In most of the world, some jobs are tough and not very well paid. If you are a construction worker you will most probably be among the lower class of your society. Ricardo Alfaro is a construction worker in Ingeniero Maschwitz, a small town 30 miles away from Buenos Aires, Argentina. In Argentina, construction workers enjoy barbecues once a week, and meat is very good. It is a ritual so embeded in culture, that property owners are mandated to pay for a huge barbecue whenever a construction is finished.

/> Construction worker Ricardo Roque patiently salts the meat he will soon put on the barbecue. Marcos Federman/World Vision Report

How is it possible that these employees with some of the lowest wages in the country can enjoy weekly barbecues? Well, there are about three cows per person in the land of Tango. Tasty and affordable steaks are a national issue and governments make sure they have national policies to keep meat prices low. Saturdays are payment day, usually, and that is when most groups of workers get organized, go to the butcher and bring back a little more than two pounds of ribs per worker. One of the group is in charge of broiling the meat and feeding his comrades.

Ricardo Alfaro is the BBQ man at the construction of a family home in a small town. There are about six men working in several last details after six months of hard work. The general mood is happy, and there is also some extra fun because of being interviewed for the radio. “The radio on, our traditional tea (called 'mate'), and a barbecue are the three things we need to have a perfect week of work.”

Ricardo has been doing this job for more than 20 years, and he is already in his fifties. He is a happy and warm man who says he enjoys the little things of life that are really meaningful: family, good meals with friends, and sharing a positive attitude with those who surround him. At work he is in charge not only of the BBQ, but also of heating the water so everybody has little sips from a tea cup that everyone shares.

This time, and I am sure everytime, the ribs were delicious. Argentine butchers cut the ribs in a special way so that there is plenty of meat on them. Ricardo says patience is the secret for a good barbecue: "The longer it takes, the better it will taste." He broils the ribs for about an hour, and calls for the other workers with a smile when it is time to eat. Hammers, saws, cement machines, everything stops as men approach the fire set in the middle of the back yard. Everyone chooses a bucket and sits and relaxes after hours of hard work.

Ricardo feeds everyone a big piece of meat on some bread, and provides a knife. No plates are used, following a tradition that comes deep from inside Argentine agricultural-extensive lands. Gauchos and farm workers baked their bread and used their fighting knifes to eat.

Ricardo tells jokes, and everybody laughs. "It is important to be humble and happy," he told me before sending me home with a full stomach and the warm feeling of having learned to value simple but essential things that matter and are a key part of being happy.

Ricardo says BBQs are simple but meaningful moments — good people gathered to share a meal. What is your favorite meal for a special moment with good people?

Listen to Marcos' story about Argentinian BBQ.