This is Daniel, a young man who, at TECHO for the first time the feeling of being driven by a dream. Daniel, then an economics student, heard one of his friends talk about a call for volunteers he’d heard on the radio. It was a survey in Charallave, Miranda State, organized by TECHO volunteer program. Although he had never participated in anything like that before, Daniel decided to join out of curiosity, not knowing that this decision would mark a turning point in his life.
The experience in Charallave was an eye-opener. As he walked the streets, talked with families, and gained a firsthand understanding of their needs, Daniel began to see poverty from a perspective that economics textbooks could not teach him. In April, he returns to help build emergency housing, this time with a clearer purpose: to get involved, learn, and contribute in his own way.
Through those days of work under the sun, carrying tools and sharing impromptu meals, Daniel not only helped build houses, but also forged deep friendships. “The friends I made at TECHO family,” he reflects, recalling the laughter, the long conversations, and the connections that formed in the communities.
But his experience went beyond the personal. Participating in TECHO transformed TECHO into someone more sensitive and critical of the inequalities in his surroundings. The stories he heard and the realities he witnessed inspired him to specialize in public policy, convinced that it was necessary to understand and address problems at their root. For Daniel, volunteering wasn’t just about building houses; it was also about breaking down stigmas and rethinking the way he viewed the world.
The conversations he used to avoid became inevitable. With friends and family, he began to talk about issues such as poverty and inequality, sparking discussions that had never before taken place in his immediate circle. He himself admits that, if it hadn’t been for TECHO, he might never have had the courage to address those realities with those around him.
What he values most about his time as a volunteer are the lessons he learned. He came to understand that poverty is neither an abstract concept nor a problem that can be solved with quick fixes; it is a complex reality, full of nuances, that requires empathy, action, and the ability to set aside prejudices.
Today, as he finishes his master’s degree in Behavioral Economics in England, Daniel misses the community activities, the moments shared with families, and the human connection he found in every construction project. TECHO more than just a passing experience; it was the starting point of a journey of personal and professional transformation.
Even though he is far away now, Daniel carries with him the tools he acquired as a volunteer: the sensitivity to understand the context, the desire to make a difference in his community, and the commitment to work toward a more just world. Because, as he himself says, once you experience reality through the eyes of those who suffer the most, you are never the same again, and you become part of the driving force behind change to achieve a shared dream: that no one should have to live on a dirt floor.