A team of 18 has come together from North American West coast and East coast to build Eco-stoves for the less fortunate! Helping them increase their life span by living a healthier life.

This DWC team is working in Naro Moru, Kenya with our in-country partner ACCESS Kenya to improve the environment as well as water and education resources in the community.

An enthusiastic team of volunteers, led by DWC Team Leader Marty France, travelled to Dang, Nepal to improve health for local families.

Amalie Bruun has travelled on every volunteer trip to build in Sri Lanka since her first time in 2009. Her contribution is incredible and so is her love for the work we do and the people of Sri Lanka. Amalie’s full-time job is managing all the logistical and financial aspects of the production of a commercial or other content. As part of a recent assignment, she visited Sri Lanka and wrote this blog for us.

Last April, while building homes for two families in need in Sri Lanka, the volunteers of Team 15 learned about another family living in a desperate situation.

For the first 28 years of her life Jaynatha believed that the many challenges she had to face were “karma” resulting from misdeeds in a past life. Then in just one year her karma changed. Here is her story.

The school is called San Jose Obrero. 400 students attend this primary school to grade 5. Our project is to renovate a storage building to be used for the children’s advocacy group DESNNA who work to prevent violence against children. We are also working on the bakery classroom where each of the children attending school learn to bake. The profits go back to children at the end of each year. The children love us – and we them! We have developed a huge fan base- the children follow us around and hug us all the time!

Such a wonderful start to our last day arriving at Adeesha’s to participate in the blessing ceremony for his home. We were warmly welcome by the family and the traditional celebration began. Jaynatha presented all the volunteers with a wreath of flowers and Lalith followed with a leaf from the Boda tree. After the ribbon cutting ceremony, we were all invited inside to light candles as a blessing for the new home.

Everyone is raring to go. Lots of parging, painting, flooring to do and of course the inevitable sand sifting. Today we will give gifts to the families and tips to the workers to thank them for working through their New Year’s holiday. The volunteers have brought loads of presents and everyone chipped in some rupees. By days end…..

Here in Tangalle the Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamils are going about their business and daily lives as usual and in harmony. There is a military presence and nightly curfew which is normal for situations like this in Sri Lanka and very reassuring to all of us.