RCC Day!

Our week so far had been productive but had included a lot of traveling—we hadn’t been at MGU for enough hours to finish conducting our analysis of the water samples. Hence, Tuesday evening, we started our work in the SES microbiology lab and prepared mediums to repeat the E. coli tests with diluted samples to get a more precise count of the bacteria. Once the test tubes went into the incubator, we headed to bed for much-deserved rest.

Wednesday morning, we prepared the other tests of our analysis. We started with the simpler tests and determined the pH of each sample, as well as the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). Then, we measured out our samples in beakers, boiled water, and added drops of indicators and chemicals to test tubes, following the procedures to measure the phosphate, nitrate, and iron content of each sample. Each step of the way, we had an MGU student helping us and showing us around the labs; thank you, Daniyal! Our analysis stretched into the evening, when we received good news from Sylas: the groundwater had stopped seeping into the canal, and the first layers of concrete were officially setting! Construction would continue Thursday with the placement of the RCC (reinforced cement concrete) layer. Concrete would be laid on a frame, built of chicken mesh and a rebar grid, made against the floor and walls of tank. Our water sampling analysis would therefore be put on hold and would continue Friday morning—we unfortunately couldn’t finish because of the necessary waiting time in some of the procedures.   

The mason's workers, MGU students, and Eli worked to bind the rebar grid.

In the morning, we set off for Achinakom in a van—enough room for about 10 MGU SES students that came along with us. Our efforts to recruit local students last week were successful and ten men had enthusiastically volunteered to assist the mason, workers, villagers, and three of us during construction on Thursday. (On a side-note, we plan to have an orientation meeting for everybody else that didn’t get a chance to go on Thursday next week and will hopefully attract an even larger crowd.) We inspected the canal upon arriving and the concrete had indeed dried; workers had already laid the chicken mesh along the walls and were starting to bind together the rebar grid on the floor of the tank and the surrounding walls. A couple of us jumped into the tank and started twisting the wires and completing the grid.Taking turns, we squatted on the muddy floor, hunched over the crisscrossing rebar while nimbly trying to twist the tie wire. 

Everybody helped transport the mortar from the front of the house to the masons in the canal.

In the afternoon, a few men started mixing the mortar while all the students and village women lined up in an assembly line to transport the mortar from the front of the house, where the materials were originally delivered, along the narrow pathway that leads to the canal. The mortar was placed onto metal basins and thrown or handed down the line to the masons at the end, who proceeded to lay the mortar on the floor of the tank. Moving so much heavy material was a tedious task, but wheelbarrows are hard to maneuver around the house to the canal and space to mix the mortar behind the house is also lacking. Furthermore, trying to coordinate a more efficient way is difficult with the language barrier. Nevertheless, everyone persevered and work didn’t cease even when the heavy rains started. More tarps were draped from the roof over the tank to protect the mortar and everyone else continued as they had been working.  

Patterns of division of gender in the work were similar as on the first day of construction—though they have expressed interest in learning masonry techniques, women mainly delegated themselves to helping move the materials, while masons and experienced men worked on mixing and laying the mortar. We will have to motivate and help the women gain confidence throughout the rest of the construction process, so they will feel comfortable on taking on the tasks usually done by men. The floor of the tank was completed by the late afternoon, and everyone, soaked to the bone, took a break to eat dinner prepared by the village women. We soon departed the village with the MGU students, traveling back to the SES on the same van; even though everybody was working hard all day, physical exhaustion wasn’t apparent on the bus. Malayalam songs were playing loudly while many students were singing and clapping along—a few even managed to start dancing in the aisle.