Katikamu Update

November 10th, 2008

So much has happened in the Katikamu community in regards to the Just Like My Child Foundation school building project since Vivian’s visit in the beginning of October. I’ve had several meetings with the community itself, the community leader Ben and the Construction Supervisor for the project, George William. We now have solid blue prints, budgets and time lines in place for the project. The community has come together to discuss the necessary community contributions that are required by the Just Like My Child Foundations project methodology. They have a date set for the community to gather their contributions such as hard core, sand and stones to the building site. Just Like My Child Foundation has agreed to assist by purchasing two interlocking brick presses for Bishop Asili Hospital that they will allow the Katikamu community to borrow for making bricks for the building project along with the necessary cement needed for the process. When the community learned that the foundation was giving them an opportunity to make interlocking bricks for the school building project they were absolutely ecstatic! They are excited to learn the skill of making these bricks as well as the process of building in a new way. The community has a clear plan and schedule in place for how they intend to make all of the necessary bricks once the presses arrive. They also have a date set for signing the Project Covenant, which is a document that all community members are to sign outlining what is expected of them and of Just Like My Child Foundation throughout the life of the project as well as showing all parties commitment to the project. The community has also elected their Project Support Committee as per the methodologies guidelines. Twelve members made up of six men and six women were chosen. The community gave some of the elected members special titles as per the methodologies suggestion. Ben for example was elected and given the title of Project Coordinator. They gave another gentleman the title of Community Mobilizer, whose job it will be to ensure that all members who are signed up to work are motivated and show up for their scheduled days. The leveling of the land where the school is to be built will affect community members who have been growing food on the land. Katikamu went as a whole community to the land to discuss the issue and to make decisions about exactly what parts of the land will be leveled for the school. The community in general is so excited about the project that they were willing to work together to share parts of their personal unused land to those community members that will lose their gardens during the leveling and building process. This school building project is now well under way. Watch for updates!