Until now, we had been mainly concerned with our own material comforts: the lack of water in the boys’ house, broken heaters, and the daily gamble of fruit sticks.
Yes, we wanted to complete the project to the best of our abilities. However, the reality of where we were and who we were impacting hadn’t yet sunk in.
Yesterday, while we were enjoying our lunch, the children of the local community came to visit us. Our curiosity immediately drew us in. As we were interacting with the kids, the first thing we noticed were the smiles on their faces. Because of these highly contagious smiles, we,too, found ourselves smiling. One corner was filled with Macarena dancing, another was abounded with hugs and greetings. In that moment, we forgot that we belonged to two very different place. In that moment, we were all just children, dancing to the Macarena.
We realised the reality of the living circumstances that local people and children faced. It really hammered home that at the end of the week, we would return home to working heaters and running water, but the kids here do not have that option. So today, as the sun sets on the construction site, we continue building not just for a “project” but for the macerana-dancing kids who reminded us that life is about more than just material comforts.
By Claire Chan, Isobel Fox, Rufta Amine – Team Yellow
