February, 2007	April, 2007 - 6 houses
June 2007	July 2007 - 30 houses
February 2008 - 54 houses

Welcome to Friendship Village, where the members of BeadforLife are building homes, planting gardens, and leaving poverty behind. 

Phase One:
In 2007, BeadforLife entered into a collaboration with Habitat for Humanity to develop the first phase of a housing project based on hard work and mutual support.  The first phase of this collaboration is now complete and includes 54 houses, two wells and a community building. 

Phase Two: 
BeadforLife will now continue this project by moving into phase two with plans for 60 more homes as well as a rubbish disposal area, a playground, and a soccer field.  When this village is complete it will house more than a hundred families.   It has its own governance committee with nine officers overseeing everything from security to youth programs.  It will be owned, managed, and maintained by the residents.  See the Village Background Concept Paper for detailed information.

The Village Gets a Name
Everyone was excited to discuss the name of the village and a lively conversation brought a list of possibilities.  Since the village is multi-tribal there was agreement that the name should not be one specific tribal name.   Swahili names were considered, especially Umoja (unity) and Rafiki (friends).  In the end, Friendship Village was chosen by a vote to announce to the world the feeling and intention of this community.

Friendship Village Site:
It was an exciting day in January 2007 when BeadforLife finalized the purchase of 18 acres near Mukono, a town about 12 kilometers from Kampala.   Community planner Campbell Mayer had searched for land for almost a year, not an easy task in Uganda where land titles are elusive and complex.

The Mukono land was worth the wait for many reasons: It borders a road and therefore is not isolated, primary and secondary schools are nearby, there is a trading center within walking distance where residents can buy supplies and also sell goods.

The first project on the land was the erection of a living fence along the boundaries. The fence was planted by BeadforLife Vocational Education students and volunteers.

 

Planting the living fence

The Houses:
The villagers’ former houses were made of mud and sticks, with dirt floors and tin (usually rusted) roofs. They lived in one small room occupied by as many as 10 people! When it rained, the houses usually flooded. The new houses are built with fired bricks, a raised foundation, cement flooring, and a roof made with 30-gauge iron sheets. Most have two bedrooms and a living area.  The beaders spend a lot of time on their front porch verandahs where they can roll beads and watch their children play. They do not have running water or electricity, but there are two new hand-pump wells producing clean cool water in the village.

The houses are being built in pods of 6-10 homes that make up neighborhoods within the village. Beaders choose from six house designs, depending on their needs and budgets. The houses are designed to be built in stages; if a beader can only afford a small house at the outset, she can add to it later. Each house has a ventilated two-pit latrine and bathing area.

Gardens Everywhere:
The gardens planted around the new homes is one of the most astonishing experiences in the whole building process. Even as the bricks are being laid, the homeowner is digging up her plot and planting food. Cabbages, sweet potatoes, corn, and beans are abundant.  Villagers are eating a substantial portion of their food right from the soil around their new homes.

Cornerstone Building:
 Our first community structure, the Cornerstone Building, provides secure storage of materials, a project manager office, and a classroom.  This room doubles as a church, meeting hall, play space, and visitors center.  The Cornerstone Building is situated centrally and serves as a "welcome.”

 

The Cornerstone Building

The Cornerstone Building was funded by a family foundation which donated $9000 for its construction - it was the first outside sponsorship of a village project!

The Wells
Water is a critical part of the village. Often Ugandans walk many miles to fill jerry cans and haul them back home. In the village, two wells are located centrally, making water readily accessible. Three wells will provide potable water from pure aquifers. These wells are drilled deep and designed to prevent bacteria intrusion.

The first pump