Local Volunteers Return From Clinic-Building Trip To Guatemala
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Work has begun and the first team is back from Chiqua Dos, Guatemala, having dug the footer for a medical clinic.
"We left Feb. 28 and I stayed through March 16. There were two teams that came over in that time period. ... We worked with about 20 national Guatemalans from the country area of Chiqua Dos," said Steve Petty, who is organizing the building teams for Hands of Hope International, the group responsible for building the clinic.
"The first thing we did was prepare the site. The site was moved from the original plan and moved to a beautiful location on top of a mountain that overlooks a valley. But it was virgin land, the only thing done to it was, it was terraced, stair-stepped," he said.
The 18 stairsteps on the site were approximately 3 feet long by 3 feet deep. Trees also were growing on the terrace.
The spot was marked where the building was to go. The first floor is 16-feet by 60-feet and will be 8 feet high. It will be extended to 30-feet by 60-feet for the second floor.
Guatemalans cut the trees down and got the dirt ready to be moved.
"The type of equipment they used, I guess you could call it a type of backhoe," said Petty. "The backhoe is literally a back(wards) hoe. It's a large oversized hoe. They carry it on their back and boy, can those guys move dirt!"
Over the three to four days the first team was there, they calculated that more than 200 cubic yards of dirt were dug.
The footers dug were 32-36 inches deep by 24 inches wide. The first team dug one of the footers. The second team that arrived finished digging the footers and had approximately 28 columns that will extend up every 4 to 5 feet.
Petty said, "We were able to pour the footers and insert the columns plus lay the block in between those columns up to ground level. That's the way we left it."
It's ready now to extend it up to the first floor. Money and tools were left for the Guatemalans to bring the walls up to the first floor height.
What success they had with building the clinic came about despite the equipment arriving a little late.
"We had a lot of equipment on the bus as well as a cement mixer that we were expecting. The bus made it down to Guatemala. It was a little late getting there.
"We put a few tools in our luggage to carry down with us. The first week we expected to do a few things where we'd need the cement mixer. But by the time the bus got there, it was a week later. The bus had an accident when it got down there so it was difficult to connect with it, so even during the second week we were not able to retract any equipment from the bus," said Petty.
It will be available for later trips. A cement mixer was rented for less than $5 per hour until the cement mixer arrived, and the cost included the operator. A mason also was hired to work on the site and he worked for only $5 per day.
Guatemalans helping with the building of the clinic ranged from 8 to 86 years old.
"These kids were just out there helping. They're very good workers," said Petty.
Along with working to build the clinic, the Americans and the Guatamalans shared food, culture and information about their lives.
Hands of Hope International is planning two more trips to Guatemala this summer - in May and July. They are looking for at least 10 to 12 people to go for each trip. They are also looking for a contractor to go with them. High school and college students are invited.
Cost of the trip is approximately $900. For more information, contact Steve Petty at 267-2513 or e-mail [email protected] [[In-content Ad]]
Work has begun and the first team is back from Chiqua Dos, Guatemala, having dug the footer for a medical clinic.
"We left Feb. 28 and I stayed through March 16. There were two teams that came over in that time period. ... We worked with about 20 national Guatemalans from the country area of Chiqua Dos," said Steve Petty, who is organizing the building teams for Hands of Hope International, the group responsible for building the clinic.
"The first thing we did was prepare the site. The site was moved from the original plan and moved to a beautiful location on top of a mountain that overlooks a valley. But it was virgin land, the only thing done to it was, it was terraced, stair-stepped," he said.
The 18 stairsteps on the site were approximately 3 feet long by 3 feet deep. Trees also were growing on the terrace.
The spot was marked where the building was to go. The first floor is 16-feet by 60-feet and will be 8 feet high. It will be extended to 30-feet by 60-feet for the second floor.
Guatemalans cut the trees down and got the dirt ready to be moved.
"The type of equipment they used, I guess you could call it a type of backhoe," said Petty. "The backhoe is literally a back(wards) hoe. It's a large oversized hoe. They carry it on their back and boy, can those guys move dirt!"
Over the three to four days the first team was there, they calculated that more than 200 cubic yards of dirt were dug.
The footers dug were 32-36 inches deep by 24 inches wide. The first team dug one of the footers. The second team that arrived finished digging the footers and had approximately 28 columns that will extend up every 4 to 5 feet.
Petty said, "We were able to pour the footers and insert the columns plus lay the block in between those columns up to ground level. That's the way we left it."
It's ready now to extend it up to the first floor. Money and tools were left for the Guatemalans to bring the walls up to the first floor height.
What success they had with building the clinic came about despite the equipment arriving a little late.
"We had a lot of equipment on the bus as well as a cement mixer that we were expecting. The bus made it down to Guatemala. It was a little late getting there.
"We put a few tools in our luggage to carry down with us. The first week we expected to do a few things where we'd need the cement mixer. But by the time the bus got there, it was a week later. The bus had an accident when it got down there so it was difficult to connect with it, so even during the second week we were not able to retract any equipment from the bus," said Petty.
It will be available for later trips. A cement mixer was rented for less than $5 per hour until the cement mixer arrived, and the cost included the operator. A mason also was hired to work on the site and he worked for only $5 per day.
Guatemalans helping with the building of the clinic ranged from 8 to 86 years old.
"These kids were just out there helping. They're very good workers," said Petty.
Along with working to build the clinic, the Americans and the Guatamalans shared food, culture and information about their lives.
Hands of Hope International is planning two more trips to Guatemala this summer - in May and July. They are looking for at least 10 to 12 people to go for each trip. They are also looking for a contractor to go with them. High school and college students are invited.
Cost of the trip is approximately $900. For more information, contact Steve Petty at 267-2513 or e-mail [email protected] [[In-content Ad]]