Tin Roofing & Truck in the River

We hauled up twenty sheets of tin in the truck at the end of April for a storage shed. The thatched roof of the original building had rotted through and termites had eaten the beams. The head of the farmer's group asked if we could help provide tin and nails for a new shed they wanted to build. Here are the farmers carrying the tin about half a kilometer in to the location for the new shed. They will cut the timber for the beams and walls themselves.

As we were heading out of the village, we saw that a 4x4 from the community health office was stuck in the river. We tried for two hours to get them out, first with the truck and later a winch, but when we left about six o'clock pm, they we're still in the river, although making some prgress. We left our cable and wench with them and asked them to give it to the chief when they got out.




Hope they eventually made it!

Visit

Jos and I recently visited the head of the farmers group in his house over the rice fields. Here is a short video clip from our visit:



He said the group plans to repair the dam following the harvest with the materials left over from its initial construction.


He inquired if CAMA/TALI would be able to help with building materials to build cement irrigation ditches from the dam to the fields. They also would like to plant two or even three crops a year, but need a hand tractor or water buffalo to till the land.

What has given me the most joy in working with this group to date is this:


It's hard to read, but this is a picture of the name of the group and the date construction began written in the cement next to the spill way. No mention of CAMA or TALI, no NGO project signs, just the name of the farmers group.

Feb 09 Update: Almost Harvest time

The rice fields are turning yellow with rice and the farmers have moved into thatched houses above the fields to keep predators (wild pigs, birds, etc.) away.


The dam, while somewhat battered by a recent flood, continues to hold. Here's a video tour:

The Dam...

The rice fields...



A great way to keep the birds away...

Leak Fixed

In our last report from Jos, the leak had been repaired and the farmers where beginning to clear the fields to plant!

Working Together

When the water rose, the pressure on the partially completed final section of the dam created a leak, so the farmers had to spend some time repairing it. I was finally able to clear a Saturday to go up and work with them. I'd taken materials up in the truck a number of times, but this was the first chance I'd had to work all day along side them on the dam. It was one of my best days in Aceh so far - a lot of digging, mixing, and laughing.

Progress by the End of July

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The farmers worked hard all month, and by the end, had almost completed the dam. Here is the progress they made:


Here's a shot of the small lake forming on the left side of the dam:


And a shot of the top of the dam almost completely filled in:

Mid-July Progress

We brought up a couple tons of cement, steel rebar, and a wheelbarrow in the truck, and the farmers group worked every weekend on the dam. It was quite a trek to get the truck close to the field. Even driving on roads like this,



the cement had to be taken in a kilometer further by motorbike, and then the last kilometer on shoulders.


Here are some pictures of the progress: