4
Location: Savanna Bay, Virgin Gorda
Sleeping here has been getting easier. People are finally finding spots where they won’t wake up in the middle of the night and move to another spot. Today we woke up at the usual time, got ready to have our first workday, and sailed 20 minutes to get closer to the work sites. After all three boats got to the shore, we walked to the main school. Valley Day school was our primary school where we cut wood, built the two greenhouses and the swing set. I started out weeding, but I wanted to have a greater impact on the hard work going on around me. I then helped with inventory and carried wood to make it easier for the people building. I felt most empowered when I held a power drill and tried to create a hole for a bolt. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, so I changed jobs again. There were two little kids at the site with us. Amanda and I started to play with a little boy named Sweden. He was so cute and the highlight of my day. While playing with Sweden, I learned that interactions with people could be equally valuable in a community as the work we performed today. After lunch, we reconvened and talked about the importance of working diligently despite fatigue. Then I worked with Chloe, Maya, Amanda, Alexis, and Rachel from Anamacara (the other boat). We then went to another school on the island where most of the work last year was done. The group unloaded the wood from the truck to build the second greenhouse. Rebuilding Island Life students will finish these projects tomorrow. Having an impact on today’s work made me really happy and made me feel productive, despite me having a headache. We finished the night with our first freshwater showers and Sloppy Joe’s. I am so grateful for this trip and having my Ewak family at every step of the way.