Tom Tannion - Plumbing and Electrics - looks back on Build it Week

I enjoyed writing the blog whilst we were in Haiti. The adventure was a tangible opportunity to make a bit of difference in the lives of very poor people. Some weeks on, I still find it difficult to talk about certain incidents without becoming emotional:

*The random group of people in a truck who stopped and serenaded our team as we worked on the project at the school;

* The children singing and dancing for us at the orphanage;

* Seeing first hand, the sorts of houses families actually live in – and of course the handover ceremonies.

The week carried an immense amount of laughter, banter, good humour and very, very hard work. We were a self-contained community living and working in and around a small compound. A dedicated team prepared our meals. With little structure and a lot of creativity we made our own entertainment and we quickly became cohesive teams intent on meeting the goals that had been set. When I described our achievements to an American colleague he said: “Wow! Sounds like ‘Habitat for Humanity’ on steroids!” That’s fairly apt.

Other than the aches and pains of hard work and fitful nights of sleeping in the heat, I suffered little. A fungal infection of my foot (“very common” said the on-site doctor) and scalded knees from going to the toilet at lunchtime – taller volunteers will know what I mean! I thank and applaud the generosity of spirit of all who went to Haiti and for those who provided sponsorship. My verdict?

I’ve already got the Haiti October 2010 week in my diary – guess that says it all.