The lack of blogs from Semiliki hasn’t meant work on projects hasn’t progressed… they have all been getting on with the work, but it’s our writing team that has been extra busy (having more babies and evaluating the response to Ebola amongst other occupations….)
The building team in Bukavu have essentially finished the work, almost to budget, (the recent photos we received give glimpses but not the full building). This week we are hoping the electrics will be installed, based on solar panels charging a bank of batteries with charge and voltage converters and all sorts of other technical details. (See the plans if these kind of details are of interest to you: sk-e-03_revk_schematic). It gives them the option of recharging from a diesel generator, plugging into the very unreliable mains supply, and adding more panels in the future.
A few recent donations have enabled this work this work to go ahead. Amazingly, they are able to purchase all the panels and equipment in Bukavu and these will be installed by a Catholic engineering team who have fitted several hospitals.
St Matthieu has continued to grow, with a new inpatient block for children added with funding from a Swiss church group. Urgent priorities include covered walkways between departments, a new sanitation block and waste disposal centre and a post-op block for surgical patients.
Other news: our partner Désiré has just become the leader of the new church region (diocese) created from part of the Bukavu region.
And the new baby: Rachel and Pete, who are our project coordinators, were delighted by the arrival of their second child, Barnaby, in the summer.
Baby Barnaby, with Pete and his daughter Martha.
