A little bit more about habitat

Paul and Helen Galbraith, the couple who organize and run this operation, invited the three of us who were not fasting to dinner. I have heard allot about the earthquakes from locals. They remember exactly where they were. Some lost friends and family. Many homes were damaged or destroyed. As the earth moved undeground streams and rivers mixed with soil that used to be swamp before the city was established. Then this slurry pushed up through the gaping wounds on the surface. Some roofs collapsed, some piers failed, many homes were left off kilter.

Every building here was inspected. The land was underneath was inspected too. In the end houses ended up in two zones. Red, permanatly condemned, and green - ok to repair. The land under Red houses was bought by the government, and for those with insurance their homes were paid foe with insurance. Greenhomes on the other hand could be repaired by insurance if you had it. It could be a long wait while the trades, materials, and money organized and finally got to your home.

The uninsured on green land were left with broken homes. For those over sixty five, suffering from some medical disability, or with dependent children - Habitat for humanity and the Red Cross has partnered with the local construction industry and other doners to provide the materials for the repairs. Volunteers from all over New Zealand, and the world, do the work that they can.

What I learned tonight is that many of these people had given up. TThier lives where shattered. They had little hope. Many were seperated from their families for one reason or another and the earthquakes were the last straw. But when the volunteers showed up and started ripping down drywall, cutting holes in floors, leveling houses, many of these owners started to chip in. The hope came back in their eyes, they regained their fight, they got back to living their lives.

I am lucky enough to catch the tail end of this project and meet the people involves. Three of the volunteers have come before with this project. Paul, a very successful builder in the first place, and his wife and daughter have done a great deal of good here in the last few years. To see the light in their eyes when they speak of the changes they have seen in the people they have helped has made this leg of my journey worth it.