The first impression Nick and Ian got on January 1st, 2010 was indeed embarrassing The makuti roofs have a life expectancy of 5 years, 7 at the most. It was predictable that we would have had to do something about their replacement. More and more holes sneaked into the roof until it was no longer bearable.

We had to improvise most of the existing roofs. Instead of replacing the ageing makuti pieces we nailed corrugated iron sheets onto the wooden frames. The iron sheets would keep the area dry in any case even for several years but looked appalling. As usual, there were investments to be done for the schools that seemed more urgent than replacing the roofs. This is the I-wing of MAS, the last picture shows the building some six weeks later.

After Ian and Nick had sent their donations we could begin replacing the old roofs. The classrooms were needed for lessons during the week, so the work could only be done at the weekends and during the short mid-term holidays. That is the reason why it took us so long to finally complete the task.

Time was precious and the rainy season came closer every day, so up to 20 workers were busy replacing the makuti on a roof at any one time. While one group was removing the old layers of makuti on the one side, another group was fixing the new layers on the other. Normally it does require less time to replace a single makuti roof, but the project was so huge that the local suppliers were unable to deliver enough makuti in time.

Adding to the delays were regular, albeit harmless rainfalls which announced the arrival of the rainy season. But at the end everything fitted neatly, nicely and properly. This photo of the completed roof of class 5 of MAS was taken about two weeks after the photo above.

Old makuti roofs are hardly of any use so they are burned in a safe distance. According to current environmental considerations the carbon dioxide produced in that process isn't greater than the amount bonded in their creation as palm leaves. In spite of all the billowing smoke we might still call this procedure environmentally correct. 

It is interesting how much makuti is required for a single roof. Makuti is being manufactured from palm leaves which are tightly bound together. The makuti layers have to overlap by a huge margin, or else the roof will never be water-proof. Three times as much makuti is required to cover the equivalent surface of a roof. 

Makuti roofs require an extreme steep slope. Rainwater would ooze through the roof in short time because the fibrous structure and the rough surface of a makuti roof obstructs the drainage. The workers climb the roof like a mountain in their effort to fix the makuti layers. Those layers are fixed with ropes from palm tree fibres, by the way. It is 100% natural, the whole thing. 

This is the roof of the I-wing of MAS after it had been replaced. It will now last for at least another 5 years, and because we left the iron sheets below the makuti we don't need to worry if a few holes show up in the next few years. Makuti roofs are beautiful and cheap to install or replace, but they do also have disadvantages. Every day, dust and palm leaf parts are gushing to the floor as well as various wildlife (dead and alive). But that bothers no one, the people of South Coast have been building makuti roofs during the past several centuries, after all.