Digging the trenches
Digging foundations for Residential Centre & Entrepreneurship Hub for adolescents who will move here from the overcrowded GLC centre for orphans and vulnerable children.
Watch the video here
in loco fellows’ blog series #3
Three months as a Fellow…
I am Madane Bataung, a graduate in civil engineering from Lerotholi Polytechnic in Lesotho. I am also the founder of @Nebulart Recycling Group. I am that nice guy who leaves his car unlocked to offer a safe haven for someone in case they encounter a polar bear! Old music and me…..same WhatsApp group. I would walk away from signing a million dollar contract if anyone offered me vinyls I don’t have already!
It has been such a change in environment these past three months. Let me just put this out there, I feel good to be part of the in loco fellowship. I know some people might ask what I’m doing here or maybe wondering if I have given up on my company, not a chance.
Trust me I have ulterior motives for being here. I get to make and test mud bricks that may be used in the construction. This was super exciting to do because building with mud has been a fantasy of mine.
That is why I have been building with waste cans, glass bottles and mud to build recycle bins (see Nebulart’s Facebook and other social media). So now I am about to get firsthand experience building a home, surely you can see the snowball effect with the mud bricks here. Plus I am also being given business training to improve my company.
We had a trip to Morija two months ago to study some vernacular architecture. I never knew Morija holds the record of having the oldest standing building in the country (Maeder House – built in 1843). That was like those high school trips that will forever get you smiling from ear to ear when they come to mind. For starters, I got the best view in the mini bus, “the back seat”.
I know for a fact that every fellow will not forget when the Boss Lady was on door duty and would shout out “Morija, Morija, phakisa, phakisa (hurry, hurry) at every stop, I think she took a wrong turn in profession, she would have made an awesome taxi driver assistant {hahaha….}
We have just been given feedback on our work so far, which was a nerve-racking moment before I could sit down with the coaches. The feedback was unexpected. I found out new things about myself, where I have been doing a good job and where I need to improve.
I can say it’s safe to say it was an eye opening session of constructive criticism which I have built a “lesaka” (fondness) for. Never thought I am that much of a hard worker, self driven or disciplined (not blowing my own trumpet here!
I had a conversation about music with the Boss Lady (she’s definitely not going to like that name) a few days back and wow! She’s got some dope hip-hop artists I’ve never heard of, can’t wait to hear what everyone else in the studio is listening to.
There have been times in the office when I would just be mind blown by the level of disinterest or reluctance from some of the fellows to take on tasks. In a way, I would be glad I don’t have to be that sick patient who would cut in line at the hospital just because my injury is more urgent. I had more options to choose which skills I would like to learn next without “competing,” but that was then. Now, now I think everyone has figured out, if they want to make it out alive and succeed after the fellowship, it is up to us to add on to our skills because no one can take away our talents.
in loco fellows’ blog series #2
MY TWO MONTHS EXPERIENCE AS A FELLOW
I have been staring at my pc for some time now, cracking my head on how to go about the task given to me or should I say that I volunteered to do.
My name is Thandi Mokoma, an Alumni of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Lesotho. I studied Architecture Technology (Associate Degree) and this is my story.
I have heard about ‘blogging’ before but never really had any interest in it, so believe me when I say this is my first blog. In just a few paragraphs I’m going to sum up the two good months of experiences as a rise in loco fellow. The program is like an adventure, one never knows what to expect next and what challenges and knowledge are just around the corner. The fellowship has taught me more than I had imagined, as a newly graduated Architecture Technology I feel my duties are diverse and ever changing, and these are some of the learnings I would like to share with you.
BUSINESS TRAINING
I guess before going for the business training workshops, I had my own thoughts and assumptions of what business training is all about, how formal the working environment is, the formal language used and specific corporate attire, and I wasn’t really looking forward to it. But to my surprise it was filled with fun, laughter, games and loads of new knowledge. We had fun energisers now and then, short dramas and educational games amongst a few. One of the many things we were taught at the business training was entrepreneurial skills and means of making your business known.
GUEST LECTURES
You know when they say ‘dreams come true!’ that’s exactly what happened to me. Being part of rise gives me a platform to meet people from different companies and organisations like World Bank amongst others. I had the opportunity to present our work to people from diverse cultures, race and backgrounds.
In addition, I had direct conversations and interactions with people from big companies attending our presentations. Some of the representatives from these well established companies would pick our brains on how they can make their own projects succeed with regards to what we are doing with the community project we have partnered with, God’s Love Centre, and the business-training workshop.
ATTENDING MEETINGS
Life can take you to places you never thought of going. I never pictured myself getting all dressed up going to a meeting, let alone negotiating with ‘the big bosses’ but that is what’s fascinating about my job at rise. I was not pinned down to one task and that really allowed opportunities that widened our horizons. The more we can test our limits and capabilities the more we will learn about ourselves.
I didn’t know much about scheduling meetings, attending meetings and how to adjourn a meeting. And my God, apparently there’s a specific way of giving handshakes!! Who knew?
ONE ON ONE MEETINGS
The first time we were made aware that we will be having one on one meetings with our coaches, I was reluctant and skeptical about them, little did I know how much I would learn about myself.
The questions asked got me to realise that I have been making excuses and barriers on why I haven’t started a business and maybe the biggest reason is the fear of failure. The meeting broke the ice, and a few days after I began making quince jam and I’m proud to say I SOLD EVERY JAR!
As I sign out, I would like to thank everyone who has read my blog, my coaches and my fellow workmates and team members who have made these two months an experience never to be forgotten.
With this program I believe I have exhausted most of my capabilities and yet we are only 2 months in, this has truly been a great learning experience and I will forever be indebted to all those who gave me a hand. Looking forward to many milestones in the remaining 6 months.
Construction update
New piece of land acquired
Our community partner, God’s Love Centre (GLC) is overcrowded with 50+ children living in a 2 dorm-room house. Since the land on which the orphanage is located is quite small, we acquired an additional piece of land just 1 km up the road from the existing site. There are 200,000 orphans in Lesotho, which constitutes 10% of the population. Most of the other childcare facilities are also full to capacity, so unfortunately it is unlikely that the need for more housing for orphans is going to be resolved soon.
After a lot of discussions with GLC and the community at large, it was decided that the younger children up to 13 years old should remain at the existing site along with the Pre-school, and the adolescent youth from 14 upwards should be located at the new site, which will include various small businesses including an Internet Café, vegetable gardens and a piggery.
The in loco fellows are busy designing, planning, compiling the Bill of Quantities and negotiating with suppliers the best possible rates in order to keep construction costs down. Final drawings will be submitted to the authorities in March to obtain the building permit approval.
Refurbishment plans for existing site
The in loco fellows are busy planning all the improvements needed on the existing site including installation of water harvesting tanks to solve the problem of shortage of water, partitioning the dorm rooms so that children have more privacy, expansion of kitchen, re-allocation of pit latrines to make better utilisation of outdoor space to create play areas for the children as well as increase the vegetable growing areas and installing a roof over the converted shipping container where the pre-school is located so that the classrooms don’t get so hot in the afternoon sun. Renovation works should commence later on in March (subject to funding).
Existing site Proposed layout for refurbished site
in loco fellows’ blog series #1
My name is Palesa Rapolo and I’m a 2017 graduate from Limkokwing University having graduated in Interior Architecture. I just completed my first month as a fellow in the eight-month in loco program by rise. My first month into the program has been inspirational, educational and fun. The atmosphere in the office is incredible, I get to go to work and do one of my favourite things in life, work while listening to dumb jokes and having a good laugh.
One of in loco’s goals is to train its fellows to be successful entrepreneurs, so for the first week we had a series of business training sessions where I learned to stop using money or capital as an excuse of why I can’t run my own business. We had a series of guest speakers who were truly inspirational. They shared with us their journey of how they started out to get to where they are right now. One of them named Malefetsane Mohlomi, said he started out with just his laptop and his mind. That really got me thinking, ‘why haven’t I? Who am I not to be successful? But then everything happens in its own time, I’ll tell my story someday.
My favourite part has got to be the participatory design workshop, not only because of the food, but most importantly what I got to learn from it. Going out to God’s Love Centre (GLC) and getting to know the people we are going to be designing for and hearing from them what they wanted instead of assuming we know what’s right for them. The sad part is that we can’t meet all their needs, but I hope that what we’ll give them will make a huge difference.
My second favourite part is definitely the trip to Morija, one of Lesotho’s most important historical and cultural sites. Morija has some of the oldest buildings such as the first Evangelical Church. I came back with a lot more appreciation for traditional methods of construction, and I’m definitely looking forward to going back there again.
in loco fellowship launched in Lesotho
Twenty of Lesotho’s most promising young entrepreneurs have been selected to join an 8-month design & build fellowship program which will run from February to September 2018. The fellows consist of 14 male & 6 female graduates and diploma holders from cross-disciplinary areas including architecture, civil & electrical engineering, construction management, interior design, carpentry, social welfare & community development from Lerotholi Polytechnic, Limkokwing University, National University of Lesotho, Institute of Development Management and Central University of Technology.
in loco has an innovative and unique approach to the Design and Build Training Programs. Created to have a real impact in the lives of all participants our approach builds on the Live Projects teaching model and learning from life, skills sharing and capacity building.
in loco engages with local communities, local NGOs, students and young graduates from local architecture and construction courses, as well as international participants with an interest in architecture, development, sustainability and the built environment.
This year’s inaugural project takes us to Maseru the capital of Lesotho, a country land locked inside of South Africa. Here, the in loco fellows will carry out much needed construction work to improve the quality of life for orphans who currently live in very cramped conditions in an existing orphanage called God’s Love Centre (GLC).
Following a “hands-on, bottom-up” approach, we will be working in close collaboration with members of the local community on the completion of this building and simultaneously start the design and construction of new dormitories, facilities and external play areas on a new site about 1km from the existing site.
At the same time, the fellows will go through a practical entrepreneurship-training program helping them to set up their own businesses and a pipeline of community construction projects throughout the country, with a particular focus on rural and semi-rural development.
Read the first of a series of blogs by one of the fellows – Palesa Rapolo. Stay tuned to follow their progress!
Participatory Design Workshop
An intense 10 days of learning about human centred design and then putting those learnings into practice by going into the community and finding out their exact challenges, needs and wishes for a better quality of life at the orphanage. The in loco lead Architects, Pedro Clarke and Luca Astorri visited Lesotho from Portugal and Italy respectively to run the workshop.
The in loco fellows learnt about various participatory design activities before going into the field and put these methods into practice. They split the community at GLC into 4 groups – children, two groups of adolescent youth and staff and spent an entire day collecting data and information.
Then came back to the studio, analysed the gathered data, identified the gaps of information and went back out into the larger community to collect more info and met with Ministry of Social Development, Maseru City Council, community members living around GLC’s existing and new sites as well as local entrepreneurs. They then put their findings together, presented to GLC who were given the opportunity to prioritise their wish list according to importance so that the fellows could then design accordingly which they are busy doing now.
A visit to the historic town of Morija, was also an important part of the workshop, so that fellows could learn about vernacular architecture and building techniques, including seeing the country’s oldest building made out of mud bricks built 130 years ago!
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