The generator blew up because of overload and 45 degree heat – but the volunteers haven’t dropped yet. Hard to believe we are still up at 5.30 after the very late and stupendously successful Haven’s Got Talent. It was full of surprises, not least for one woman whose boyfriend got up to play the Lonely Boatman on his tin whistle, and then proceeded to recite a poem. While we all thought, nice idea but not really appropriate for the kind of entertainment we need right now, the poem went on, me thinking it was a tribute to his mother, only to end with him taking something out of his pocket and making a very novel and public marriage proposal to the unsuspecting girlfriend. If you could capture the look of shock on all the girls in the room, and the resounding applause and cheers – it was the first OMG moment of the night. The finale, which apparently was on youtube within half an hour, was the FULL Full monty, with a cracking line up of Haven’s Finest. They were the Finishes Team and what a finish, they won of course, and gamely gave us an encore to remember.
Saturday morning and some of us are still working to get the houses ready for handover to the families, each team has prepared a house and we have left a variety of sleeping bags, tools, boots, torches, towels and goodies in them. All are painted and the doors festooned with ribbons, each family has arrived dressed in their finest, there is a mixture of bewilderment and relief, tears and many cheers, when each ribbon is cut. After hours of ceremony in the killing midday heat we move on to open the playground, and the rush of children in to try out the slides and swings for the first time, make the weeks toil so worth it. For these children, it is not the roof on the house that makes all the difference but the play space dedicated solely to them. I think I’m too hot and tired to get emotional about the handover, these are happy moments for the families and I need all my energy just to keep moving, it isn’t until we go down to the school and during Leslie’s speech to open the basketball court that I have to reach for the hem of my t-shirt. At 65, he tells us this is the second happiest day of his life, after his wedding day, and dedicates the basketball court to a brave sportsman, Stuart Mangan, in whose memory a plaque is erected. The overflowing goodness, untiring enthusiasm of the sticky, hot and smelly volunteers has come full circle. We make our way to our buses and one more long journey to the Dominican Republic.
During the week our teams had started their own initiatives to help many of the families and orphans and orphans we met. Declan, one of the head foremen, told us all about the condition of the toilet block in the school and proposed a small donation from each of us – to arrange to build 6 new cubicles, with running water. This plan got even more ambitious and cost effective, when Ronan Plumber in Chief got involved and devised a plan to link the pump and generator from the houses to the school. That day we raised double the amount required, over six thousand dollars, and that meant we could expand the power and water facilities to the houses as well. After one of our visits to a local family who could not afford to send their children to school, the Painting Team, spearheaded by my painting mate, Brendan, raised enough funds to send each of them to school for five years to ensure they all finish their education, the money is given over to Farah, the local community liaison, who will make all the arrangements and keep us up to date.
Monaghan Muriel of the infamous Plumbing and Electrical Team rounded up the lads for a few quick-fire sessions of Texas Hold-Em, with her inimitable scamming techniques she relieved them of 1,000 dollars which, with great pride and love, was given to Mauviette for her orphanage. Through other anonymous donations, Leslie announced that a house is now being bought for the orphanage to house 100 children. Change has come.
Just one more blog to go!
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