Last Saturday, we went to help build a house. I thought we would use the hammer and nails and cutting wood. I have never helped build a house so that hammer was the only thing I knew about the building. In addition, I imagined that we would see a semi – built house.
On that day, we were five people out of seven people; four ladies and one guy. When we arrived there, there was no house, and what was there was just the foundation of the house. The guy who met us as soon as we arrived said that house would be finished by March 2017, and that means the owner would wait for eight months. Anyway, we did not use a hammer or nails; we used shovels and wheelbarrows. We put soil in the wheelbarrow and then carried it to a specific place. To be honest, it was not easy, but when I think about the owner and her four little kids, instantly I forgot about that. In fact, it is worth it and I want to go back and help her until the last moment. The owner is an amazing woman, and she deserves that house. She works very hard and thinking about the future of her children very seriously. I can tell that she would sacrifice anything to provide a good life for her angels. I wish the best of luck for her and for everyone who takes a benefit of the opportunity and doing the best as much as possible. I wish I would be available in Corvallis next March to go and see the completed house and see the smiles on their faces.
Unfortunately, this volunteering was the last one for the session one. I am grateful for a friend of mine who told me about that class, and I am grateful also for the INTO staff who allowed me to change my classes to choose this class. Helping people is what makes me feel life inside me, and vice versa. Watching people suffering kills me, and makes me lose my desire to live. I hope all of us; the whole world – no matter what languages we speak or which religion we believe in- cooperate together to help people in need and help each other because we need each other. I hope we can make positive changes, stop the meaningless, silly conflicts, and just end the heartless heinous wars. We will not live here forever; all of us will die someday. So far, I could not understand what the point of all that arguments that happen around us is! We can share what we have and ease each other’s lives. When it comes to the Habitat for Humanity program, all they need is some of our time. By that way, we would make life easier for those people who need our help. Finally, as the saying goes “As you sow, so shall you reap”. Thus, when you may need an assistant someday, definitely you will find someone to help you if you have already helped someone before.
Ashwaq Alamri from Saudi Arabia
July 9, 2016
