Building Hope

It all started at the end of 9th grade, when my friend introduced me to the RIS Interact Rotary Club, which is a club that works in coordination with Habitat for Humanity at our school. In 10th grade, I joined the executive team for the Rotary club, with a position of 10th grade representative. After a great deal of fundraising and organizing, I embarked on my first ever Habitat for Humanity trip at Korat. That year (2011), we built three houses. It was absolutely amazing; an experience that I will never forget. After that trip, I was more motivated than ever - I wanted to help people who didn't even have a proper home to live in.

The following school year (2011 - 2012), as a junior, I became the President of the Interact Rotary Club. After the disasterous flooding, the exec team decided that we would join the Habitat Flood Relief Program. Then started the fundraising, the meetings two times a week, speeches, and a whole lot of organizing. It was quite a busy time, especially for the exec team, but in the end it was all worth it. We raised over 500,000 baht and gathered 168 people from our school and ISY (International School of Yangoon), went over to a village in Lopburi, and rehabilitated ten houses! The experience of working side by side the owners of the house, the genial Habitat staff and friends in order to make the house as durable and beautiful as it could be, was priceless. I love Habitat so much that next year, I will serve as President of the Rotary club again, and hopefully, we would be able to make a great impact next year as well.

I'm VERY excited for Youthbuild, especially since we would not be helping only one family, or two families, but the whole village! It would result in a tremendous change for the villagers, and I would love to join the other youth and the Habitat staff in achieving this. :)