Because oil companies and other industries have polluted our environment so much, the weather is changing in weird ways. Summers are becoming hotter, while winters are getting colder. It also rains less on average, and hurricanes and other natural disasters are getting stronger. These changes (called the climate crisis) affect everyone, but they especially affect people whose houses do not have strong roofs or thick walls.
Techo in Uruguay has decided to investigate how the climate crisis is affecting the communities they are working for. More importantly, they are looking to find ways we can change the houses we build so they can make the environment happier. I have been researching this issue for the past couple of months. I found out that Uruguay has experienced both droughts and floods. One of the communities Techo is involved with is located very close to a creek which has flooded in the past. This week, my team and I will have a meeting with an architect that works with the United Nations Development Programme. Thanks to her input, we will be able to design even better houses with stronger and more eco-friendly materials!
I love working with Techo because almost none of the volunteers had experience with construction prior to this experience. We also get to bond with the families we are working with by sharing meals and playing with their children. It is incredible just how much a group of people can get done in a couple of hours. The research I am doing is exactly the kind of work I am passionate about, and I have created amazing friendships with people I would have not met otherwise.
