Building Brick by Brick

Brick.  And stone.  There is much of both here at Nuestro Pequenos Hermanos (NPH).  It is also a metaphor for the children here - a large family supporting their individual structures, pieced together day after day, year after year to a structure of hope and possibility.  I like coming here - it inspires me.

The Conference Center rising

 And so it is that I could inspect the work of the surgery center, to start the construction of the new stone chapel, and the Conference Center and Dormitory, to check on its progress, elevated higher and wider, brick-by-brick by eighty workers.  There is little equipment here, It is mostly hand work.  Men moving dirt via wheelbarrow, at least they have packers to compact the soil. The building has its form defined: the great hall is now set by its length and width, its height only imagined.  The rooms are also defined, causing my speculation on the future inhabitants - how they may see the verdant landscape and the spirit of this place from the windows and courtyards, as I do.  Progress is slow, but expectedly so, but quality is good, unexpectedly so.  Much greater care and attention.

Brick by brick

Worker safety is not always a top priority in Central America, but there is an evolving culture of safety here.  The crew has constructed their own steel scaffolding, rather than using cobbled wood structures to gain height, causing delay and very unsafe conditions.  Hardhats, vests and signs advising of safety are now part of this culture.  We do not need accidents.  But my only observation over these past several days is  the absence of good footwear for work.  Many of  the workers barely have their shoes staying together, flopping around.  And with all the stone and brick work, that is a recipe for an accident.  We must get some better shoes out here - it will be a bonus well received, where even though Honduras has a strong shoe manufacturing industry, that does not mean the locals can afford them.

And speaking of stone, the vision of the main wall in the great hall made of local stone, quarried by hand and further honed by hand was perhaps a nice idealistic dream where brick is so common, but these workers created a beautiful stone wall, well crafted, as if to rise out of the very platform of stone we build upon.  It will be a magnificent backdrop to a convention of doctors or a celebration of volunteers.

The Keyhole window

And the tens of thousands of bricks, locally made in Tegus, are culled by hand from the output of the factory, an aging red-colored place with two wood fired tunnel kilns.  The bricks must be good, not cracked, so we observed a load being picked up by a crew of workers from NPH, to make sure we have the best.  It was interesting to walk through this site, not as productive as perhaps it could be due to limited work.  That is why this is such an important project - we are providing a vital source of work and pride for the locals where diminishing opportunity exists.  Pride built brick by brick.

The brick yard

Brick extruder

And then there is Axel - I am his Padrino - godfather - and also we are "tocayo" - people of the same name.  In all my prior visits, I have not had the opportunity to spend as much time day after day with him, as he schools in Tegus.  But this is now over, he has one year left, and strong ambition to become a doctor here on the Ranch.  It will take many years, perhaps 10 or so plus his service to the ranch after high school.  But through our walks and talks, in the hills, I can see his life coming together, full of ambition and warmth for his NPH family here.  His life is building as well, brick by compassionate and thoughtful brick. I only hope I can continue to be one ingredient of many in the mortar of his future that builds a strong house.

Axel and Axel: "tocayo"

Sunset on the ranch