We began laying bricks for the foundation sub-structure this morning. It’s important to have a few courses of block below the foundation slab to support the weight of the building walls. It also raises the floor high enough to prevent flood damage.
Three masons from Yua turned out to lead the process, including Stephen, head of the “Yua Operations and Maintenance Team”. Steven apologized for not being present yesterday. He went on to explain that his younger brother had been hit and killed by a car the previous morning. The vehicle struck the boy from behind as he was walking to school. I offered my condolences to Steven as I would to a friend in the States, and asked if he needed to be home with his family. He saw no reason for doing so. In fact, he was eerily unaffected by the loss. He explained “We must take it light. It’s by nature, so what can we do?”
This kind of cold pragmatism seems counterintuitive for such a socially oriented group of people. I suppose it’s necessary when you live in a region where one in five children don’t reach the age of five. People must grow a thick skin.
This mindset could also stem from the widespread belief in predestination. Everyone here is highly spiritual, whether it be Christianity, Islam, or traditional beliefs. Many people will shrug off a tragedy as “God’s will”.
Whatever the reason, Steven did not seem phased. He was definitely still in a better mood than I was, laughing several times during our conversation.
-John Yatsko
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