Mijts Blog

We took Stephanie and the children out to the village on Sunday – and a few wantoks in the back!
Stephanie has built a house in the village – quite an achievement given their low income. All the wood frame was cut from the bush with a chainsaw and then ‘milled’ with a chainsaw too – they often do this with the end result nearly as good as sawmilled timber. We donated roofing iron and she saved very hard and long for the other materials. How impressive is this?

The stairs are very steep and the house wobbles quite a bit as they can’t yet afford bracing!

The verandah is a first for this village

(the hut back right is where Stephanie’s mother and father live – and most village houses are like that.)

Last time we visited I measured windows as I wanted to make curtains for her. The Spotlight sale in January when I was home had some great bargains so I have been filling in time sewing. I took the curtains on this visit for final hem measurements and they are now all done!

The children ‘posed’ in each of their bedrooms – they have 3 bedrooms and a living area. Cooking will be in a shelter out the back on a fire and bathing will occur in the sea or when it rains. There is no power available.

Toshi’s room

Kayline’s room

The living room

Stephanie is saving as much as she can to purchase bracing, wall lining, paint, lino etc to finish the house off. She is thinking ahead to when we leave as she may then have no job. This is quite rare (thinking ahead, planning for future) and just another indicator of her untapped potential. She is quite the entrepreneur. She sells ice-blocks, ice etc in her spare time (at the front gate and at the nearby beach where all the boats come in) and saves every little bit!

After we measured curtains we drove to the end of the road (stopping on the way to deliver food to all her relatives – she never visits empty-handed). The road was rough and it had been raining. Every pot-hole was a lake! All the village kids who had piled into the back of the ute were laughing and having a good time. On the way we picked up a young lady carrying a tiny baby. She was walking home from church. We had passed her about an hour earlier before we stopped at the village and she still had quite a way to walk!
At the end of the road there is a new bridge across the Worongai river. It has been finished a while but is not in use as waiting for politician to open it!

The shelter has been constructed for the official guests

This is where the workers are living

The kids all took off across the bridge (no fear even for the little ones – as it was quite a drop down!)

Before piling into the back of the ute, the kids happily posed for a group photo

Back up the muddy, wet road we went. Collected a few more passengers on the way, dropped off some – and as usual didn’t come home empty -handed!