We are so sorry for the lack of photos at this time - for some strange reason the PC really struggles with uploading them to the blogsite - usually 20 minutes per photo and it then sometimes crashes. Seems odd to complain about the speed of the internet then visit Princess in a home that has never had electric or running water.....
The team are doing exceptionally well, unbelievably well - comments from the team leader, tour rep, HFH area manager are all positive.
A paramedic visiting the site commented that the stonewash was the best he had ever seen - largely due to the pointing that had been completed beforehand being of such good quality.
Dan and Emma completed an internal wall yesterday - hopefully everyone in the group will lay a block or more today - truly part of the build! - I would imagine the roof will start to take shape today - Shaun tells us this has never been the case before - the progress of our build over 2 days can usually take in excess of months to do.
We have asked everyone to write something meaningful, either a quote, a feeling, something from the heart - these have been put in a little metal tin - and at somepoint today we shall put this in a block and the lay it in the internal walls - thought that was a nice little ice-breaker idea - little did I know it would open the emotional floodgates - but in the most beautiful way of course!
Right - have plenty more to say - but we have a house to finish.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Day Two
Woke up tied, sore limbs but with very high spirits.
We left the accommodation again at 0800 ready and rearing to get onto the site. We got there and took some time to look at the previous days work. The team could not believe how much work was completed yesterday. Sam and I completed the Site safety check then the team were allowed to get on with the build. Aamon and Pearl met us on site and congratulated us on the work that we had done so far.
Throughout the day Aamon and pearl had to leave the site as there were two other builds happening in the near by area. It was great as the team knew what needed to be done without being prompted. It felt really good to know that they trusted us to continue without them being there and supervising us.
Everyone fell into their roles in which they felt comfortable doing, some mixing Dagga, some building internal walls, some moving blocks and some preparing the external walls. It was a great feeling to see that we all assumed a role and worked on whatever the build required without being told.
For an hour in the afternoon, Ashley went and had her hair braided by Princess's neighbour and Josh went along for moral support and chief photographer, and they came back having had an amazing experience with their face painted with clay (Zulu sun screen) and knowing and learning more about the community bond they have in that area.
It was amazing to see that the house started to look like a house (sounds silly to say) but all of us have never been in a situation to have hands on experience of this type of work except Shaun of course!!!!!
During the afternoon Natasha, Anthony and Natalie applied a bag wash of cement to one of the external walls and Emma and Dan were building walls internally when Princess came over to the build to visit her new home. She has been watching everything that we had been doing over the past two days but due to problems with mobility she had not ventured onto site until this afternoon. Just seeing her reactions to the progress we had made on her new home was really emotional and blew us away as she was so lost for words.
Throughout the day Alex SD, Tom and Matt worked incredibly hard shifting blocks, making dagga, preparing walls and moving scaffolding from different ends of the build.
Aamon approached the team at the end of the day and said that he was very proud of our hard work, but it is thanks to Aamon that we had materials and facilities available for us to do the work at all, as the organisation and logistics involved is very complex and without him, Pearl, Carl, and Bob we would not have been able to achieve so much is such a short time.
Sala Gashle (Stay Well)
We left the accommodation again at 0800 ready and rearing to get onto the site. We got there and took some time to look at the previous days work. The team could not believe how much work was completed yesterday. Sam and I completed the Site safety check then the team were allowed to get on with the build. Aamon and Pearl met us on site and congratulated us on the work that we had done so far.
Throughout the day Aamon and pearl had to leave the site as there were two other builds happening in the near by area. It was great as the team knew what needed to be done without being prompted. It felt really good to know that they trusted us to continue without them being there and supervising us.
Everyone fell into their roles in which they felt comfortable doing, some mixing Dagga, some building internal walls, some moving blocks and some preparing the external walls. It was a great feeling to see that we all assumed a role and worked on whatever the build required without being told.
For an hour in the afternoon, Ashley went and had her hair braided by Princess's neighbour and Josh went along for moral support and chief photographer, and they came back having had an amazing experience with their face painted with clay (Zulu sun screen) and knowing and learning more about the community bond they have in that area.
It was amazing to see that the house started to look like a house (sounds silly to say) but all of us have never been in a situation to have hands on experience of this type of work except Shaun of course!!!!!
During the afternoon Natasha, Anthony and Natalie applied a bag wash of cement to one of the external walls and Emma and Dan were building walls internally when Princess came over to the build to visit her new home. She has been watching everything that we had been doing over the past two days but due to problems with mobility she had not ventured onto site until this afternoon. Just seeing her reactions to the progress we had made on her new home was really emotional and blew us away as she was so lost for words.
Throughout the day Alex SD, Tom and Matt worked incredibly hard shifting blocks, making dagga, preparing walls and moving scaffolding from different ends of the build.
Aamon approached the team at the end of the day and said that he was very proud of our hard work, but it is thanks to Aamon that we had materials and facilities available for us to do the work at all, as the organisation and logistics involved is very complex and without him, Pearl, Carl, and Bob we would not have been able to achieve so much is such a short time.
Sala Gashle (Stay Well)
Monday, 20 June 2011
Day One
First of all I just want to apologise for the lack of photo's at the present time, for some reason it is taking approx 15 minuets to upload one photo. More photo's to come........
The team we up and ready to leave the accommodation at 0800 this morning after having a hearty breakfast, everyone was very excited and very keen to get on the road.
I had so many thoughts running through my head this morning, is i did not know what to expect. It took approximately 20 minuets to get to the site and when we arrived i had to have a minuet on the bus because it really hit home what we were here to do. I saw Princess coming out of her house with a big smile on her face a had to shed a tear. Princess is the lady we are building the house for.
Looking at the site we could see where Princes currently lives and next to it was the site in which the new house was going to be build. Some builders had already prepared the site by completing the foundations and the slab and also the first two courses of blocks.
Once all the site safety checks were completed by Sam and the H4H host (Aamon) we were allowed onto the site where we were introduced to princess. She showed us her home and as the introductions were being made the H4H host pointed out to me a grave in the garden where her sister was buried, she passed away last August. My heart sunk and i felt a lump in my throat, my eyes filled up and i had to go and have another minuet. The area in which Princess lives is so peaceful and there are homes dotted all over the hillside. Princesses neighbour must live about 30 meters away.
Once the introductions were completed we were given out first jobs to do which were to move the blocks from one part of the site to another and the easiest was to do that was to do a human chain. The next job was to mix Dagga (Motar).
We all got stuck in with these jobs but mixing the dagga was the hardest job all day. We then helped the builders to build a couple of courses and ensured the dagga kept flowing............
We had to carry blocks from A to B, shoveling sand and cement, carrying water, erect scaffolding while at the same time meeting and interacting with Princess, her family and the local children who were fascinated with us.
Today the team worked so well together. The communication was good, the morale was excellent and i feel that the team had bonded fantastically. Everyone's individual characters began to shine and i was very proud that the team openly and actively supported each other without any interventions from staff.
Sala Gashle ( Stay Well)
The team we up and ready to leave the accommodation at 0800 this morning after having a hearty breakfast, everyone was very excited and very keen to get on the road.
I had so many thoughts running through my head this morning, is i did not know what to expect. It took approximately 20 minuets to get to the site and when we arrived i had to have a minuet on the bus because it really hit home what we were here to do. I saw Princess coming out of her house with a big smile on her face a had to shed a tear. Princess is the lady we are building the house for.
Looking at the site we could see where Princes currently lives and next to it was the site in which the new house was going to be build. Some builders had already prepared the site by completing the foundations and the slab and also the first two courses of blocks.
Once all the site safety checks were completed by Sam and the H4H host (Aamon) we were allowed onto the site where we were introduced to princess. She showed us her home and as the introductions were being made the H4H host pointed out to me a grave in the garden where her sister was buried, she passed away last August. My heart sunk and i felt a lump in my throat, my eyes filled up and i had to go and have another minuet. The area in which Princess lives is so peaceful and there are homes dotted all over the hillside. Princesses neighbour must live about 30 meters away.
Once the introductions were completed we were given out first jobs to do which were to move the blocks from one part of the site to another and the easiest was to do that was to do a human chain. The next job was to mix Dagga (Motar).
We all got stuck in with these jobs but mixing the dagga was the hardest job all day. We then helped the builders to build a couple of courses and ensured the dagga kept flowing............
We had to carry blocks from A to B, shoveling sand and cement, carrying water, erect scaffolding while at the same time meeting and interacting with Princess, her family and the local children who were fascinated with us.
Today the team worked so well together. The communication was good, the morale was excellent and i feel that the team had bonded fantastically. Everyone's individual characters began to shine and i was very proud that the team openly and actively supported each other without any interventions from staff.
Sala Gashle ( Stay Well)
Day One 0800 - The team ready to get on the mini bus and start the build!!
Everyone very excited......
This is what the site looked like when we arrived. As you can see there was the foundations done, and the two first rows of bricks laid which i think were done yesterday.When we arrived we were given a safety briefing by Sam and the H4H host and were given our first jobs to do.....
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