inloco Archives - rise International

Community member using Hand Wash Station

in loco Alumni tackle deadly pandemic head on!

April 16, 2020By RISE INT1 Comment

To date the deadly pandemic known as Covid-19 has spread across all 54 African countries except for two – Lesotho and Comoros! With no cure for the virus, the best prevention is isolation and good hygiene practices. With a staggering one billion people around the world living in slum like conditions, the question would be how can African nations, especially a country on the lower end of the economic scale such as Lesotho, equip their people with adequate hand sanitation solutions to help fight the spread of Covid-19.

To fill the void, a group of our very own in loco alumni, who have formed a company called xyz collaborative, have been working tirelessly to produce emergency hand-wash stations amidst the 21 day lockdown in Lesotho. Most members of vulnerable communities are without running water and as such are at risk of contracting the virus by coming into contact with contaminated surfaces.

in loco alumni 2019 cohort formed xyz collaborative company working on thir first project

The first batch of hand wash stations was commissioned by an NGO called Sepheo who wanted to support the Motimposo communities in which they operate. Just before lockdown started on 29^th March, 10 hand wash stations were made and distributed at strategic locations, by shops, which are maintaining the stations on an ongoing basis.

Double Hand Wash Station in use by community members in Motimposo

We are so proud of what our in loco alumni who are managing to work in a very challenging environment; with limited resources since nothing can be imported from South Africa because of the lockdown and within tight deadlines given the imminent pandemic reaching Lesotho. Moreover the procurement of the necessary materials is a logistical nightmare since hardware stores are closed due to the lockdown.

And transport, is also proving challenging as there are very few taxis and cars on the road and the taxi/ bus fares have sky rocketed, especially since one cannot share a car with so many people anymore.

Single Hands Free Hand Wash Station being developed

The struggles the in loco alumni have to face daily to make these mobile hand-wash stations for communities is a true testament to their determination, resilience and commitment to help their fellow citizens.

We are battling on and making more hand wash stations, constantly improving on the design by making them hands-free thanks to the finanical support from Action Ireland Trust. The next batch of hand wash stations are being sponsored by UNDP for the Ministry of Health with 50 stations being installed at Health Clinics and hospiatls as well as for Maseru City Council who will receive 15 hand wash stations which will be installed in bus stations and other busy areas around Maseru.

Hands Free Hand Wash Station 220L — Hands Free Hand Wash Sation

We will continue to make as many hand wash stations as we can before the funding and resources run out. It is vitally important we give these vulnerable communities the lifeline they need.

If you would like to donate? https://riseint.org/donate/
For more information contact info@riseint.org or go to https://riseint.org

2020

IN LOCO FELLOWS BLOG SERIES #13: MAKING THE DREAM A REALITY

February 23, 2020By RISE INT0 comment

YOU CAN DREAM, CREATE, DESIGN AND BUILD THE MOST WONDERFUL PLACE IN THE WORLD, BUT IT REQUIRES PEOPLE TO MAKE THE DREAM A REALITY – blog by Bokang TJakotja, in loco fellow 2019 cohort

He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsmen. But an artist works with his hands, head and his heart. With my experience through the in loco fellowship program I’ve learned that anyone can become an artist.

In 2018, before I joined the fellowship program I was a freelance carpenter when I first heard about the fellowship through my ex-colleagues from college who also happened to be part of the in loco fellowship alumni and always went on and on about the opportunities the fellowship presented.

Bokang Tjakotja aka BK – **in loco** fellow and athor of this blog

I started following rise’s social media pages, and in May 2019 I heard that rise was looking to recruit recent graduates to design and build a rehabilitation center for youth living with intellectual disability and autism. As the saying goes “it is in our hands to create a better world for those who live in it” and I made a pledge to work towards creating a better world making an impact in the lives of underprivileged communities and so I applied for the fellowship and I was admitted.

The first two weeks of the fellowship was about the participatory design workshops and the transect walks to better understand the needs of the client and community so as to design and build what works for the client and not what we think will work for them.

BK in front of the IDAL superstructure back in August 2019

After finalizing designs, construction immediately started, and my favorite part about the fellowship is being given a chance to learn about different roles within a short time. I was appointed as a plant and logistics manager then health and safety office and finally I was to oversee the whole construction process as a site manager.

I acquired both soft skills and technical skills during the fellowship, my communication skills, public speaking improved and I acquired some management skills, sometimes making unpopular decisions which are in the best interest of the project and not individuals and developed some sharp problem solving skills. In the business part we held business trainings every Friday which helped us to perform well in our businesses and become better entrepreneurs.

I believe that all growth depends upon activity, and there is no development, physically or intellectually, without effort and effort means hard work.

BK spray painting the external walls of the IDAL Centre

in loco program

in loco fellows blog series #10: WE ARE THE CHANGE WE SEEK

December 17, 2019By RISE INT0 comment

Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to know the second law of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.

Drawing my inspiration from a strong belief that volunteerism is a powerful way of engaging people in tackling development challenges, I first heard of rise (Relationships Inspiring Social Enterprise) back in 2017 when they were calling for applicants to their first ever cohort in Lesotho. Unfortunately I could not apply at the time because I had just landed a new job at one of the design and construction companies in the country but that did not stop me from following rise on social media. It was through the social media platforms where my interest in the organization and its volunteer program grew greatly as I realized what the organization was doing not only for recent graduates through the entrepreneurship trainings but also for the disadvantaged children at God’s Love Centre and the surrounding community.

Finally, in 2019 another call for applicants into the second cohort was out. I did not have to think twice about submitting my application because by then I knew for sure that I wanted to be part of the rise family, so without hesitation I submitted my application and I got admitted into the program.

Being a fellow in the in loco program was a dream come true because as an Architectural Technology graduate I have always believed that great architectural design is a result of collaborative effort combined with innovative and sensitive values that transform spaces and places into creative and unique solutions for the betterment of people’s lives and earth as a planet.

What really fascinated me about the program is rise’s design approach, which involves the client from the very early design stage so that we can better understand the needs and problems of the client. This approach allows us to work with the client and come up with solutions that the client understands and has ownership of; in this way the designer acts as a facilitator while the client designs.

It has been four months into the program and I am proud to say that I have acquired so much knowledge about different disciplines. This is all due to the fact that the in loco fellowship programenables multi-disciplinary interactions between different professions in the built environment.

rise’s in loco-fellowship programis such a great platform because it also acts as a positive space where recent graduates can have fun, exchange ideas on how to build a better tomorrow, help each other grow while also serving their communities.

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in loco fellows blog series #9: At school it’s just the basics. The real learning is on site by doing

December 8, 2019By RISE INT1 Comment

My name is Ntina (Peter) Makhetha. I am a 2017 Construction Management graduate. I first knew about rise’s in loco fellowship program in mid-2018 from one of my ex-tertiary colleagues who was one of the fellows in the first pilot program. Immediately after graduating we were all over the place looking for jobs. By the time I got to know about the opportunity applications were already closed. I saw how the in loco program gave them not only on site experience, but also the business training sessions turning them from being jobs seekers into job creators. I couldn’t wait for the recruitment of the second cohort so I followed rise on social media to be updated about second in loco fellowship applications.

Fast forward mid-2019 a post was published, I couldn’t miss it as I had been waiting for it, I applied and got lucky and was admitted. August came, we began our 6-month fellowship with my first ever experience, the participatory design workshop of the IDAL project, which was all about designing involving the client to understand and cater for their needs into the design. Within that 2 weeks workshop I took part in the Quantity Surveying Team, doing the Bills of Quantities. I learned more about teamwork as we had to work hand in hand with the design team and understand their drawings.

Later we went to site, for the commencement of the construction phase, as a Site Manager, it was such a huge opportunity and exposure to have taken a lead in the execution of a timber structure from its foundations to the top. Amongst all, the most critical tasks that I got my hands dirty on was setting out, excavation, levelling, reinforcement, concreting, raising up the pillars and roof trusses which are the major structural elements of the project. As the in loco program is about learning by doing, I switched roles 3^rd month into the fellowship and took on the Events Coordinator. role I wanted to improve my soft skills, especially my communication skills and be a confident public speaker which I managed to strengthen and now it’s safe enough to say I’m way better than before I joined in loco 2019.

At the moment I’m working as a Plant and Logistics Manager as well as a Quality Control Officer. I did learn a lot of things in a short time. I learned more than I anticipated, multitasking and working under pressure. Many thanks to rise through its in loco program for all the valuable experience and entrepreneurship skills which has enable me to start developing my own Construction Company.

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in loco fellows blog series #6: When opportunity presents itself, don’t be afraid to go after it

November 13, 2019By RISE INT0 comment

It’s a friday afternoon and my tertiary ex-classmate whom I hadn’t spoken to in a while drops me a WhatsApp text. To my surprise, the text is an invitation to the in loco fellowship which at the time, I had not heard of. This was my cue to do a little research. I searched it on Facebook and guess what? I got so excited about the fellowship and wished I had known about it earlier and applied. Before I knew it, I was called for an interview and here I am today, an in loco fellow at rise International.

From my research, I saw the fellowship as an integral part of my long-term career or academic life goal. I saw it as an ideal way of taking my civil engineering expertise from one level to the next. However, the greatest reason I wanted to pursue the fellowship was my desire to change my current path towards something I’m passionate about- Entrepreneurship.

Few weeks into the fellowship at the participatory design workshop, I’m all excited, learning but eager to go on site. And now we are on site as three girls from thirteen fellows. How challenging!

Through the fellowship I have learnt to work with different personalities, although it hasn’t been easy. But now that we know each other, I know how to handle each of them.

Amo in the back with other two fellows – Lits’oanelo (left) and Peter (right)

By nature, I am an introvert and having to work with other fellows was a bit challenging at the beginning. I struggled to express myself but as I get to know them, I’m opening up a bit and I love how they have changed my perspective on a lot of things and on life in general.

One of the most beautiful things about this cohort is that we motivate each other but with a dash of humour attached. I remember this other time when I forgot where a file in the Google Drive was located, and they said, ‘Really Amo?! A month into the fellowship and you still don’t know where the file is?’ From that moment onwards, I made sure I knew where every file is saved and paid attention to even the smallest details. Funny thing is, they also couldn’t remember where the file was!

Three months into the fellowship and I have acquired soft and technical skills I never thought I would have. I have acquired communication and negotiation skills and carpentry to name a few. I now know a bit more about construction from foundations up to the roof and I’m excited about my experience.

in loco program

in loco FELLOWS BLOG SERIES #5: Living the dream

November 8, 2019By RISE INT1 Comment

‘’My passion and great enjoyment for architecture, and the reason the older I get the more I enjoy it, is because I believe we-architects can affect the quality of life of the people.’’ Richard Rogers

As an architectural graduate, I first got introduced to rise way back in 2015, at Limkokwing University when rise held their first lecture at my university. From that day, my admiration for architecture and perception about the built environment specifically with building with local materials was activated. I realized that I knew less about various methods of construction that existed in other African countries. From that day, I started following rise’s lectures, after seeing their impact and the drive about helping out less developed countries with resources they have.

Sello overseeing the installation of one of the wing frames

Fast forward, my senior architecture students got enrolled into the in loco program, where they worked on GLC*(God’s Love Centre Orphanage) in 2018 in Sekamaneng. This in loco program was ‘a learn by doing;.’ program, where graduates are equipped with all necessary skills (construction skills) before being introduced to the industry. I was very inspired and hoped they’ll recruit other graduates after the first cohort. It was a dream come true when I realized they were recruiting again this year (2019). I didn’t hesitate, I applied with the hope of being admitted, and my prayers were answered, I was accepted into the fellowship.

The project we are working on as the second cohort of fellows is the IDAL (Intellectual Disability & Autism Lesotho) Center, where we designed and are currently building a pavilion, a timber-made structure, which is so intriguing to work with, because it’s one of the rare methods of construction in the country for big projects like this.

As an architecture graduate, I have learned more than I had anticipated about construction and by actually not just designing and handing over a project to be constructed by a construction professional, but also getting my hands dirty. I also learned concrete mixing, to using a concrete mixing machine, timber construction and tools, detailing, business and entrepreneurial and interpersonal skills.

At first I was appointed to be a buyer or procurement officer, which entails a lot of paper work and buying construction materials and equipment in this context. This was a challenging role, but I got used to it as time went on. Currently I’m working as a site architect, which entails, reporting progress on site, faults, daily tasks and weekly reports.

Lastly, I’d like to thank rise for recruiting us into the fellowship, it has been really amazing and a very valuable experience of reaching out to the communities and empowering youth as fresh graduates before being introduced to the industry to pursue our dreams. And our slogan is, if you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.