The next morning, Anna gathered a small group of adults near the Healing Hut. The children were playing nearby, but Anna wanted the tribe to understand a bigger vision—one that went beyond games and huts, beyond tools and lookout points.
"We have learned to survive," Anna began, her voice calm but firm. "We have built paths, huts, and ways to heal. We know how to protect ourselves. But there is something else we need… something that will help us grow stronger, not just today, but for the generations to come."
The men and women looked at her curiously. Kehnu leaned against a tree, arms crossed, listening closely. Mike held a bundle of wooden boards, interested but silent.
"I want us to keep knowledge," Anna continued. "Not only in our memories, but in a way we can look back on and teach others. Every lesson, every skill, every story… if we write it down, even in simple letters, it will never be lost."
One of the women frowned slightly. "Why do we need to write it? We already remember things. We show each other every day."
Anna nodded. "Yes, but memory is not perfect. Sometimes we forget, sometimes a person who knows something leaves. But if we record it, it will stay. A child born tomorrow can learn what we know today. A hunter can remember where traps are best. A healer can remember which herbs work for which sickness."
Kehnu spoke up. "So… it's like making the knowledge last, beyond ourselves?"
"Exactly," Anna said, smiling. "It's more than letters. It's history, instructions, stories, ideas. And we need a place for it—a school hut—where children can learn, adults can teach, and everyone can share what they know."
Mike scratched his beard thoughtfully. "We have bamboo, palm leaves, wood. We can build walls, a roof, shelves. It doesn't need to be fancy, just safe and organized."
Anna nodded, excitement growing. "Yes. Simple, strong, and dry. Inside, we can have boards, pieces of bark, and stones for writing. Shelves for storing what we write. A space for teaching, for gathering, for learning together. Everyone can contribute."
One of the elder women smiled softly. "And the children… they will see the value of learning. They will grow up knowing not only how to hunt or build, but also how to think, remember, and share knowledge."
Anna clapped her hands softly. "Yes! And it will be a place where no knowledge is lost. Where the tribe grows not only in strength, but in wisdom. Every generation will build upon what came before."
The group looked at each other, understanding spreading. Kehnu nodded firmly. "Then we do it. We will build this hut. Together. Just as we built the paths, the lookout points, and the Healing Hut."
The adults dispersed to gather bamboo, leaves, and boards. Anna walked back to the children, holding Kate's hand. "Tomorrow," she said, "we will begin the school hut. And soon, we will all learn together, keeping what we know safe for the future."
That evening, as the sun sank behind the mountains, the tribe felt a quiet pride. They had survived, thrived, and now, they were planning for knowledge to survive with them.
Anna looked at the village, paths, and huts, imagining the new school standing among them. It would be a symbol of growth, foresight, and unity—a place where civilization itself began to take root in the heart of the jungle.
The next morning, the clearing buzzed with energy. The villagers gathered, carrying bamboo, palm leaves, mud, and clay. Even the children were eager to help, hauling small boards, sweeping the ground, and handing tools to the adults. Anna smiled as Kate skipped along, balancing a tiny bundle of twine on her shoulder.
Mike and Kehnu led the construction. Bamboo poles were arranged into strong frames, tied securely with vines. Palm leaves were layered for a thick, weatherproof roof, and mud walls were carefully packed between the supports. Anna directed where shelves should go, where boards for writing could rest, and where mats for lessons would be placed.
"This space," Anna explained to the tribe as they worked, "is for learning and sharing knowledge. It will be safe, dry, and organized. Everyone can come here—children, adults, even elders with knowledge to teach."
The elder woman nodded approvingly. "We will keep everything we learn here," she said. "Herbs, hunting techniques, stories, lessons about the jungle… all of it."
By midday, the skeleton of the hut was complete. The roof covered the space in cool shade, and sunlight filtered through the gaps, casting patterns on the floor. Anna placed mats along one wall for children to sit, and low bamboo shelves along the opposite wall for boards, bark, and clay tablets.
"Now," Anna said, clapping her hands, "we begin learning!"