We may finally have a house, but will we have power?
We have been house hunting since arriving in June. The problem is this: Western style houses are tailored for big-spending NGO's, businessmen, and people linked to the gold mining industry here (someone showed me a house the other day, and asked $1200/month with a straight face!). The vast majority of other houses are tiny, inaccessable by car, or in poor condition.
Or sitting unfinished.
In a place where it is nearly impossible to save money, those who desire to save for the future largely invest in cement (doesn't lose value, and can't be borrowed by family members). So Mwanza is filled with half-built houses, on a 20 year construction timeline.
We found one of these half-built houses, and have been in negotiations with the owner, a widowed school teacher, whose husband was building the house until his untimely death 7 years ago. No work has been done since that time. So, we are planning to finish this house, putting up our money in exchange for future rent, which will be half of the market value here. Also, we are free to put walls where we would like them, put in a reasonably sized kitchen, and so forth. Within a few years, she will begin making quite a bit of money from rent. It has been a pleasure working with her!
We will ink the deal tomorrow morning. Then I will learn more than I ever imagined about construction, African style (everything but the roof and most walls must be finished, built, or rebuilt!).
Unfortunately, the power situation continues to deteriorate here in Tanzania. As of today, we will now be without power for all daylight hours, every day of the week (instead of losing power 5 days, as we have become accustomed), as the government is trying to delay an imminent collapse of the power system. And there is talk that we will soon lose the evening hours as well. Goodbye hot water. Goodbye refrigeration. Hello kerosene. Hello hand-washing laundry. We are looking into some alternative power sources, like solar power, solar water heating, battery power storage (capturing extra power during the night to use in the daytime), and putting Josiah on a hamster wheel.
On another note, I am picking up Ruth for her surgery Tuesday morning. Hosting Ruth a couple weeks ago (in the Guild's small guesthouse) helped remind us what we were looking for in a house. Ruth was completely comfortable staying with us; the house was both comfortable and modest; a backdrop, not a focal point. We believe that this house will have a similar feel when finished. Please, come visit us and see for yourself...
But if coming soon, bring your tools. And your batteries.
We have been house hunting since arriving in June. The problem is this: Western style houses are tailored for big-spending NGO's, businessmen, and people linked to the gold mining industry here (someone showed me a house the other day, and asked $1200/month with a straight face!). The vast majority of other houses are tiny, inaccessable by car, or in poor condition.
Or sitting unfinished.
In a place where it is nearly impossible to save money, those who desire to save for the future largely invest in cement (doesn't lose value, and can't be borrowed by family members). So Mwanza is filled with half-built houses, on a 20 year construction timeline.
We found one of these half-built houses, and have been in negotiations with the owner, a widowed school teacher, whose husband was building the house until his untimely death 7 years ago. No work has been done since that time. So, we are planning to finish this house, putting up our money in exchange for future rent, which will be half of the market value here. Also, we are free to put walls where we would like them, put in a reasonably sized kitchen, and so forth. Within a few years, she will begin making quite a bit of money from rent. It has been a pleasure working with her!
We will ink the deal tomorrow morning. Then I will learn more than I ever imagined about construction, African style (everything but the roof and most walls must be finished, built, or rebuilt!).
Unfortunately, the power situation continues to deteriorate here in Tanzania. As of today, we will now be without power for all daylight hours, every day of the week (instead of losing power 5 days, as we have become accustomed), as the government is trying to delay an imminent collapse of the power system. And there is talk that we will soon lose the evening hours as well. Goodbye hot water. Goodbye refrigeration. Hello kerosene. Hello hand-washing laundry. We are looking into some alternative power sources, like solar power, solar water heating, battery power storage (capturing extra power during the night to use in the daytime), and putting Josiah on a hamster wheel.
On another note, I am picking up Ruth for her surgery Tuesday morning. Hosting Ruth a couple weeks ago (in the Guild's small guesthouse) helped remind us what we were looking for in a house. Ruth was completely comfortable staying with us; the house was both comfortable and modest; a backdrop, not a focal point. We believe that this house will have a similar feel when finished. Please, come visit us and see for yourself...
But if coming soon, bring your tools. And your batteries.
posted by Kevin at 12:19 PM
2 Comments:
Well Kevin I am still hoping to get there. I don't know when This summer might be pushing it since I'm living off government funds. However I'm still hoping and would love to help. I don't know if I could get my skill saw on a plane and it wouldn't do any good with out electricity any way. I seem to remember a carpenter that didn't have juice either and he saved the world. Your house shouldn't be a big deal!
Love, David Van Horn
I'd like to help build Josiah's hamster wheel! Thanks, again, for sharing your experiences and emotions. Hope I can come for another visit sooner rather than later!
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