Design Build : PNG brought architecture students from Australia and PNG together with the villagers of Labu-tale to design and build a small health centre. The brief was developed through focus groups and presentations, and the building constructed over six weeks.

At a farewell dinner Aunty Hinahaya thanked us for spending Christmas with them and teaching their children English, and Uncle Matthew told us that seeing the way these 'two young girls' (meaning Rosemary and I) had developed the project had caused him to re-evaluate the potential of women in his own community. The participating students have gone on to varied and successful careers, some in international development. The project won an architecture award.

Despite these successes, the building was never used as a health centre. For complex reasons, it now sits empty in disputed territory between two villages. This project was a transformative learning experience in which I came to realise that participatory design is not just about using methods, but about skills and capabilities such as political astuteness, curiosity, reflexivity and flexibility.