Monday, February 20, 2012

After a weekend of fun, bonding, and some relaxation, we returned to the Habitat for Humanity build site.  Day 6 of the build and we are getting things done!  We were greeted by the homeowner who had such a proud smile on her face.  The roof was on the house!  It had been installed over the weekend and it looked great.  Slowly, the house was coming together and we now had only 5 days to get it completed.  The focus for our team in this second week was on a number of tasks – to finish the walls, to build a concrete patio alongside of the house and to do a general clean up.

On our way in to the build site, there were some strange things observed on the road.  Along the way, we passed groups of children blocking the road with lengths of rope which we had to drive through. Road traffic in front of our site seemed heavier.  As usual, our team started the day with heaps of energy and received instructions on our work tasks.  The work was heavy but satisfying.   Over the course of the morning, our team began to notice the beginnings of a blockade on the main road in front of the house.  I was working on the sand sifting station which was closest to the road and I kept my eye on the happenings.  We all seemed to be increasingly distracted by the gathering semi-trucks, buses, tuk-tuks and people with signs of protest.  I, like everyone else, had little idea as to what the signs said or their purpose.  The traffic eventually came to a standstill.  All lanes of traffic seemed to be facing one direction, and no lanes were moving.  We could hear the chorus of protests.

As lunch approached, we all began to wonder how our bus driver was going to get us out of the site.  As we did not know the fate of the protest, a decision was made by our team leaders to evacuate us from the site and to end the workday at noon.  Our team got on the bus and we made a failed attempt to leave the area.  Traffic moving away from the blockade (which was where we needed to go) was also stopped – it was a gridlocked situation.  A second decision was made, and that was for us to abandon the bus and walk back to Bharatpur.  So, off the bus the 16 of us went, walking along the road, gathering stares of both protesters and people whose only intention was to drive to a destination. We had our lunch at the local women’s community hall and eventually we made our way back to the hotel.   Since we were not returning to the work site, our team had additional time to linger in the neighborhood and go down the the river.  Sherwood, our team lead, entertained some of the locals with his card tricks.  This was a delight.

Once we left the women’s hall, we arrived at the hotel to find that the windows were completely shuttered and the power was out.  Apparently, there were concerns about the blockade, protests and the possibility of things becoming more heated, possibly violent.  Our instructions were to not leave the hotel.  We sat it out and by 4 pm, power was on and shutters were up.

What was the protest and blockade about?  We later learned that a 12-year old boy was shot by police that morning in Bharatpur. People were angry and out protesting the sad outcome.  I don’t know whatever happened following this, but I often think about this and feel for the family and community. 

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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.

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It was exciting to finally arrive on the build site. We were greeted by the family and community members with huge smiles, tikas, and an abundance of flowers. All that was present at the site was a concrete slab set on a foundation of large rocks. Our task: to build a solid home!

Our family of 5, led by a widower named Kamala Neupane, lives in what I estimate to be a 10×10 foot shelter, not bigger than some garden sheds on our properties.  Their home is made up primarily of corrugated tin sheets, plywood, and has a dirt floor.  Our team was given the opportunity to see the inside of the family’s home.  Inside there was a double bed, sleeping mats, and some counters/storage.  A single electrical cord led from the power pole to the inside where it was connected to a small television.  My thought was this could not be safe for them, especially during the monsoon season when water probably floods their home.  Water and electricity do not mix.  Additionally, there is no proper sanitation nor running water at their home or in the community.

We were given a rough idea of what we had to do and all of the tasks needed to get the job done. Our tasks included moving 30 pound cement blocks onto the foundation, sifting rocks and stones out of a gravel mix to create sand, bagging and transporting sand and cement, mixing mortar and laying bricks. These were the tasks of the first few days. We have few tools –  three shovels, buckets, a hammer or two, trowels, string for keeping things level, and of course, our hands and muscles.

At the end of these first two days of work, I was so impressed with the team’s ability to come together for a common cause. Like any team coming together, we are finding a rhythm of work. It feels pretty seamless.  I love the experience of bonding with new people and doing it over building something so simple as a wall. In this case, the walls were not barriers, but a way to bring people together. Conversations and getting to know each other have made the work days pass by so quickly.

When we arrive on site, we are greeted like rock stars. Every morning children and adults greet the bus. It’s so awesome to be greeted with their enthusiasm and appreciated for the work.  I feel as if the home will really make a difference.  There is so much gratitude.  In between our work, we have become acquainted with the local children. They are hilarious, love to practice their English and are more than willing to pose for pictures. “One picture please” is a common refrain.

The home owner and family are involved on the site and are very observant of our work. Krishna, the 16-year old son, has been attending closely to our work and you can see the pride he has. It was easy to identify which room of the home would be his from the time he was spending in one of the room.  I caught him touching the wall of it in an admiring fashion.  Someone on the team asked him which room was to be his and my assumption was correct. Krishna is only 16 and I just can’t imagine what it must be like for a person that age to be living in a 10×10 room with 4 other adults. He will surely enjoy his new space.

I have a few pictures that show our progress of the first two days.