Thursday, February 16 and Friday, February 17, 2012.
On days 4 and 5, it was great to see the progress on the house. Our walls were rapidly rising with the window and door frames being installed. The goal of the team was to have all walls finished by the Friday. We had to accomplish this goal so that the corrugated tin roof could be installed on weekend and walls readied for the plastering during the second week.
The work has been hard but satisfying. What I have loved about this team is that everyone is engaged and trying out all of the different building tasks. From carrying bags of cement to sifting dirt for the mortar, all tasks are important and I have learned so much. I am totally in the moment of building, but thinking ahead in regards to how I might continue to make a difference.
I have had such a sense of pride and accomplishment in being a part of the HFH GV team. While we are building a house for a well-deserved impoverished family, I have also gotten so much out of this build as well. There is the exchange of culture and learning about the Nepalese; the connection with the locals and the receiving family who have welcomed us with open hearts; and the appreciation for how much we have and how little they have.
In building the house, I have thought a lot about my dad, his impoverished childhood, the sacrifices he made to come to Canada and all of work he and my mom did to house, feed and educate their children. Parents here are no different, as they desire only good things for their families – shelter, nutritious food, a safe environment, education. The homeowner here has made sacrifices that will bring a solid home and a different future for her family.
On the weekend, the tin roof will be installed and the second week will be spent plastering the inside and outside of the house and building a cement patio.
Here are a some photos from days 4 and 5.
The Travelling Psychologist 