![Community Service students went to Braga to volunteer on a construction project for refugee families.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1682605238/carlucci/qjvhm6qheqacdkhrxji2/IMG-20230422-WA0000.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1682605238/carlucci/qjvhm6qheqacdkhrxji2/IMG-20230422-WA0000.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1682605238/carlucci/qjvhm6qheqacdkhrxji2/IMG-20230422-WA0000.jpg","width":800}])
On April 20-22, a group of 9 Juniors and 2 chaperones travelled to Tadim (Braga) to work with Associação Humanitária Domus/ Fuller Center for Housing on the project Reconstruir [Rebuild]. This project allows the construction and purchase of a home, at a reduced and fair price, by refugee families living in Portugal. It is based on 3 axes: reduced price of construction; accountability of the families; relationship with the neighbors. In Tadim, Domus is rebuilding a deactivated old carpentry workshop. It has 540m2 and it will be divided into six units, built for 6 different households - both Portuguese and refugee families.
Since a CAISL team had already worked on this project in October with a group of 12 Seniors, it was exciting to go back and see progress. Throughout Thursday and Friday morning, most of the team focused on making cement to make the floor on a section of the 1st floor of the building, while other team members worked on assembling beams to make frames for pillars. On Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, the team focused on taking 8 tons of demolition rubble out of building to fill a container. We also broke cement blocks apart to take out old iron beams so that non-contaminated rubble can then be used in other construction projects.
Overall, despite the rain, it was a successful and rewarding experience. We are really excited to start planning the next trip to Tadim in October 2023!