Home Building in South Africa

As you will know by now I spent the 7th – 14th September 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa, building houses with Habitat for Humanity as part of a Global Village team. We were working side-by-side with local people to help them build simple, decent homes. They were then be able to buy their house at cost with an interest free loan.

The new homeowners are all on low income and previously lived in poverty housing. They have to invest hundreds of hours of labour into building their own house and help build the homes of their neighbours. I had to pay all my own costs for the trip as well as raising money towards the cost of materials for building the house and sponsorship for Habitat for Humanity, Great Britain. The trip including donations etc. cost around £1900.00.

One of the shacks - the reason we were there!

A Scottish team, all the way from Aberdeen.

The beauty of the scheme is that new homeowners pay for their home, at cost, and the repayments go into a revolving fund for more house building. The means that donations made will be recycled time and time again into additional houses.

Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to eliminate substandard housing worldwide. It was founded in 1976 and now works in 92 countries helping needy people of all races and religions. Currently one house is built every 21 minutes! But it still has much more to do.

The title of this project was "The Desmond Tutu Community Build 2008" and on this occasion combined with the South African based "Desmond Tutu Build on Faith".

There were around 120 volunteers from the U.K. this time which was the best ever team from here. We combined with South African teams and others to give about 400 people in total, building twenty two houses. Please read on and enjoy my photographs... George.

Meeting some of the families at an introductory church service.

One of the families meeting their team leader... guess which team they got?

The concrete slab with blocks piled up behind. Some of the volunteers here are mixing the Dagha (mortar).

The walls starting to go up. This would have been day one but due to the poor weather it was actually day two.

Our family standing on the space where their house will be built. Raymond, Zalungele and baby Inathi.

Still day two and the walls are taking shape. Victor is 'supervising'.

Me treating the window frames with linseed oil, ably helped by Diane.

One of the important aspects was building relations. Here Aaron is playing with some of the local kids.

In order that the home owners have a genuine investment in their own home they have to meet a few criteria. Firstly they need to be in posession of both a government grant and a plot of land on which to build. Our home owner, Raymond had been given his plot by the South African government as he had previously been in a township which had been washed away by floods.

A panel made up of local residents then vote on who should be awarded the next projects. Each potential home owner as well as helping with their own house also has to help with at least four others. Victor who you will see in some of the photographs had his home finished the previous week.

Each house build is allocated two professional builders who oversee the laying of the blocks, the lifting of the roof trusses etc.

Because there is still a lot of mistrust in the townships it is just as important to build relationships as well as houses so the volunteers are encouraged to play with the local children and we were very well received by the local community who really appreciated the help we were providing.

The window frames starting to go in. the glass wasn't fitted until after we had completed the build.

"Bagging the walls" - basically filling the gaps in the dagha and smoothing any roughness.

I must admit I was very impressed by the quality of the build in the small details such as this and the fitting of damp proofing etc.

The walls were being smoothed because they would later be rendered and painted (after we had left).

Myself working on the walls, "buttering" the dagha.

Collecting the roof frames on the back of a bakkie (a small pick-up). No health and safety here!

Starting to fit the roof trusses. This was day three by this point.

Aaron helping with the trusses. Only people who were comfortable with heights would be allowed to do this work so no one was ever given anything outside their abilities.

Stretching a damp proof membrane prior to fitting the roof tiles.

Forming a chain to move the roof tiles up onto the roof.

Roof tiles piled up ready to be fitted.

Taking shape inside. (left to right - Klaus our team leader, Richard and Terry).

Me working on the roof, fitting the ridge tiles.

It wasn't all work and no play of course, on one evening we were treated to some South African food and entertainment at the Moyo Restaurant.

"Me and my two wives would like to sing to you".

One of the evenings entertainers in traditional costume. There were acts performing on two stages as well as at your table. We also had to have our faces painted. Food was served in a buffet fashion with everything from fish to Ostrich and Kudu.

There was something for everyone with vegetarian dishes, barbecued food and stews then finished off with a variety of sweets. We could then spend some time in the souvenir shop before heading back to the hotel.

And we were treated to a cable car ride to enjoy the view at the top of Table Mountain.

Richard and Terry on the roof surveying all before them. The roof tiles were put into piles on the roof. Once the preparation work had been done the roof was literally tiled in thirty minutes!

We were by this point effectively a day behind due to the rain on the first day but we had caught up well and the weather remained kind for the rest of the week.

Once we had left there was of course much more work to be done, the glaziers were arriving just as we left to fit the glass to the windows, the builders were staying on to finish the interior walls and the house would then be rendered and painted on the outside, plastered on the inside. Toilets and a bath etc., would be fitted as well.

So that was that then, the house is far from complete but it is solid, water tight and Raymond and his family could look forward to a decent, affordable home.

Would I do it again? You bet I would. I can't do it again next year but hopefully in 2010 I'll start a similar project.

Each day started with a dedication service at the local school hall. We were also given a decent but simple meal here each day.

The hotel we stayed in, in Cape Town. It is actually a converted prison with a very interesting history.

Face painting with the kids was very popular. At one point it seemed as if the whole township was being done but it transpired some of them were washing the paint off so that they could have it done again!

A completed Habitat for Humanity house.

A view across the roofs where you can see all the coloured roofs of the previously built houses.

The local greengrocer.

Once we were finished, a dedication service was held to hand over the house to Raymond and his family.

The group photo to celebrate completing the build.

Once again I would like very much to thank all of those who helped sponsor me in this venture. I hope you can see from the pictures it was all well worth the effort. You can view more pictures on my facebook page.

Here is a list of all who donated:

(in no particular order)

John and Moira Alexander, Audrey Forrest, Rupert Jones, Susan Sewell, Donald Campbell, Rhona Galek, Heather Cowan, Lorraine Reilly, Suzanne Sosna, Pampered Chef, Maureen Macpherson, Sharon McCabe, Jane Marlow, Margaret Nicol, Liz Conquer, Claire Smith, Murdo Beaton, Richard Hamill, Karine Donald, Susan Bissel, Michelle Stewart, Amanda Lyon, Malcolm and Ingrid Lyon, Town and Country decor, Graham and Janice Alexander, Gary Alexander, Fergus and Joliane Philip, The Bathgate Kilt Studio, Matt Purdie and Sons, Tom and Janice Anthony, Darren Philip, Andy and Ruth Robertson, Yvonne Alexander, Grace Hennig, Ronnie Dunbar, Simon Murray, Sarah Kenhard, Larry Walls, Jackie Conquer, Christian Syme, Eleanor Welsh, Siobhan Higginbottom, Angela Lockhart John & Elaine Flannigan and the congregation of Boghall Parish Church