Reasons to build a house in Africa:

Okay, here is the flip side to my housing complaints of last week.

We live in a city of about one million people, most of whom are squatters. They live in simple houses built on hillsides, some with mud walls and grass roofs, just like the village, but increasingly they have brick walls with a tin roof. There is no running water on the hillsides, horrible sewage/drainage, multiple families per house, with little security.

People with good jobs, like government employees, business people, school teachers, are able to buy surveyed plots (plots of land that are officially deemed habitable) from the government, and often slowly build a house, as their income allows. When (if) they finish, they usually rent the home for income, because by the time they finish, they are at retirement age.

Most of these houses remain unfinished, though sometimes overcrowded with residents that don’t mind not having windows or doors. And since there is a high demand right now (mining and industry is booming here!), the rent for houses is high (we have had people offer us a house at $1000/month, with a straight face… but someone will come and pay this rent!).

But these houses have a bigger problem than rent prices. In town here, instant opulence is favored over reliable quality. So, a house has fancy (usually gaudy) tile all over the place, ornate light fixtures, eye-catching paint colors, intricate iron gates and fences… and second rate plumbing, defective wiring, compromised walls and windows.

So, by building a house, we accomplish a few things: One, we get to pick out the wiring, plumbing, etc. We get to build a water storage tank so that we have consistent water. We get to avoid opulence in favor of functionality. We design a house that, hopefully, both guests from the village and guests from the states will find comfortable.

Once we are finished, we invite you to come and visit. Or, if you are handy with tools, we invite you to come now!

Karibu!