The house we’re building is nothing like anything we build in the States. It may seem puzzling, but there been a lot of careful thought put into every block and beam. We've asked a lot of questions and Carl Nell, our project leader, has been very good at not only answering all our questions but also explaining the reasons why the design and technique make sense. Here are some of our questions and the answers we’ve been given.
Why is the house made of cement blocks? A frame building would be so much easier.
I have helped build a frame building on a mission trip to Mexico and it was much easier. In South Africa, termites are a force to be reckoned with. They build massive mounds all across the country side. A frame house would quickly be turned to sawdust. That's why we use cement blocks.
If I've laid block before, will it be the same? What kind tools do they use?
It is very much the same, however the differences are important. First of all, we don't use rebar or pour pillars of concrete down through the blocks. Instead, more mortar (here they call it Duggar) is used between blocks. The duggar also has more sand than our cement. For the effects on structural integrity, you'll have to ask an engineer.
As for tools, we used the ones you would expect; trowel, level, string and scaffolding. The biggest surprise was looking back at the end of the week and realizing what we hadn't used. Never once did we use a power tool of any sort. Even the cement was mixed by hand. Other than that we didn't need any. Blocks were cut using a trowel or hammer (which works better than you might think). There wasn't any wood to cut until the roof went on and even then it wasn't, more than a dozen beams.
Why are the new project houses scattered across the community? Wouldn't it be easier to put them all together?
That's actually what they did when they started back in 2004 or so. Someone donated land on the road into town and more than 30 houses were built there. It was pretty obvious that these houses were different and therefore there residents were different. No one likes being labeled different --especially if that means you are from “the project.” Now houses are built throughout the community rather than in one location.
Can we make the house bigger because we raised more money?
The house is really simple. At 430 square feet, it doesn't seem that big when you look at the concrete slab on the first day. But as the walls go up, you start to see things come together. The front door of the house brings you straight into the living room. It isn’t huge, but it will be cozy. Through a walkway, There is a kitchen with a back window and a side door. Each these rooms leads you to a bedroom.
This is a typical size for a house in Shongweni. There are some professionals who are building their own very nice homes around, but these size is typical. Actually with some nice flooring, electrical work, and coat of plaster, it could be upgraded to a place about like the one where we stayed. Building a house this way gives the family the opportunity to not only have a better place now, but also to invest and personalize their own home.
Why doesn't the house have a bathroom?
The house is small, but the first ones built in Shongweni had bathrooms. Why hasn't this continued? Simply put, people were using their bathrooms as storage closets instead (I've seen it with my own eyes). They were more comfortable using their outhouses (Seriously) and would rather take a bath the traditional way--standing in a little tub and pouring water over themselves. Eventually the church asked the builders to redesign the houses and put more space in the bedroom. The builders obliged.
Why don't we put in electricity?
This, again was one of my questions. We had the people who could have done it and we could have easily paid for it. However, this was an investment the family needs to make for themselves. This, again, is part of the family taking ownership of the house.
What don't you just pay a builder and save yourself the trouble of going to Africa?
First of all, where's the fun in that? However it is a fair question. The house only costs $8,000 to build, but our team raised about $80,000 to do the whole trip. On paper, we could have built ten houses!
But would people in our families and congregations have given that much money without a personal connection? With our team coming from six congregations in Missouri and two in Illinois, we quickly had thousands of people supporting us. People I had never met before asked me about how the planning was going. Thousands of people followed our every post on Facebook and even more drenched us in prayer. As a project, it really brought our community together. We just wouldn't have been able to do that by sending a check.
Building a house for someone certainly is a work of mercy. But there's always more than mercy that goes into these trips. Our life together with the church in Shongweni and the family are very important parts of this work. We get to be an extension of Shongweni Lutheran Church and further their work in the community. Since we work on the house, Pastor Thwala joins us as we work, giving him a chance to know the family better.
Our presence also encourages the family. We built this house for a man named Philip Machnu and his family. He is sick, his wife struggles with mental illness, and their daughter was raped and now has AIDS. It would be understandable for a family in their situation to feel like God and the whole world have forgotten them. Having a team of foreigners come in and show mercy means that they are not forgotten. We wanted to be there for them and, more importantly, God has not forgotten them. It's really hard to do that by just sending a check.
As for the builder, we actually worked with a builder from Shongweni named Phanie. He taught us how to build the house and did some of the more difficult masonry himself. He also finishes what we don't get done. Sometimes that's a lot. The man is a wizard with trowel and block. At least once several of us just stood watching in amazement as he laid block. He did get paid for helping us. Basically he got free help from us on his job and will be able to move on to a new job quickly. He also enjoys working with these teams of volunteers because we share our love for the community. Phanie has been working with Carl on builds since 2007.
Are the people who get the house going to help?
Philip was not able to help more than a few minutes the first morning because he is ill. However, his adult son, Siabonga (which means thank you), was a huge help. At night he would bring more blocks to the worksite. Each morning he greater us with a huge smile and helped with some of the hardest work on the site. Although he couldn't speak a word of English, we learned that he is planning on earning some money for better plaster for his parent's new house. This is what we want to see.
Does this family belong to the church?
No they don't. Pastor Thwala suggests families based on need, not church membership. They will receive a Zulu Bible and an invitation to church. However, houses are given with no strings attached by the congregation. On a happy note, Philip’s daughter did come to church the Sunday after we finished. That alone gave us as much joy as any other part of our work.
How far along do most teams get with the house?
It's different for every team of course, but Julia did say that out team was the first she had seen to put the roof on the house, which we did. The last nails went into the roof just before we dedicated it.
Basically I think it is fare to say this, the Machnu family's house was built to fit in and not stick out. You can also see that we are continually learning how to do this better so that the people are better served.
In closing, here is a prayer for the house and those who live there.
Oh Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, you give hope to the hopeless and strength to the weak. Bless this house and all who stay here. Show them your love and mercy each day. Send them Your Holy Spirit to show them Christ’s love and mercy so that they would have faith in the Savior. Drive far away all the forces of evil and send Your Holy angels to watch over them. Grant it all for the sake of your mercy, oh Lord, for you live and reign with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
