Getting on with the building

Since our last report work has been progressing in Darjeeling. The weather has alternated between cold and cloudy with some sunnier days – but the main thing is that it has been mainly dry since January. This has been invaluable to the porters as they carry materials up and down the steep steps to the orphanage site and during excavations.

DCT Chairperson, Marilyn Adams, was in Darjeeling at the end of March for a couple of weeks and was able to see at first hand the progress which was being made. It was impressive despite the continuing difficulty of the ground conditions. Adjustments had had to be made to the details of the layout because of these problems but the lower part of the site which before had been empty rough ground was now occupied by significant works. Bamboo scaffolding was in place and the skeleton of the first of the buildings and first slab levels had been built. The labourers who were on site were mostly living in a small room at the rear of the orphanage and were on site all the time to ensure security of materials.

The concrete and stone chippings which are delivered to the site are stored near the men’s hut on one of the flatter parts of the site. They are delivered by lorry from Silguri, a journey of about three to four hours from the plains with most journeys being undertaken in the early hours of the morning to avoid the jeeps and other domestic vehicles which have to negotiate the steep and narrow roads. It is probably at least 50 metres from the road down to the orphanage site so extra porterage costs must be paid, all of which adds to the cost of the construction.

There was one main problem though. All the concrete was being mixed by hand. This was both laborious and could result in an inferior mix and quality of material, and it also resulted in slower progress than was desirable. This was a problem however which could be remedied with additional funds and so by using donations made to the project, Darjeeling Children’s Trust was able to provide monies for the purchase of a concrete mixer. This will continue to be available for all phases of the project and will be sold off at the end and any monies recouped will be recycled into the orphanage.

Pema Bhante, the monk in charge of the orphanages, has also now appointed an assistant to help him manage the project. He is now being helped by Ranjeeta who runs the architectural practice which is managing the construction, to fund raise in Darjeeling.