Habitat Global Village CAMBODIA – Work Day 3 | Meet the Family

Happy Habitat International Volunteer Day!

Day 3!

Today we were really rocking and rolling! Not just on the houses, but on the worksite when our host coordinator Pak and our translator Thy and construction supervisor Chai busted out the karaoke machine and sang American country western music! Some of the ladies on our team are now known as the “Pak-ettes“!

Another exciting aspect of the construction today was seeing the framing in place. This thing is really starting to look like a house. We see lots of homes built in this style, so we understand what it’s supposed to look like, but none of us has ever built an elevated home like this before.

Wood framing
Flooring crew
The staircase goes up!

Lots of jobs today on both sites. The work seems to change every day which is also fun. There’s still mortar to be mixed, but we also got to hammer nails – a sound I am not used to hearing on a GV trip! – paint window frames, finish work on connecting the latrine’s septic tanks and watch the metal roof go on!

Meet the Family

Meet Mr. Yoeum and his wife Tha. They have a son and two daughters and had been living in a self-constructed house of coconut leaves and wood. However, when we arrived this week, we found they have been living under a temporary tarp.

The temporary tarp in the background
The family, old “home” on the left, new home being built on the right

To see the new house going up right next to this lean-to is an incredible sense of excitement for this hard working family. Yoeum and Tha work multiple jobs: collecting cassava and wood, farming rice and construction jobs, all while raising three children, whom they hope to give a better life.

The couple showed their deepest gratitude to Habitat and our Global Village team by sending a thank you note.

“We have nothing to give them back for their help except for our thanks and appreciation for helping our family with the construction. I wish everyone good health and all the best.”