The Rock Quarry

We visited a rock quarry when we needed rocks to fill a big hole the rain washed in the road by the BarDege meetinghouse.   As with so many of our experiences here, the visit to the rock quarry opened another page of the experiences we'll always remember.  The rock is used in construction, in making cement and paving roadways.  The process is one that is hard to imagine for us.  The rock deposit is very large and lies in a river bed where the water flows have washed away the soil that it was buried in.  Large chunks of rock are broken off using wood fires to heat the rocks and create cracks.  Then wedges and hammers are used to break off chunks of rock from the deposits.  Those chunks are broken into pieces that can be carried mostly by women who place rocks on their heads and carry them up out of the river bed to an area where they can be broken up into smaller pieces with a hammer.  They make everything from fine sand to rocks up to 2 inches in diameter.  You can also buy the big slabs.  The rock deposit itself is considered a gift from God and each person or family acts as an independent contractor making their own gravel products to sell.  When you arrive, they all rush out to greet you and have you buy their product.  There are probably 200 people working at this particular quarry.  The pictures will tell the story.

This rock weighed over 100 pounds and it took two people to lift it up on her head.  Robert could barely move it when it was on the ground.

Unloading the rock.

Now, back for another one.

Making big rocks into little rocks with a hammer.

The deposit in the river bed.

Breaking a slab off the deposit.

Learning how.

They were surprised that I could do it.  No sitting in the dirt, though.

Sweeping up the leaves.

A cute family!

Loading gravel into the customer's truck.

Okello John went with us to be our buyer and make the deal.

There you have it!  Another experience in Gulu.