Lausanne World Pulse – World Pulse Archives – World Pulse Archives

Fuapepe Tapelu is a woman of prayer and tenacity. A widow with four children, her family’s need for a home of their own crystalized three years ago with the loss of her husband, Esekia, to cancer. The family had moved to New Zealand from Samoa in 2000. Soon after they learned that Esekia had cancer. Within four short weeks, he was gone.

Tapelu carried on as best she could, renting a tiny house in an unfamiliar land. She applied for government housing, but with lengthy waiting lists in place, little hope remained for a preschool teacher raising four children. Still, she prayed.

Then she learned about Habitat for Humanity’s program (www.habitat.org) to build simple, decent houses with people in need. Tapelu applied last April, endured a rigorous selection process, and in September worked to build her new house with her own hands.

Strength in Numbers More than 120 women joined forces to help Tapelu build her house in just two weeks. It was Habitat for Humanity Manakau’s second “Women Build” project. Women from 10 nations were on site, including nine Americans and a Brit who came as part of Habitat’s “Global Village” volunteer-vacation program (www.habitat.org/gv/).

The all-women Global Village team that traveled the globe to help Tapelu build her house ranged in age from 24 to 76. They included retirees and a student as well as the actively employed: an editor, a librarian, an interior designer/accountant, a computer consultant and a human resources specialist.

“It’s amazing to think that two weeks ago we started with a bare floor, a stack of wood, thousands of nails and a group of volunteers who knew virtually nothing about building,” said Donna Roberts, Global Village coordinator with Habitat in New Zealand. Including Women

The fact that many women know nothing about construction is what prompted Habitat to establish a Women Build department several years ago. “Women Build is not about excluding men,” said Fiona Eastwood, director of Women Build. “It’s about including women.”

With some 50 percent of Habitat for Humanity’s volunteers female, the potential work force is tremendous. But to date, less than 15 percent of Habitat’s construction volunteers are women. “Women have wanted to participate in helping families move out of poverty housing, but they’ve not known how to do it,” Eastwood said.

Today more than 450 Women Build houses stand in the US; there have been Women Build projects in more than 15 nations; and some 20,000 women volunteer on Habitat construction sites annually.

For the 120 female volunteers on the New Zealand work site, the Women Build concept worked. Most had little or no previous construction experience, but came to the site with important tools—willing hearts and able hands.

A Time to Learn Every morning, construction supervisor Alan Pfieffer explained the tasks for the day and gave a safety talk. The women divided into teams based on their interests and carpentry knowledge. Volunteer project leader Lesley Nicholls and her husband, Shane, owners of a house-building business, taught teams how to accomplish the tasks at hand—nailing the floorboards, hanging drywall, lifting trusses to the roof, installing insulation and more.

The safety of an all-female work site enabled women to share knowledge and ask the “dumb” questions they might not otherwise ask. “Even with men who are good about letting women find their own way, when men were there, everyone related differently than when it was just women.” Leslie Nicholls said. “It was then I realized why it was important to have mostly women on the site.”

For local volunteer Jane St. George Wagh, the group provided both empowerment and opportunity. “[On the Women Build site], I’m not made to feel silly when I’m not familiar with power tools, nail bins and all those things,” she said.

Joan Marie Horvath, an interior designer and accountant from Florida, put gables on the roof with a team of four. “I was having heart failure at first. I was thinking, ‘I can’t do this,’” she said. “On the second gable I realized that you have to trust that the people on the scaffold are doing their part.”

Faith in Action Besides enjoying the thrill of learning to build a house, these women were motivated by a desire to embody 1 John 3:18: “Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and truth.”

“As a Christian and an architect, I [want to] live out my faith,” St. George Wagh said. “It’s a great chance for fellowship and sharing our faith with whoever walks in the gate.”

Naomi Foster, a student at Auckland’s Bible College of New Zealand, was excited about the practical application of her studies. “As a youth leader, I spend a lot of time nurturing the spiritual side of things,” she said, “but neglect the physical needs of people.”

Betty Tate of Colorado also was widowed in recent years. At 75, the retired schoolteacher has an adventurous spirit and a strong desire to be of service. “I like to be helpful, constructive and an asset to somebody else,” she said, explaining why she braved a 24-hour journey to Auckland. “I believe that God directs you in an area where he wants you…I’m here by a design greater than mine.”

A New Home Horvath, an interior designer by trade, worked with Tapelu in choosing flooring, wallpaper and fabrics for her new home. “I watched her eyes and saw them light up,” she said. “So I reinforced her decisions. I told her, ‘This is your home.’ And to myself, I said, ‘Thank you, God!’ It made my whole visit complete that I got to work with her.”

“Home” now has new meaning for one woman and her four children, and the 120 other women who helped build it.

For the project’s closing celebration, members from Tapelu’s church, Manurewa Assembly of God, helped prepared a feast complete with roasted pig.

“I give thanks to God for his love and protection on this big job,” Tapelu said at the celebration. “Thanks, ladies, for your time building up this beautiful house. I feel special because my house is built with you from overseas.”

And then she sang, first in English, then in Samoan, with eyes dancing and a bright smile: “I will sing and praise the Lord, for he is so good.”

Milana McLead is editor of Habitat World, Habitat for Humanity International’s magazine.