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Meet the Homeowner of Habitat for Humanity The specifications are a mouthful, but according to Nimal Naiduawadu, his new Habitat home in Balapitaya is simply “a dream.” The 511-sq. ft. home--the first of two built by American NGO Tsunami REACH (www.tsunamireach.org) and Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka (HFHSL)--was built in 20 days using pre-manufactured panels imported from the United States, assembled in Sri Lanka, then covered with a weather, fire and termite-resistant stucco coating. Tsunami REACH founder and president Donald Stevens hopes to purchase equipment for the building system and set up a manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka with the aim of sheltering families who lost their homes in the 2004 disaster. During a six-week visit to Sri Lanka in November and December of 2005, Stevens developed a close friendship with new homeowner Nimal. Nimal’s previous home, which he had built himself on the same site as this new house, was completely swept away by the waters. A fisherman, he lived with his 16 year-old son (also a fisherman), his 18-year-old daughter, her husband and their one-month old daughter (now one year). His wife works in Kuwait and was not in Sri Lanka at the time of the disaster. “My daughter heard the first wave, but we didn’t take it seriously. Then the second wave came, as high as the house.” Nimal ran inland to safety with his daughter and the baby. He returned to the house the next day only to find waist-level water. Almost all of their possessions—including new appliances and furniture—had vanished. Miraculously, an armoire in which Nimal and his son-in-law had hidden their life savings of 24,000 rupees ($240 USD) was found days later, many meters away from the house they lost…with the money intact! Still, it was not enough to even begin rebuilding their home or replacing what they lost. The family moved into the son-in-law’s home, which was undamaged; seven people were now living in two rooms. Nimal’s leased fishing boat had been destroyed but was quickly replaced by a member of the local community; he was able to return to work a week after the tsunami. He works with three other crew members, and they pay the boat owner 50% of their earnings from selling their daily catch at the wholesale market. In a typical month, he takes home 8,000 rupees ($80 USD), but his income is unstable. He says the fish just aren’t there anymore, that the angry sea scared them away. Nimal’s son-in-law had been a chef at a five-star hotel, which was too damaged to re-open; he began his own business, preparing and selling lunch packets to the NGO and construction workers that filled devastated neighborhoods in the Galle District. As the family’s income plummeted, they went about the business of applying for assistance--including a temporary or permanent replacement for their lost house--with many relief organizations. One of those organizations was Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka. “I gave them my story about two months after the tsunami. I filled out the application, and they checked it. One week before the election (of new Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse on November 22), I got the news that I would get a very special house.” The steel-frame house caused quite a stir in Balapitiya, where wood, sand and cement are the norm for building. The shiny metal structure attracted volunteers, eager to assist with the innovative project, and gawkers, eager to see if it would really work. Nimal never doubted Donald Stevens’ plans for a second, but sometimes he thought, “If this turns into a house, it will be a miracle!” Habitat staff and volunteers learned to use special tools sent by U.S. donors to put the components together. Nimal had returned to fishing from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. most days, but he helped mix concrete for the foundation, haul water and tile the roof of his Tsunami REACH house. He worked with Stevens on small architectural changes that would make the house ideal for his family. As the stucco covering was applied over heat-deflecting insulation and mesh panels, the home was transformed into a normal-looking, Sri Lanka-style home--the coolest one on the block, literally and figuratively. The dedication, held December 19, drew a huge crowd of friends and neighbors. When asked what he planned to do as soon as his many guests left, Nimal replied, “Clean up!” He is now living in his Habitat-Tsunami REACH home, saving for new furniture for his family, who will join him shortly, and preparing for the Buddhist priests to perform a traditional house blessing. “Slowly, we are getting things back. I am so proud of this house and the people who helped us. Donald (Stevens) and the Habitat people are my friends now.” Read about Tsunami REACH technology and see photos of this house being built at www.tsunamireach.org.
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