Building on a Hopeful Future

While food security is the first issue of concerns for orphans when they enter the Giving Hope program, for some of the orphans the lack of adequate housing is of an immediate concern. Such is the case for Robert, a 19 year old boy taking care of a fifteen year old brother, a ten year old sister, and a nephew that can’t be more than 8 or 9. They were living in a shack smaller than the hotel room I am staying in while we are building him a new house.

Well, let me be clear: Mzungus (see previous post for definition) aren’t needed in Africa to build houses. We are building him a house, but flying the manpower over from the United States to build his house is not the most cost-efficient thing in the world. We are needed to show God’s love.

Our group is building two houses so our group split up into two teams – team cheetah and team lion.

Monday, the first day, we mostly hammered and sawed. When we arrived, the foundation of the house was already laid and the frame of the house was up. Our job was to place wooden boards all the way around the house. The problem is that the wood here isn’t actually straight. The top and the bottom might touch, but the middle would have a gaping hole because the wood bends so much. After we put up the wide boards, we began to put up smaller boards over the cracks. We left the first day with the tin roof on (done by the professional artisan rather than us) and the walls mostly done.

Robert the first day was quiet and shy. We set aside thirty minutes in the day to talk to Robert and hear his story. As we sat on the mountain overlooking the valley below, he was a little embarrassed about talking about his life. According to the Social Worker, Robert had barely left his house, not wanting to miss any aspect of his housebuilding. To us, Robert was painfully shy. Of course, I might be too if a bunch of foreigners came and asked me questions like, “What were you eating when your parents died.” And I would be especially shy if I could only point to the few banana trees on my property as a primary source of nutrition for a few years.

Yesterday, we “painted” the house. I use quotation marks because the painting was more like smearing motor oil over wood than it was true paint. The main job of the paint is to keep the insects off it so that the wood does not rot. Motor oil, I think, might actually do the trick. As we left after the second day of building this house, all but the upper corners of this house were painted and done. (Due to the lack of proper scaffolding, they wouldn’t let Mzungus try to reach those places.)

Robert the second day was still shy, but with a little more confidence around a team full of Mzungus. During lunchtime, a group of kids from the neighboring school had come to stop and stare at the white people building a house in their community. Robert saw them, ran up to talk to them and then they all laughed. As I went over to take their picture, Robert came back and we asked the social worker to inquire as to the joke that Robert told the kids. Evidently, Robert had told them that if they stay there, white people will come to take their picture.

I find that bit of humor to be a glimpse into the man that Robert can be with a source of income, housing, and the love of God in his heart.

This is my sixth house to build on a mission trip (although it is the first outside of Juarez Mexico) and yet I find this to be a new experience. I know that Robert is being taught about the love of God and about tithing. I know that he has a group of peers to interact with. I know that there are people paid to make sure that Robert and his brothers and sister are going to have enough to eat. Housing, while crucial for Robert, is only one part of what makes up the transition from a stigmatized and isolated orphan to someone who has hope.