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Mercy Home - Annaikarai                                    

This project is to help the existing Mercy Home in India. Currently 70 women are living under the care of the Sr. Superior, SSHJ Convent, Annaikarai, Turinelveli District, Tamil Nadu, India. The five permanent Sisters at the convent currently provide limited housing and food as well as basic clothing and needs for the women. Although the home is administered by Catholic Sisters, the residents are 71% non-catholic, the majority being Hindu. The Mercy Home consists of a few small buildings. The poorly ventilated buildings are used as dormitories and living facilities for the women. The women sleep on mats on the floor. The present buildings do not have modern plumbing facilities. The buildings are old and in disrepair.

The goal of this project is to construct adjacent to the current buildings a new facility capable of housing up to 100 women. The complex will have several dormitory areas and new beds, modern bathrooms, a crafting area, kitchen and dining hall, a large indoor recreation area, a physical therapy room, isolated sick room and medical and food storage areas. An atrium area will provide gardens and open areas for fresh air and reflection, while still in the protective area of the complex. The modern 13,120 square foot building will be in the shape of an octagon with a large atrium and garden in the center. The area will have sleeping quarters for 100 women, separate washroom facilities, a dining hall and kitchen. There will be quarters for two monitors to stay in the building. The women will have open access to the interior garden area.

     

To date the land has been acquired and cleared.

     

 

The plans have been finalized and approved by County Engineer E. Prakash.  He will supervise the construction on site.

 

    

 

Sri Amman Rig Service came in and dug the bore well providing a 320 foot well with an ample water supply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




Under the supervision of the County Engineer, Victor Contracting laid out the footprint for the new facility and erected temporary monuments to be used during the site work to align the 134 pilings that will support the structure.

 


 

Jerome from brought in a backhoe and started to dig the 134 footing. The soil is two or three feet of clay and then rock. When they hit hard rock with the machine they switched over to manual labor with picks to get down to the required depth.



 Utility poles have been moved.


 

            After the Monsoon rains the  foundation holes had  to  be
            pumped out and the mud removed before the foundation
            piers could be built. 

     

Supplies are delivered and stored on site.

       

             

Shed houses pump controls and serves as security hut for our 24 hour guard.  The well has been supplying water for the crew and the construction.

The first phase of construction is the three tiered footings.  We hired a cement mixing machine to mix the concrete, which is then delivered by hand to the 134 footings.

    

   

Once the footings cured the piers are built using masonry lines, plumb bob and water tube level.  At this point they go back to mixing the concrete by hand.  Because of the heat averaging around 100 F, water has to be continually used to slow the curing process.  It is delivered from our well by water jugs.



The foundation is completed and backfilled bringing the floor up to the road grade level.

The 134 piers are extended to the roof level and the interior and exterior walls are being built out of local bricks, coated with a thin layer of cement and finally stucco.



October 2009.  The walls are completed.  The floors are being laid in concrete.  After the roof is poured the floors will be tiled.  Forty five windows are being set in place.  The interior courtyard garden has been backfilled up to the floor level.   Mark Finelli pours the ceremonial first concrete for the roof of the first section.  After the first section of roof concrete cures the wood will be removed and the next section will be formed and poured.  Rebar protrudes out of the finished roof section.  It will remain as the building is constructed in such a fashion as to allow for the later addition of a second floor if needed.  The protruding rebar will be hidden with a decorative cover.



February 2010. The electrical is being installed for fans, lights and outlets. The roof is completed and the finish half walls are being installed. The tile floors are being installed. The tile shingles on entranceway are installed. The courtyard garden area is leveled. The stucco finish is being applied to interior and exterior walls.

While the construction is going on we are also instituting new procedures for documenting the health and education histories of each of the residents in order to better treat them in the future and to track the progress of their health and mental development. As part of this process of education some of the residents themselves are trained to use and maintain the computer files.

For more information on the progress contact us.