Written By Paul Wilkes:
BUILDING DEDICATED
December 8, 2008 was a day to remember. With the excellent Home of
Hope marching band, (uniforms and instruments a gift of Christ the King School in Pleasant Hill CA) providing pomp and music, the new building that we have been working toward was officially dedicated. With over two hundred people present, many speeches, and an excellent dinner for all the guests, it was a festive, happy day.
The ground floor of the building has two dormitories, one for the teen aged girls, the other for the younger girls. Our girls now have a comfortable bunk bed to sleep in (gone are the days of straw mats on a dirty concrete floor), and their own cubby for clothes and their few personal items. Also, there is a sick room, a shower area (they took cold water bucket baths)
with warm water, supplied by a donated, solar-powered system, and a bright, airy dining area.
with warm water, supplied by a donated, solar-powered system, and a bright, airy dining area.
On the second floor, there will be a language lab to teach them spoken English, and a computer lab. There are also two guest rooms, awaiting your visit. The third floor will have an assembly area, and a new media center, so we can provide them a first rate education. I wish you could have been there on the night of the dedication, with the building adorned with strings of lights, as the girls took off their shoes at the entryway and tiptoed into the dormitory to practice lying down in their new beds, below. Then they gathered under the buildings portico, bubbling on about their new home. It is a palace, exclaimed 17-year Bhavani, who has been at Home of Hope since she was very young.
Paul Raj, who lives in Kochi, oversaw the construction. Paul negotiated discounts on materials and did not take a fee for his year of work. He probably saved another 30% and built a building that is beautiful inside and out and will be well used for many years to come. Pauls foreman, Aji, supervised workers whose craftsmanship was remarkable. Everything in the building is made by hand, from window grates to the beautiful beds in the guest rooms and the intricately carved front doors.
Paul Wilkes - Executive Director - Home of Hope India
1413 Hawthorne Road - Wilmington NC 28403
paulwilkes@ec.rr.com
910-815-0695 (office) - 910-538-4544 (cell)
http://www.homeofhopeindia.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment