Raising the Roof

Our group is separated into three teams. One team goes to the school - Village of Hope, another team to the orphanage - Little Children of Jesus, a third does work at Hope House. I'm on the third team at Hope House.

We are repairing and fixing an existing structure that was damaged in the earthquake. In the process, we are making the structure of the building more efficient for other teams that come here.

We are rebuilding a workshop. It's a workshop that many volunteers in the past have worked in. Volunteers at the workshop build lots of what the kids use - such as chalkboards, desks, and so many of the items used here that can't be imported easily and need to be built here in Haiti by volunteers.

Because of the work our team is doing this week, future volunteers will get a fixed place to work without moving the 300 lb table saw back and forth. When the weather is bad outside none of that work can be done. When this current construction is complete, work in that workshop will again be ready to resume.

I was with four guys cutting wood all day. It's a joy to be out in the warm sunshine. We were working on the rafters. To take down a rundown storage space and make a new workshop. We are building the framework of the roof of the workshop. The next group will come along and finish it off - sort of like building a prefab house. We measure, cut, and build the frames and beams, the next group will assemble it all.

Additionally, the idea here is to make it more comfortable for volunteers to show up and have a place with a few creature comforts to call home after a hard day's work.

Steve