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Published: July 31st 2010
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farofa plant
This is where the women work. They start with one ton of casava, a root vegetable, and peel as fast as they can. Hello followers of our adventure!
Today was the final day of work for us at the build site. After a long week of arduous work, we said good-bye to the locals and good-bye to shovels and wheelbarrows! I promised to give you more information about the families moving into the houses, so here it is:
In the poor city of Feira Nova, the women of the community got together to form a women's council to address the issues they were facing. On the top of their list, the most important need and desire of these families was to have a house of their own. Renting is expensive and conditions are poor and sometimes they get ripped off. Habitat for Humanity got in contact with these women and together they formed a plan, 100 houses for 100 families. With land donated from the government, donations to Habitat, donations from groups like ours, and payments from the families who will occupy the houses, it cost about $8,000 to build one house. Unfortunately, there is still a disparity between funds needed and funds recieved.
The women in the community go to work 5-6 days a week working in terrible conditions. Certainly
women working
The peeled casava is ground down in several different processes to make farofa, a fine powder that is used all over Brazil as a seasoning on food. no one is concerned with their safety, health, or welfare while the toil away sitting practically on the floor peeling away at mandioca all day. For their hard work, they recieve about the equivilant of about $25 a week. Unfortunately, many of these women are victims of domestic abuse, with their husbands spending their hard earned money on alcohol and gambling. The smokey atmosphere and potentially poisonous materials are hard on their health, but this is one of the only jobs available.
Every day some of these women would sacrifice going to work to come help build with us. Their excitement and enthusiasm helped to keep us going, even when we were hot, tired, and sore. Even some of the children of the community would come to help, though many of them were barefoot walking through the worksite while we were outfitted in work boots, hats, gloves knee pads. We had fresh filtered water brought in, while some of the children would fill jugs of dirty water from giant holes dug in the ground. But still, they worked as hard, if not harder, than anyone else around with no complaints.
The lives these people lead are not easy,
more workers
The women work long and hard hours for very little money, in strenuous and rough conditions. The air is heavy with smoke and was hard on our lungs even in the short time we were there. and are based on survival. Luckily most children do go to school, and more and more children are going on to university than ever before. There is hope here in the small city of Feira Nova, all you have to do is look into the eyes of a child to see it.
The foundations and house we worked on were the last in a set of 20. Once 20 houses are built, they will start delivering the houses to the families, and our Habitat director, Antonio, said families will be moving in to the houses in about 2 months once plumbling and electricity have been installed. This is an exciting time for all involved, as finally a light is on the horizon after months of hard work on the part of the Habitat for Humanity team, and the locals who helped to bulid the neighborhoods they will soon inhabit. It is easy to picture children running around the community, playing soccer, tending to animals, and walking to school while the mothers run the household.
This experience has been amazing and eye-opening for all of us on Team Thrivent, and we have many people to thank for making this
more bricks
Rosemary and Marladene working hard laying bricks. trip a success.
Thank you Antonio and Joana, our directors from Habitat for Humanity, for arranging our hotels and dinners, all of which were nicer than we could have expected, and for being the support and go-to persons for all of our needs.
Thank you João and Isabella, our hotel propriators, who told us the first day to feel like we are at home. Our stay was more than comfortable, breakfast was delicious, and thanks to you, we did feel like this was our home.
Thank you Valfrido, our bus driver and companion.
Thank you Reginaldo, Dunga, Pastor Wilson, and all the masons for your hard work and expertise. Without you, the houses would have easily been lopsided and full of leaks from the rain.
Thank you Mark and Bobby, our fearless leaders, for organizing this trip and keeping us safe and fed, and for being the amazing example of what hard work really is. No one on our team worked harder and we were lucky to have such kind leaders.
Thank you Thrivent Financial, for bringing us together on this special trip, and for you generous donation to our build.
Thank you,
red team
Team Thrivent taking a well deserved break in the shade. thank you, thank you to all our friends and family! Your support and love has sustained us from the beginning stages of planning the trip, through the final brick layed.
Most of all, thanks to God. There is no doubting the divine inspiration that brings people from all over the United States together in Brazil to build houses for those who need it. We know You were there everyday encouraging us to keep working, keeping the hard rains away, and spreading Your love through us.
When we arrive home in the U.S. we will post more pictures and thoughts about the trip, as here it is difficult to get an internet connection that is strong and fast enough to load many photos.
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jan
non-member comment
awesome
What an awesome job you all have done! Amazing how your giving will help others so in need, be proud of that generosity. Thankyou Derek for the blogs, quite interesting and informative. Wishing you all the best and safe travels home jan:)