the moment of truth!

this is the moment we were all working towards - Mrs Dayawathi receiving the keys to her new home on thursday 20 sept

it was such a wonderful occasion, i want the pictures to tell the story

you will see -

all 3 branches of this family moving in
ceremonial offerings being brought into the house
milk being boiled to over-flowing as a joyful symbol
friends, neighbours and workers all joining in the special day

to enjoy this web album click below, select SLIDESHOW, and choose the interval you would like between each picture [10 seconds is good for reading the captions]

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bruno1965/DayawathiFamilyMovingIntoNewHouse20092007?authkey=-4bcLw-p9q0

you can compare with the original photos of the family on this blog and on the appeal website www.srilanka.freewebspace.com

also you can keep in mind that all this happened quickly and easily without any obstacles at all

therefore we would also like to enlist your support ONE LAST TIME [i promise] to house another very needy family in the same area

we need to raise 12,000 euro for the project by december when work can begin after the monsoon

the same bank details as before are available on the appeal website or you might just like to hand something to either myself or michael if you see us around

the family in question is actually the carpenter from the Dayawathi house project who did so much skilled work for them while he and his own family are living in a make-shift shack constructed of driftwood and corrugated iron

it would be even more wonderful if, this time, you could organise some fundraising in your own circle for this new project to help speed things up

but, for now, whether you will become involved in the new fundraising or not, please enjoy the photos of the Dayawathi house

we can all be so proud of what we have achieved together

let's rejoice in this... not only were you very much there on the day - you are the heart and soul of this project

love

bruno

Our House in Sri Lanka!

this was the happy picture i took on tuesday 18 september - just 2 days before the Dayawathi Family moved into their new home in Sri Lanka

the workers were just putting the finishing touches to the woodwork and preparing to apply the final coats of paint - cool blue inside and turquoise outside... the colours of the sky and sea

it was such a privilege to be there on your behalf to see it all come to fruition with my own eyes

i never imagined i would be in sri lanka again [and so soon] but at the last moment i decided to combine a week in the sun by the beach with overseeing the last stage of the build and move them in.

all the workers were local people and the entire project was managed [for free] by the neighbours - the 20 year old Madara Sankalpani, her brother Awantha, and their wonderful parents.

the build came in ON BUDGET [12,ooo euro] and ON TIME [scheduled for mid-september, allowing an extra week for stoppage due to heavy rains]

the budget also stretched to include a shopping list to provide basic furnishings, equipment and clothing for all the family

there are 2 bedrooms for the 2 branches of the family, a kitchen, sitting/dining room, and an outside veranda room.

there is also a deep well and a loo outside

to view the HOUSE AND CONTENTS please enjoy a web-album of photos by clicking http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bruno1965/HouseAndContents0907?authkey=8knjtDkQStQ

SELECT SLIDESHOW and the time you prefer each pic to remain onscreen

sri lankan family is GO!

oh my god, what a day yesterday was!

everyone has moved in and they are all so grateful and cosy

i'm still not the better of it

cant wait to update this blog properly when i get home

great pics!

just about to board in colombo

love

bruno

greetings and blessings from bruno IN SRI LANKA!!!

HI-DEE-HI CAMPERS!
i decided to come over here to sri lanka and supervise and scrutinize things during the final week of the build
i wanted a holiday so i thought i could pay my own way here to do that and see the project through to the end myself at the same time

no pics to show you but when i get home and upload what i have so far, even, you will be delighted with how things have gone at the Dayawathi's new home

today all the painting is finished outside and in

tomorrow wed 19 all the shopping for furniture, kitchen, clothes etc etc will take place [great excitement, as you can imagine]
the old lady, mrs dayawathi herself asked with a toothless sideways grin for a little TV and as most families around there have one, even the poorest go without just to have one, i thought we could stretch the budget...

then THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2007 [put it in your diary kids] is the MOVING IN DAY to end all moving in days!!!

the Dayawathis [all 10 of them] will most gratefully and ever humbly take ownership of their brand spanking new home - completely fitted out [within local norms] and wearing frsh clothes and sleeping on fresh matresses and drinking their own fresh water from their own well just outside the backdoor no-less.

i feel so overjoyed to have been part of this and thankful to you all for responding so quickly and so generously

before i leave on friday morning for ireland, the builders and everybody will have been paid in full and every last penny of the total budget will have spoken for [and accounted for]

your adopted family here on the sunny southcoast will have spent their first night in the house and no doubt will also have had their first fight over who sleeps where and what channel to watch on the tv [sri lanka's cricket match or some old lady in a sari singing next to a palm tree at sunset!]

remember to check back in on this blog next week for all the pics!

love and respect to you all

bruno

Sri Lanka House Windows in!

The house in Sri Lanka (that you have paid for) is almost finished.

The windows have been installed and the interior is complete.

The family is expected to move in to their new house in the next few days.

house interior plastered!

hello everyone! since these pictures were taken the other day, the house interior has been plastered completely and the workers have moved outdoors again to finish the exterior surfaces.

the weather has been torrential and the job has been delayed by a week

but now everything is back on track for completion VERY soon indeed

i'm sending some money today for the remaining materials and, after that phase, all we need to do is consult once more with the family about what kind of fixtures, fittings and furnishings we can offer them with the last of the money so generously offer by you their sponsors

we havent forgotten to include in our budget the provision of a sewing machine and bread oven which should ensure the family can be self-sufficient and even self-employed!!

this will be a HUGE change for them and this amount of control over their own lives will definitely have a positive effect straight away for these people and will cascade through the generations to come