International Herald Tribune Building a new home with volunteer labor August 15, 2005 ㅡ SAMCHEOK ― In this remote village in Gangwon province, loud hammering echoes. Under a scorching sun, 60 people move around on the frame of a two-story, four-unit apartment building under construction. All wear safety helmets and gloves; some with hammers awkwardly chip rough edges from freshly set cement or nail plywood to the frame. Shouts for tools, the sound of electric saws, laughter and singing all add to the hubbub on the site. Wiping away sweat, the workers look back at five buildings already built, knowing they will soon complete another. They, and I, are part of the Korea Blitz Build, a Habitat for Humanity project. Last month, I spent my summer holiday with dozens of volunteers on the project. All came for different reasons. Our number included future residents of the units being built; high school students seeking volunteer certificates in hopes of getting into better colleges; parents accompanying them as guardians; college students wanting to spend their summer vacations doing something of value; company employees sent to learn how to build unity between management and labor, and some, like me, there mainly out of curiosity. Habitat for Humanity was established in 1976 by Americans Millard and Linda Fuller to provide decent, affordable homes for low-income families who need a place to live. The Korea operation began in 1995 and now has 13 affiliates around the country. An office was opened in Samcheok after the area was hard-hit by Typhoon Rusa in 2002, and five buildings were built in 2003 with the help of 3,000 volunteers. Yoo Jong-gon, an official for the Samcheok group, said construction started this year early in June and was expected to finish later this month, with about 1,000 volunteers having taken part. Each morning began with prayers by a minister, followed by a group exercise session during which we chanted "Habitat! Oyea!" ― "oyea" being an African expression meaning "stand up," we were told. Although we shared the common goal of building homes for those who needed them, our differences pointed up the sometimes difficult task of meshing Habitat's Christianity-based philosophy with the charitable initiative of the Korean volunteers. For instance, the prayers, frequent hymns and religious nature of a final offering ceremony made some uneasy. Choi Yoon-hee, 20, a student from Ewha Womans University, said, "I understand that Habitat for Humanity was based on Christianity, but as the movement embraces all volunteers and residents regardless of their religion, the program should have considered non-Christians." She explained she wasn't religious. Another rub was the participation of high school students seeking certificates. One volunteer expressed concern that studntes were there not for charity but for window-dressing on their resumes. The volunteer, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he felt Habitat was a "must" program for high school students who wanted to go to college, especially in the United States. Another complaint was that work proceeded more slowly than volunteers thought necessary. Some said organizers seemed to want to leave work to future volunteers in a bid to raise more funds for the program. (Volunteers pay a 270,000 won fee, or $266, - 240,000 won for students - for accommodation and meals during the program.) "The prospective residents need homes as soon as possible. I think we could do more if we sped up," said Cho Il-min, 20, majoring in physical therapy at Cerritos College. Despite the few gripes, there was only gratitude from future owners of the housing units who worked alongside us. Prospective residents are required to work 500 hours on the construction site, where they experience firsthand the effort put in by volunteers. Jang Gong-won, 36, a taxi driver and future owner of one unit, said he initially hesitated before applying to Habitat because he was concerned that people would assume that all residents in the program were very poor. That is not the case; to qualify for the program, residents must be able to pay a sum of 30 million won over a 15-year period. This amount is for construction costs only and does not include interest payments. "But now, looking at the volunteers working for my family, I feel blessed and my worries are all gone," Mr. Jang said. "In every place in the house is the sweat of volunteers. In order not to forget their efforts and this moment, I will decorate a wall with photos of the volunteers." Ko Tae-young, 19, a volunteer majoring in civil engineering at Kookmin University, said he enjoyed working with the future residents because he got to know the people he was helping. Most began, like myself, unsure, awkward and unused to the tools or the physical labor under a fierce sun. By the end of each day, I was sweaty and dusty, covered in heat rash and my arms trembling so much that I could hardly h