Intrepid Volunteers Tackle Thailand
Willamette West Habitat’s Anna Wendt crosses oceans and landmasses to arrive at the Carter Work Project in Chiang Mai
Imagine travelling for nearly 30 hours straight, crossing more time zones than your mind can keep track of, looking like death warmed over and feeling a bit like it to boot! Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?! Well, that was me on November 13th (and thanks to time zone changes and sheer flight time, it was me on November 14th and 15th!) as I departed Oregon to volunteer with the Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter Work Project in Chiang Mai, Thailand. While the process of getting there doesn’t register in most people’s minds as being “fun” or even “remotely tolerable,” the fact is that each questionable airline meal (“tuna floss” was one such goody that I found on my plate), every single hour of sleep lost and even the last strand of sanity that disappeared when trying to navigate the red tape at the airport was utterly and completely worth it.
I was travelling to Thailand to represent my affiliate, Willamette West Habitat, where I’m on staff as the Family Services/Volunteer Coordinator. Our affiliate helped sponsor House #76, along with other Habitat affiliates from the state of Oregon. It was my first overseas build project, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the trip. I’ll admit I was nervous when the first thing I saw in the volunteer manual was that breakfast would be served from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.! Despite the early mornings, I couldn’t help but be filled with a sense of excitement about what the days ahead would bring: Habitat’s mission is one that I feel strongly about and I was eager to see its significance overseas.
Poverty in Southeast Asia is endemic, and the drive from the hotel to the worksite offered proof enough with the many corrugated tin shanties lining the sides of the road, some with gaping holes exposing the interior for the rest of the world to see. A few of the future homeowners were telling us about the living conditions they’re escaping—windowless apartments, living in a church with 30 to 50 other people, etc. I couldn’t help but feel distraught when thinking about the injustices I had been witness to, but my thoughts turned to the positive when I thought about the impact that the 2,000 volunteers in Thailand were able to make. Over the course of the week, we ALL came together—Habitat volunteers, staff and future homeowners—to build 82 homes and help give a hand up to those who needed it.
When I reflect on the time that I spent volunteering in Thailand, my first thought is how meaningful it was to take part in a cause that was bigger than the sum of its parts. Being a part of Habitat, I know I am lending a hand in the global fight against poverty housing, and every step forward we can take is invaluable. I think it’s safe to say everyone walked away not just wondering where the next Carter Project will be, but how they’re going to get there.
