Carson Graham’s last building day
Today was our last building day. Over the course of the day most of the groups either finished or almost finished their houses. It is amazing that we were able to build an entire house in only 4 days! At my house we needed to finish the roof and the inside walls. The other houses were in pretty much the same place. One group even stayed at the work site when we went back for lunch to get some more stuff done.
In our debriefing tonight we talked a lot about needs and wants. This dicussion really made us think about all the things we take for granted like running water, health care, soap, and other sanitation methods. As well as the way we talk about the things we “need.” For example – “I need my iPod, I need a hot shower, I need the internet.” But here we can clearly see that many people live without the things we “need.” These are just things we want and are lucky enough to have. We also talked about school, and how we complain about it, but all the kids here who are able to go to school feel so lucky. A few of the students along with Ms. Barter went to visit the school in the community. They got to talk and take pictures with the kids as well as see what sort of things they were learning.
Tomorrow is house dedication day and everyone is super excited! In the moring we will put any finishing touches on our houses, like shelves, tables or bunk beds, and go shopping for things for the family. Then we will be able to hand over the keys to not only a home but also safety, security, and a place to call their own!
– Sarah Duggan
Today was a day of finishing. When we got to the job site, we immediately got started painting, working on the roof, and building inside walls. This was our last official work day and all the groups were pushing to complete their houses. Between installing windows and doors, roofing, painting, and building shelves, everybody had something to do, but we also had time to do some shopping at the nearby stands, and play with the kids in the community. We have all built a lot of strong friendships with the kids and families around, despite the language barrier.
By the afternoon, when the houses were mostly finished, we loaded back into the buses, covered in tar and paint, and drove back to Don Diego’s, where we’ve been staying. We had just enough time to get into our outfits for the 80’s themed dance party before we ate dinner. We had another debriefing session with Nettie and the LDA’s, and we talked about some of our favourite parts of the day. People’s favourite memories ranged from funny moments with friends, to moments with their building families, and fun times with the kids. One group went to visit the school and were surprised by the differences they noticed. Kids our age were in grades two and three and many children did not even have a chance to go to school. I think this made us realize how lucky we are to live where we live. After the debriefing we did our usual student appreciations and then got the dining hall ready for our dance party! The two other Hero Holiday groups came down to join us and it was a lot of fun. We are all looking forward to completing our houses and handing the keys over to the families who will finally have a safe home of their own.