Thursday, August 28, we visited Manda Island along with Curt Peterson and Marc Murchisson. John Muhindi and Joseph Ojing received a small amount of money to start a business hauling coral building block from the quarry areas to the port. They also arrange for the sale of the block to builders on Lamu Island.
hauling block to the port by donkey cart
The block are cut from the dead coral on the island. The following photo shows a line of block being cut. Generally they cut about 25 block/day and sell them for 16 cents each.
cutting the width of the block
Joseph and John buy the block from those who cut it and they haul it to the port. Generally they make 3 cents per block and pay 1.5 cents tax. But even with this low margin, they have made pretty good money.
Here are CIndy, Curt and Marc in the boat we took from Lamu to Manda.
traveling to Manda
