Operation Rooftop

After choosing what we wanted to do for our service project, Operation Rooftop, we went to go see Yuli’s house. Yuli is a very young lady who was kicked out of her house because she contracted HIV. She moved to Kayamundi and built herself a shack, but it was lacking a roof, a door, and a window. The first day, we realized that all the materials were quite expensive, and would put us over budget. That night, all of us prayed that things would go smoothly, and that we would be able to give her the things that she needed. Monday morning our prayers were answered, and we were able to find roof plates for half the price we expected. We also received an unexpected donation. The next day, we put the roof on, and everything seemed to be going smoothly. Until we arrived on Tuesday. One of the neighbours decided to help, and ended up tearing down the whole front wall. By the end of the day (with the help of the community), we were able to get the wall back up. The last day, we had a bit of extra money, and were able to provide Yuli with a bed for a good night’s sleep. To end off the week, Yuli was welcomed into her refurnished house, and to thank the neighbours for their help, we threw them a “shack warming” party, complete with Coca-Cola, Romany creams (cookies), and Simba chips. All in all, working in the Kayamundi township was a gratifying and eye-opening experience. We saw God in the generosity of our site (who donated some of the money designated for their projects) and the community, while being open to the reality of the way of life other than our own. Our guide Tumi was the best we could have asked for with the willingness to help in any way, her dedication to get the job done and always having a positive attitude that was contagious.
Kristen, Jessica, Kelsey, Sean