What did the activity involve?
During midterm break I went with 15 other student to Koh Phi Phi along with Cobham Hall (a school from England) to continue construction on a community centre for the local Sea Gypsy Village.
Some of us on the building site
What were my aims?
My objectives for the week were to put 100% effort into the work I was doing and to feel that I really helped make a difference in the lives of the local people. I also hoped to meet and interact with the students from Cobham Hall.During the week we were on the island we had to transport heavy sand bags, concrete blocks and pieces of wood from the beach up to the building site which was quite a long distance away. Once we’d finished moving all the materials we had to bend and tie metal wires together to create a foundation for the second floor of the building. All this work required a lot of physical effort and I therefore definitely feel that I tried my hardest and contributed to the construction of this community centre. Our aching muscles at the end of the week represented a sense of achievement. The tasks we carried out required a lot of team work and so during this time everyone was able to interact and meet with new people from the other school which had been one of my goals.
Me tying wires together
Were there any problems encountered along the way?
All the work during the week was very difficult as we were carrying heavy loads in very hot and sunny conditions. But since we were working as a team everyone felt that they had to try their best as to not let the rest of us down. Also since the building we were making wasn’t for us, but for people who really need it we all felt determined to try our very best.
All our new friends from Cobham Hall!
What have I learnt?
I thought the activity was a great learning experience and it truly meant a lot to me to be able to give back to my local community. We got to see the conditions that the locals lived in and it made me realize how lucky we really are. I have learnt to be more thankful for what I have as there are many people out there that are less fortunate than us.
A newspaper article about the project: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/kent/hi/front_page/newsid_8401000/8401700.stm
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