Today was a day of firsts including our first morning waking up in our
homestay. Our alarm clock has taken on a new sound of roosters, cows
and early rising villagers. We gathered as a group to share a
breakfast of rice and eggs to prepare for our first day of work. Not
to worry, parents, we put on lots of sunscreen and bug spray before we
hit the fields. Our project groups were split into two, one started
with fencing on a model farm and the other began chicken coop
construction. My group, the fencers was humbled as we watched an 18/19
yr old carry a large bundle of fencing alone, while the four of us
could barely lift it above our waist. The day progressed with a group
lunch and more project work on the chicken coops. Our day ended with a
short dinner, which was halted by a heavy tropical rainstorm in our
home stays. The day as a whole was overwhelming, to say the least, but
our group was able to find solace in simple moments like digging a
hole with the help of village children, laughing over the language
barrier with our families, and doing laundry with our moms. We are
excited to start to find a groove on the island and accomplish as much
as possible while building connections with those around us.
