Fixing Houses

I had hoped, when I wrote about my 'Fix a House' project some time back, that by writing about it, I would be spurred into action. That action has indeed taken some time to materialise, but at last it has happened.

A friend of mine, Nikluas, arranged a donation of more than R41,000 from a Catholic Church in Switzerland. With a couple of other donations, we had a substantial pot of money with which to make a real difference in the lives of some elderly and infirm forgotten people.

Last week Thursday we met on site at 07h00. The plan was to build on a new room to an old shanty for a very old half blind man. His room had been destroyed when a massive tree was forced by an unruly wind to relocate itself onto his roof. For the past year, he has slept on the floor of the kitchen in the shack that he shares with his family (5 other people).

Thursday 07h30, getting started

Thursday 08h30 - setting the uprights

Thursday 09h07 - Roof beams attached

Thursday 10h43 - the roof is on

Thurday 13h34 - Windows installed

Thursday 16h00 - UBR sheeting installed on back and side

Friday involved the pouring of the floor, installation of an internal door and the completion of the IBR sheeting on the front of the room. All completed in the pouring rain!

Monday 07h41 - Niklaus with Sakkie (the new resident)

Sakkie has now moved in and is very happy about his own space, although he owns almost nothing that he can put in there to fill it. Looking around his very bare room, I felt sad that I could not do more to make his space more comfortable, like cladding of the walls and roof, a new bed, a carpet on the floor, etc. There is of course a very fine balance between the value of investment into a squatter settlement and the problem one is trying to alleviate. By its very nature a squatter settlement is not permanent. Our view is that as long as we are able to provide a dry and comfortable room for people who will never have the means to do so for themselves, then we are making a valuable difference. Neighbours of mine subsequently donated two mattresses and located a stack of used carpets that we can use to clothe the concrete floor.

Today we have begun work on a shack in which two brothers live. Both unemployed and one with no legs. Their place is a pit. Anything we do here will make a world of difference.

The need is so great that one has no idea where to start. I hope that by just starting somewhere, we inspire others to make their own contribution in their own way, and that together we all make a difference in the lives of our fellow man!