Building Projects

COMMIT started our building projects a few years ago at the request of the people of Nandarola and San Luis needing a place for their sewing co-ops. We were happy to provide them with a building where they now hold community meetings, sew and also hold medical clinics during the week. Bringing medical care to these villages has been truly life-changing for the people of these villages. 

BUILDING PROJECTS

February 2022 we built an addition on for the sewing co-op of San Luis and fixed up the existing building to be used as a medical facility. This will alllow a doctor and nurse to stay in San Luis and hold medical clinics in this very remote village.

Once again we had another successful building trip. An existing building in San Luis was renovated and received a new floor and roof and once painted will be used as a medical clinic for this very remote village. We have learned that a doctor and nurse plan to visit San Luis twice weekly and will be available for consults and visits. This is amazing news for this village which is an hour drive through the forest from the nearest hospital.

An addition was built onto the side of the medical clinic which will be used by the sewing co-op and others for crafts, meetings etc. The ladies of the sewing co-op have had to sew outside up until now. The rainy season and sudden rain made it difficult to accomplish any sewing at this time of year. Heavy blocks formed the walls which will receive a layer of stucco and be painted a bright orange and yellow as per the wishes of the ladies of the village.

A Community Center for Nandarola

October 2019 an addition was built onto the existing community center in Nandarola. This room will be used by the sewing co-op started by COMMIT a few years ago  With windows installed the room will be free from the dust which is a problem for electronics. We helped built the addition to their community center, This is something they had requested last year to house their computer and sewing programs ( programs that we had started )They gave us a list of materials which we bought and were onsite ahead of time. They directed the build and men women and children came out to help. They carried heavy bricks , water and mortar A couple boys no more than 14 laid bricks like professionals. We saw how their workers build good structures maybe differently from Canadians standards but solid and sound and probably more appropriate for their area and resources. We Canadians stumbled along trying to assist because we were unfamiliar with their techniques or quite why they were doing what until it came together in the end . We learned to mix cement without a cement mixer and sift gravel for the sand needed. Nails were at a premium so we wasted very few. Some wood for forms was scrounged from the village houses and the forms looked like patchwork quilt. Water came from 300 yds away in buckets and barrels from their only well which we drilled 5 years ago. Wheel barrels were secunded from the garden project. If anyone was caught laying mortar the was too dry( guilty as charged) it was removed and redone without a word being spoken.

Thanks Melloul-Blamey Construction for sending us two talented young men to oversee the build- Cody Brown and Cosmin Paiu. We had an amazing time building alongside the villagers and learning how to build an earthquake stable building. Close relationships were formed with the people as we worked alongside them and ate our lunches together. What an absolutely amazing experience for our team.