Zi Hui’s Reflections:

Coming from Singapore, where we usually pay contractors to build things, this toilet-building experience showed me that money is not the only currency of life. In cities, transactions often replace connections, and in the process, erodes the social fabric that holds communities together.

In Sikkim, as in many villages, the currency of life is relationships. Neighbours, family, and friends all came together to help build this toilet, carrying sand, laying bricks, and offering their time. In return, meals were prepared and tea was served to everyone who lent a helping hand.

This beautiful dance of giving and receiving, of showing up, is what binds people together. Money can build houses, but without relationships, a house will never become a home.