Day 4- Mucho Trabajo

Today was our first day working on the projects. I worked on the retaining wall for the platform that will support their zero impact wet coffee processing mill. I was working with a combination of cabrillo students and young dreamers to dig a 40cm deep and 5 engineering student long trench (7m). It was hard work in the full sun, but it was very fulfilling to see the progress that we were able to make in just one day of working.

Once we finished the trench we started to work on cutting and shaping the rebar that will go inside of the concrete wall. This process took a lot of trial and error, and multiple adjustments to end up with a frame shape that was satisfactory for everyone involved. Seeing how changes were being made live in front of me, and how everyone communicated in both English and Spanish gave me a good glimpse into how construction and worksites operate and adapt to the challenges that arise. 

After we finished our work for the day we went to the fútbol field and played a match with mixed teams of cabrillo students, faculty, green communities, and the young dreamers. It was a ton of fun to work together and compete with everyone, and connect across cultural gaps. 

We closed out the day with a discussion focusing on sustainability and how our own individual choices can have large impacts on those around us. We discussed ways in which we can be more sustainable in our daily lives, and encourage others in our community to do the same.