BUILDING A BRIDGE OF FRIENDSHIP

BUILDING A BRIDGE OF FRIENDSHIP AT GRANNY SLIPPER

The brain child of PP Shaun Gilbert and Rtn Nic Bakker, a structure to traverse the gap from the top of the stairs to the pavement at Granny Slipper in Cowie Street, Uitenhage, was constructed by the Rotary Club of Uitenhage South members in October 2013.  This may very well be described as the club’s first physical Bridge of Friendship!  Granny Slipper cares for 15 elderly persons with some form of mental ill health like Altsheimer’s and senile dementia and was until recently the only institution of its kind in Uitenhage. The need was identified to make it easier for the elderly to walk to and from the road side as well as for emergency staff to transport them more easily with wheel chairs or stretchers instead of carrying the patients up or down the existing stairs.

It began with a work party at Rtn Nic Bakker’s home where the pre-cut pieces of steel were put together and welded by an enthusiastic bunch of Rotarians one Saturday afternoon.  As can be seen from the accompanying photos – some were enthusiastic about the planning, the piecing together, the holding, the welding and the painting while a few were more enthusiastic about their liquid refreshment and cell phones.

Having put the basic structure together it was transported to Granny Slipper by kind gesture of Bisho Steel as organised by Rtn Nic Bakker and left on the pavement outside Granny Slipper.  Once more a group of Rotarians arrived the following Saturday morning to move it into place – no mean feat considering the weight of it all.  After some clever manoeuvring involving a “koevoet” the base was put into position and then the handrails and gangway was fitted.

Getting to this point took a lot of planning, skill and brute force but once again, the job looks great and will be an asset for many years to come.  Well done Uitenhage South, this was a worthwhile hands on project!

 

You can clearly see how this project takes shape from point on . Also how a group of us could really have great fun for weeks and the out come is going to make a difference to people less fortunate than ourselves long after we are not around .  

Ivan showing off his skill's

OK so Leon needed to one better , and also made it very clear that he is trained by the Germans , I guess that explains it all.

See I can do this too, BUT .................. what do mean don't do it upside down , I didn't know paint fitted upside down??   

                                           Pres Aubrey feeding Ivan ??????????Paint WTH

                                            Pres Aubrey got bored again , just look at Alan's leg .....

                                                      I guess some body needed to supervise

It can go in , just fly it on its side and keep it going fast, They really didn't believe me

                                                              See there she goes

                    NOW! this is what happens when you flying and you go to slow , it all comes down

                                                Thank goodness it was in the right place

                                                           See I told you so

WHAT THE HELL, am I Seeing right 

The thing is this... and all. Will this for our small friend Rich

Some things just called for a lot more force  

Leon did the Germans teach you to this agro

Hey ....Hey ..why is that machine not working 

Now this is a pic's of Leo busy screwing .............a bolt down

At 81 years old he can still do it.

They both work for a German company, dame and are they good at what they do ..................Supervising  

So I needed to be supervised on how to drill a hole . Thank-you so much 

The end of a great day with some of the people in the world 

BIG BIG PLEASE .........SEE THIS SPACE SOON FOR THE FINAL PIC'S OF DG GREG OPENING THE BRIDGE AND CUTTING THE RIBON