This is the House that They've Built

I've mentioned several times the fact that virtually all of the construction work is done by hand. These are some of the people that labor every day, rain and shine, to build Peace House Academy.

I was surprised to find so many women working at the site. But I'm glad that they are given an opportunity to support their families, too. These women are filling the 5 gallon buckets with gravel and then carrying it (on their heads) over to the mixer to make the concrete. The women below are doing the same with the concrete mix.

These are some of the men also working. Except that some are clearly not men, but boys. There are thousands of children in Arusha that cannot afford school fees to attend school. They have very few options. As hard as it is for me to see these boys working so hard when they should be in school, I also understand that they are being given a chance to do honest work that can support their families. They also have an opportunity to learn some skills as a laborer as well. I don't think for a minute that this in any way is equal to the opportunities they should have to go to school--but given the realities of life here, and what other "opportunities" exist for children that don't have an education or are forced to fend for themselves, this is something a little better.