Our building project – a safe walkway through the over-water Badjao village on stilts – is nearly finished!
Badjao men are doing most of the work, with help from our team, under the leadership of Kuya Dong from KNA as project leader. The Badjao guys all live in the village with houses along the bridge. They are incredibly hard-working and want to see the bridge made safe for their community and their families.
One of guys helping Kuya Joali told me how happy he is it see the bridge replaced, and he is happy to help because he knows it will make life for his son easier and safer. He says when the bridge is complete, it will make it easier to improve his own house and living standard as there will be a safe path to the house.
The upright posts are stood in the water then sledge-hammered though the layer of mud to rest on the layer of rock bellow. Then they are sawn to the correct length, support braces attached and walk-boards fixed on top. The posts and braces are hidden from above.
Walking on the new bridge, all you see is a flat platform of walk-boards – much wider than the old bridge and safer as it has no gaps like the old one! We are extending the bridge beyond the length of the old bridge; this is to make space for the KNA centre that we will build there. This however makes it much harder as there is no longer an old bridge that can be used as scaffolding. Instead we are using small boats or floating scaffolding to stand on while putting new posts in place in the deep water.
It is great working in the village, and all the people are so friendly and grateful. Especially those with children, who were most at risk of falling off the old bridge. It is hard but happy and rewarding work for everyone.
