Volunteering as a ‘builder’s apprentice’ building a sink unit at a small school in Surin, Thailand was fun and eye opening from the word go. We arrived at an empty plot at the school surrounded by building materials and got to it straight away. The builders and Starfish staff had us in giggles all day and I even surprised myself at how much I enjoyed learning to mix cement with a hoe! We assisted the builders who even allowed us to lay bricks and tiles despite our obvious lack of experience! It was great to see the sink unit developing day by day and how the builders improvised with basic tools and resources. From hammering to grouting, sand sieving to cement mixing, we worked and played hard in beautiful rural surroundings where the sun shone everyday. When the unit was finished we all carved our names in cement and commented on how good it was knowing that the money we donated had gone towards paying for the materials and that the unit would help improve hygiene levels at the school.

Read more about our School Development placements