Help, anyone?!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Deslandes

I slept for almost 10 hours last night- I turned off my light at 8:30, and finally got out of bed just past 6am. Highly unusual for me here, as I have been waking at 4:30 or 5:00am, but I think that the cumulative effect of working outside in this incredible heat (must be upwards of 100ºF most days in the heat of the day), and trying to build this building with very little help from the community to date, apart from a handful of really awesome kids who have been amazing.

The timing of building this composting washroom facility is unfortunate, in that Jim was here from Mexico to work with the construction team getting the new block making machine up & running, which took both a lot of the tools & supplies, as well as the attention of most of the guys we would have hoped could help on our project.

The crew, working the block machine on their own

The reality is, we will be leaving an unfinished building, and the fear is that it will stay that way. I’m really hoping that we can hook a few people into taking ownership (ie, each gets a section of wall to complete, which isn’t as daunting as doing the entire building!) of the building.

When I originally set up this project, the idea was more of having participants learn how to construct the building, so that it could be replicated, but because Jim was here, our participants were otherwise engaged. It would have made a huge difference having their assistance, in terms of our exhaustion, and in terms of moving the project along faster.

Ospri has arranged for members of the konbit (farming collective) to come by today with more bamboo leaves (it is taking a tremendous amount of bamboo material to fill the wall cavities!) and help stuff the wall, so hopefully we’ll have a good turn-out. We did have a couple of classes come and help out last week, but as soon as school was out, most of them went home- either chores, or just wanting to be kids. We still intend on having each child place a stone in our mosaic swale at the base of the building, but they have exams Monday and Tuesday, so hopefully that works out.

A couple of students tamping the bamboo/slip into the forms

Students mixing bamboo leaves & clay slip

Yesterday morning we worked on the clay/straw with the help of some young friends, who for the most part were just interested in tamping the walls- they don’t seem to want to get in there and get their hands dirty, so Ian & I did most of the mixing. Then, after lunch and a rest on the porch (you really do have to stop & sit for a bit before heading back out to work- the heat kills you!), we decided to put the steel roof on. We had initially hoped for a thatch roof, but in the end, St. Geste decided on steel. We were fortunate enough to have a bit of cloud cover periodically while putting on the roof. Child labour laws would outlaw how we did this job, but our group of volunteer children passed us roofing screws and sheets of steel, allowing the job to progress quite seamlessly. And, while it’s not the most perfect roof either of us has ever worked on, it turned out quite well, all things considered. The rafter material- beefy, real 2x4’s, are all twisted, as are the 1x3 strapping boards. Ian put on the rafters and the strapping yesterday afternoon when I went into Verrettes to do internet business, and he had the help of Hermano, one of our trusted helpers.

When we arrived, Hermano wasn’t going to school, but was helping us every day. He had worked with the plastering crew as well the last time I was here. I was trying to get at the route of why he wasn’t going to school- his sister had told me he was sick this year, and would go next year; I asked if it was a question of money, and he said no. Ospri came along and queried him, and indeed, it turned out it was because he couldn’t afford a uniform. Ospri set it up so he could go to school the following day, and, much to our delight, Hermano has been in school since that day. He really wanted to go to school, so I’m quite happy for him. He comes to work with us after school, and is really good- we call him Radar, because he has the ability to anticipate the tool or item you will require next, and have it in hand. He’s a really good worker too, and learns quickly.

All of the kids here are intrigued with our cordless drills- everyone wants to have a turn mixing the clay slip, or putting in screws, etc. Hermano has been our main-stay helper for nailing & screwing in boards. It is really interesting to see this core group of kids who are so interested in how we are doing things, and in helping. We are a distraction, I suppose, to what would otherwise be a day of chores, or of inventing games. And they are good at inventing games, that’s for sure- making toys out of plastic bottles, using tire rims to chase around the field, and many other examples.

Last night we sat on the porch with the little girls who live in our building, singing songs, and chatting a bit. Ian came out with some silly songs that they just loved, and they also really liked singing along with his whistling. It has been these simple moments, of being with the kids of the community, whether singing, sitting, or playing soccer, that have had the most impact on both of us, I think (I can only really speak for myself, but I know that Ian has really enjoyed being with kids).

And so, when we leave here on Tuesday to fly home on Wednesday, we know that we have at least set up the building so that it can be finished. The trick will be to have someone take leadership to see it through. Once the clay/straw walls are dry, they will have to be plastered, which the earth block crew will be able to easily do. I will arrange for Lucho to come after we have left, to install the composting toilets, and more importantly, to educate teachers, students, and the community at large.

For myself, having been here so long, I think I am taking the delays a bit more easily than Ian, since every day has been like this since my arrival, but with Ian’s condensed time of two weeks, he has been frustrated by the perpetual delays. I really hope we have a good turn-out today, so we can have a few wall sections completely finished before leaving.

I am finally coming to terms with my imminent departure- while it will be really hard to leave this wonderful place, I am starting to think about home and work and my other life more, and it feels alright. My two month stint has rolled along at quite a satisfactory pace- it has gone neither too fast nor too slow- just right.