Well, not exactly a whole house… and definitely not on my own. Here’s what happened…
In July, I put my hand up to go on a trip with Habitat for Humanity to Indonesia. This was part of Arup\’s Community Engagement programme, and I was fortunate to be one of five Arup volunteers chosen to join the build which took place last week.
I had never been to Indonesia (nor to anywhere else in Southeast Asia), never experienced a rural village setting , and never physically built homes before (design reviews and site audits don\’t count!). It was bound to be an eye-opening journey and it sure was.
The task: 4 houses, 35 volunteers, 4.5 days
The place: Selopomioro village, Yogyakarta province (see below from pre-build briefing)
Out of all the information shared on the briefing day, the one statement that surprised me the most was that many of the local people we were going to meet may have never seen and will likely never again see another international visitor. Difficult to imagine for someone who grew up in Dubai!
I later learnt that Habitat for Humanity Yogyakarta hosts over 700 international volunteers every year to support various building and relief activities, an amazing effort by small team of truly dedicated staff and volunteers.
Before I let the photos speak for themselves, I have to thank the people of Selopomioro, who welcomed a loud group of strangers with open arms, made sure we were all well-fed (Indonesian food is now officially my favourite cuisine!), gave us a chance to interact with their families and kids, and most importantly reminded us what being a true neighbour and community member means. Thank you.
