Builders Beyond Borders (B3) is a one-of-a-kind experience. B3 is a local nonprofit organization in Norwalk, CT, that offers volunteer opportunities locally in Fairfield County and abroad. Each year, B3 partners with another country to bring local high school students to help less fortunate communities during their winter or spring breaks. While working abroad, students get the chance to immerse themselves in the culture and community while living and working at the construction site. This is an amazing opportunity for the students that focuses on building community through construction. Teams come together once a month prior to their international adventure as a way to bond before the trip takes off! On the trip, students develop leadership skills, long-lasting friendships, and the feeling of being a part of something bigger than themselves.
A couple of weeks ago, I traveled with B3 to Guatemala to help build a wing of the Balanya English Academy’s preschool and early learning center. Our job was to help build the first floor of the school in order to prepare it for the B3 team arriving on the March trip to continue the work. While living at Balayna, we also got the privilege of teaching the kids English and playing games with them. When coming on this trip, I did not know what to expect, but everyone was so willing and excited to be there and wanted to help build a better world. Without technology on the trip, everyone was able to bond quickly. Knowing everyone authentically, without social media, created a way for everyone to get close really fast.
When we landed in Guatemala, my team, Amanecer, and I were brought to an outdoor market to pick out anything that we might need for the week. I always love going grocery shopping when I travel because I like to see all of the different kinds of foods, but also how much we share in common. After the store, our bus headed to where we would be staying for the week. The first thing we all noticed was how pretty it was there. Right at the front of the school, there was a line of bright yellow flowers. At that point, though, it was midnight, so it didn't take long for everyone to go straight to sleep.
The first day after we arrived, it was our first work day! We woke up to the sounds of chickens and dogs, which we all agreed was a lot better than an alarm clock. The sunrise was a gorgeous shade of orange and pink overlooking the three volcanoes outside our room. It was absolutely incredible! Once everyone was washed up, we had our first Guatemalan meal filled with eggs, rice, beans, and a native soup with pulled chicken inside. After the meal, the Maestros (teachers) showed us the worksite we would be building for the rest of the week. The sight overlooked a carrot field, and in the distance, we could see the volcanoes slowly erupting each day as we were working.
The rest of the week flew by. Every morning, we would wake up and get to work shoveling sand, mixing concrete, and building up the school so our part would be done in time for the next team's visit. Every day, we saw more and more progress at the school that we had come here to build! It was crazy to think that when we had started earlier that week, there was nothing there.
When we were not working outside, we had the opportunity to go into the classrooms and play with the kids, teaching them colors, games, and new words in English. The children, aged preschool to ninth grade, all come into school every day willing and eager to learn. Although it was an English academy, for most of the kids, English was their third language! They spoke Spanish, their ancient Mayan language of Kaqchikel, and now English. The kids came into school every day with the biggest smiles, which were really welcoming. When packing, we brought a number of games and workbooks that we could donate to the students. Games that involved color, numbers, and simple rules, such as Uno, were incredibly helpful and fun for the children.
It was amazing to see how, from the first day to the last, everyone was so welcoming to us. Many of my friends on the trip agreed, including James
“To be around the community I’m actively helping lets me acknowledge their similarities to us and understand them deeper as people,” he said. “A huge part of changing the lives of people is being a friendly companion, and the constant joy they express warms my heart.”
The head of the school, Logan, was a very inspiring person who had the idea to make an English-speaking school after visiting the United States. With the help of our organization and his team in Guatemala, over the past 16 years, he has had the ability to create this amazing school. The whole time, he was helping us with Spanish and working on his English to improve for the kids at his school.
“I genuinely don’t know what I would do without B3, and I don’t know how I went my whole life without it until this year.” Ava, another student on the trip, said. “The trip has made me realize how much I take for granted my own privileges at home and it has taught me to take a step back and appreciate everything that my life and the world has to offer.”
She was so grateful for the experience B3 gave her, which allowed her to meet so many new friends and make so many connections. She was also grateful she had the ability to travel to another country and stay with the community we did.
“Staying in the community helped make the experience 10 times more memorable and amazing, and it allowed me to get a deeper understanding and experience of the lives of the people in the community,” she said. “B3 means everything to me, from gaining independence and confidence, making new connections, finding purpose and being truly happy.”
James felt similarly. “B3 was a life-changing experience for me,” he said. “Meeting new people and doing good for the world made me feel like I could truly make an impact on society and change the world for good.”
For both James and me, it was our first year working with Builders Beyond Borders, but it has already made such a difference in our lives. Although this was my first year on the trip, the program includes high school students of all ages. As students progress through the program, they have the ability to take on leadership opportunities by becoming a student leader or ambassador, helping to lead future trips.
For me, this trip was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and has taught me so much about Guatemalan culture. I was able to step back and experience the world from a new perspective and appreciate how fortunate we are to live in the world we do. Connecticut is a very sheltered area compared to other parts of the world, so this experience was extremely impactful not only to us on B3 but also to the 25+ families we were able to help through our work. On this trip, I learned that hard work pays off, how important it is to repay kindness, and not to take what you have for granted. Being at Balanya English Academy, we were able to be good role models for the students and give them a new perspective on areas outside of their village. I was able to share a picture of snow with one of the students who had never witnessed it before! B3’s mission is to build a better world, not only in Connecticut but globally, and I cannot wait to do it again next year!
Hailey '27
Journalism Student
