A team of 16 people from all over Australia converged in Phnom Penh at the start of July to undertake a building adventure as part of a Global Village team for Habitat for Humanity. Armed with only garden gloves and no power tools, we engaged with local skilled workers, future home owners, Cambodian Habitat staff and loads of other locals to put together these two houses brick by brick (FYI, I was crowned best brickie!).

These houses were only 54sqm – the size of a good one-bedroom apartment in Australia. To put this into context, the average house size in Australia is over 200sqm – we have officially overtaken the US in housing obesity. In Cambodia, 54sqm is for an extended family – parents, kids, grandparents, cousins, aunties, uncles, etc. Sewerage is via septic tank that gets pumped from time to time. Water is delivered via large vats into stone jars, and there is no gas – cooking is done using camping-style stoves with refillable butane canisters. Electricity is provided through low slung overhead wires.

Having said this, the difference of their new house compared to the old slum village is vast. Slum lords would require payment of rent of $5 per month for their elevated house above watery land. The one-room self made shack of found materials (the only purchased materials is corrugated roofing) is made from bamboo and green timber branches, ventilated bamboo floors, sheets of hessian, tin and other gems for walling. Electricity is also supplied here at an inflated rate; the bathroom and toilet is outside next to the stone jar of water.

An amazing experience with an equally amazing team of Australians – no egos, no bragging, just a few mates hanging out to build a house. Couldn’t recommend it more – thanks for the memories guys! Hope it leads onto even greater things – the best is yet to come.