Pre-Boarding Announcement

I have twenty-four hours until departure and Air Canada has just issued a couple spectacular boarding passes. 

Let the adventure commence!   

♥ jp

Let's Build It!

With only one week until departure, the anticipation is definitely building! Our team has received a number of important updates over the last week, some of which are: the addition of a new team member, our anticipated itinerary, confirmation of our accommodation, and finally, the details regarding the family that is in need of a safe, clean and affordable home.

Nerea standing outside of her family home.

First and foremost, I’d like to introduce to you the Habitat for Humanity partner family. Nerea is an 80 year old grandmother who lives in a small village in the Roma Valley, where she cares for three orphaned grandchildren, ages 19, 16 and 12. Their home is a hut, made of mud and stones, with thatch roofing, cracked walls, covered windows (which prevent proper ventilation) and no access to sanitation facilities, all of which increase the family's risk of serious health concerns. Nerea has lost three of her four children and her only surviving child, a daughter, lives in a nearby village (with her husband and child). To support her family, Nerea works to supplement her pension by tending to nearby agricultural fields. She is paid 60 Lesotho Loti ($6 CAD) for two days work and due to a recent drought, she has not been able to earn significant wages. All of her grandchildren attend school, but the education of her eldest grandson is no longer supported by the Ministry of Education (as he has struggled with his academics), so Nerea pays for his school fees in order to support his future.

For more information regarding the Orphaned & Vulnerable Children Project with Habitat for Humanity Lesotho, click here.

Global Village Canada - www.habitatglobalvillage.ca

Our team has not yet been provided with the specific details regarding the build plans, or our build tasks, but I do know that I am eager to help Nerea's family. We expect that the construction will include work relating to concrete blocks and mortar as this was mentioned in previous documents received from HFH Lesotho. Regardless of the type of work, I suspect there will be a number of blissfully dishevelled smiles in my future! The first Canadian GV team of volunteers just returned from Lesotho; should you be interested, see the HFH Lesotho Facebook page for photos. 

Our team has received confirmation of our accommodation while in Lesotho.We will be staying in a modest guesthouse that offers basic, clean, bed & breakfast style accommodation with shared facilities. In 1903, the guest house was established as a pioneering trading post and donkeys are still herded to the store daily, to bring gain for grinding. Horsemen still visit the trading post while cattle, pigs and chickens roam freely. For some reason, I feel like I’m about to travel through time. 

In only a few short days, I’ll be preparing for a 36 hour journey to Southern Africa, covering a flight distance of more than 14,400 km.  I know that I have prepared as best as anyone possibly can. As with previous builds, I also know that this experience is not only going to change the lives of a family in need, it is going to change me. I am so grateful for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to the many adventures, challenges, and precious moments of the journey ahead.   ♥ jp

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

To support the Habitat for Humanity build in Lesotho, please see My Fundraising Page!

Note: Donations are being accepted until the end of March.

Where Are We Building?

While specific details have been slow to arrive from Habitat for Humanity Lesotho, it has been confirmed that our build team will be based in the Roma Valley, approximately 35 km from the country’s capital city of Maseru.

Roma is a small valley town that was established by missionaries in the 1860s. While the town of Roma is considered to be the educational and spiritual heart of Lesotho, it is primarily an agricultural area surrounded by a barrier of broad, rugged, sandstone mountains. An exciting bit of geological information...I might have an opportunity to walk among dinosaur footprints!

Images of Roma Valley, Lesotho

Packing, Weather & Currency

Preparation Update...

Packing: My Habitat for Humanity T-shirts!

Weather: It’s looking like our build days could be an interesting mix of warm-n-humid with potential for daily thunderstorms. I’ve packed an umbrella and a rain parka...but not my wellies, as I'm hoping I won't need them!

Currency: The South African Rand is quite possibly the most thrilling currency I have ever held in my hand! Exchange rate: 1 CAD = 10.2 ZAR. The equivalent to our "toonie" features Nelson Mandela and an African Elephant! 

Our team is eagerly awaiting specific details regarding the build and partner family...and with only a couple weeks until departure, I should have more information soon!   ♥ jp

To make a financial donation and support the building of a home for a family in need, see:       My Fundraising Page