Character building

BY HELEN HARVEY

Earlier this year, Miss Beckett Lundy, 42, saw a story in the Taranaki Midweek about a church group going to Samoa with Habitat for Humanity. Intrigued, she googled the organisation to see what it was all about. On the website, there was a list of upcoming builds, including one in Mongolia.

''I thought, That sounds like fun. So I contacted Habitat and it snowballed from there.''

The application form had a series of boxes to tick, starting with qualified builder/engineer, DIY experience - right down to the last box, No experience, but willing to learn. Tick.

''That was my one. You had to have the willingness to go for it. If you want to do this, you have to be a team player, be able to work as a team, be able to take direction, and have the willingness to help people.''

On site in Mongolia's capital of Ulaanbaatar, 160 international volunteers helped build 30 houses in five days. The 10 Kiwis were split into two groups of five. Miss Beckett Lundy's team spent the first day putting in the insulation. The framework was already up. Working with the Kiwis were Mongolian workers, the family who was going to move into the house and translators. No one in the team spoke Mongolian and none of the locals spoke English.

''But we were constantly laughing because we were all in sign language and trying to learn each other's words. It was so much fun.''

Polystyrene was put in the ceiling and in the walls.  Then, covering the insulation, was a very fine layer of pink batts covered with tin foil, she says. They were up and down scaffolding the whole five days. Once the insulation was in, Miss Beckett Lundy was taught bricklaying.

''The mortar was always mixed up for us in a bath and you mixed three parts sand and one part cement, then put in water. Someone was always passing it to me on my scaffolding.''

She spent hours and hours and hours bricklaying, she says. But it was never boring, because there were so many people around. And someone was always climbing up to talk to her, or to pass her mortar, pass her bricks, pass her food.

''I had my iPod with me, so if a couple of hours were quiet, I had my iPod. But there was always someone there chatting or doing sign language. 

''I loved it. I would do it again tomorrow.''

When she arrived in Mongolia, it was 40 degrees. Then it ranged from about 25 to late 30s.  In the photos, Miss Beckett Lundy is wearing a hoodie, looking a bit cold.

''Because I was, luckily, on the shady side of the building in the early morning. When I finished that side and went over to the other side of the house, it got way up to the late 30s and my energy levels just plummeted.''

But the hard work was worth it. There was a real sense of achievement when they stood back and saw their little brick house, she says.

The one-bedroom house will be home for a family of four. The family were living in a ger, a tent the size of the average New Zealand living room, with another four people. It's also sometimes called a yurt.

Afterward, Miss Beckett Lundy and one of her team members spent three days looking around.

One of the translators and his friend took the two Kiwis more than two hours' drive out of the city. They didn't have a plan, she says.

''We just went in that direction and saw what happened. That was my favourite time. We got to see the real Mongolia. We got to ride camels and hold an eagle and stayed with a beautiful Mongolian family who instantly welcomed us. I mean, I had read that's what they are like, really hospitable. They sit you down and feed you.''

The family they met, who their Mongolian guides friends didn't know either, invited the four of them into their home.

''When we left they, the lady of the house especially, hung on to us .th.th. like I was her daughter. She just clung to me.''

The people are so friendly, she says.

 ''I think it's being raised in such a small area with a large family. They are just so tolerant and very affectionate. The friends that we made would come and sit here [on the arm of the chair] and you got used to it very quickly. You didn't cringe, you never took it the wrong way, you never thought, Get out of my space.''

Her new friends would always be leaning on her or putting their arm around her, she says.

Along the way, she found an old Buddhist temple in the mountainside that was incredibly  peaceful and visited an orphanage.

The ophanage was in  a shanty town, she says, ''almost refugee-looking''.

When she saw people living in gers in the city, it was sad, she says.

''But you go out a couple of hours' inland and they are beautiful, like little white mushrooms scattered around this beautiful expanse of land and mountains and camels and horses and it's just really cool.''

While she was tiki-touring around, she ate very basic food cooked outside. The menu was meat, potatoes, carrots, onions, sometimes cooked in salted water, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

''For breakfast, we'd have noodles chucked in and lots more water to make a more chunky soup. Lunch was Mongolian barbecue cooked over an open fire. Again meat, potatoes, carrots and onion.''

While they were building the homes, she had breakfast and dinner at the hotel and ate lunch on site. The food was similar to Chinese food, she says.

''I love meat and veg. I was right. I never had a problem - [But it's] probably difficult if you are a vegetarian.''

Working with Habitat for Humanity was a great way for her to go somewhere she would never, ever dream of going, she says.

''And I knew I was going to be safe because I was going with a group and with an organisation. And I got to help people. It was such fun. I loved every minute of it.''

But before she could go away, she had to raise the funds. While she had some savings, the $4500 required was beyond her reach. And though she asked around, she was unable to get any sponsorship.

''I tried a few places, but a lot of places only sponsor sports groups.''

But family and friends came to the party and were unbelievably generous, she says. A lot of people made donations.

''I collected a few things around town for raffles, had a quiz night, sold bits and pieces.''

Habitat for Humanity made all the arrangements and booked everything. It also put the 10 Kiwis in touch with each other before the group left for Mongolia. The youngest was an 18-year-old building apprentice. The oldest  had his 76 birthday while they were away. There were five men and five women.

''None of us knew each other, but we quickly became friends.''

Everyone wanted to stay for a few days afterward and they decided who would go where once they got there.

Habitat for Humanity is a Christian organisation, but volunteers don't have to be, she says.

''I think people get put off. I don't think there were any Christians in our group.''

Miss Beckett Lundy volunteers as an ambulance officer, works and has two children.

''I think if I can do it, anyone can.''

She shares custody of the children, so was able to leave them for two weeks. She would love to go on another build and take her son, now 12, when he is, she says.

''There were three American parents who had 14 and 16 year olds with them. It's great bonding. I spoke to the kids  they really enjoyed it.

''I would recommend it if you want to go to a country where you'll be out of your comfort zone and you'll be safe because there are so many other people.''

- © Fairfax NZ News