Shakti

Shakti (Shocktee) means power in Tamil and that is how I feel today. This summer Rising Star is building a community center in Bharathapuram. After today I can happily say that my blood, and sweat went into helping the community center come together. We spent all day in Bharathapuram moving stuff. By stuff I really mean just stuff - it was a lot of random construction materials. The morning started with an assembly line passing the small frisbee like tools full of dirt. We had to move a large pile of dirt from in front of the house to cover the foundation on the side. After we finished that job our foreman and boss, Victor, instructed us to help move concrete inside the structure. I learned today that there are different types of concrete (definitely something I wouldn't expect to come to India and discover). Mostly I learned about two types of concrete. The first is made by mixing the sand with large stones and the second with small stones. The sand is basic concrete mixing it with stones must just help make it go father. So, the large stoned concrete goes on the floor while the small stones go above windows and doors. Who knew there were different concretes for different jobs? After we had finished the concrete on the floor we were instructed to move a large pile of cinder block bricks. Thinking it would be a short trip into the structure or around back a picked up a couple and asked Victor where to go. I was surprised when he started walking away from the structure, crossed the street, and headed behind a hut. Behind the hut the Indian workers had started the foundation for a new squatter aka toilet. Working was fun, it felt good to actually move around doing something hard. Despite the heat, humidity, and lack of shape it was an amazing day.

After work we are all given a two hour break - I was actually grateful to take my first bucket shower. I couldn't wait for play time to come around because I had decided to try and take a face shot of each of the children i know by name. I was excited to finally have pictures to go with the names of the children I have grown to love, it proved harder than I thought. I probably know 30 names but 180 kids want their picture taken. By the end we were just having fun with the camera.

Sangia Lakshmi

Gracy Bell - I love this girl. She is Praveen's little sister (my family sponsors Praveen) can you tell?

The Crew