Installation of Rainwater-Harvesting System at Kalisizo UMEA Primary School

The masons of Brick by Brick Construction are in the process of installing a rainwater-harvesting system at Kalisizo Uganda Muslim Education Association (UMEA) Primary School. The masons have completed the construction of a 20,000 L rainwater-harvesting tank and are starting construction on a 10,000 L rainwater-harvesting tank. Before the masons started construction on the rainwater-harvesting system, the pupils had to walk three km (each way) to fetch water. As a result, pupils often missed class. The school community is very grateful to the students of Kennedy-King Elementary School for their new rainwater-harvesting system. Mwebale nnyo!  

 

Sarah Jjuuko’s Community Health Center – Jjajja Bbanga

Brick by Brick Construction recently completed the construction of twin rainwater-harvesting tanks at Sarah Jjuuko’s Health Center Jjajja Bbanga (two tanks on opposite sides of the health center). This health center, located in Ngoma Village, Rakai District, provides pregnant women from the village a safe and sanitary place to deliver their children. Before the construction of these tanks, the health clinic workers had to fetch water from a nearby pond and water shortages were common. The twin rainwater-harvesting tanks are each 25,000 L and will provide the health clinic a readily accessible source of clean water. Better Start - a Dutch organization working in Uganda, funded this project. By constructing rainwater-harvesting tanks with ISSB technology instead of buying plastic tanks of similar size, Better Start saved approximately 15 million UGX ($6,122).  

 

Completion of the Renovation at Kirumba Primary School

The masons of Brick by Brick Construction have successfully completed the renovation of the three-classroom school block at Kirumba St. Luke Primary School. The pupils, teachers, and school community of Kirumba are very grateful for the renovation. With cement classroom floors, the pupils will no longer be exposed to jiggers at school. Furthermore, cement floors will prevent the pupils from being covered in dust. The renovation has provided the pupils a safe, clean school environment and has added beauty to the school premises.The Kirumba community is very grateful for the support of their sister school, the Ryan Middle School in Queens, New York. Webale-nyo! Thank you very much!  

 

Completion of Latrine Construction at St. Andrews Matale Hill Primary School

Brick by Brick Construction completed the construction of a female latrine at St. Andrews Matale Hill Primary School. In April, the only female latrine on the school’s upper block collapsed. As a result, the female pupils and teachers had to share the male latrine with the male pupils and teachers. The inadequate amount of latrine stalls led to long lines and frustration amongst the pupils and teachers. There was a great need to construct a new female latrine. The pupils, teachers, and school community of St. Andrews Matale Hill are very grateful to their U.S. Sister School Hannah Senesh Community Day School for their contribution to the construction of this female latrine.  

 

 

Renovation at Kirumba Primary School

By: Max Ssenyonga, Program Coordinator Brick by Brick Uganda The masons of Brick by Brick Construction are renovating a three classroom block at Kirumba St. Lukes Primary School. Brick by Brick Construction has a dedicated team of skilled masons that are working on this project. Sande Salongo Kimera, Charles Kabagabo and John Sebyoto are directing our efforts, with the help of two porters Jude and Jjunju.

The renovation of this classroom block was desperately needed. Before the renovation started, the classrooms were in poor shape and as a result were not in use. With this renovation, there will be concrete floors, which will prevent children from getting harmed by jiggers (small insects that burrow in the skin). Jiggers are very common in the village and cause pain, fever, and even death. The students, teachers and parents will benefit from this renovation because the children will be free from jiggers and dust, which has been making them unhealthy and dirty.

This project is very important to me because many years ago, as a child, I studied at this primary school. Before Brick by Brick partnered with my school, the learning environment was much worse. Our school had gates without doors, floors were not cemented and we smeared cow dung on the floors to eliminate the dust. There was nothing we could do to prevent the jiggers.

The Kirumba Primary School community is very grateful for the work done by Brick by Brick and for the contributions made by our sister school in the US, Ryan Intermediate School. Thank you for your assistance and your commitment to helping the village communities of Uganda. Mwebale Nyo! (Thank you very much!)

 

 

10 Years of Giving by the Students of Hannah Senesh Community Day School

Since 2003, the students and teachers of Hannah Senesh Community Day School have been working to support their sister school in Uganda. On May 29th, Brick by Brick Executive Director Marc Sklar, met with 6th, 7th and 8th graders to celebrate all that we have accomplished at Matale Hill Primary School. A video message of thanks from the teachers and students at Matale Hill was shown. We are nearing the completion of our work at Matale Hill and the Hannah Senesh community is looking forward to partnering with a new school, to accomplish even more. To all the wonderful teachers, students and parents at Hannah Senesh, Webale-nyo!! Thank you very much!!

Brick by Brick Visits Ryan Middle School

Since 2004, the students of Ryan Middle School in Queens New York have raised over $10,000 for their sister school, the Kirumba Primary School located in the Rakai District of Uganda. On May 9th, Brick by Brick visited Ryan to meet with students and share the progress we have made together. In preparation for their annual Earth Day Fair fundraiser, we discussed the work that Brick by Brick Construction is doing to combat deforestation by using environmentally sustainable construction methods. Shabieko Ivy, a senior at Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, helped create and led the discussions with five Earth Science classes. Shabieko served as an intern for Brick by Brick as part of the International Youth Leadership Institute. The students at Ryan were fully engaged in a thoughtful discussion of how, with their help, Ugandans are building better schools, while preserving their precious natural resources.

Reusable Menstrual Pad Project

By: Griffin Smith When I joined the Brick by Brick team earlier this year, I was given the task of finding a sustainable solution that would help the girls in our Brick by Brick schools manage their monthly menstruation. The reality in Uganda is that low-income families have to decide between buying disposable pads and household necessities. Girls that cannot afford disposable pads use anything they can find as a substitute (rags, socks, newspapers, etc.). These substitutes are inadequate and often unsanitary. Finding a solution to this monthly challenge would improve the girls’ school attendance, academic performance and overall quality of life.

After collaborating with fellow Peace Corps Volunteers, I introduced the idea of the Reusable Menstrual Pad Project to the Brick by Brick team. The Reusable Menstrual Pad Project began in Uganda with Peace Corps Volunteer Lizzie Kazan. She had a simple idea: increase access to low-cost washable menstrual pads by teaching girls how to sew the pads themselves. The project has grown substantially since its inception and now includes an educational component on menstrual health and hygiene.

In the next few months, the Brick by Brick team will work to develop a plan on how to implement this project in our school communities. We are very excited to start working on this project and hope that our work will ease the numerous challenges that girls cope with every month.

A Night of Blues for Brick by Brick

On the night of April 26th Brick by Brick turned the Prospect Park Picnic House into the best blues club, this side of Chicago. One hundred supporters of Brick by Brick's work to improve the quality of education in rural Uganda attended an evening of great blues, barbecue and beer. The Bobby Kyle Band provided the entertainment, as thousands of dollars were raised to support our work. This was the First Annual Blues Night fundraiser for Brick by Brick,  the start of what we know will be an annual tradition.

U.S. Executive Director of Brick by Brick in Uganda

U.S. Executive Director of Brick by Brick, Marc Sklar, traveled to Uganda in March. As usual, time spent in Uganda was productive and rewarding. Accompanied by Program Coordinator, Max Ssenyonga and Peace Corp volunteer, John Trimmer, Marc met with the staff of numerous NGOs to expand the business of Brick by Brick Construction. In addition, a very engaging meeting was held with the Director of USAID Uganda, David Eckerson, and Ugandan Peace Corp Director Loucine Hayes, where we received their enthusiastic support for our efforts at building a business using environmentally friendly ISSB technology. Back in the Rakai District, Marc and our Ugandan staff visited several school communities and worked hard to build our organizational capacity

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

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In 2009, Chessa Forer was a member of a team of eight teachers who traveled to Uganda to work collaboratively with their Ugandan colleagues. Over a two-week intensive workshop led by Bank Street College faculty member, Ginny O'Hare, teachers from both countries learned innovative techniques to improve the quality of teaching and learning at each of our five primary schools.

Returning to New York, where she teaches at the Chapin School in Manhattan, Chessa wanted to continue to contribute to the children she came to know and love. Through her art, she has found a way. Chessa recently sold four of her beautiful photographs and donated the proceeds, $600 to Positive Planet. Chessa, your photographs are made even more beautiful by your generous gift. As we say in Uganda:

Webale-Nyo!! Thank you very much!!

Lwamaya Primary School Construction Begins

This week construction began on the construction of a new building at Lwamaya Primary School. In partnership with the local community, which has made significant contributions, Brick by Brick has begun to build a 3-room structure which will house a classroom, a new library stocked with books, and a storage room. This will complete a multi-year construction project funded by the students of the Mary McDowell Friends School in Brooklyn, New York. By mid-February this building is scheduled for completion so that each student will now have a safe and secure classroom in which to learn, and a library to access books. Thank you to the students, parents and teachers of Mary McDowell for your dedication over the past 7 years!

Marketing Brick by Brick

Brick by Brick Construction is off to a promising start in Year I. We have built 12 rain water harvesting tanks ranging in size from 10,0000 to 30,000 liters, and a new school library using Interlocking Stabilized Soil Brick (ISSB), environmentally-sustainable technology. This month, we begin construction of a 3-room classroom-library block for the Lwamaya Primary School. Our team of professional masons, led by Manager Max Ssenyonga, is proving that social entrepreneurship works to provide revenue for much needed community-based projects, while making an investment in the local economy. Brick by Brick is starting a marketing campaign to expand our business and build on the success of our first year. In addition, to a road side sign post, we will soon complete an array of marketing materials that will spread the word about the valuable services provided by this innovative company.

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Working With the Peace Corp on Behalf of the People of Uganda

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2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corp. The Peace Corp was founded to allow Americans to answer President Kennedy's call to service in the developing world. Positive Planet is pleased that beginning in October, one of our country's best and brightest, John Trimmer, has answered that call and is already a major contributor to our work in the Rakai and Masaka Districts of Uganda. John is pursuing a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. He will be working on expanding Brick by Brick as well as our school-based initiatives.

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Brick by Brick Update

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It's been almost a year since we established Brick by Brick, a locally managed construction business, using environmentally-friendly technology to build water and sanitation systems, as well as school classrooms and other buildings. Led by Manager Max Ssenyonga, our team of eight skilled masons have constructed ten rain water harvesting tanks, three libraries, and are about to begin our largest project to date, the construction of a classroom/library at Lwamaya Primary School. We have also embarked on an ambitious marketing plan to broaden and expand our customer base. This will include appearances on local radio programs, road side advertising, and community education and outreach. In addition, at the request of our masons, we have designed and produced new uniforms, which have been received with tremendous enthusiasm. Our goal is to create a successful and profitable business that will address the need for quality construction, sustainable solutions to critical gaps in the availability of safe water and sanitation, while generating revenue for our community-based programs. So far, our business model is proving successful and everyday we are learning more of what it takes to make an ambitious project like this work. Stay tuned!
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Three School Libraries Completed

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Most primary school children in Uganda never know the joy of opening a book. Recognizing this gap in education, Positive Planet started its Library Project, with the goal that each of our participating schools have a working lending library. In 2009, we shipped over 6,000 used books donated by public schools in Long Island. We then met with parents and teachers at each of our schools and developed a cooperative plan to make the dream of a school library, a reality. Last month, with the support of Brick by Brick, we completed three new libraries at Kirumba, UMEA and Matale Hill Primary Schools, including desks, chairs, shelving, and of course, books! This month, we will begin construction of the fourth library at Lwamaya Primary School.

Starting next year, local school administrators who have experience managing lending libraries, will assist their neighbors to ensure that their skills and knowledge are shared fully. For the first time, over 2,000 students will be able to do what we all take for granted, open a book and learn.

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Brick by Brick Is Up and Running

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The goal of Brick by Brick, our latest social entrepreneurial pilot project, is to create a profitable business in the Rakai and Masaka districts of Uganda that will generate revenue to fund the many school-based programs that make up Positive Planet. In January 2011, we began by training eight masons in the use of the Interlocking Stabilized Soil Brick (ISSB) presses. This environmentally friendly technology uses pressure rather than wood burning furnaces to create bricks, therefore reducing the energy requirements in the construction process. We are hoping that the pilot program will evolve into a locally managed construction company that will be profitable and serve the needs of the community. This month we completed our first construction project, a 10,000 liter water tank for the Matale Hill Parish in Kalisizo. Click below to view two videos of the brick-making process and the actual construction of our first tank. Brick by Brick is off to a fast start with 12 customers waiting for our services. See Laying the first blocks

Poultry Project Update

We are eight months into Positive Planet's Poultry Project and everyday we are learning more. Our goal is to create a sustainable and profitable business to support a school lunch program for over 800 students. We have faced many challenges, from water shortages due to draught, to poor quality of feed. With the support of Jonathan Blanchard, a Peace Corp volunteer working with Positive Planet and Egg Module (www.eggmodule.org), we are now able to monitor production on an almost daily basis. This is allowing us to respond quickly as conditions in the field change. Our most recent partner, Professor Jacquie Jacob, of the University of Kentucky, is providing much needed expertise in poultry science which is already showing results. Check the Positive Planet blog for regular updates.