Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog

Early in my in my attachment volunteered to take part in a charity cycle ride from London to Paris, of course wanting to prove my physical prowess I instantly said yes with little knowledge of really how far it was or what the charity did. The weekend just gone was the date set for the cycle ride and I’m pleased to say the team of carefully selected office athletes set of from outside of Liverpool street station on Friday morning and arrived under the Eiffel tower late Sunday afternoon. Having now completed the cycle ride and having hounded others within the office for sponsorship I thought I better really understand what it was i raised money for, i knew it was for third world development but what was the money actually for…
The charity is called Engineers For Overseas Development (EFOD) and is a voluntary organisation that aims to enhances the training of young professionals by challenging them to deliver development projects overseas. Over the last 13 years EFOD have delivered a diverse number of projects to communities in central Africa (Uganda, Zambia and Ghana) .
Examples of past projects include:
• A medical waste incinerator at Kumi Hospital, Uganda (EFOD North-West);
• The design and construction of a footbridge over the Kanakantapa river in Zambia (EFOD Wales);
• The Sewing School in Kpone Saduasi, Ghana (EFOD South-West); and
• A community centre for a women’s co-operative farming group in Koutulai, Uganda (EFOD West Midlands).

Designed and Completed Incinerator, Kumi Hospital
This year’s project is the improvement of infrastructure critical to the running of a hospital in Kuma, Uganda. The scope of the project for 2014 is; to improve the water pump, currently a broken diesel pump, to improve supply to the hospital, construction of more sustainable and hygienic latrines, improving the laundry facilities within the hospital.
The projects looks to utilise and practice junior engineers in applying engineering principles to design both structures and M&E services. The junior engineers are also responsible for the commercial process and al other aspects of managing the project from concept through to final handover. While not all the engineers will travel to Uganda all will contribute to the project. Having had a little experience of delivering engineering projects within Kenya and Afghanistan i was asked if I might be able to assist by means of reviewing projects and imparting any advice to the junior engineers on project managing such a project.
During the two short periods that I attended with the EFOD engineers and during the review of their initial designs and concepts the key themes that I feel I helped to develop area as follows:
Sustainable – considering environmental impacts, future community needs, and the longevity of the design
Buildable – with local resources, taking into account local knowledge, available expertise and skill levels
Maintainable – using a maintenance scheme appropriate to local skills, which are strengthened through EFOD provided training
Affordable – delivering required outcomes with the funds raised
Ground reality – H&S regs will not be to the UK standards and would be very hard to enforce, therefore work with what is acceptable risk and implement measures where possible.