Houses are for People

The people who receive our help to build homes are required to invest their labor in the project too. For the Habitat teams this provides a unique opportunity to put a human face to the tsunami response and work side by side with the families they are trying to help.



House 'number one' sits very close to the mangrove, set against a wooden shack that currently houses the future owners. They are an older couple but full of energy and vibrancy - there names are Sunathra and Somobasa. Four of our Habitat team's finest girls are on the scene to help with plaster cement. Skilled tradesmen are working inside the rooms to apply the plaster, and one of the girls decides to give it a go herself. Her lack of experience is negated by some quick on the job training and before too long the plaster is sticking to the walls exactly as it should. Outside the other girls are sifting sand - a task requiring considerable strength and great deal of repetition. Sunathra has just finished fetching water from the daily red cross service, about a kilometre round trip carrying a 20 litre jug, but takes no rest before she steps in to assist in the sand sifting. His eagerness to work is infectious and gives all of us a great sense of drive.

Further along the mangroves house 'number three' finally has a finished roof frame and it's time to start setting the tiles. The tiles were delivered to the front yard of one house and we need to move them to the back yard of another. A small band of us grab a handful of tiles and walk them around, each trip carrying between 3 and 6 tiles. Priyantha, a young and fit Sri Lankan, is helping to build the house for his sister and he grabs 12 at a time. His pace is exhausting just to look at let alone emulate! His youngest son, Adisha, is just 4 years old but even he decides to carry a few roof tiles for us. Everyone is pitching in. It is an important part of the Habitat program that owners must provide 'sweat equity'. 500 hours of labor are committed to the building by the recipient family, and that total can be contributed by themselves, their friends, the community, or relatives.

When the tiles have been relocated it's time to get them on the frame. Priyantha shows his commitment once again; he climbs up a support pole and straddles the roof with nimble confidence. The rest of us form a chain to feed the tiles up and we can barely keep pace with the laying. The elder son, Nilanga, has returned home from primary school, dressed in his best whites and shorts, and without changing clothes he jumps into the line and starts handing forward the tiles. The children see our participation, and their father's, and are excited to join in. Little Nilanga cannot stop smiling and every time he passes on a tile he earnestly offers a "Thank you" in his best English. The joy is a little infectious and we are all smiling and laughing. For a short while we have forgotten about the heat and humidity. It is a special moment and we feel privileged to be a part of it.

At the conclusion of the day young Adisha has confiscated someone's tools and mimics the task of shovelling sand from one pile to another - even though the tool is taller then he is. His father's example has clearly made an impression even at this early age.