Laying the Foundation

On September 20th, 2017, Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico with 155 mph winds and 40 inches of rainfall. The small community of Villa Del Rio was impacted like much of the island; houses blown off foundations, roofs torn off, down trees making roads impassable, and no running water or electricity for months. For Villa Del Rio, the worst thing may have been the isolation. For eight months, no one from the U.S. or Puerto Rican Government showed up to help. The community of Villa Del Rio was on its own. That meant rebuilding houses, fixing power lines, clearing roads, and sourcing clean water. It meant putting the community’s needs before the individual’s. 

There are so many things that we want our 8th graders to take away from their service learning field experience in Puerto Rico. The confidence from succeeding in an environment well outside their comfort zone. The reward of doing hard manual work, shoulder-to-shoulder with those rebuilding their lives. The understanding that even in a community that has lost so much, generosity, kindness, and warmth are still a key part of the social fabric. 

Students worked alongside Angel and William, our GlobalWorks locals who live in the community of Villa Del Rio and also were affected by the hurricane, to help build the foundation of a home for a man named Felix. Felix lost his home to Maria. After the hurricane, he picked up any scraps he could to build a makeshift house to live in. He has been very grateful for the one-room home he created and has lived in for the last few years, but now looks to secure a hurricane-proof home for his family. Our students were the first step in that process.

Our students spent their days learning about the history and culture of Puerto Rico by getting a tour of San Juan, seeing the street art murals in Santurce, learning to dance Salsa, and interviewing native Puerto Ricans about their experience during Hurricane Maria.

The students learned about the stories of the locals and what it takes to build a structure that can withstand a hurricane by working to build a foundation for a home by:

• Securing rebar beams
• Shoveling rocks, sand and cement
• Passing cement to create beams
• Cleaning up the bottom foundation of the home

The students also witnessed the beauty of Puerto Rico by playing in the Atlantic Ocean every day, talking with locals, hiking through a muddy El Yunque Rainforest, swimming in the cool river water, and kayaking through the most fascinating bioluminescent bay ever. 

During their stay in Puerto Rico, the students wrote reflections about the work they were doing and the community they were working with. Here are some of their responses: 

Today we worked with rebar on the worksite. We accomplished our whole task of making 8 beams for the foundation. I had a hard time with the wire at first but was really happy when I finally got it.

Kori

Working with the community has made me feel great. I love manual labor, it is fun and a workout. I also loved seeing such a welcoming community. They made me feel like family.

Astro

I loved helping the community and loved shoveling concrete and getting dirty.  I feel like I helped a family in need and am proud of myself.

Yiannis

Working with the community made me feel grateful and humbled me. I got to help and support people in need but also learned how they suffered, too. When I get home I will miss helping them and I will be more grateful. 

Mars

I think working with the community made me appreciate how hard it is to build a house in the heat. These people must be so dedicated to the cause to do this almost every day. It really makes you see what good people they are and how kind and generous their community is.

Eleanor

My perspective throughout the week has significantly changed. When we first came here I was surprised by how rundown and below average the homes were compared to mainland U.S. As the week went on I got more and more used to Puerto Rican conditions, and as we reach the end of our trip I feel incredibly grateful for this experience and I am glad we came.

Oliver

Working with the community changed my perspective on hard work because they showed me that hard work makes you stronger physically and mentally. It also made me sad for the community because they lost everything. When I get home I will feel sad that I won’t be able to keep helping, but will be happy to get away from all the mosquitos.

Sam

To learn more about the students’ experiences in Puerto Rico and their takeaways from the trip, join us at CLAS on Friday, January 26th.

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