For the residents of the colonias of Tijuana, life is not easy. These border shantytowns have little or no sanitation facilities and residents live in tent-like structures. That’s what motivates organizers of Heart of the Samurai, a leadership workshop that also aims to help those who are less fortunate. More than 200 participants took part in one of two annual Heart of the Samurai scavenger hunt-like events on Friday and Saturday. The group, in conjunction with Project Mercy, a nonprofit that works to improve standards of living in Tijuana shantytowns, constructed 32 walls for pre-fabricated homes to be built south of the border. The project took place at the La Jolla Community Church, located at 4377 Eastgate Mall. Participants scavenged San Diego for items such as hammers, nails and drywall, as requested by Project Mercy. Brian Klemmer, director of Heart of the Samurai, said this was a difficult task for participants. “Many of them are CEOs, so they find it difficult to ask for things,” said Klemmer. “This group has to work as a team to raise $75,000 or find the specific items. They can’t just cut a check out of their own checkbook or buy the items themselves. They have to raise the money and acquire the goods ethically. It’s about learning compassion, problem-solving and leadership through service.” After the team finished, members were told to bring the items to the church for review. What came next was a complete surprise — they had no clue they would be asked to actually build walls.