Sri Lanka reconciliation build, 5-11th August 2012

(click on photos to enlarge)

On day 1, the Sri Lankan rep,Tony welcomed all participants to Negombo, a small seaside fishing village. We were given a bag of goodies with a name tag, golf cap, T-shirt and drink bottle. Our work shirts were issued earlier in NZ. They were very practical, fast drying and easy to wash, i.e. if you remembered to bring some soap powder!

At the site, we were formally welcomed by dancers in traditional costumes and beating of drums. Ayubowan!

The site was situated on a coconut plantation, about 30 minutes from our hotel. Apparently the land was donated  to Habitat, Sri Lanka by the owner, a French man.

Our contingent of 97 Kiwis out numbered the Japanese, Australians, Americans and British by a wide margin. The Olympic Games seems to be a bigger attraction in London and the American contingent didn't make it because they owe people 14 trillion or something!  

The children at the site put up a concert show to welcome the 300 participants.

Then followed by speeches from the welcoming committee and politicians. The temporary hall serves also as our dining room for tea breaks and lunch for a week and also used for the closing ceremonies on 11th August.

This is the house my team will build over the next few days. The foundation, posts and door frames had already been laid with some brick walls partially built. Other building materials like bricks, sand, tiles and wood were already on site.

We inspected the foundation of house #5. Every one in our team was so excited and ready to start building, the next day.

At each house, a toilet and a well with a hand pump has been completed. We used the hand pump to draw water for mixing cement for mortar and concrete for the floors.

Some members from NZ did not know how to use this type of toilet. It has no seat, no flush mechanism or toilet paper!

Day 2

On day 2, we arrived by bus at 8 a.m dressed for work for a full 8 hour shift.

Christine learned to build a brick wall.

We met the owner of house #5, Anna Subramaniam, a widow struggling to bring up three sons. She was diabetic and working part time as a cleaner at a local hotel. There was no way that she could afford to buy a house in Sri Lanka any time soon.

Please click on the photo on the right to enlarge, for reading her story.

Sieving sand for mixing mortar for use with the brick walls.

I was ready with my drink bottle. We have been advised to drink at least 3 bottles of mineral water a day to avoid dehydration when working in the hot tropical sun.

The reinforced concrete window frame was lifted by 5 men with much huffing and puffing. This window will probably last 100 years! Most window frames in NZ are made of aluminium or wood.

More huffing and puffing at the Haka practice at the hotel at 5.30 p.m.

Day 3

We added more bricks to the walls all around. Installed one more louvre window at the front and continued adding bricks to the walls until we reached the roof line.

A Sri Lankan contract mason helped us to keep the walls straight and upright. He used a plumb line, whereas our Kiwi builders preferred to use a spirit level. My job was to fill in the holes after they moved on. I also helped to build scaffolding, mixed the mortar, moved bricks and keeping them wet in a bucket of water before using.

Greg came from Nelson on the South Island. He is a builder by trade; but he did not use a plumb line. His walls were also straight and vertical.

Japanese group

Tea break twice a day at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. There were snacks and coffee available. We refilled our drink bottles with water from a cooler. It was also a chance to exchange notes with builders of other houses and try to make some new [friends].

Our doctor on site is Kat. She had a busy time treating [patients] for sunburnt, sprains and a host of other complaints.

That looks not so bad.

She also did the daily head count on the bus and led the sing alongs.

Most of the walls were up to the required height by the end of the third day. It was a small one bedroom house; but there was plenty for me to do as a roustabout, mixing mortar, moving bricks, scaffolding and doing house keeping.

Day 4

Today we will add the roof beams and the tiles.

Pips and Anna painted the roof beams with anti termites chemicals. The wood was made from coconut tree trunks.

We added more scaffolding to install the roof beams.

This part is done mostly by the Sri Lankan contract builders. We formed a line and gave them the tiles. They placed them on the roof beams. No nails were needed.

The roof is taking shape.

I have also hung a red cloth on the top most roof beam for good luck for the people living in house #5.

No nails were required to install the tiles. A demonstration model was constructed on site to show exactly how the tiles were put in place on the cross beams.

Contractors laid the tiles because we were told not to climb up on the roof beams. So, we built the walkway outside, raked and levelled the compound around the house and dismantled all the scaffolding not in use.

Tiles laid. This house is now completed. The doors and windows are installed by local professioal carpenters.

An inside view of the roof.        

Concrete walkway to the outside toilet was completed with decorations of fern leaves and puaua shells. We used the pebbles from the sieving.

We added a small garden for the house owner to plant veges when she moves in next week. The rocks were actually meant for construction of the play ground and community centre, next month. This follow up work will be done by Tony and the Sri Lankan Habitat people. Kiwis move on to our next build, probably Fiji, Vietnam, or Cambodia. Care to join us, next year?

Day 5

Today is the day for handling over the key to the owner. We were all dressed in our Sunday best for the occasion.

Pips is 83 years old and I am 68. He came from Blenheim on the South Island and he was our oldest builder. We clicked as soon as we met at Auckland airport while waiting for our flight on 3rd August, 2012. He taught me to do the high-5 and other fun things like drinking Carlsberg beer instead of water.

The completed house looks good! It has room for extension to add a second bedroom on the left side. If the owner wishes to do so in the future, he can knock out one wall for a door and he will have a 2 bedroom house with a dining room at the rear.

The team with Anna on the last day.

Another team with their family.

They couldn't wait for their house to be built and have been living in this shack on the site for the past few months, guarding the site and materials.

The Japanese team on stage. There was not enough room for the Kiwi team of 97 to perform the Haka. We did it outside on an open space.

A reward for our efforts, to be shared among 97 participants!

The hand over ceremonies.

Another group photo for the album before cutting the ribbon.

Each member had a turn at [cutting] the ribbon.

Anna finally cut it and we entered the house for a ceremony.

We lit an oil lamp

and boiled some coconut milk for good luck.

We said a short prayer together, wishing Anna all the best for her future.

One final photo and then we board the bus for our hotel. Tomorrow, Christine and I begin a 5 day tour of Sri Lanka before going home to NZ. We intended to see some elephants, visit a tea plantation and see a tooth of Buddha.