Last Tuesday we returned to Mumias after a holiday that brought us a lot of joy. Now it’s time for us to do our level best these final three weeks and to make sure our project becomes a real success.
Since our last update a lot has happened. Let’s start with the mould that should have been made in Nairobi. After visiting the workshop to verify the machines and the guy that we hadn’t met before we returned to Mumias with some relief. We had a slight concern however about the pace of the progress because there weren’t any computerised machines.
Our concern was right, after returning we didn’t receive any updates from Nairobi like discussed. A week later (2 weeks after the mould was supposed to be ready) we received a good but concerning update, he told us he was still shaping the outlines of the rough material, that one of his machines broke and that finishing our mould could take another 4 weeks.
Luckily, just after receiving the bad news from Nairobi, we were brought in contact with a guy who is a teacher in a Technical Training Institute nearby Mumias. He told us the institute was in charge of a lot of computerised CNC-machines which are running on Solidwork-files, the program we used to design the mould. Together with Wilson we made the hard decision of returning our job from Nairobi and to start working with the teacher from the technical training institute.
This was a very good choice! The mould is almost ready, except for some letter engraving, we can collect the mould on Monday, start the testing of the mould and then we are able to start producing the first clocks.
The progress of the building was a little smoother. It is slightly slower then we planned but results are coming and we are very excited. The floor and walls are finished and coming week the roof will be placed. The windows and doors will be placed after that and the building can be finished with some plaster, paint and wiring.
If we proceed the progress as we planned the next update will be full of good news with a working clock that has been made in the new factory. Hakuna matata!
