Guatemala 2010: Final Days of Building

The last two days of building continue to be full of activities as we've all moved to the San Cristobal build site. It appears there were some issues that developed with the homeowner at El Jicaro and for a number of reasons the local Habitat affiliate determined it would be best to leave the site. Many of the team members were saddened by this outcome but none the less felt a sense of accomplishment for the work done to bring the house to that point. Even the homeowner was clearly saddened as the team members who he had gotten to know were leaving.

Having both teams working at San Cristobal has made this small site quite crowded. With the extra numbers the chores of adding fill to the base of each room, along with the usual need to move rocks, cement blocks and the ever present need for making concrete has been taken over by some of our teams members that were previously at El Jicaro. For those of us having been previously working at San Cristobal, it’s back to laying blocks, filling joints, preparing re-bar and moving fill (each room has to be brought up to level in preparation for concrete floors to be poured). Some of us are teetering high up on the sketchy scaffolding; others bent over mixing and shoveling.

Polly Audrey and Armado mix cement

The Walls are going up

More mortar please!

Water....need water

Hernan, the lead mason, has been opening up more and more, asking what things are called in English, that doesn't mean he's speaking English just that he's asking cómo se dice (how do you call) and the name of the tool. Like with our Spanish skills it has taken several repeats of questions before we've been able to remember the Spanish, or in Hernan's case the English version...re-bar or "weebar" is not an easy sound for a Spanish speaker to pronounce! For the last day or so I've been working with the second mason, Hernan's son Jonas. Until recently Jonas has said very little to any of the team members but even he is softening, and occasionally interacting with me as I prepare blocks in anticipation of his building needs. As is often the case, trimming of blocks and cutting of holes is required and the tools of choice, because there isn't anything else, is a hammer or a machete. I ensure Jonas has the tools, mortar and cement blocks he needs and we quickly see the walls going up row by row. Hernan is overseeing the overall construction and Steve, who has skills in masonry, is continuing to build walls. Even Anna's brother Armado, the cement mixer with the gumboots, smiles and fills buckets of cement as team members request. This is perhaps the first day we've seen any interaction from him. We've been told he lives with Anna, was a boxer, and is a recovering alcoholic. The boxing and alcoholism may have had an impact on him but he's been here every day slugging away in the heat with the rest of us.

As the heat and humidity continues to rise we spell each other taking breaks under the mango trees on the property, Norm‘s thermometer hits 40 C in the shade. One of our team members Polly notes the mother hen has again passed with her brood of chicks, scratching at the remains of our sandwiches from lunch.

Over lunch Anna takes some of the team to visit a local church that she's very proud of. The rest of us remain at the work site having lunch and a siesta. Although we have our bag lunches, today Anna arrives with the famous Guatemalan Pollo Camparo (Fried Chicken...and a hell of alot better then Kentucky Fried Chicken). With Anna's limited income we're uncomfortable with this expenditure, but to not accept would be an insult so we graciously accept. Full from the "Pollo" we find ourselves sharing our bag lunches with Hernan, Jonas and Armado. From the amount they received I'd say that hadn't had that much for lunch in quite awhile.

Returning from lunch we continue with the build; sifting sand, moving volumes of it and cement blocks as needed. It seems we've moved all of these blocks at least three times. So be it!! While we've been working on building walls Hernan has formed up some of the corners and concrete is poured into them tying the walls together. The doorway at the front of the house is complete, as are many of the windows which were initially built too high and had to be re-worked to accommodate our homeowner's shorter stature.

Back in Guastatoya that evening we talk about what we've accomplished, the final day tomorrow, and what happened at the El Jicaro site that caused the team to leave.

Final Day
As we arrival at San Cristobal for the final mornings building I find myself thinking about how much we've accomplished, realizing that we won't be able to finish the houses we've sweat-ed and poured our blood into. Everyone is physically tired from the previous two weeks but it's been an uplifting experience that has had an impact on everyone of us. At San Cristobal we've taken a bare patch of earth that had only a simple cement block foundation and built a 5 room house that really only needs a few more course of blocks, a roof and a cement floor to be complete. To have started with only the shell of the foundation and to have seen it grow though our efforts has been incredible as has the looks on the faces of Anna and her family as they move closer to having this new home.

Hernan working on the front wall of the house

Jonas appreciating the work completed

As we completed the mornings work we learned that issues had been ironed out with our El Jicaro homeowner "Alex" and he'd be present for the farewell closing ceremonies. For team members that knew him and had worked at that site the cloud had been lifted and they be able to leave without lingering unresolved issues.In their absence, metal beams had been welded in place, the roof had been installed and a portion of the house had a coat of cement parged over the blocks. Following the closing ceremonies a number of that team visited the El Jicaro house and had a chance to see the current state of the build. So close to move in ready.

As an end to our build the local affiliate had arranged a farewell. A band had been brought in, their were local government officials giving speeches, and our families were given an opportunity to say a few words. It was clear by their comments, and the emotion in their voices and on their faces that we'd had a big impact in these two short weeks. A few gifts were given, a few words translated and it was time to say goodbye. Photos all around and it was time to go. As we left I found myself thinking, that was some of the hardest work I'd ever done. I'd do it again in a heartbeat !!!