When a school reconstruction program came to her community in San Bartolo, Mexico, Alejandra never imagined she would be part of the construction team.
“Like many women, my main job has always been a housewife,” she told us. “However, when the project came to our community, I had the opportunity to join the team and work as a construction assistant.”
The work was challenging. The days were long. The tools were unfamiliar.
But day by day, with guidance from the team and her own determination, Alejandra learned masonry skills she never thought possible. And maybe most importantly: she helped build her own daughter’s school.
This is what International Women’s Day looks like in action at All Hands & Hearts.
Watch Alejandra’s story below.
Redefining Who Belongs on a Construction Site
Alejandra is part of our Female Mason Training Program: an initiative that is reshaping what opportunity looks like for women across our school rebuild programs in Nepal, Mexico and the Philippines.
Through this program, we hire local women to step onto construction sites, pick up tools, and gain hands-on experience from master masons in disaster-resilient and sustainable building techniques.
In Nepal, our four current trainees are nearing completion of their first school rebuild. Along the way, they’ve learned far more than how to lay compressed bricks and reinforce walls. They’ve gained life-saving skills in First Aid and Disaster Risk Reduction, renewed confidence, and the ability to act decisively in moments that matter most.
Tirtha, an alumna from Nepal, described her transformation this way:
“My skills have been enhanced and my confidence has been boosted. I was a little shy and fearful initially… but now I am confident. The opportunity of sharing space with fellow strong women has allowed me to live their stories and navigate life after shocks and turmoil.”
Why This Program Matters
For so many generations, societal norms have dictated women’s access to education, employment, and economic independence, especially in construction, a field overwhelmingly dominated by men.
| At AH&H, we know that talent is universal. Opportunity is not. |
We piloted the Female Mason Training Program in Nepal in 2017 to help close that gap, equipping women with vocational skills in disaster-resilient construction so they can earn livelihoods, support their families, and contribute directly to rebuilding their communities after disasters.
One encouraging sign from our programs in Nepal is its ripple effect: women in the community, inspired by FMT participants, are stepping forward as day volunteers.
Since then, the program has expanded to Mexico and the Philippines.
This month, on the island of Catanduanes in the Philippines, we are welcoming four new trainees into our school construction program at Salvacion School, women who are now part of a growing movement redefining who belongs on a construction site.
Laying Foundations for Generational Change
When women gain access to skills and opportunity, especially in the impact ripples outward.
In many traditional, agrarian cultures, men are considered assets – trained, educated and given opportunities to grow in status – while women are expected to assume domestic roles, caring for children and elders, managing household tasks and collecting essential resources like water and firewood. The result? A lack of livelihood options, financial dependence and a cycle of poverty that persists across generations.
This inequality is particularly pronounced in construction, where men overwhelmingly dominate the workforce. Women’s physical ability to engage in labor-intensive work has often been dismissed, despite their immense potential to contribute meaningfully to rebuilding efforts, especially in communities recovering from disasters.
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the women who are stepping up to challenge societal norms. They are changemakers, leading a new path forward for schools, for women’s confidence, for economic independence, and for generational change.
Support Our Female Masons
We are constantly amazed by the strength and resilience of women across our programs. You too can be part of expanding the Female Mason Training Program to support school rebuilds around the world.
Thank you for your continued support of global AH&H programs.
