Habitat for Humanity - Honduras 2013

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Mucho Mezcla

Gooooood morning, Santa Rosa de Copan...

Day 2 of the build commenced after our usual 7am group breakfast at the hotel. The alarm clocks weren't going off at 6am like they were the previous day, getting a sense that everyone was tired from the extremely hard work we put in yesterday. After a couple cups of Honduran coffee, some protein, carbs and laughs, everyone was in great spirits for the busy day ahead. Going around the room asking how everyone was feeling, the consensus seemed to be achy and sore...yet happy and smiling, and ready to take on the day!

Max arrived to pick us up, and on the bus we went. No last minute snoozes, we were all excited and energetic to get to the build. Lots of laughs are had along the 20min drive to the site, arriving with big smiles on our faces. The drive definitely wouldn't be the same without the jokes and awkward moments of silence had by the back of the bus (you know who you are lol).

Dropping off our backpacks and water bottles, we got the lowdown on the day's itinerary. We were separated into small groups, each doing different jobs. Wheelbarrowing seems to remain a constant job, lifting adobe bricks weighing 25lbs each times however many you can carry, into wheelbarrows, back and forth from pile A, up the hill to pile B.

If I have to do one more day of this wheelbarrowling....%$&@!

Jenny from the Block... and Jenn...

Other jobs included mixing mortar (mezcla), laying bricks, and loading and unloading wheelbarrows.

The crucial first row..

Anyone got a ladder for me for row six?

Paula playing in the mud...

Eben Melissa, Mason Extrordinaire!

I wonder if this is environmental mud?

Carolyn unloading...

Today was relatively hotter than yesterday, and the word has spread that Miss Paula has not been drinking her minimum requirement of water. The poor girl was harassed for the majority of the day, stressing the importance of staying hydrated.

Bring on the agua!

The local kids from the neighbourhood were playing around the site, each of us taking turns entertaining them with colouring books, stickers, photographs, etc. Lots of laughs were had by all.

So happy to have the Canadians here!!!!

By lunchtime, row one of bricks had been laid around the entire house, and TONNES of bricks had been moved. We were progressing quite well, time for an energy boost with some fried chicken, Oreo cookies, and Coca Cola. Nice little break with the group and the kids hanging around, but we were back up and at 'er...with a switch in jobs for the afternoon. The brick carriers and loaders and unloaders got swapped out to lay bricks and mix mortar, and vice versa. Nice change for all.

When Max pulled up at the end of the day, we had progressed extremely well, none of us wanting our jobs to end, and we didn't rush over to the van like we probably expected we would. We finished 2 rows of bricks around the entire house, and left feeling like we achieved something.

The worksite never looked so fashionable!

Saying Hasta Mañana to the masons and helpers, as well as 2 of the home owners that were there to assist us today, we loaded up the van and waved adios to the building site, taking our exhausted bodies and burnt noses back to Santa Rosa de Copan.

Stopping at a local family-run cigar factory on our way back to the hotel, we were shown the process on how to make cigars all the way from drying the leaves to packaging and selling.

Dragging our exhausted bodies back to the hotel for showers and a bit of relaxation time, we reconvened for a group dinner at a local bakery. Carb-loading for tomorrow´s hard work, we consumed heaps of pasta and baked bread, along with cakes and truffles. As if we weren't tired enough as it was, Michelle challenged us to see who could hold their right arm up the longest. The proved to be quite a challenge, as our arms were in agony from the wheelbarrowing and heavy lifting the past couple days. And drum roll please...the winner of the arm holding up contest is....Carolyn Smith :) Though I don´´t seem to recall seeing her wheelbarrow at all on day 2, so maybe she had a slight advantage ,)

The secret of Carolyn´s pipes...

Another great group dinner with lots of laughs were had with the Habitat Honduras group.

Buenos Noches!

Bouma the Builder...

ps...

Luis wondering if everyone remembers his two truths and a lie...

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Life on the build site...

Jennifer's blog (Day 3 in Honduras / Day 1 on the Habitat Build)

Day 1 was a Travel Day, Day 2 was Orientation Day - making today Day 3 which is actually day one on the BUILD SITE!

We met for breakfast at 7am, then drove 20 minutes down a dirt road to a cluster of homes which are Habitat homes built in previous years made of cinder blocks and some recently built with Adobe bricks. There was an open field with approximately 12 tarps layed out on the ground with adobe bricks already prepared and drying. Adobe bricks are a special type of mud with pine needles. These are what the Habitat houses will be built with from now onward.

There was a work site with a pile of large rocks, a pile of dirt (to mix the cement) and 3 houses already started with waist high adobe brick walls with mortar and 3 more where masons were working on the foundation with large broken rocks and cement. In front of these already started houses was a small stack of dry adobe bricks.

An area to the side was a tent with the habitat logo, a table and chairs for 12.

We started the day with a "Circle of Trust" which meant everyone involved in the build stood in a circle and we went around with each person introducing themselves - masons, assistants, volunteers, one gentleman who currently lives in a Habitat Home, neighbours and Habitat staff. The gentleman from next door led us in a prayer for this particular build and the work we will do.

We were shown what jobs we were to do and how to do them. Each of us were assigned tasks and as the day proceeded we switched tasks depending on difficulty, heat, exhaustion or just to mix it up. Our major tasks were to move the drying Adobe bricks from their drying location to the pile near the houses being built. Eight people were transporting the adobe bricks in wheelbarrows, three to four people were either loading the wheelbarrows or unloading/stacking the delivered adobe bricks. Some would switch and help with the sledgehammer to break rocks for the foundation and deliver those rocks directly to the masons working on the foundations. These jobs moving adobe bricks and broken rocks are known to be the hardest of Habitat jobs and are not usually first tasks on day one. That being said, we have all worked very hard today and I am impressed with everyone's diligence. Everyone certainly went above and beyond already and it's only Day 1!

I rock... You roll...

Steve O working the rock quarry...

This is a great job for the first day or so...

Off to recruit...

We stopped at lunchtime to eat and Luis, our Habitat Honduras Coordinator, took us for a walk down the road showing us houses in the neighbourhood which are previous Habitat Built houses, regular neighbours homes and a bakery along the road. We met the people who lived in the neighbourhood and one lady showed us her home. We met her children, pets and saw how she keeps her very tidy home. Interesting to see her outdoor kitchen, garden, main room and two beds rooms for a family of five.

Meeting the neighbours...

During the day all of us interacted with the Children who were present at the site and were very cute. We said our goodbyes to them and the masons and assistant workers.

Our day ended at 3:30pm and we cleaned up by covering the bricks with tarps to protect the ones we moved and those that are still drying. Much to our delight we realized we had moved 5 skids of adobe bricks !!!!!! I am so impressed and proud of our team!

We returned to our Hotel and had an hour of free time which I used to have a power nap and a shower. We gathered in the lobby for 6pm, and Luis took us on a 7 block walk to an All Girls Orphanage (ages 4-25). We played games and spent 2 hrs with the children. Most of them wanted to hold our hands or hug us - physical contact is something they crave. It was difficult to leave them. Each of us were acutely aware that everyone including us visit and then leave. Upon departure, we left the Nuns with toothbrushes and toothpaste along with crayons and markers for all of the girls. We have promised to write letters and such. I met a sweet little girl called Neidy whom I will definitely write letters to from Canada. Many of these children are at the Orphanage because their parents cannot afford to raise them.

Steve and the girls...

What form Jason!

We walked to our Dinner location, a restaurant called Lenca Maya, which was a variety wonderful local cuisine in an outdoor setting that had fire laps and bamboo making us feel like we were on survivor. No worries, no one got voted off!

We walked another few blocks and are now back at our hotel. It has been a full and interesting day - 1st day of the Build successfully complete. Everyone has proved to have excellent work ethics, amazing teamwork and common interests. Our team is already a cohesive unit and we have only known each other for 2 days!

Jennifer Waldschutz

Representing The University of New Brunswick at Habitat for Humanity Honduras 2013

Done for the day!

Monday, January 7, 2013

Day 1 ... Team Orientation

Day 2: Sunday jan 6

Orientation and Culture Day (Muy Excelente!) by Erin Smith

We woke up bright and early for our first round of culture and safety orientation meetings. The coffee was hot and the group was cheerful. It was helpful to learn about the local economy and housing crisis. HFH Honduras has built thousands of houses already but there is still so much to be done! Luis, our local coordinator, informed us that on a team of 12 people, we can expect about 3 to get diarrhea...that's 1 out of 4 - yikes! (We call that "diarrhea math"...)

After our orientation, we drive for 1 hour to Gracias, Lempira (a cute little town a bit farther up in the mountains). Our visit to Gracias includes touring the Fuerte San Cristobal, a few old colonial churches, a bustling street market, the town plaza (park), and the local shop of popsicles and pickles! I especially loved the Bromeliad and orchids growing out of the tree branches in the town plaza.

Our last stop was at the local swimming hole for a late lunch and a dip. Lunch was delicious barbecued chicken with the usual trimmings of rice, retried beans, queso, fresh salsa, and tortillas. It was fun to swim at the Balneario Aquas Terminales with all the local families. We practiced our cannonballs and had fun talking with the local children. They are keen to practice their English and at the same time have a great deal of patience for our novice Espanol!

It was a wonderful first day and Max, our bus driver, did a great job acting as our local historian for the day. We were feeling pretty acclimatized and very much enjoyed the scenery on our drive home. The weather here is sunny and cool. The air smells of wood smoke and local spices. Horses graze in the ditch along the roadside. Gauzy clouds hug the forested mountaintops. We are all madly in love with the country and the people and I can see that everyone is quite impatient to get to the job site tomorrow and get dirty!

Saturday, January 5, 2013

The team has arrived!

One missing bag, one passed out guy on the plane, a free round of drinks on Steve O... And the Team is all here...

On our way to Santa Rosa de Copan...