The beginning of Tiseni's building career; “It makes me feel proud"

Tiseni may have been on his first Build Back Safer (BBS) site in 2025, but he already had goals for his career in construction. At 19 years old, he was proactively gaining skills to start his own business one day and give back to his local community in Tongatapu, Tonga.

“I wanted to learn construction so I can find a future for myself,” says Tiseni.

Over 10 days of BBS training held by our partners, Live and Learn Tonga, a group of community members work alongside qualified carpenters to learn construction skills and apply them to build a home start-to-finish for a local family. In the July 2025 training, many of the group were young people from across the island with varying levels of workplace experience.

“I used to be not able to read the tape but now I can read the measurements and, the foundation of the house, I can do that by myself.”

"My goals for next year is to be still in the programme, learning the most I can in the time I have. So when I start my business I have [knowledge].”

As well as their own livelihoods, BBS trainees contribute back to their community with their skills in home repair and resilient building, both during training and into the future. This group built a new home for Fusi, an older caregiver for her son and grandchildren.

Stability starts with a home. But Fusi’s corrugated iron home had become too unsafe to live in; the ceiling was propped up by empty food tins and there was no protection from the elements. She ultimately needed to leave her home and stay with various family members, breaking up her family as her son remained on the land to protect the structure.

Now, Fusi is looking forward to returning home and having her family under the same roof; a roof built by Habitat construction students.

“I think I've helped a lot this week,” says Tiseni.

“It feels kind of nice knowing that you're helping an elderly [person]. It makes me feel proud.”

BBS training is carried out by Habitat partner organisations in Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. In the past three years, 491 people have been trained in BBS. Together, we create skilled and resilient communities.