I was able to live with a very warm and caring host family. Our host dad (Mamour) tried to make our stay as pleasant as possible from the very first minute. Even though we weren't able to communicate much in terms of language, we managed to communicate using our hands and feet and a few simple French phrases that I remember from school. In the evenings, the translators from BuildOn also came to our family's house and made more in-depth conversations possible. It was heart-warming for me when our host dad told us how grateful he personally was for our efforts and our presence, because the old school buildings were simply no longer big enough for the large number of children

was to assemble the steel wires for the reinforced concrete that would later stabilize the walls of the school. This task could thankfully be done in the shade, as the heat of the sun made some of the work really exhausting.

was to mix the concrete with a shovel on the floor (a mixture of sand, gravel, cement and water). The mixture was then passed on in a human chain with buckets and worked into the foundation.

working on the construction site was a lot of fun despite the heat. I really enjoyed doing something with my hands after spending most of my time at university in front of my laptop or reading books and papers.

Here you can see the young men who have introduced us to the traditional sport of wrestling, which is very popular in the country. They organized a show fight with men from the neighbouring village. It was remarkable how spiritual and energetic these fights are, as blue liquids were poured over the fighters and dances were performed that not only increased energy but also served to scare off the opponent. And although it was only a “show fight”, the fighters took it very seriously, because fighting for the community is always a great honor.

This week, the men from the trek group also had the chance to come together in a gender talk with just the men from this community. We talked intensively about topics such as “What is the role of men?”, “What makes a man?” and “How conflicts are resolved within the community?”. During the conversation, the men also had the opportunity to learn more about us and life in Europe. We were confronted with questions such as “Why aren't you married at your age?” or “Why do we have children so late in life?”. I found it very exciting, because it showed me that the world view in other regions of the world is fundamentally different and that an open and honest exchange is needed to understand the contexts and the different development of the reality of life locally.

It was an extraordinary experience to work together with these wonderful people and lay the foundations for a new school and the day came all too soon when it was time to say goodbye. The afternoon before our departure, a goodbye ceremony was organized for us, for which my host father lent me a traditional robe. It was a little too large for me but that didn't matter. We gave the community some presents for the children, which the others took with them, and of course we danced a lot again.

For me, it was an experience that is difficult to put into words. On the one hand, it was a new adventure to immerse myself in a completely different world and reality of life and to create something wonderful together with others.On the other hand, it has also shown me how privileged and favored I was growing up in Austria, because the infrastructure in the health and education system is of a very high standard and I now see things that I previously took for granted from a completely different perspective.

Nevertheless, I would like to thank everyone who supported me with this project. The children's laughter and joy is largely due to each and every one of you and your generosity.

Thank you so much!