After a couple of weeks of Spanish lessons, Nick joined our ‘Houses to Homes' project where he was soon hard at work...

Week one
So, this is my first week on site, with three other Brits, Paul, Samantha and Kath. On Monday we were with some Canadians and we dug out the footings for a semi detached. I say semi, its 13x38ft with a dividing wall.
 
On Tuesday we were moved to another site to start a detached house, 19x13ft. Its 100 yards up a hill from the dirt track road and that is where all the blocks, sand etc are left. All day kids from 4 years old to about 12 years, with older women and mothers were carrying up sand to save us from doing it! Paul and I went to get some tools and there were two kids there, nothing unusual, lots of kids here, but these were dressed in t-shirts and nothing else. I knew this kid of poverty existed before I came, we have all seen pictures on the TV, but knowing and seeing are two different things altogether.

Week two
My second week on site and a new crew - two Canadians, five Americans and three Brits. The Canadians and us Brits went off to build the top house that Sam, Paul, Kath and I dug the foundations for last week. Each team tried to be first to finish and the prize for the winner - help the others to finish! There was plenty of banter and a good chat afterwards. This week has been easier - I was very busy having inherited the angle grinder and the block cutting duties from Paul!
 
Riding home one night on the back of the pick up we wondered how much of the outside world the locals knew. They have the radio and access to TV, so who knows. One of the girls in our family had asked the Canadian woman if she lived in a house.

The days went by fast and the house grew stage by stage and by Friday we had reached the final stage - putting on the roof, the door and windows, and painting. Ours was blue outside and green inside. All the kids were helping to paint. The closer we got to finishing the more and more excited they got. So proud, so happy and with such big smiles.

Back home this building would have an up and over door and I would keep my car in it. How can it be that they are so happy? I splashed on the last bit of paint, one for Sam, Kath and Paul who weren't there and went round the back for a quiet moment.
 
The family are so grateful, we were invited into their old house and they laid on a spread for us. Enough chairs were found and we were treated to salad, rice, chicken and tortillas washed down with Bravah beer. A real feast - we all tucked in and ate up.
 
Then the handing over of the keys. Presents and letters of thanks from the family. Hugs, kisses and more lumps in the throat before we departed on the back of the pickup, leaving very happy smiling faces behind.
 
Those happy smiling faces will live for a long time in my memory.