Mother Harley's

The new roof is only the beginning of the story at Mother Harley's. The skylights, the repairs to the broken concrete floors, the new bunkbeds and mattresses, the treated mosquito nets -- these represent an enormous boost to the children's health, comfort, and dignity!

One of the only beds remaining before the renovation, you can see in this photo both the water stains across each ceiling tile, and mattresses on the floor for the children. One of these small, dark rooms accommodates 8-10 children, unprotected from the rain and malaria-infested mosquitos.

Like night and day, this central meeting and learning place is not only brighter and more cheerful, but safer too!

 This is the central hallway, dividing the boys' rooms from the girls'. It is also a third grade classroom, but was so dark that the children could hardly read or see the blackboard.

Despite tackling this project in the midst of rainy season, we were able to complete the demolition, reinforcement, and re-roofing in about three weeks. Not only are Mother Harley and her 40 children drier and healthier as a result, they are safer, and can finally see their rooms thanks to new skylights.

This is the original square building, well-built before the war with a pitched tin roof. But after the war, when Mother Harley replaced the roof stolen by rebel fighters and added two separate additions, the corrugated roof became less and less pitched, so that it no longer shed water, and rusted to pieces.

In addition, the foundation of the addition on the right was severely undermined and needed substantial reinforcement.