Japan Hope Builders 08-1 completed the work! (9/2)

On September 2, the "Japan Hope Builders" team finished work. We were only able to work for four and a half days. During this time the eighteen members of the team (one high school student, 15 college students, one working professional and one tour guide), who came from across the country, worked together to display some great teamwork.
Of course, there was some nervousness about working together as part of a Habitat team, as members had only just met one another and it was the first time for everyone to work with Habitat. But as soon as work began, it was as if everyone had known each other for much longer.

During the afternoon of the second day, we visited an elementary school located about five minutes away from the construction site. We played soccer, jump rope and folded origami and taught them some traditional Japanese games. The next day students came to visit us at the construction site, despite the fact that it was a weekend day
On the other half of the day, we make "origami birds" for the home owner, the carpenter and the local staff of Habitat. The "origami birds" which we made from Japan with the help of our friends and family looks very beautiful.
The second half of our itinerary focused on folding origami cranes for the owner of the house, the local construction workers and the Habitat Thailand staff. The colorful cranes were displayed, including those that had been made by family and friends in Japan.
The last day arrived. At the suggestion of the team members, everyone, including staff, bought "I love Thailand" and "I love Bangkok" shirts to wear on the final day of work.
Although we could not complete the house because of the short building period and because of the torrential rain, we were able to create one side of the wall from an area that did not even have a single column standing before construction. Everything was created by hand: the cement, wire, tools, even the machine needed to create the tools.

Among team members, many felt they wanted to "fully complete the house." Even so, to build as much as we did in such a short period of time was thanks to the efforts of each and every team member. Our work was to build the foundation of the house, but it is not just homes which require a strong foundation. A team cannot be built without a sturdy foundation, and we built this one from scratch.
A house dedication was performed on the last day. A house dedication is a ceremony in which the house is handed over to its new owners from the Habitat volunteers. Everyone put their hands in together to cut the tape hung from the door frame. At the wishes of the new owners, all the members of the Habitat team wrote their names into the wall of the house.

Reflections
"If the cement and tools hadn't been made from scratch, you would have never known what kinds of things, like wire, were embedded into the floor and foundation. Thanks to that, I feel as if we are building more than just a 'house,' but something more special"
The "Japan Hope Builders" team is planning on accepting applications next February and March. Please take this opportunity to volunteer with us as it is normally difficult to volunteer as an individual on a Habitat GV (overseas house building) Please refer to our homepage for more information on application.
Open team "Japan Hope Builders" will be offering for subscription around the next spring (February or March). Always it is hard to find an open group to participate on the GV program, so do not lose this opportunity. Please join us. We will give more information as soon as details are confirmed.
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◆Related Reports on Japan Hope Builders 08-1 summer
≫Japan Hope Builders 08-1 Update: The First Day of Work!
≫Japan Hope Builders 08-1 Update: Arrival in Bangkok!