Towers almost complete

It has been quite an exciting time to see the towers go up quickly. The crews have been working steadily for 3 weeks and we have almost completed both towers. Here are a few photos from the work.

THE ROCK

We have been struggling with the removal of a large rock, perhaps boulder might be a better description, actually. It is granite so our hammers and picks are basically useless. One older man on our crew said that he had heard of a way to break up this stone. Here is the recipe: Pour diesel on the stone, pile sticks and logs on the stone, light a large bon-fire on the stone, clean the stone off and sprinkle salt on the stone. Then, he says, the rock will break when we hit it with the hammer. Enjoy the pictures of our adventure.

Our rock:

Pouring Diesel on the rock:

Collecting wood to burn:

Piling wood on the rock:

Setting fire to our rock:

The results: A thin layer (about 3/4 inch thick) cracked off the top of the entire rock. However, we need to remove 2 meters so we are still looking for ideas.

Meet Zakki Titus

Zakki Titus shoveling sand from a dry river bed

Zakki is a joy to work with. I have gotten to know him through many construction jobs we have done together, teaching him in classes, and playing football (soccer) after work. Zakki is one of our adult primary school students. SIM is involved in taking young adults who did not have a chance to get an education because of the war and bringing them to an 8th grade level in 4 years. It is called, appropriately, Accelerated Learning Program. Zakki is now in 5th grade. The school term is finished so he came to work on the bridge. His hard work, sharp eye, and encouragement to others has been a blessing for me. Zakki hopes to one day be a doctor.

Back At It

Well, once again, the rains have stopped and with renewed contracts with Mercy Corps in hand, we have begun work on the bridge again. We are building the towers on each side of the bridge, collecting broken stone for the towers, digging out the approach (stairs that go up to the towers), and preparing the place for the anchors.
Pictured below:
Our Northside tower
Our Southside tower
Looking from the Northside to Southside
Women carrying stones for construction of towers

Back in Yabus

Well, we are back in Yabus, Sudan. Here is a picture crossing the river in our "boat" with our supplies. Crossing this way, especially with our 8 week old child, gave me renewed energy to see this bridge project finished by next rainy season. This is an open invitation to masons, carpenters, and general construction workers. We could use your help. Now. Just leave a comment with some contact info and I'll get in touch with you.

So What Is Going On Now?

For those interested in the progress of the bridge, I thought it wise to give a small update. In June, my very pregnant wife and our family flew out of Yabus to Nairobi for the delivery of our third child. Joshua Daniel was born healthy and strong on July 10 and now we are simply waiting for his passport and the immunizations that must wait until six weeks. During the time in Nairobi, I will be able to order the cables for the bridge and other supplies that are unavailable in Sudan. We have a flight scheduled for September 8th to return to Sudan and to work on this bridge. Thank you for your continued interest.

Eli Fader

Filling the Northside with Stones and Sand

Here are series of photos showing the progress of the northside tier. We capped it with a thin layer of cement.

Northside Foundation Progress

Here are a few photos of our northside foundation tier. Here we are building the wall that will hold the stones and sand. This tier is 140 cm tall.

Tower Foundation Construction

How we build the foundation tier:

Here I am standing in the foundation walls of one of the towers. I had 10 men helping me and it was their first time to mix cement, use a plumb bob, and build a block wall. They learned incredibly quickly and I hope the skills they are learning will be used to help build their own lives and their country.

Pouring Rock and Sand:

After building our foundation wall up 135 cm, we filled it with a combination of rock and sand. We throw about 15 cm of rock in and then cover it with sand and small stones, beating it with large hammers to fill in the cracks. We repeat this process of stones and sand over and over until the foundation is filled. I then poured a thin layer of cement over the top to keep the goats and pigs from digging through it.

Digging foundations

We have started to dig the foundations, a hole that is 3.6 meters long and 3.6 meters wide. It will be one meter deep and should be finished by April 18th. On the far side of the river we are encountering many rocks so the far hole is going a little bit slower. Construction using our concrete blocks, collected rock, and sand will begin soon after.

Tower Progress

A lot has happened since the last posting. The community and government officials gathered to discuss the possibility of endorsing this bridge project, and all were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about it! Permit papers were signed and construction has begun! The field team has been collecting rocks for the infill of the bridge approaches and making concrete bricks for the tower assembly. Excavation of the tower foundations has begun as well, and the team hopes to have the towers built before the rainy season hits.

Unfortunately, we still have quite a ways to go with fund-raising. Before the cables, steel parts, and lumber for the deck can be purchased, we need the cash in our project account. Would you consider contributing to this effort? Or would you consider forwarding this blog on to your friends or others who may be interested in sponsoring this project?

February Bridge Progress

In February, our good friend Phil Greene came to do some preliminary work on the new Yabus Bridge and to experience a taste of our lives here. Below are a few pictures of surveying.

The Beginning of the Bridge

Phil and I go way back. Trombone buddies was how it all began, actually. We went to high school together in Kijabe, Kenya and played trombone in our school band and Jazz band. Who knew that ten years later he would volunteer his time to be the head engineer for a bridge that we desperately need in Yabus? The two weeks he just spent with us in early February flew by as we surveyed potential sites, found one, and began putting stakes in the ground to begin digging.

One of our main concerns is that no one has ever seen a bridge like this before. It's a bit like getting on an airplane when you had never seen one before. Not exactly something you think is a good idea. Phil addressed this issue by making a model out of bricks we had lying around, some string, and pieces of bamboo. Hopefully this will help ease people's minds. We'll see.

The plans are drawn, the site picked out, and the Phil is willing to come back when we get approval for the bridge. Please pray with us that this bridge will get approval from the government and be embraced by the community.

Who needs a bridge?

Ganza man taking water from the river


Yabus is divided in half by a river. Here is what each side has to offer:
The Northside has the marketplace, clinic, airstrip, primary school and roads to the northern part of Sudan. It is home to the Bertah, Mabaan, and Uduk tribes.

The Southside has the secondary school, farmland, and roads to the southern part of the country. It is home to the Coma and Ganza tribes.
Unifying these two sides of the river will benefit 60,000 people and further the growth of one of the least developed places on earth.

Boat Crossing

For the uncrossable months, we built a boat that is pulled across the river. A metal cable was stretched across the river and attached to the boat with pulleys. It has a metal frame and is kept afloat by 6 fifty-five gallon drums. The boat is only 8 months old but the Yabus river has taken its toll on it. A flood bent the frame and the barrels are being eaten away by rust. A long term solution has forced us to look at building a bridge. We believe this bridge will offer a safe mode of transportation across the river for the next 30 years!

Flooding of the River

The main problem the people of Yabus face is the flooding of the river which happens during the rain-drenched months of August through December. You can see here in these two pictures the changes the river undergoes during the year. The photo above was taken in December when the river is receeding and crossable by our vehicle. The photo below was taken in September and shows the river at flood stage and totally uncrossable.

Crossing Yabus River

Two men help each other across the Yabus River in December