We are now in Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand, to prepare for the arrival of the next team, the "Japan Hope Builders" having returned to Japan. This team is the first corporate team to be sent from Habitat Japan. By coincidence we happened to meet up with the MGU (Meiji Gakuin University) team, the campus chapter of Habitat Japan, who were working in Chiang Mai.
The construction site for the MGU team is thirty minutes away by car from Chiang Mai city center. The twenty team members will be building two family homes at the same time.
One of the two families who will be receiving a Habitat home from the MGU team is headed by Mr. Game. He is only 19!
MGU%20house.jpgMGUhouse2.jpg
Mr. Game was not able to continue his formal education after middle school due to economic hardship and began work. After his father passed away, he planned to live with his mother. However, because they did not have a safe home to live in, they were forced to live separately. Even now, they both live apart in different relatives' houses.
He applies to Habitat because he wants to make his dream of "live together with her mother" come true.
Interviews were conducted with the local carpenters today during breaks at the construction site. MGU asked questions befitting a campus chapter, such as "What does family and home mean to you?" and "Do you enjoy working with volunteers from abroad?" Other questions were more personal and also dealt with Thai culture, such as "What does the King mean to you," and "What are your hobbies?" They answered this variety of questions with some embarrassment but also seemed to enjoy themselves.
interview.jpginterview2.jpg
Although this was their first time working with Habitat volunteers, when asked if they would be willing to work with Habitat to build a house again, their faces lit up with a big smile as they answered, "yes, of course, everyone works hard and it's a lot of fun."
skilled%20worker.jpg
The MGU team is planning on continuing construction work until the twelfth.
Details on the MGU (Meiji Gakuin University) campus chapter, go to Habitat MGU hp.