◆'The Everest Build Draws To A Close With The Completion Of 40 New Bamboo Houses ! '
October 8th marked the finish of the Everest Build in Pokhara, Nepal. 12 people (9 adults, 3 students) represented Japan, completing two new houses - numbers 13 and 14 out of a total of 40. The 12 team members were split into two separate groups, where they worked alongside other volunteers from New Zealand and Nepal (each work team consisted of 6 Japanese, 6 Kiwi and 3 Nepalese volunteers).
The homeowner families who were helped by these two teams are named Pushpa (no. 13) and Ravi (no. 14). The Pushpa family are descended from generations of astrologers. Nepal is a country where natural and spiritual occurrences are commonly seen as closely connected to the will of God, and many people make quite significant life decisions based on astrological advice.However in recent years, as younger people have come to place more faith in science than astrology, families like the Pushpas have fallen on hard times. It was their dream to have a strong home where they could raise their six children in safety. Up until now the Ravi family have survived through agriculture; it was their strong desire to go from renting to owning their own home that gained them recognition and participation in the Habitat' assistance program.
The bamboo houses constructed this time are quite unique and almost all the volunteers were beginners at building this type of house. Especially cutting it into strips of equal thickness was especially difficult, and our team worked hard from start to finish. To make the walls of the house, these strips were horizontally bound to vertical bamboo poles; the team divided work equally, taking turns at different tasks and aiming to produce the best work that they could.


【Above】After splitting the bamboo, the strips are attached to the framework to form the walls
【Below】Cement is applied to the bamboo walls and, after they have dried, they are painted
This work was undertaken by international teams made up of volunteers from many different countries. On the first day everyone felt naturally shy and the group was disjointed, but from the second day onwards everyone started to relax; the Kiwi volunteers even learned some phrases and jokes in Japanese, and little by little the smiles came out. Sometimes they made mistakes so that the Japanese that they had learned became totally unintelligible, but this was just another fun part of building together. By the time the project came to an end, the initial feelings of disjointedness had changed to togetherness.
The homeowner families and local volunteers also took part in the building with great energy and eagerness. Mrs Rupa Ravi was seen along with everyone else, hauling 30kg bags of cement and soil to and from the worksite. The participation of the local family in the construction of their new house is one of the key rules of Habitat's program, but everyone was impressed and encouraged to see her working not for the reason that it is the Habitat's rule.

【Left】The harmonious Habitat team 　【Centre】The finished Habitat house ! (No.13)
【Right】Saying thank you and goodbye on the last day
On the last day all the participants and new homeowners gathered together for the houses' dedication ceremony. Although it was a sad occasion as everyone said goodbye, it was also filled with hope for the futures of the families. Gazing at his new home, Mr Pushpa said, "Look what a wonderful house we were able to build. This is all thanks to Habitat, and to everyone here - these six days have been truly enjoyable. We haven't just received houses; we have received new hope and dreams for all of our futures".
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■ Having taken part in the Everest Build...
Ms Eri Okura: "These six days in Nepal have been the most meaningful of my life thus far. The experience of coming here, seeing this place with my own eyes and feeling it with my own hands is something that I will never forget. After I return home, I will think more about how I can help to make a world that is easier for all people to live in. It doesn't have to be something big, I'd like to start with my everyday life. I can say building with Habitat is an experience that has changed me, not just for now but for the rest of my life. The most important thing is for people who are interested to actually take action".
Ms Miyuki Oshima: "My experience in Nepal is so vivid in my memory. I remember everything I've done as if it were just yesterday. The great expectations and worries, the frustration of being unable to communicate properly, the difficulty of undertaking work with which I wasn't familiar. But, more than any of that, the confidence and motivation that I feel as a result of this week. Sharing these same feelings, memories and experiences with people from all over the world has been a truly important opportunity for me, and sharing smiles and laughs with my many new friends has brought me much happiness".
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◆Related pages
・ '[Everest Build] Japan Hope Builders Completed Two Bamboo Houses ! '
・ 'Change Hearts. Join Hands. Build Homes with Habitat for Humanity in Nepal'
・ Pictures of the build week　Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6
・ Movies of the build week (edited by Kiwi volunteers)
・ Short movie 'One-munite Bamboo House'
・ Short movie 'Everest Build Introduction'
・ Program Outline & Schedule