For Daktari Wildlife Orphanage Do It Day was a lot different to last year – this time we had more notice and could prepare thoroughly! It started well, with us contacting the suppliers and requesting the quotes. These arrived and were sent off in time.

 

We needed professional thatchers, and decided to offer the opportunity to a local rural businessman who has started his own company. He agreed to do the thatching, supply the grass and binding string, and also provide six professionals to do the actual work. He also agreed that it could be done in one day.

 

We contacted Makalali Game Reserve and they offered 12 of their international volunteers to help. Global Vision International also have a research project nearby on the Karongwe Game reserve, and they also offered 12 of their international volunteers. A volunteer group working in the Balule at Campfire Safaris also offered six people’s help.

 

We made contact with people in one of the villages 60km away and arranged for four unemployed people, who knew how to thatch, to work on the day. We would collect them on the Thursday evening. They all agreed to be at Daktari by 07h00 on “Do it Day”.

 

The day before “Do it Day” was Thursday and we hoped that all supplies would arrive by then, so we could do the preparatory work, which was cementing in the support poles for the roof, and laying the brick walls ready for the concrete slab.

 

Thursday came, and with it came the problems! The thatcher failed to deliver the grass, suppliers of the cement, poles etc. failed to arrive, and although the building sand and stone arrived, the bricks failed to arrive! We couldn’t do any of the preparation work!

 

Dakari is situated 70km from the nearest small town, and our suppliers there had to wait for delivery from larger towns before they could deliver to us. Frantic phone calls were made and all promised to do their best (except the thacher who could not be contacted).

 

We finally contacted a builder in one of the neighbouring reserves who delivered some thatch, some was delivered by a local contact, and the other suppliers we just had to hope would deliver on the day!

 

Do it Day arrived, with the 30 volunteers. The project was explained, and we gave out all the available T shirts (25) to the lucky ones. Everyone was keen to get started – but still no supplies! We quickly made “combs” with some nails and old gum poles, so everyone got stuck in combing the thatching grass to remove the loose dry leaves, so at least they were kept busy.

 

The cement and poles eventually arrived at 08h30, and a group of the volunteers were allocated to mix cement and secure the support poles. The bricks only arrived at 15h00, but we had already started the wall, using any bricks we could find lying around. Others were involved in mixing concrete to lay the concrete slab.

Once the support poles were in, we had to support them with tripods so we could start erecting the support ring and the roof.  In the meantime the retaining wall was finished and the slab laid. The temperature soared, and reached 37 degrees by mid-day. Everyone chipped in, taking breaks to jump in the pool to cool off, and finally at 16h30 we started to thatch. It was totally impossible in this short time to complete the thatching - particularly as we had no professional thatchers and the four unemployed thatchers actually had very little experience in thatching! “Do it Day” ended with the building up, but the roof not completed - a disappointment to all.

 

Twelve of the volunteers had to leave at 17h00, but the rest were taken on a short drive just before sunset, and we all climbed a rock to watch a beautiful sunset over the Drakensberg. We then all returned for dinner (which we provided) and some well earned drinks.

 

That night we had our first rains - what a downpour! Everything was soaked the next morning, including, of course, all our thatching grass! Now we had an additional challenge - no labour and wet grass! The grass was laid out to dry, and guess what - it rained again on Saturday!

 

I still believe that with all the people we had, we could have completed the project if everything had arrived in time. Now, we cannot get the volunteers again as they are all committed, but all keen to help on the next one! To finish the roof will take about 14 days with only two of us to do it. We will send photos when it is done.

 

All said and done, we met the challenge and the whole construction was completed on the day, except for the thatching. A great day was had by all, great fun, new friendships and lots of sunburn and blisters!