Shower: To Be, or Not To Be...

One month until departure…and packing has commenced! I already have a pair of broken-in work boots, but I did recently purchase a few work clothes (awesome thrift store finds) as well as a couple pairs of tough, yet comfortable, work gloves. I was told to hold-off on purchasing the portable solar-shower, which may mean we don’t need one. Horray! An actual shower at the end of a hot-n-dirty workday is a complete and welcome luxury!! To be honest, on previous builds, it was the time of day that made me feel the most like myself. The routine felt familiar and grounded me on days that were emotionally intense or physically exhausting. Those few minutes alone to relax and process the events of the day were re-energizing and propelled me into each new build day. Man, I hope we have access to a shower!

Packing!

I’ve also collected a few other items: a poncho, journal, first-aid & laundry supplies, insect repellent, a refillable water bottle and chocolate protein bars. It’s an interesting perspective to pack for a trip, knowing your suitcases will be a lot lighter on the return journey. On a previous Global Village build, our team left behind sleeping bags, pillows, mosquito nets, books, footwear, clothes and so on…it was really quite incredible to witness 16 people donating most of what they had brought with them from Canada. 

Oh, some very exciting news...I learned that our post-build R&R activity includes a bush walk! Seriously. Me, trekking through a national park...in Africa! I wonder if lions can sense which people are about to faint from pure joy. Sometimes, life simply amazes me. Apocolyst...check!

Yesterday, I received an update from our team leader and was encouraged to learn that all of our original volunteers are still confirmed to go! Yeeee-A team!! We still haven’t received details regarding the build location, the partner family, where we are staying or the specific project work…so much of our plan remains unclear. Having said that, the very first Canadian HFH team has arrived and is currently building in Lesotho! As they didn’t receive firm details regarding their build until 1 week prior to departure, we are expecting the same. I'll be thinking of them and am so very eager to learn more about their experience.

Fundraising...I need something resembling a touchdown happy dance because I can't express my gratitude enough. Each donation is helping “build hope”! Thank you so very much for your support. Additional donations are greatly appreciated and will be accepted until the end of March! Click on My Fundraising Page to donate! 

As always, I'll be in touch when I know more. Until then, you'll likely find me preparing...and wish'in-n-hope'in for a shower.

♥ jp

Bravery? I don't think so.

My arm hurts! I dropped by The Travel Clinic yesterday and, it’s official, they've freaked me out. I was provided with a list of twenty-seven potential disease concerns, including their risk factors, preventative measures and vaccination recommendations. Thankfully, the consultant determined that I only required one additional vaccination, an update for Typhoid Fever (to prevent food and waterborne illness due to salmonella). The initial injection was quick and painless, but after a few hours my left arm seemed to disapprove of movement. In addition to the vaccination, The Travel Clinic also recommended Dukoral, an oral vaccine to prevent e-coli related illness and Malarone as an anti-malarial medication. I was also provided with confirmation of my Yellow Fever vaccination (often requested and sometimes required when travelling within Africa), as well as a list of helpful suggestions for my first aid kit. As a few considerations are extremely low risk, I am resolved to ignore the words “scorpions”, “snakes” and “spiders”!  

I had an opportunity this week to extend my 30 hour stop-over in Cape Town, and while the city offers many tempting sites to explore, the idea of travelling on my own made me feel a bit uneasy. This island girl has adapted well to her life in rural PEI and I’m not entirely comfortable in large cities, let alone those in a foreign destination. Someone recently told me that I'm “brave” to be going on this adventure. To be honest, I’m nervous-as-heck...this type of experience definitely tests your comfort zones and challenges your perspective.

In other news, I have reached my initial fundraising goal!! Thank you to everyone that is supporting this build! Both your donations and encouraging words are truly appreciated. Given my current apprehensive state, a recent note had my eyes glistening, "You are doing a great thing for humanity. God bless you."


I received a recent inquiry regarding the allocation of donated funds, so after contacting my team leader, I thought I’d share additional information to provide more clarity.

For each participant of the Habitat Lesotho build, the Global Village tour costs are distributed as follows:

• Charitable Donation (Habitat Lesotho & Habitat Canada): 37%, or approximately $1000 per participant.
• Local Arrangements: accommodation (18%), transport (10%) and meals (15%).This works out to approximately $95/day, most of which provides economic support to local families. For example, on a previous build our team stayed in basic, dormitory style rooms with shared bathrooms (previously a convent) and meals were basic and prepared on-site by local volunteers. Our van drivers became part of our team, and we learned that they were often away from their families for months at a time.
• Additional/Miscellaneous: 20%. This includes expenses related to participant insurance, cultural events, health & safety supplies, coordinator meals/accommodation, contingency, in-country coordination, emergency cell phone service, etc. 
• Labour: FREE! J
• In addition to the Global Village tour costs, volunteers are responsible for the post-build R&R activity (mandatory, as the volunteer experience can be intense), return airfare, personal insurance and all other travel related expenses.

I hope the information is helpful, and as always, should you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to let me know. 

Only six weeks until departure! Anyone know where I can find some bold, daring and boundless courage? I'm packing, and might need to fill a suitcase.

♥ jp

To donate to Habitat for Humanity and support the build in Lesotho, see: My Fundraising Page!

LOL

Learning More About Lesotho

Welcome to the New Year!! I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful holiday with friends and family. In my quiet time over the holiday, I learned a bit more about Lesotho and I thought I’d share a few details, but before I start, I just wanted forward my thanks to the sponsors of this build. Due to the generous nature of friends, family and coworkers, I am currently at 57% of my fundraising goal!! Imma start'in the new year optimistic and profoundly grateful...thank you, thank you, and Kea leboha!

Our Team Update

In December, I received our second team newsletter which contained a wealth of information including an introduction to our twelve team members. Among them are: an Irish cabinet maker from Vancouver, a commercial real estate analyst from Toronto, a Romanian Project Manager for a large construction company, a bartender working on her PhD in Global Development specializing in fetal and maternal health, a teacher of English as a second language, and a social worker for a non-profit organization. Of the twelve team members, nine have participated in previous Global Village builds! I have a feeling I am going to learn a lot on this adventure.

Learning about Lesotho

I have recently realized that this will be my first trip south of the equator! It's going to feel strange to experience the beginning of autumn in March! As Lesotho is an alpine region with a temperate climate, the country experiences all four seasons (including cold, harsh winters). In summer, the valley temperatures can exceed 30C (while the alpine regions can drop below freezing) and dramatic thunderstorms are common.

Lesotho (pronounced, le-soo-too) is known as the “The Mountian Kingdom” or the “Kingdom in the Sky”. The country's area is approximately 30,588 square kilometres, about 5.4 times larger than Prince Edward Island, with a population of approximately 1.8 million. If you’d like a visual, check out this beautiful drone footage of a Basotho pony trek. 

As you may have noticed from the video, Lesotho’s most significant natural resource is water. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project generates almost 100% of Lesotho’s electricity and also transfers high volumes of water into neighbouring South Africa. This has a significant economic impact for Lesotho however, there are also significant environmental and social effects. Even with the seemingly abundant water supply, many of the countries citizens still do not have access to safe and clean drinking water and often have to walk for hours to reach water access points.

Agriculture is the country’s main source of livelihood with most of the citizens working in subsistence farming. Agricultural crops include a variety of grains (barley, maize, sorghum, pulses, wheat) and livestock is often raised in the highlands by herd-boys. Should you be interested, check out this short video clip depicting daily life in Lesotho. Life is basic, hard and is reminiscent of a previous century. 

Poverty housing in Lesotho is prevalent. There are several barriers that families are faced with as acquiring land is very complex and expensive and the HIV/AIDS pandemic has made people more vulnerable than ever. The need for decent housing is particularly crucial for orphans, vulnerable children, elderly caregivers and widows who are especially defenseless against forced eviction and abuse. I have posted another short video, this one is of a typical grandmother, raising two orphaned children, in a rural area with no access to electricity or clean water. In it, she is describing how charitable support is changing their lives. 

The final video, is a 35 minute clip of a documentary called The Forgotten Kingdom, which started out as a private video diary chronicling Prince Harry’s first visit to Lesotho, when he was just 19 years old. It is very moving introduction to Lesotho’s people and their hardships. Royal watchers, the crush continues...but just a word of caution, have a few tissues ready. 

In the team newsletter, we also received information regarding cultural courtesies, language, weather, services such as electricity and internet/phone availability, safety, the gift giving policy, a packing list, etc. Included was a list of traditional and staple foods such as: Papa (a starchy maize meal), Moroho (cooked, leafy greens), Bohoobe (bread), Motoho (sorghum porridge), Likahara (tripe) and Mafi (sour milk). Also included, was a list of the type of work to expect: mixing mortar, moving bricks, building walls, pouring cement floor slab, plastering interior walls, fitting window and door frames and roofing. The handbook also mentioned that there may be an opportunity to visit with the family at their previous home, which I anticipate will be an incredibly moving experience.

I imagine there will be many updates over the next few weeks as our team prepares for the journey ahead. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop me a note! Oh…almost forgot! Congratulations to The Travel Store for winning the Happy New Year Incentive! They are going to be receiving a $50 Tim Horton’s gift card as a thank you for their generosity and support of this build!! 

Cheers to all, here's to a happy-n-healthy new year! 

♥ jp

To donate and support the building of a house for a family in Lesotho, see: My Fundraising Page