So let us fill you in to what life is like on the Project Riandu building site through the eyes of the Rhino, Kifaru. For a start, there has been quite a significant language barrier between workers which includes Swahili, Kenyan Sign Language (KSL), Kimbere (the local mother tongue), English and of course, Rhinosaurselese. It’s been a challenge to get to grips with the languages, Lawrence “found it difficult understand the sign language and also the UK language at first” but we have all taken to immersing ourselves into these languages just like a Rhino submerging itself into a river full of swamp wildlife, feeding off each other and enjoying each others’ quirks. As Solomon puts it, “we know that we are now able to communicate and work very easily” as if one ecosystem. Life on a building site is a fantastic opportunity to quickly pick up these different languages and to get used to different cultures as words are applied to very visual situations, and because it’s important to understand and communicate different tasks within a build team.
For the first few days, Team Kifaru were in charge of all things bricks.

There are 39 volunteers helping with construction on site, a third from the UK, a third are youths from the local parish and a third are students and staff from the school.  On the first day of construction we were split into 7 mixed teams with members from each respective group. Our team was allocated the task of uprooting a mango tree to make sure that the roots didn’t eventually destabilise the new dorm being built nearby. This was hefty work and involved digging around the tree for the roots, chopping the roots with pangas and jembes (English: maschettis and hoes) and see-sawing the tree out of the deep hole gradually shouting our name in glory with every heave “Snipers! ...1, 2, 3... Snipers!”


Chris emerged to be the team manager and John the team time-keeper. The team manager ensures that everyone knows what they’re doing and why and the time-keeper is responsible for the whole build site taking tea break and lunch on time so that work continues on time.

We were seen to be a strong team by the site manager and were next asked to construct a tool store, one of the more skilled jobs on site.
We launched into this project head first and made the pillaring and first wall in no time, despite the fact that none of us had made a tool shed before. But when the site manager came to check our work, the measurements of the wall were not right. As accurate snipers we were temporarily disappointed but our team spirit pushed us through and we fixed the problem with some simple adjustments. As we worked better and better as a cohesive team our speed of work picked up and we were able to make the store in three days.

“And finally, we need a timekeeper to keep us in order and to go to the kitchen and make sure we get our food on time.” Said Njogu our site manager. Food, my good old friend. The next thing I knew my hand was up volunteering for the slot. In case you are wondering…I WON.”

All the power was in my hands, I needed a symbol, a sign of my authority. SO early the next morning I got myself a hexagon and a rod! My beautiful baby. To me it is the most beautiful sound my ears have ever heard, To the rest of the team, let’s just say they have no taste. On my first morning as a timekeeper, I had two shoes and a rock thrown at me: Zac, Ali and Ann respectively but not respectfully.

Every ting of my beautiful bell is met by sighs and groans and a million and one complaints. Which is the exact opposite of what I expected. I thought I’d have more food than everyone else and the kitchen would be my kingdom and that every ring of the bell would be met by smiles and high fives and people would call me 'magnificent master' or ‘Terrific Time-keeper Trev’ instead of ‘Bellringer’.

The work on site is continuing to completely finish the new teaching block, the school fence and the gatehouse...not much more to do!

Now let us hear from Team Conqueror Elephants who want to share with us their stories...

"For me I was just requested by our Reverend to be involved in this project. I have learnt a lot how to make trusses and also cutting with the power saw. I have enjoyed learning how to use it. I have got experience of how to mix concrete. I have gained experience working with the bricks It will help me in the future, I can do things like build a small house for chickens. It is so valuable to have gained the know-how. 
I want to commend the team here for identifying the need of a school for the deaf. People who cannot hear are often neglected in their homes so it is important that they have gained an opportunity to learn and have a safe community to be in. I pray that God blesses and expands the school." Bonface, Kenyan Volunteer

There have been so many experiences - waterfights, moving mounds of earth together in the dark for the Archbishop's visit, visiting the children's home and climbing mountains. However, the thing I will take away with me most are the friendships that I have formed with the deaf students and Kenyan volunteers. There is so much joy and laughter in our little community that it is going to be very hard to leave." Katrina Elmes, UK Volunteer


"I absolutely love KSL. From the start of the trip, there were a few days where we had deaf teammates but no KSL interpreter so using my small KSL knowledge and a lot of finger spelling I interpreted for them. This boosted my learning a lot and also had an odd consequences. having been signing a while I always found going back to English quite weird and so I became a lot quieter than I normally am. The thing I really love about KSL is how expressive it is" Peter, UK Volunteer

I hope you enjoyed their insights. Watch this space as we continue to bring you stories of how the volunteer build trip went this summer! We will shortly be hearing from Trevor, the site's brave timekeeper who volunteered to be responsible for getting everyone out of bed!

All seemingly became clear upon the discovery of a black case…this supposedly was the ‘treasure’ we had been digging for. The UK team were soon to learn that this was the home of the Termite Queen. As if the find was not enough, they were soon taught that this was a precious delicacy they simply must try. After a while of debating who should be the lucky ones, two of the UK volunteers and the Kenyan volunteer leader took the plunge.

We are yet to see if the promised health benefits were actualised: ‘free lungs’, loss of weight, general raising of body temperature. Perhaps a third of a termite queen simply is not enough. The lasting benefit we can be sure of is the power bestowed on this team by their new found team name.” Bethany Moran, UK Volunteer

“One of the struggles of the team Termite Queen is that we haven’t always been working on the same building at the same time. At one point we had one member working on trusses, another two/ three working on the classroom and another working on the gatehouse. So because of this, when we do work on the same part of the buildsite, we make sure to enjoy it. For instance, while working on the classroom this week, we have been throwing and catching the bricks to speed up the process of brick laying. Because of this, we have managed together to build an interior wall in the space of only a few days. Previously it may have taken longer. 

We have even been using time saving tactics to remove the dead bricks from the classroom, instead of filling a wheelbarrow and wheeling it under the scaffolding and all around the building, we decided to throw them through the window space to a waiting wheelbarrow. All the while, being safe of course!” Ali Dunn, UK Volunteer

“In conclusion, we have ensured that we make our weaknesses to be our strength and maintain our strength. We have also employed any necessary tactics to fight off challenges in any circumstance. It is our hope and prayer that the most high God will bless the work of our hands with the new skills we have acquired during the project. We are also ready and determined to support this Riandu Project to ensure that our deaf in the community are are favoured in our country. We want to stop the ignorance about deafness and so they will be able to benefit the entire country. Then they will be able to be independent. This is the change we want to see.” Ken, Kenyan Volunteer

Communicating has been a challenge that has been fun. Passing instructions through Kenyan Sign Language (KSL), Swahili and English has been an amazing experience, and one that we have embraced with an open mind. Learning to fingerspell (the alphabet in KSL) at the beginning was very valuable. As well as language, we have been teaching each other about our cultures and getting to know each other. Yesterday we had some interesting discussions about relationships in the UK compared to Kenya!

We have had one “extremely dangerous” encounter with local wild life! As we were digging and moving rubble during the day, a massive, terrifying cobra jumped out at us. Luckily, quick as a flash, Zachary (a fearless Kenyan volunteer) defended the camp from a sure to be snake infestation by attacking its head with a spade. The menacing 8 inch (thin as a pencil) beast stood no chance. The dead corpse was then kindly delivered to Ali Mac’s unsuspecting hand. Let’s hope that mummy cobra doesn’t find out.

We have been getting very familiar with the various scorpions, furry caterpillars, frogs, spiders and lions (joke) that appear in every nook and cranny.

We all agree that one of the best feelings is at the end of a long day of hard graft, when you can step back and survey the day’s work. The progress we are making is fantastic. Each day the school feels increasingly real and ready to have impact. It is especially fantastic that the work is being done by such a large team of amazing people dedicated to the cause.

Our biggest thank you goes to the school’s Board of Managers. They are working so very hard to manage the build-site works and to accommodate all the volunteers here on site. It is no easy feat to cater for 40 people in a rural village in Kenya. We are grateful for all the emergency trips for milk, fuel and maize that they are constantly doing for our benefit. We are so excited to be supporting their project and grateful to be invited into such an incredible vision. They are raring to go and cannot wait to get the school up and running. With the excited students working alongside us, this more than enough motivation to keep digging, keep sawing and keep smiling.”

Great job Team Wazito! Please watch this space for more perspectives from the ground and more experiences from across the teams. Keep on your toes about when these updates will appear, limited internet means they could be very sporadic!

To all the friends and family back in the UK, your loved ones here are doing very well and cannot wait to tell you all the stories they are collecting. Expect to greet more muscly versions of your volunteers upon their return at the airport (maybe with concrete still plastered in their hair).

Please keep giving! We are seeing so clearly how far all the donations are going. A real school is being built here with real students! Any small donations really can have a large impact for many years to come. There is a lot of work to do! https://mydonate.bt.com/events/projectriandu