The Times of India
Wall by Pitt, homes by Carter Pranjal Bhuyan [ 31 Oct, 2006 0114hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
MALAVLI: After dodging the media in Pune and Jaipur for close to a month, Hollywood star Brad Pitt made a sudden appearance at Malavli village near Lonavla on Monday, where he joined former US President Jimmy Carter to construct houses for the poor.
For the 2,000-plus foreign and Indian volunteers engaged in constructing 100 houses in a week, it was an amazing sight to observe the 82-year-old Nobel laureate laying bricks and cement alongside the muscular Pitt. His appearance at the site, 56 km from Pune, around Monday noon took everybody off guard. The hunky actor — sporting a grey hat and dark jeans — surrounded by private security went to house number 73, where Carter and his wife Rosalynn were working.
The trio exchanged greetings and talked for a few minutes, before Pitt joined the former US first couple in voluntary physical labour, involving laying of concrete blocks and cement at the house.
After spending about quarter of an hour with the couple, the actor went to the restricted zone at the back of the site and made his departure unnoticed.
The Carters, in jeans and sports shoes, worked for long hours on Monday at the site undertaking all tasks related with masonry and only took a lunch break. Jimmy Carter's advanced age failed to dampen his enthusiasm as he climbed ladders and lifted huge concrete castings with ease.
Malavli is witnessing a week-long programme of house-building for poor undertaken by the international non-profit organisation Habitat for Humanity (HfH). Under this project, 100 houses — each 350 sq ft in size — will be constructed during the week by voluntary labour of more than 2,000 volunteers from across the world.
For Sadhiya Sheikh, owner of house number 73 where Carter and his wife were labouring, the experience of having two such celebrities working to put together her future dwelling was exhilarating.
The mother of two and a housewife was chosen as the lucky candidate to receive the former president's labour, after being selected on the basis of performance in voluntary labour contribution herself over the last four months. Sadhiya's husband works as a driver in a local travel agency.
Sadhiya and her husband worked alongside Carter on their house since 8.30 am. "He and his wife are very simple. They introduced themselves and inquired about our family," Sadhiya told TOI . "I have heard quite a lot about him since last four months when the project was first announced."
The same feeling was expressed by Shalini Sathe (25), owner of the conjoined house number 74, where the Carters were also contributing their labour. Sathe, expecting her second child in December, saw Monday's unfolding events as a high-point in her life.
Her husband Subhash was especially happy about Pitt's arrival. "I know he is Brad Pitt as I have been hearing about him since some days," he said.