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House Building Trips
Quick Facts for Arranging House Building Trips
Does Tabitha Foundation (Canada) (TFC), arrange House Building
trips?
1. All house-building groups actually make all arrangements
directly with Janne Ritskes, Director of Tabitha Cambodia.
2. For liability reasons, TFC does not arrange or sponsor
house-building trips.
3. TFC can provide general advice, provide a listing
and link on the house building page, and process donations for your
team.
What is a typical Tabitha Cambodia house building trip schedule?
Tabitha Cambodia has developed a very successful “formula” for
house building trips. Typically there is:
Day 1:
• Half-day taken up at Tabitha Cambodia with an “orientation” briefing
by Janne Ritskes
• Half-day taken up by visits to Tuol Sleng Prison and The Killing Fields.
Day 2:
• Travel day (if building away from Phnom Penh)
Days 3 & 4:
• Building houses
Day 5:
• Travel back to Phnom Penh.. End of trip.
Further travel in Cambodia and Asia is at the discretion of your team.
Does the team need experience building?
Tabitha building teams do not actually “build” houses, they
actually “complete” the houses by nailing on the walls and
floors. Prior to the team’s arrival, a Cambodian builder under
contract to Tabitha (the “Contractor”) actually completes
the foundations, frame and roof. Your team needs a mix of builders,
some of whom are practical and can hit a nail. The “Contractor
(and the families) will guide and correct you!
What arrangements will Tabitha Cambodia make for you?
Tabitha Cambodia can arrange:
• Buses to site
• Water at the site.
Hotels and further travel arrangements in Cambodia or Asia are up
to each team to coordinate independent of Tabitha.
How many people can be in a team and houses can my team build?
Teams build between 4 and 30 houses depending on:
• Size of the team
• The amount of fundraising the team can do
• The length of the trip
As travel to Cambodia is relatively expensive and as teams have been
anticipating the trip for months, it is important to ensure that the
team members feel as though they have worked hard each day. It is disappointing
to the team to finish building too early in the day.
Moral: make sure that you are building enough houses
to keep the team busy.
The number of houses that a team can build also depends on the materials used for the walls. In many provinces thin corrugated iron sheets are used for walls. These are easier and quicker to nail on than wooden planking, mainly now used in Kompong Som province.
Rough guide:
• Team of 10: 4-6 houses
• Team of 15: 8-12 houses
• Team of 20: 10-14 houses
How much do the houses cost?
• Each house costs US$960 (equivalent in Canadian dollars), and
• Each team must contribute a further US$1500 to the Tabitha Family Development
Program.
This money MUST be received by Tabitha Foundation (Canada) 8 weeks
before the trip.
It is immediately sent to Tabitha Cambodia for the purchase
of materials and to pay for the construction of foundations, frame and
roof. Once sent to Cambodia, this money is non-refundable.
What are the additional costs?
Budget for:
• Airfares to and from Cambodia
• Accommodation and meals in Cambodia
• Transportation to and from the worksite.
Are contributions tax deductible in Canada?
Contributions for houses and Family Development are tax
deductible in Canada. Just send the money via Tabitha Foundation (Canada)
either by cheque or online donation. We will:
• Forward the money to Tabitha Cambodia
• Issue tax receipts.
Medical recommendations
Generic medical recommendations (for malaria prevention
and vaccinations) for travel to Cambodia are available from Tabitha
Foundation Australia. However, all members of all teams should see
a doctor prior to travel.
All teams should have a first aid kit and if possible,
a person trained in first aid, a nurse, or a doctor. International
SOS runs an international standard medical clinic in Phnom Penh.
Travel Insurance
All team members must have travel medical insurance.
Next Steps:
1) Janne Ritskes:
Contact Janne at Tabitha Cambodia and arrange a building
date and program. Janne will need to know:
• Date of arrival
• Team size and composition (adults / children / males / females)
• Number of houses to be built
Tabitha Cambodia has over 65 international building trips
per year and so:
• Plan 6-12 months ahead
• Try to be flexible with dates if your preferred date is already taken
2) Tabitha Foundation (Canada)
Inform Tabitha Foundation (Canada) of:
• The details of your trip and register all participants
• When you expect to send the money to Tabitha Foundation (Canada)
Donations can be made by cheque and mailed to Tabitha Foundation (Canada), or online through the Canada Helps link on our website. Further details and donation logs will be provided by TFC.
Online donations through Canada Helps will automatically receive an electronic receipt for the full amount of the donation. Canada Helps deducts a 3% service charge.
For more information please contact Yolanda Henry at tabitha.housebuilding@yahoo.ca
Also visit http://housebuilding.tabitha.ca
