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海外建築ボランティア体験談
Overseas Building Volunteer Report

Overseas Building Volunteer Report

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2008年03月 一覧

New Zealand: Kyoto Gaidai Nishi Habitat Club （京都外大西高校）

Team NameKyoto Gaidai Nishi Habitat Club (Kyoto Gaidai Nishi High School)
CountryNew Zealand
Central North Island
Work siteOtorohanga
1 Families
Single storey, tri-panel construction
Itinerary12 Day(s)
23-Mar 2008(SUN) ～ 03-Apr 2008(THU)
MemberTotal: 13
Adult(M): 2 , Adult(F): 2, High School(M): 1, High School(F): 8
ExpenseTraveling:138830 JPY（taxes included）/person
In-country:7103 JPY（taxes included）/person/day
RouteKansai-->Kuala Lumpur (Malaysian)
Kuala Lumpur-->Auckland (Malaysian)
Report Our group left Kansai International Airport on March 23rd and traveled to Auckland, New Zealand via Kuala Lumpur, arriving on the morning of the 24th. We were met there by our local coordinator, Shirley Bennett and her husband, who then drove us in two rented vans to our build site in the picturesque little country town of Otorohanga, some two and a half hours to the southwest. Aftera very long trip, we were all very tired, so following a brief orientation, we retired to our rooms at the Palm Court Motel. This motel is conveniently located at the edge of the commercial district and was less than ten minutes on foot from our build site. It was very clean, spacious and comfortable and the staff were kind and helpful, but oddly there were no closets or chests of draweres to keep our clothes in - so we lived out our suitcases the whole time.
The morning following our arrival we went straight to work. We helped to build a single storey, three bedroom, tri-panel home for the Tane family. Iwas very impressed by how easily and well our hight school members caught on to the work and fit in, working in harmony with the local volunteers and staff. The Kiwis were happily surprised too, as a previous negative experience with a junior high group from another Asian county had made the Central North Island chapter wary of accepting secondary school aged groups. We helped with every aspect of construction except installing the electrical system.
Also very impressive was how quickly we could build such a solid and substantial house. The method of the construction seemed little differnt from a comparable professionally built house in Japan or the US. By the time we left, the exterior was nearly finished and the interior was well on it's way.
Seven members of our tema (two adults and five students) could only stay for five full days in NZ due to other commitments. So they only had a half day of R&R in the afternoon of their last building day (3/28). The highlight was visiting a native bird park in town that is famous for its successful kiwi (the bird) breeding program. The rest of us had a whole weekend. On Saturday, March 29th, while the gang of seven reluctantly returned to Auckland, we visited one of the famous glow worm caves in Waitomo and attended the annual sheep muster in the town of Te Kuiti. The sheep muster is the highlight of a town fair in withich over 2000 sheep are herded along the main street of the town, On Sunday, we visited Rotorua, the tourist center which is famous for its hot springs, geysers and Maori cultre.
As for our meals, we took care of our own breakfast, stocking up at the supermarket that is across the street from the motel. But lunches and morning and afternoon teas were catered by local volunteers led by Ann, who welcomed us into her cozy home most evenings to enjoy her traditional New Zealand style home cooking, heaty and simple fare that included rost lamb, potatoes, yams and a variety of vegetables. Lunches and teas consisted of a wide assortment of sandwiches, quiches, cakes, pies, cookies and other goodies that froced us to work very hard in order to avoid gaining too much weight. I think it was all planned...:-)
Ours was the first Japanese group ever to do a GV build in New Zealand and for all of the members except myself, it was our first build. It was a wonderful and rewarding experience and satisfaction from having extended what they had presumed to be the limits of their abilities (and perhaps even discovering some new talents!). The Tane house is Otorohang stands as an accomplishement that we can all be proud of. We wish the Tane family many many happy years there!
Our heartfelt thanks go to all of the NZ volunteers and staff who made us feel at home and who patiently guided us along in our tasks, Till we meet again...Kia ora!
PhotoUpper left: with homeowners
Upper right: building
Lower left: finished building
Lower right: hotel


* Click the image to zoom-in.

投稿者: Habitat for Humanity Japan 日時: 2008年03月23日 10:45



 

Philippines: Osaka JET

Team NameOsaka JET (JET Program)
CountryPhilippines
Zion Puerto Princesa Palawan Habitat for Humanity
Work siteBarangay Bahile, Palawan
107 Families
Concrete (made of concrete-interlocking-blocks)
Itinerary12 Day(s)
20-Mar 2008(THU) ～ 31-Mar 2008(MON)
MemberTotal: 11
JET(M): 4, JET(F): 7
ExpenseTraveling:88750 JPY（taxes included）/person
In-country:6800yen / person / day JPY（taxes included）/person/day
RouteOsaka-->Manila (Philippine Airlines)
Manila-->Puerto Princesa (Philippine Airlines)
Report
The Osaka JET team of 11 members flew to the Philippines to volunteer with Zion Puerto Princesa Palawan Habitat for Humanity from March 20th-31st in the wonderful village of Barangay Bahile. All team members were English teachers working through the JET Program in Japan. From the moment we all stepped off the plane in Puerto Princesa we felt as if we gained a new Filipino family. We were greeted not only with a personalized welcome sign and shell necklaces, but also such warm hugs and contagious smiles.

Soon after arrival, we were transported to our beautiful and very comfortable accommodation at the Balay Inato Hotel. Most members shared double beds in very clean rooms with hot water showers and private bathrooms. The staff members here were very friendly and the food was also quite delicious. Breakfast was provided for us every morning, bright and early!

Because it was during the Easter holidays when we arrived, we immediately began our trip with some fun R & R options. On day #1 our team did an island hopping tour in beautiful Honda Bay. On Easter Sunday, a few members had an early start to their day by attending a sunrise 4:00am Easter mass service, followed by a full day of everyone enjoying sightseeing around the famous Underground River.

After a well organized orientation and briefing by the Palawan Habitat for Humanity members, we traveled to our work site for another amazing warm welcome. The village had prepared dances, songs, flower necklaces, introduced us to the home owners and skilled builders and much more entertainment to welcome us into their community. Wow, were we impressed and excited to begin!

Next it was time to begin the work we had come to do… brick by brick, time to build some homes! Even though it was very sunny and hot everyday, our team worked hard for 6 days to nearly complete building three concrete homes in the village where there had been 107 homes already built. Every morning, we traveled to our work site by jeepney, accompanied by our two friendly security guards, numbering off, singing songs, playing games, enjoying the gorgeous scenery, with the wind blowing through our hair. This one hour ride every morning and evening was a great time for team bonding! On site, we were able to become involved in almost every part of the home construction process, which included mixing cement, making the interlocking concrete blocks, excavation, tree planting, foundation laying, cement pouring, brick laying and more. It was amazing to see the houses grow more complete day by day. And yes, our muscles did grow as well! We worked and sweat side by side with skilled friendly Filipino builders as well as the dedicated home owners. Even though none of us had ever built a home before, everyone on site was so patient and kind to help teach us every step of the way (even if we did make many mistakes!). During our work days we were provided with home-cooked delicious Filipino lunches and snacks. Fresh fish, tropical fruits, tender meats, scrumptious vegetarian options… oh so much wonderful food! During our break times, our team loved playing and getting dirty with the children too! Towards the end of our week, each team member was also individually assigned to a homestay family where we had the unforgettable opportunity to spend an evening living together in the community.

Within the community our team was also lucky to be invited to two school graduations. We also attended the city foundation day celebration. We joined in the parade, watched the children’s performances, as well as entertained the crowd with our own songs and crazy Japanese dances! During the week we visited the Iwahig Prison and a crocodile farm. On another evening our team was generously invited for dinner at one of the Habitat for Humanity board of director’s homes, followed by a bit of disco dancing with our Habitat ladies!

Our final day on-site, we had a lively warm-hearted farewell party with the community and Habitat for Humanity members. More dancing, singing, birthday celebrating, hugs, tears, smiles, prayers, thankful words, laughs, smeared cake on faces, stories shared, photos and lots of fun were had by all. The evening finished with yet another huge delicious feast to feed us all. It was hard to believe the build was over.

After the build, most members traveled north to enjoy the unspoiled tropical paradise of El Nido and the surrounding islands for a few days. A perfect ending to a perfect trip! So many great memories were made that will last for a lifetime. We are already all looking forward to returning to Palawan again… hopefully someday soon! Thanks for everything Palawan Habitat for Humanity and our Bahile community! We’ll miss you!

PhotoUpper left: with homeowners
Upper right: building
Lower left: finished building
Lower right: hotel



* Click the image to zoom-in.

投稿者: Habitat for Humanity Japan 日時: 2008年03月20日 17:38



 

Philippines: Hokkaido JETs

Team NameHokkaido JETs (Hokkaido JETs)
CountryPhilippines
GMM (Greater Metro Manila)
Work siteSNKI-Agape, Camarin, Caloocan City
12 Families
two-storey houses made from concrete hollow blocks
Itinerary15 Day(s)
15-Mar 2008(SAT) ～ 29-Mar 2008(SAT)
MemberTotal: 10
Adult(M): 1 , JET(M): 5, JET(F): 4
ExpenseTraveling:79600 JPY（taxes included）/person
In-country:5000 JPY（taxes included）/person/day
RouteChitose/Incheon-->Incheon/Manila (Korean Air)
Manila/Incheon-->Incheon/Chitose (Korean Air)
ReportOn March 15th, 2008, our group of Hokkaido ALTs departed Chitose International Airport for Manila. We arrived at midnight and were greeted at the packed airport by our co-ordinators and some welcomed warm weather. The van that picked us up was unusually late, even for Philippine standards, due to traffic, and it was an indication of the beginning of the summer season. About an hour later, the team arrived at the guesthouse, which we would call home for the next two weeks. We were really happy with the accommodation, not only because it was a nice, spacious place and a convenient starting point for many destinations, but also because it was staffed with warm, helpful people that made our stay memorable. Did I mention free laundry service?
With a clang of the bell at 6:30 in the morning, we started off our days with breakfast at the guesthouse, then on to a 40-minute jeepney commute to the nearby city of Caloocan, snarling through the chaotic but somehow systematic Manila traffic: loud, bumpy, and uniquely Filipino. When the team arrived at the work site, we wasted no time getting acquainted with the SNKI community homepartners and with the task at hand. We were assigned a variety of jobs over the course of 6-days: digging ditches, clearing garbage, passing concrete buckets, filling bags of sand and gravel, and laying concrete hollow blocks. It was tough, but it was exactly the kind of work we wanted. As it was the beginning of summer, the hot sun got the best of us at times. Luckily, the breaks were just as fun. They gave us not only some much-needed rest, but also a chance to try some authentic Filipino foods like fresh spring rolls and ripe mangoes picked from nearby trees. Afterwards, we winded down by playing with the neighbourhood kids, rain or shine. After applying a new coat of sunscreen, we went back and passed more concrete buckets while the kids called for our attention. When the work for the day was done, all sweaty and dusted with cement powder, the team headed back to the guesthouse, often arguing over who gets to use the shower first. We wasted no time cleaning up, and from there it was a cheap taxi ride to the mall for dinner.
As a majority Christian country, the Philippines observed the season of Holy Week, and on our first Thursday and Friday there we did not have to work. So we opted to visit the slums of Baseco on the other side of Manila where a few team members volunteered with Habitat for Humanity last year. The next day, we took a chartered jeepney to the countryside to witness a crucifixion re-enactment play that involved somebody actually getting nailed on a cross. It was definitely a sight to be seen.
On our last day, a community party was held where the kids of SNKI gathered to put on a show for us. We gladly joined in, even though we looked totally out of place. After that, we presented the community with some gifts (toys and new construction equipment), and after repeating goodbyes, headed back. It was a great way to wrap up our time there, and a testament to how amazing people can bond so quickly in a volunteer trip like this regardless of their background and economic status.
The first day of our R&R was spent at the Villa Escudero resort outside of Manila, where we went on a museum tour, ate lunch beside a man-made waterfall, and enjoyed the swimming pool. On our second day, we were originally scheduled to climb Mt. Taal, also outside of Manila, but the boat operators taking us there decided to take liberties with their prices when they saw a van full of foreigners, so we opted not to continue on. Instead, we just had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the volcano. The following day, we went on a three-hour van and boat ride to a beach in the nearby island of Mindoro. We stayed there until the next day, getting some much-needed rest and relaxing under the sun. The people at the resort we stayed in were extremely nice and hospitable, which is something we can say for most of the people we met in the country. For those looking to volunteer other than in the usual places like Thailand or India, give the Philippines another look.
PhotoUpper left:teamphoto.jpg/team members with the homeowners and volunteers
Upper right: building
Lower left: finished building
Lower right: hotel


* Click the image to zoom-in.

投稿者: Habitat for Humanity Japan 日時: 2008年03月15日 20:20



 

 
 
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