Biogas Digester Work Begins

After over a month of goofing off, it is time to get back to work. With the project engineer, Anna, leaving in July, the biogas digester has taken priority. At this point, we are about 10 days into the build and about half way finished with the construction. In total, we are looking at about 3 weeks to finish. My role in the actual construction has been minimal. Since my expertise with cement and bricklaying is next to nothing, I have had to limit myself to shoveling sand and mobilizing learners to assist. 

Our first task was digging a big hole. Luckily, the learners were able to help us with this and they were able to make quick work of the 10 foot circle with a depth of 6 feet. From there, with the help of a local builder and community members we poured the foundation, laid the bricks, and plastered the walls. This coming week is the most important part – pouring the dome.

The learners at school are beginning to do their critical part as well which is to bring manure from home. I think that they still haven’t fully grasped how the digester exactly works so they find it silly that they are bringing bags of cow poop with them to school.

Some students and a lecturer from the University of Namibia Engineering College have been assisting.  Here, they helped to prepare the reinforcement for the foundation.

With the reinforcement bars in place, the concrete foundation was then ready to be poured.

With the help of several community members, the concrete was simply mixed on the ground and then wheel-barrowed into the hole where our builder Kavili spread and smoothed it.

After the foundation had set, the bricks could be laid.  We found that Kavili is very skilled when it comes to bricklaying.

After 2 long days, Kavili had finished laying the bricks for the digester itself.

With the inside plastered the digester is now ready to be filled with sand and the dome poured.