Today was the day we had been waiting for: our first day on the build site.
We started the morning in a way that made it immediately clear this week would be about much more than construction. Before picking up a single tool, we gathered with members of the community for a traditional welcome led by the village headman. He blessed our team and welcomed us into the community with a kava ceremony. Each of us was also given a sulu to wear — a meaningful gesture of welcome and respect as we began our time here.
From there, it was finally time to see the project we had traveled so far to work on.
Our build is centered around the community’s Educational Learning Center, a space used by local children and students. A previous Habitat team helped expand the space by working on a ramp, and this week our team is continuing that progress by building a new outdoor veranda alongside the center. The goal is to create more usable space for the students who gather here to learn.
Before we could start building outward, there was plenty of work to do both inside and outside.
We split into two groups. Inside the learning center, one team began preparing the structure for ceiling tiles. We started by carrying the large ceiling panels inside, then volunteers measured and cut pieces of timber and installed beams overhead that will eventually support the finished ceiling.
Outside, the rest of us began laying out the footprint of the new veranda. We measured and built the perimeter before tackling the most physically demanding job of the day: digging six holes, each approximately three feet deep, for the posts that will support the structure.
The ground required plenty of shoveling, scraping, measuring, readjusting, and climbing directly into the holes as they got deeper. By midday, there were six very noticeable piles of dirt — and a group of volunteers who had definitely earned lunch.
We paused for a meal together at the site before getting back to work, determined to see at least one piece of the veranda begin to rise before the day ended. And we did.
Just after lunch, the first large support post was lifted into place and secured into one of the holes we had spent the morning digging. It was only one beam, but after a day spent measuring lines, hauling materials, cutting wood, hammering overhead, and moving a whole lot of dirt, seeing that first post standing upright felt like a pretty satisfying way to end our first day.
Of course, I would be leaving out one very important detail if I didn’t mention our other worksite companions. Several tiny puppies spent part of the day wandering around the site, which meant productivity occasionally suffered for extremely understandable reasons. There are some distractions even the most dedicated Habitat volunteer cannot resist.
By the time we packed up, we were tired, dusty, and already able to see the beginnings of what this space will become.
Today gave us our first glimpse of what the week ahead will hold — hard work, a lot of teamwork, plenty of problem-solving, and the chance to build alongside a community that welcomed us so warmly from the moment we arrived.
One post is in the ground, five holes are waiting, and we’re just getting started.
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