Building a Home for Emili

Last Saturday, May 24, I took part in a volunteer project that I thought I was going to help with, but it ended up helping me even more. I’d like to share Emili’s story with you today.

The volunteer project was organized by the company where I work in partnership with the Techo Foundation. My company provided the resources for materials and volunteers, while the foundation handled the logistics and execution from start to finish. That’s usually how it works.

Before this experience, I had heard of the foundation, and I’d always been interested in participating in an event like this. When I received the email inviting me to sign up for the event, I didn’t think twice and signed up.

We were asked to arrive at the pickup point at 7 a.m. sharp because we had to start early, and our destination was far away—in a remote part of Ciudad Bolívar.

I was impressed by how far off the main roads the destination was, and the bus had to climb extremely steep hills. At times I got nervous because it was swaying so much, and I thought we were going to tip over. For a brief moment, I caught a glimpse of the horizon in the distance and the incredible view.

The bus couldn’t get any closer to our destination—the road wasn’t suitable for any kind of vehicle. Perhaps only motorcycles could make it that far, though I only saw one during my entire stay, if that. We had to walk the last part of the way to get there.

We arrived at Emili’s house, where she lives with her mom (Doña Nashly) and her brother—an extremely humble home, the kind built with tin cans and whatever they can find to cover it. They welcomed us with coffee and huge smiles.

Before arriving here, I knew nothing about Emili’s story, nor who we were going to help, nor anything else. The foundation’s organizers asked us to form a circle with everyone present, and Emili was the first to speak; she asked us to introduce ourselves and share how we were feeling. My impression is that she’s a girl of about 13—sweet but firm in what she does and says. During this brief talk, they told us that Emili and her friends—who are part of a group of young community leaders—had won a trip to NASA! Hearing this made me very curious, but I’d have my chance to ask about it later.

I took a moment to take in the scene:

The Techo team brought down their tools and began taking measurements. You could tell they’d done this hundreds of times before. Meanwhile, we inexperienced volunteers watched what they were doing. On this type of terrain, they usually build houses elevated off the ground so that water doesn’t affect them too much, since they’re building on slopes. So they have to determine where to place the foundations.

Once the calculations for the foundations (which they also called “piles”) were done, they divided us into groups, gave us a metal bar, and a tool called a “post hole digger,” which is used to dig holes in the ground. The bar is used to loosen the soil, and the hole digger is used to remove it. Of course, they didn’t tell us this or show us how to do it, but you learn by getting your hands dirty.

In total, we dug about 15 holes ranging from 70 cm to 1.50 m deep. The piles were placed in the holes, and a hose filled with liquid was used to check the level so that all the piles would be the same height. At times it was frustrating because sometimes we were just a few centimeters short of finishing the hole, but when we measured it, it turned out we’d dug too deep and had to backfill; we’d measure again and find we’d filled in too much, so we’d have to dig again—it seemed like a never-ending cycle… There were a couple of holes like that that really gave us a hard time.

Lunchtime arrived. Doña Nashly made sancocho and lentils for everyone; you could really feel the love in that meal.

I saw an opportunity to approach Emili and her friends, and I took it. They told me that in order to level the site where we were building the house, they had to go to great lengths to raise the money. They said they’d go to Simón Bolívar Park or El Tunal on Saturdays and Sundays to sell things. They also talked about how difficult this was because, generally speaking, they get more “no”s than “yes”es… Be that as it may, they managed to raise what they needed. And the thing is, when you stop to think about it, the places where they usually build are on hillsides—everything is a hillside. Hearing them talk about everything they did really struck me.

Where does all that strength and tenacity come from to tirelessly—and against all odds—raise money? And while they’re practically still children? This display of friendship and strength is something that really got me thinking. There are things that reason simply cannot understand.

Regarding the visit to NASA, they told me that through the community library—where they spend much of their time and are constantly learning—they applied to the program and earned a spot, though the story isn’t over yet. Although each of them has secured a spot, they don’t have sponsorship to cover their living expenses during the stay. They must keep selling things and going to all sorts of lengths to raise that money. Inspiring.

Toward the end of the afternoon, we laid the floor and took a souvenir photo:

We formed a circle again, and we were each asked to share our favorite moment of the day. It was nice to hear my fellow volunteers share their perspectives on the experience. My favorite moment—and I said this—was the following: “When we laid the first tile on the floor, I said to myself, ‘Wow, all this effort is really worth it. What a great sense of satisfaction it is to see the fruits of all that effort.’”

Finally, it was Emili’s turn to speak. With a choked voice and overflowing with emotion, she thanked us… That very moment is a snapshot that captured my heart, and I’ve carried it with me ever since, tucked away in my soul.

For us, it was a day of hard work; for Emili and her family, it was the culmination of many months of immense effort and the fulfillment of a dream.

Here’s how the finished house turned out:

This post is a reminder that fighting for your dreams is worth it when you put your heart into them, and that thanks to everything I’ve experienced, I’ve been able to see clearly what I want to dedicate the rest of my life to. I think I was able to visualize my purpose in this world… But that’s something I’ll talk about in more detail in another post and in the future if I manage to make progress. You have to let your imagination run wild and let your heart guide you. Fly high.