent in small sums as needed, was for the purpose of clearing the project site of grass, trees, and tree stumps all by hand. It was also for digging the foundation and setting it, hauling river sand by hired pick up truck and ox-carts. I learnt a lot about building lingo and what each stage entailed. It was a mammoth task task since the 42 meters long by 7 meters wide building is huge by rural village standards. I had heard and  been told so much about the project site and what had been accomplished. Seeing it for the first time was an encouraging experience.

I finally walked to the site with the Builder, Mr. Mwale, on Sunday June 3rd at 5:00pm. He is a short man; may be 4 ft. 11 ins with a baby face. But from what I saw, the project was so lucky to hire a man with such remarkable building skills and experience. He knew exactly what and how to set the foundation on the sandy soil. I saw the partially raised foundation box with beautifully put together bricks. I could see the massive amount of cement he had laid at the bottom mixed with crushed stones and had apparently used tons of water. I walked all around and took numerous photographs from all angles. I stood there thinking: “This is the actual foundation of a dream”. I thank you very much for your contributions and support.

Already tremendous organizing efforts had been expended by the estimated ten active members of the Nkhanga Library building committee who are all volunteers who live in the villages in the area. The breaking of the rocks by hand using hammers to make crushed stones at the nearby hill was so demanding that some workers sustained bleeding hands. There has already been literally blood and sweat expended on the library project. I am so glad that the leadership at the site get it and understand the unique nature  and historical significance of the project in the district, Zambia and probably Africa as a whole.

This could be a blue print for some of the small projects like this one which have very thin margins of error or cannot afford the costs of thick red tape. Once small amount of money were released by Western Union, within minutes the project managers and the builder were purchasing the first thirty bags of cement, brick force wire, hiring a truck to transport the supplies to the construction site.

 

 

 

 

The project so far has provided much needed temporary jobs to earn cash for an estimated twenty adults including four

women who draw water carrying it on their heads from about two hundred yards away from the Nkhanga Clinic bore hole. Two families who own ox –carts have hauled river sand and have earned some money. Young men have been crushing stones by hand using hammers. There is some hunger here as some families had a bad harvest due to bad rains and not having any fertilizer. The cash income they earn from the library project is used to buy corn so that they can feed their families. Many are grateful to have a job to earn an income. Labor problems had to be solved as we went. Some laborers quit after the first pay, others were unruly as they had never worked in a structured environment and did not know how to follow orders.

Expenses:  

download in pdf format

The Nkhanga Village Library

MARCH TO MAY 2007

All the money has been supplied by ZANOBA International.

The foot concrete was done requiring:

• The digging of the foundation was done at the cost of K300,000.00 ($75.94)
• Smooth clearing was done at the cost of K150,000.00 ($37.97)
• The clearing of the grass and big trees from the site where the library will be constructed was done at the cost of K270,000.00 – ($68.35)
• 20 bags of cement x K55,000 = K1,100,000.00 and hired light truck for transport at K330,000 from the Boma up to Nkhanga ($362.02).
• Brick force wire 3 rolls 9inch = K60,000.00 ($15.18)
• 

  Using Ox Carts for hauling

  River sand 100 wheel bars – used 10 Oxcarts at 10,000 each comes to K100,000.00 paid cash but balance remains. ($25.31)

• Crushed stones for 12 tones used 10 tons also 110 wheel bars at K400,000.00 and transportation K180,000.00 per trip. For 2 trips this came to K360,000.00 for two trips. Hired light truck for transport.($91.13)

 

 

 

• Foundation Box Requirements
  

  Brick are delivered

  Dambo building sand 20 tons is ready and in usage as well as K360,000 for transport for the two trips. In addition 8 tones by Oxcart at K100,000.00. ($116.45)
  20 Bags of Cement has been bought at K55,000.00 each for a total of K1,100,000.00. ($278.48)
  5 rolls of Brick Force wire at K20,000.00 each coming up to K100,000.00.($25.31)
  20 more bags of cement is needed right now as well as 10 brick force wire.

• Other Equipment:
  2 shovels at K45,000.00 each for a total of K90,000.00 ($22.78)
  Building level for K65,000.00 ($16.45)
  Building string for K25,000.00 ($6.32)
  Building Knife for K40,000.00 ($10.12)
  Cost of Mealie-Meal and Food estimate K150,000.00 ($37.97)

Expenses

expenses 2007

The Nkhanga Village Library

AUGUST 2006

• The molding and burning or kilning of 25,000 half timber bricks by 5 Football Clubs from the villages in the
  

  Working to prepare the bricks and site of the library.

  Nkhanga area. This labor was a thank you gesture to the community for used football jerseys which were donated by Steven Fear, Passback Program Director, Eurosport: The Fabled Soccer Traders, Hillsborough, NC 27278.

 

• A series of meetings were held by the ZANOBA Executive Committee to plan for the construction of the library. The amount K700,000.00 from ZANOBA international was used toward the burning of the bricks.  $177.21

• 

  Clearing brush from the library site.