A LIFE IN THE DAY OF .... : A road constructor

Jean Pierre Ndagije Road is currently building the Remera-Kimironko roadI always wake up at 5 a.m. After taking a shower, I take down my clothes, dress myself, grab my tools and head to work. I don’t get time for breakfast. It takes me 30 minutes to reach my work place. When I get there, with my workmates I wait for our supervisor to come and arrange the whole day’s work. At 8 a.m. we distribute ourselves depending on each one’s specialisation. There are various construction activities here but I specialised as a mason. I did not qualify as a mason but I am semi skilled. I gained expertise in this field after working on three construction sites. If your are serious, there’s nothing stopping you becoming well qualified. We work and earn different wages depending on the person’s experience. A real mason earns an average of Frw2,500 a day, while a helper gets Frw1500. We have been constructing this road since May this year. With all this time here, I have managed to take care of my family. We have formed a small association which helps us in times of trouble. We get off for lunch at 1 p.m. our lunch lasts for 30 minutes. We work slowly because the job is tough. But you have to be careful not to get caught sitting down during work hours. Since my wife is a boutique vendor, she tries hard to help me in domestic affairs. The money I get here is for my child’s school fees. My son is in primary two and we hope he will be able to complete his studies. We work until 6 p.m. when we sit together and start collecting what we have worked for. After receiving our money, everyone gets off. I get back home at 7 p.m. At home, I find when my wife has prepared supper which we share and go to bed at 9 p.m. deave204@yahoo.com