Emotions. We were all feeling them today. This morning we were honored to meet three of our four partner family homeowners! The first two ladies, Wilhelmina and Sofia came to greet us at the site of their new homes. They weren’t sure exactly which of the four homes we are working on would be theirs, … Continue reading
HFHI Global Village Cape Town, South Africa – Work Day 3
Today on site I had a chance to meet and speak to Sue Johnson, Habitat South Africa’s National Resource Development and Communications Manager. Sue’s enthusiasm for her work is obvious. She spoke eloquently and passionately about the Pelican Park development and Habitat’s role in it. It is groundbreaking work actually (no construction pun intended). The … Continue reading
HFHI Global Village Cape Town, South Africa – Work Day 1
Today is a long time coming. Planning for our build in the Cape Flats area of Cape Town began nearly one year ago. All twenty of our team mates are here now, safely having flown thousands of miles to join Habitat for Humanity South Africa on our combined mission to eradicate poverty housing from the … Continue reading
HFHI Global Village Cape Town, South Africa – Exploring the Cape
Old Man Winter reared his ugly head making departure from the eastern United States difficult for many of our team mates. All but one of our Habitat for Humanity Global Village volunteers has arrived, and with Lady Luck the 20th team member will arrive Monday morning. The rest of us kicked off a fantastic start … Continue reading
South Africa – Stellenbosch
The Cape Winelands region of South Africa surrounding Cape Town boasts charming small towns, gorgeous mountain landscapes, and thriving farms and vineyards producing some of the world’s best wine. Just a short drive outside the city center and you’ll be breathing fresh air and taking in spectacular views. Located in the region, the town of … Continue reading
Skinny Basil Soup
This deliciously light soup was born of a misunderstanding. I was on safari in the spectacular Kenyan Masai Mara lodging at Basecamp Explorer. One evening our waiter, a characteristically tall thin Masai man named Senit, came to our table to announce that evening’s menu. The first item mentioned, “skinny” basil soup. He continued with the … Continue reading
Mumbo Island, Lake Malawi
Joseph greeted us with a warm, broad smile at the Kayak Africa reception at Cape Mac Clear on the southern shore of Africa’s third largest fresh water lake. Lake Malawi is so big you’d think you were looking at an ocean. Home to more species of fish than all those in the lakes in North … Continue reading
Global Village Mulanje, Malawi – Day 6: Dedication & Departure
Safe to say it was the perfect ending to a fantastic week building houses in Thanguli village. Our house dedication and celebration with the community was as festive as any. Filled with dancing, singing and heartfelt words of endearment, it makes it all that much harder to leave. Sharing our intangible feelings is as important … Continue reading
Global Village Mulanje, Malawi – Day 5
Apart from having nearly finished all the bricklaying on both houses, one thing left an indelible impression upon us today – seeing the inside of Salanawo’s old house. If you’ve been following, you will remember that she is the grandmother caring for her seven orphaned grandchildren. It is absolutely astonishing that this family sleeps in … Continue reading