Welcome to Tororo Parents Secondary Girls School
Tororo Parents Secondary Girls School was the first project by LTLGBG. Pictured in photo from left to right: Jimmy Otong (Head Master of the School), Donna Mooney, and LTLGBG founders Tim Mooney & Eric Brookhart.
Students at school
As we arrive at the school we are greeted by students happy to see us for a new day of work. The student enrollment has grown from year to year as the school project developed. Each year a building was added to the facility. In 2004 the school house (main building in this picture) was constructed, 2005 a dorm building, 2006 the science library building to the right rear currently under construction in this picture. Following the third year the facility had the ability to provide all the elements necessary to prepare the girls for senior boards.
Neighbors to the school
These are neighbors to the school building. The family was very happy to see the Otongs bring the school to Tororo. This family helped with the construction and gave up their yard as the truss assembly area for the school building and dorm buildings.
Truss assembly stack
Trusses ready to be lifted to the roof of the science library building. Students listen to instructions from the Ugandan carpenters. These trusses weigh more than two hundred pounds. It is important everyone knows what the program is for lifting these things to the ring beam. Please notice the dorm building is in the background.
Lifting trusses
Lifting the trusses requires much teamwork. These wooden trusses are made of local mahogany wood hand cut and nailed together with six inch nails and wraps of metal banding. If the trusses are not properly supported while lifting they are at risk of falling and injuring a worker.
Gable at the dorm building
Lots of help at the dorm project. A gable truss is pushed up through the porch ceiling. Many hands make light work. On the roof assisting the Ugandan carpenters are from the left and with his back to us Chad, Eric, on the ground lifting is Tim. Students were not allowed to work on the elevated roof areas we don’t want to take anyone home broken!
Ready for roofing
The trusses are in place on the upper portion of the science/library building. On top of the trusses are purlins to attach to metal roofing material to. The carpenters use string lines and chisel the purlins into a straight level roof line. The finished roof is amazingly straight in spite of the crocked lumber and only using hand tools in the entire construction process.
Sifting sand
Local sand is used for mortar in brick laying and for plaster. Sand needs to be manually sifted for many of the processes. This is a job many of the students get plenty of practice at doing each year. See in the background Tororo rock. The peak of Tororo Rock stands about 1200 feet above the town. Each year our group and girls from the school will journey to the top for a breathtaking view of the entire Tororo District.
Mixing cement
No cement mixer here. Every bag of cement is mixed by hand on the ground for the entire project. Then all the mixed cement is carried in wheelbarrows to the sight of use. In all of Uganda there are only a few cement mixing trucks. These are in the capital Kampala and used on very large projects.
Plaster Mixing
Mixing plaster for the interior walls. The walls have an interior and exterior concrete plaster of about 1 inch thick. This gives the brick wall a very durable and smooth finish. There is no drywall in Uganda, skilled plasters working for about $2.00/day apply a beautiful finish. At the labor rate a mason insists upon in the US we could never afford cement plastered walls.
Hoop ball
How about a game of hoop ball? Notice the basket ball hoop with no backboard. The girls at the school gave a lesson in the local twist on this sport. The American team did not have the success of the Dream Team, more like a nightmare team. There is much time for interaction with the students at the sight while we are at the school. The one of the biggest parts of the US students trip is the interaction with other students and construction workers, people they would never have a chance to know.
Celebration
Africa celebrates with dance. Following each project at the Tororo Parents Girls School there was a celebration. Here an American student shows her skill on the dance floor in one of the classrooms. The other students watch, clap and sing to the beat of a drum used to bring the event to life.