Week 7

It is hard to believe but we are already in our seventh week in Tanzania!

We started the week with the mix for the cob. In order the prepare the soil to be mixed with the sand, we made two big holes in the ground and filled them with water. The soil must stay inside the pool for at least 24 hours before the mixture is done.

We continued building the rammed earth wall and solving all the problems we found on the way. The main difficulty has been to keep the side walls fixed. With the force of the tamping they tend to separate and therefore the corners become weaker.

The next day we prepare the mix for the cob with soil, sand and banana leaves. After mixing, we make small and dense mud balls that are carefully placed in the wall. It is a slow process but after a few days we can see the first results.

The height of the rammed earth wall finally goes up to the height of the window and we can remove the formwork and prepare it for the next piece of wall!

Working on the improvement of the side walls of the formwork.

Primli applying a layer of lime after the first rammed earth section of the wall.

Jule and Clémentine tamping the earth wall.

Jule dancing on the mixture to compress.

Mixing the soil, sand and banana fibers.

Priscus the carpenter working on the construction of the windows.

Clémentine has become a “fundi” (suajili word for expert) of molding the cob wall.

Children helping to shape the cob balls.

Tomás and Michelle tamping the last section of the wall, finally!

Moving the formwork and placing the carpentry to start the next wall.