Monsoon Lessons

Sarah Buonacore '11 immerses herself in Laos project

November 4, 2008

Sarah Buonacore ’11 (back row at left) celebrates the library project’s completion with her PTPI group and the children of Bahn Phon.

Before her first year at college, Sarah Buonacore '11 already had been on four service trips with People to People International (PTPI), a nonprofit organization that brings together people of diverse cultures. Her most recent trip was by far the most rigorous and the most satisfying.

This summer Buonacore traveled to Laos with six other volunteers to help build a new library in the village of Bahn Phon. Her group quickly became immersed in the daily rhythms of life in rural Laos.

"You really have to learn how to go with the flow," Buonacore explains as she describes her living conditions in the "best" house in the village. It had electricity and floor mats with mosquito netting for beds. But there was no running water, and the "shower" consisted of a small bucket of warm water and a scoop.

Buonacore's group spent two weeks working with villagers to build the one-room library from the ground up—during monsoon season. From laying cinder block to putting up a wooden roof, her group worked side-by-side with about 20 men in the village.

Buonacore was one of only two women on the trip and she encountered traditional gender roles during construction.

"Every time we tried to do something, we were told our job was to go around and serve glasses of beer to the workers," she says with a laugh. She and her companion launched their own "suffrage movement" and eventually were allowed to mix cement and paint.

Despite the backbreaking work—the only available wheelbarrow had a flat tire—and the modest living conditions, Buonacore says the trip was "absolutely amazing." She is passionate about the mission of PTPI: "I've always been interested in everything. And after your first trip you're hooked. Even the language barrier made it more fun, because you have to try to figure out how to communicate."

Karl Qualls, associate professor of history and Buonacore's academic advisor, believes that the program is especially impressive "because the projects are not foisted on the local populations. Sarah and the other volunteers work in concert with the local community to construct something that the community regards as important."

Because of her dedication to PTPI's mission, Buonacore may pursue a job with the nonprofit after she graduates. "I've had such a long relationship with People to People, and as an organization, they are always looking for people to lead the trips," she says. "There's a sense of satisfaction with how much good [they're] doing; there's a level of gratefulness in each."

PTPI was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. Its purpose is "to enhance international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and humanitarian activities involving the exchange of ideas and experiences directly among peoples of different countries and diverse cultures." For more information, visit www.ptpi.org.

--Gabby Blitz '09 contributed to this story.