By most standards our compound in Northern Uganda was really primitive. Compared to the standards of the local people… well it was the nicest place around. It was quite an ordeal to build it though. I was there only for the first portion and got to see the end result much later.
Once we had found the right site, a place called Choro, we needed to clear the land. It was covered by high grass and scrub brush. With no tractors or other mechanical assistance. Just clearing the grass was difficult. It took almost 100 people working for several days. Slow going but worth it. The bare ground was important for keeping the snakes and other small but dangerous creatures out.
Next came the 1000’s of bricks. You can just buy bricks up there. You had to have them made on site. This required water, mud, straw, and firewood. Just the bricks alone required months to manufacture.
After all the prep work, the first item on the agenda was the latrine. I couldn’t stay there the entire time, so I hired some guys to dig the latrine and build the outhouse over it. I just didn’t realize that how deep they were digging it. I came back to find them over 100 feet down, through several layers of hard basalt. They certainly took the job seriously.
We later found out why it had been dug so deep. When the rains come to Choro they come in a big way. It is not fed by an aquifer, but the rain is so intense and comes in such a short period of time, the latrine hole gets filled up! Thankfully it also goes down quickly.
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