Local Hands, Bright Future: a Reflection from Dave Harmann

Dave Harmann, Meds & Food for Kids Volunteer Project Manager
October 12, 2022

When I reflect on building the factory for Meds & Food for Kids, my leading thought is how amazing it is that a small NGO with no building experience built a factory on its own without major delays.  There was no big budget for an exploratory project.  There was no paid professional design/build company.

More than fifteen companies and another six plus individual engineers came together to make the factory happen.  Most donated time and many donated materials.  When there was a gap to fill, someone was always there to step in.  The level of collaboration was superb.

The factory project was often chaotic.  We had to make decisions on-the-go, because many things had not been worked out in advance.  After working on staid projects for a Fortune 500 company, I found this exhilarating. 

Building the factory was personally rewarding.  I was working on something that really mattered.  I was able to use my experience working on international projects and I got to use hands-on construction skills learned off-the-job.  Where else could a retired person get to work with so many great people from throughout the US and multiple countries?  I learned so much from these people and I gained many new friends.  Being part of this project was a privilege.

 

Dave Harmann