Another day at the build. I took a 1/2 day off yesterday due to an ankle injury, but was determined to continue today with the build with my Habitat teammates.
Today's work centered on moving rocks and other building materials from one place to another. This typically involved forming a human chain to move materials up the hillside. The picture accompanying this entry is a chain formed to move rocks for the foundation from the road to the build site. Sabita, sister of the future homeowner, was in front of me in the rock chain and was a source of inspiration for all of us as she worked tirelessly throughout the day. At one point she used a traditional Nepali form of conveyance, moving materials of at least 100 pounds by putting them in a basket on her back with a band around her head. It was a remarkable feat of strength for this woman who is no more than 4 feet tall and weighing no more than 65 pounds! We also had other members of the community helping with the build today. They have become comfortable with our presence in their remote village and our Habitat Nepal project manager to!d us that our presence energizes the community and gives them a sense of connection to a world outside of their small village...
Tomorrow is our last day on the build. We will be finished with digging the foundation and filling it with a mixture of stones, rebar and concrete, per Nepali codes.while the home is not complete, I feel like we have created a sense of hope for the family whose living circumstances have been dire for a long time. We will have a chance to celebrate the progress of the house at a ceremony tomorrow with the home's future occupants and members of the community. I'm really looking forward to this. I also look forward to celebrating with my team members all our accomplishments over this past week. It has been, needless to say, an intense bonding experience and a privilege to work with a wonderful group of people!e.
I'm hoping to have time to reflect on my experiences in Nepal in the days ahead and will be in Nepal for several more days, so more entries to come...
Thanks for your interest in this journey 😊
Kate
