Warm Heart at Work

Dust is swirling over the Warm Heart land these days coating the broad leaves of the teak and banana trees - the throat, too. But we don’t mind. Our little kingdom is almost unrecognizable. Bulldozer and backhoe, steam shovel and dump truck have labored since February 1st to reshape our landscape. (You can see a full site plan and elevations of the children’s homes in the Photo Gallery.)

The lower section of our land - to the east (right on the plan) - has been graded into a series of sweeping terraces on which we will plant our fruit orchards. At the center of the contoured terraces lies the large fish pond and above it a wide, flat area on which we will build the new Warm Heart offices. It will really be something to work surrounded by fruit trees and looking out over the pond with its water lillies and lotus flowers to the mountains.

On the long, north-south upper section of our land, the changes are even more startling. Where once a narrow trickle ran, we have now excavated a wide, winding stream punctuated by seven check dams. When full, the “stream” will become seven fish ponds, each with a small wetland area spreading beside it. A path runs along the opposite bank for fish harvesting, so that the wetland bank can become a wild nature preserve for our children to observe.

At the top of the stream, the real work started on the 16th - the foundations of the first two children’s homes! Yes, after just seven and a half months, we have begun construction on the first of what we hope will be several Warm Heart “Villages in the Valley.” The boys’ home is going up on the west bank of the stream, the girls’ home on the east bank. Also on the east bank will be the kitchen/dining room. Stay posted!