Day 4

Tuesday, September 6

 

Our second day of work in San Juan de la Maguana was spent at the cement factory. We don't have any pictures to add this day yet, so be on the lookout for other posts that will contain pictures from the cement factory.

 

The cement factory is where they make all of the slabs that form the walls of homes. We were split into teams... one to make the cement using the large cement mixer operated by a generator (where the team poured water, concrete mix, gravel, and sand into the barrel and created the cement; then transported it over to the covered area by wheelbarrow and shoveled it into the cement slab forms).  And the other team would then move the cement around in the forms using different tools to shake out the air pockets, fill in the corners and borders, and smooth over the top. The cement slabs were separated by metal sheets covered in diesel so they would not stick when dried.

 

After we completed a full set of cement slabs (possibly set the record for the most made by a team?!?), they took us out to the backyard where they stored all of the completed cement slabs.  We learned their names (ocho ocho, guitaro, ocho quatro, etc.) so that when it came time for us to assemble the home on Thursday, we would know what the masons needed when they called out the names.

 

Following our full day of work at the factory, we returned back to the hotel. We met for reflection time, before being taught how to make Mofongo by our Habitat DR trip leader Natalie. We all had a chance to make the Mofongo, using the pilon (mortar and pestle), fried plaintains, chicharrones, and seasoning.

 

We finished up the evening with dinner at the hotel, which was served each night on the top floor of the hotel. The top floor was glass windows over looking the beautiful mountains and sunsets of San Juan de le Maguana.