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Presenters Greg James and Alex Jones have swapped their microphones for crow hammers as they got stuck into Operation Health for Comic Relief.
The ambitious project will see a rundown, dilapidated clinic in Eastern Uganda renovated into a fully functioning healthcare facility by 6th March.
Alex, who is at the clinic in Iyolwa to report on its progress for The One Show, worked alongside the local builders to help remove the roof.
She said: “Being up on the roof was a real experience. I was working with the builders using Ugandan techniques and it’s really hard work. It's all done by hand in the searing heat, but the workers are very effective. I loved being part of it.”
Greg, who is reporting for BBC Radio 1 all week, has also been lending a hand.
“I worked with the builders this morning - my dad will be proud I've finally got a real job,” he said. “It was great getting involved, you can't get any closer than actually ripping the roof off and getting stuck in with some manual labour. The other workers were very patient with me and my weak arms.”
Iyolwa clinic serves almost 20,000 people. It has been functioning for years with no power or running water, a ceiling on the verge of collapse, rodent and insect infestations and inadequate medical equipment.
But the clinic is now being transformed by a team of local people, from builders to technicians.
“Taking the roof off is tricky for the workers because they're standing on it while they are ripping it off, it’s like cutting the branch you're sitting on,” site architect Gonza Kagwa said.
“ You have to be quite acrobatic by the end, as there's only a tiny bit of corrugated iron left to balance on. With only trusses and rafters to stand on, it becomes more dangerous as you go - often you are looking down on gaping holes. You definitely need a steady nerve in this job.”
You can follow the progress of Operation Health for Comic Relief on BBC Radio 1, Radio 1Xtra, The One Show and a one hour documentary on BBC One in March.
