Zhytkovichi Project Update
November 2004

(adapted from a report by Ryan Cleary, Project Manager)

The latest phases of the Zhytkovichi project took place over a 4 week period   this past month, with two building crews spending two weeks each in this southern Belarusian town. The crews consisted of volunteers from Cork, Limerick, Kerry, Dublin, Offaly, Galway, Laois, Waterford, Kilkenny and Mayo.

The target accomplishments for this period were very aggressive as we intend to honor our commitment to have the community center physical plant handed over in May 2005. The first crew of 20 volunteers arrived in Zhytkovichi on 27 September, and they immediately focused on the building interior. Rooms were floored, slabbed and plastered. They installed electric fixtures and radiators. The toilet and shower areas were partitioned and floors tiled.

During the course of this project we have sought to purchase as much of the materials in Belarus as possible. To this end all timber, flooring, tiles, light fittings and windows were purchased in Belarus. Four local workers were employed to work alongside the volunteers and their contribution in terms of local knowledge and effort proved invaluable.

On 11 October, as the first volunteer crew departed, and second crew of 18 volunteers arrived to complete the work, and to install toilets, showers, and sinks.

Efficiency and Friendly Design

The Zhytkovichi job is innovative for Belarus, in that it utilizes solar energy to provide domestic hot water for up to 9 months of the year. Space heating is provided by way of a wood gasification boiler -- an environmentally friendly, inexpensive and highly efficient technology. Two experts in this field, Fritz Raake and Daniel “Brownie” O’Donovan, were on hand to complete the latest stage of this installment. The building itself has been designed for maximum heating efficiency, with all external walls and roof   heavily insulated. This will prove invaluable as temperatures reach as low as -25ºC in winter.

The new building, as designed by architect Duncan Stewart, is light and spacious -- in stark contrast to typical Belarusian institutional buildings which tend to be dark and lacking in open spaces. The installation of the velux roof windows during this phase helped to enhance this feeling of spaciousness by allowing plenty of natural light into the building.

Community Involvement

We work closely with the local authorities to ensure that all the work that we do is in compliance with local regulations. Members of local building, electrical and telecommunications authorities visited the site to ask questions, offer advice and satisfy themselves that this building was safe for occupation. At the end of the visit it was clear that they were extremely happy with the standard of work that was done. Four local men were hired to work side by side with volunteers.

Volunteers visited local families who would benefit from the construction of the day care center. The poverty and hardship witnessed impressed upon everybody the importance of the project and its timely completion. The Zhytkovichi project is an important project in terms of self sustainability and support of the family unit.

By the end of the second two weeks the change in the building and the amount of work complete can only be described as phenomenal. Those who walked into that building in October 2003 to start the first phase of this project could not have imagined the progress that would be made in what has been 8 weeks of work time. This is testament to the vision and talent of Duncan Stewart in designing such a facility and a credit to the dedication and professionalism of each and every volunteer who has worked on the project since that very first day in October 2003.

The next phase of the project will take place in April 2005 when all rooms will be complete, the building will be painted and all equipment installed. The day care center will be handled over to the community in May 2005.