Second last week! (Sunday, Jan 25 & Tuesday, Jan 27)

Well, as expected, these last few weeks have been hectic thus far. Saturday morning, Mike caught the bus to Kampala, where he flew out from Sunday morning. To quote Timone from Lion King, “our trio’s down to two”; the trio being the roving team, of course. It’s difficult to realize how close I am to the end of my time with ACTS and Mike’s departure is a definite confirmation that yes, five months has already passed. For the majority of our time here, he’s been the person I’ve been working most closely with so things are sure to be a little different without him around. However, Chris, the other engineering intern, may be joining us for some roving in the next few weeks and he’d be a welcome addition to our team. But it's been a good time working with Mike, regardless of the fact that he’s kind of a workaholic (which makes me work a little longer and harder out of guilt), and when he’s not working, he’s blogging, (which also reminds me to get on the computer and update as well), and he talks in his sleep (a little disturbing at first, but I’ve learned to tune it out now). Haha, but it’s been a pretty memorable five months, and a lot of that has been from our various roving team experiences. We’ve hiked many a hill, seen a good chunk of southwestern Uganda, met a ton of people, survived some harrowing roads (I mean, “roads”), and even managed to do some work as well!

Working as a team, not work related, but nevertheless, working as a team. (We’re actually hooking up Edward, one of the construction team foremen, for his first, and probably last, ever ride on a zipline, the first thing we engineers constructed in Uganda! =D)

Anyway, on Saturday morning, I joined David, the director of ACTS, and Tim, the regional director of ACTS, on to meet with the Ibanda District Chairperson and the District Water Officer to discuss the possibility, and perhaps, the details of how we could collaborate on a proposed massive 4 billion shilling project within their district. Unfortunately, ACTS is too restricted by the CIDA project criteria to be able do this project with CIDA funding and neither ACTS nor the Ibanda district has the financial capability to be able to complete the project without CIDA, or other outside funding. So, much of our past week’s work on the Nsasi project has been rendered of no use which is a definitely more than a little disappointing.

Today, after church, a convoy of three trucks left for Kasese to review the proposed projects that me, Mike and Asaph have been working on for the past few months. Within this convoy were five engineers - Bern, who will probably be the engineer in charge of the construction of these projects; Chris, who will be staying in country until the end of April and thus, needs to be briefed on the projects in case any changes need to be made after I’ve left; Chris Town, a senior engineer from Urban systems who is coming to review how Urban Systems funding is being and will be spent by ACTS; and Jono, a more junior engineer who is coming to help alongside Chris Town. Also coming to see the projects are Richard (foreman of the Ugandan construction team); Asaph (the other half of the roving team); David (the ACTS director); and Jayna (Jono’s wife, and a photographer who is documenting the work on the ACTS projects of past, present and future). After we’d arrived and ate a delicious meal prepared by the one and only Peter from the Agape Guesthouse, we all went over to the Bishop’s house for a little meet and greet meeting. For most of the details about the projects, I have been looked to for the answers, particularly now that Mike, the other half of the design team, has left for Canada. So, needless to say, I’ve felt a little bit of pressure to be able to provide the answers and details that people are asking about. But it’s also nice to have some more experienced engineers around (yes, once again, I find myself the youngest and least experienced among this group) to ask for advice from and to review our work to ensure that it does indeed make sense before ACTS goes ahead and constructs it.

And as I continue this now, it’s Tuesday night and everyone but me and Chris, the other engineering intern, have left Kasese. The last two days have been hectic, but at the same time, totally worthwhile and even encouraging; now that the senior engineers have seen the project designs, sources and the proposed pipeline route as well as chosen a suitable location for our camp, it’s like we have really finalized the decision to go ahead with the project if and when CIDA approves the proposal. So, this is it, this is as close to fruition as the project will reach during my time in Uganda, (we don’t expect to hear back from CIDA about the Bwesumbu project, our first proposal, for another six months.) But we’ve taken these projects as far as they can go, for now, and I’ll take a definite sense of accomplishment from that. No time to linger on those thoughts though, as me and Chris will be trying to follow up on the work that the roving team began on the Bughendero source, and hopefully complete a design for that proposal in the next few days. Optimistic? For sure, but optimism is what the roving team has worked on for the past five months, and that's not gonna change this late in the game!

So, the construction crew began construction on the new Nyarugyera project this past week. The first step, to dig back and expose the source for protection. The small hole in the ground is that source, and will soon be supplying water to about ten thousand people, crazyyy!