A job well done

Monday, a day of sweat and toil

This morning we skipped the daily visit to the markets, as we wanted to be at the orphanage as early as possible. We had a huge task in front of us, to completely clad the buildings against the weather. The original bamboo cladding was in a state of disrepair and had been removed by another group of volunteers. Unfortunately they had not factored in the time necessary to re-clad and now the classroom, workshop, hair salon, library and the night-watchman's room had been left exposed to the elements. Our group had spent the previous day attempting to add as much of the timber cladding as possible. Due to a downpour of monsoonal proportions, work had to be stopped and everything put on hold till the following morning.
Our students had shown themselves to be determined to get the job done the previous day and were keen to get started. Each student was assigned a specific job: measuring to length; cutting with hand and power saw; delivery of timber and the final nailing of the timber to the huts, all skilled artisans supported by a "labourer". Our system worked perfectly and by sheer hard work the majority of the work had been done when we downed tools for lunch and an hour or so chilling in the shade as the fierce heat of the Cambodian summer peaked around midday.
The students then returned to work and with a final couple of hours of hard-graft, the job was done.
Lynne, Geoff and I were extremely proud of the way the Mount Lawley students had seen that an important job needed doing, applied themselves tirelessly to it, and with not one word of dissent or complaint, got stuck in. Not only was the cladding completed and all buildings made secure and weather tight, but it was also done with a level of skill and dedication that would pass the inspection of the most discerning of building supervisors. The kids at the orphanage and staff along with other volunteers were full of praise for our students and the quality of work that they produced.
I believe that the students are also very proud of their effort and quality of work and there is a real feeling of accomplishment back at the center.

Andy