EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER
THE PLAYERS
MARTHA---"SQUAT" OWNER
The full story of Martha is found on my blog entry the cleaning lady.
Facts:
- Husband of many years forced her out of her home because he decided he was choosing a younger wife
- They were both endowed church members
- Husband threatened to have her done away with if she tried to get the 50% the court allocated her in the divorce
- Ran to hide, no money, no source of income, every thing she owned was in the "squat"
- Slept on the dirt with a blanket for 8 years. (more later)
THE CONTRACTOR / NEGOTIATOR:
President Banda from the Branch Presidency found and negotiated with the builders.
THE FINANCIER
THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM
Lucas and his boys.
The famous "Loo" maker
Periodically, a few volunteers from
the Branch Young Men!
Sanele, Thabang, and Peace
Sanele, Thabang, and Peace
THE DAILY CHEERLEADERS
THE HOUSE THAT MARTHA BUILD
When I first met Martha at church, she was reluctant for me to visit her house. It soon became apparent that she had very little in the way of food. Over the course of several weeks her story unfolded. One day a sister at church brought her some food. I asked her if she had enough food, "Ishhh Sister Hunt, it is hard. I have not money. I just find piece jobs and some times people will give me something". She told me of after her husband ran her out of the house she came to this area because she had a sister that had given her a "stand" (lot in the USA) for R50 or $5 in the USA. She rummaged around and found some old corrugated tin, boards and an old door and built her self a house. I told her she should never be ashamed of her house, she built it herself and she was self reliant. That was what the Lord expects us to be. She need to be proud of that. We started visiting her home and it was worse that I ever expected.
I hired Martha as my cleaning lady so she would have some income. The rate here for domestic help is around R120 ($12) a day. I struck a deal for one day a week and at R150 a day ($15). I am telling you the pay for domestic help and labor is shameful here.
Martha had lived in this "squat" for 8 years, sleeping on the floor with only a blanket, all the food she had you see above, no electricity, no refrigeration, she cooked on a kerosene burner about 3 inches in diameter, she toileted in the bushes (and yes snakes live there---how would you like that as a potential bite on the butt.) Her squat was in a dangerous area at night and she told of running in to the bushes in the middle of the night when some drunks would come down her road and would come to her stand.
Elder Hunt and I had many sleepless night about her condition. She is a good lady, knows the gospel, sings hymns all day but what a life.
Elder Hunt said, if we do nothing else we are going to help her. We had to have a local to negotiate with the locals so we didn't get robbed and we knew we could not be there because of our mission work. Elder Banda became the one. He pretended to be the one helping her and we are so thankful to him. He was there daily to make sure the workers were doing what the needed to do and he gave hours of selfless physical work.
THE HOUSE THAT BANDA AND BOB BUILT
BARRIERS TO HOUSE BUILDING
TERRIBLE ROADS!
RUTS
5 FT WIDE IN SOME PLACES---INTERESTING GETTING DELIVERY TRUCKS THERE
ROCKS
BUT, IT WAS LIKE MANY ROADS WE TRAVEL
THE WORST!!!
SCARY MONSTERS LURKING NEAR BY--
THE SEEN AND UNSEEN
Martha's daily guests. She tells of waking up one night with a large snake in her squat on top of her blanket. She ran out side and slept there. Now, I would have been long gone forever---We American ladies are faint of heart! I did get use to these lizzies.
WEEK 1
MOVE ROCKS
DIG FOUNDATION
MAKE FOUNDATION
START WALLS
WEEK 2
FINISH WALLS
FRAME IN WINDOWS AND DOORS
WEEK 3
MOVING ALONG
WALLS
ROOF
BURGLAR BARS
lots of neighbor visitors---They can't believe it is going so fast!
WEEK 4
Electric Power is another story here. She went to sign up for it and they said great. They would come when they had an enough in the area that wanted some work done....We were sure it would be 6 month. But, Heavenly Father knows! Had it in 3 weeks.
Funny Story:
After Martha moved into the house, she came to church the second night after getting electricity. "Sister Hunt, Lucas (the builder) he did not do a good job on the power. We must call him." Me: "Why is that", Martha: "Because all night these lights outside my window come on and off, on and off". Elder Hunt had told Lucas to put in security lights on the outside so if there were people out there she would know. I explained to her what was happening and she definitely wanted to keep the lights.
WEEK 5
GLASS IN THE WINDOWS
FINISHED THE LOO
AND MARTHA HAS A BEFORE AND AFTER HOUSE LOOK
Before she moved in and the house was complete, we came one morning and the squat was gone. I asked her why she did not wait for someone to come and help here. She said, " Sister Hunt I made this squat with my own hands, I lived in it for 8 years, I wanted to be the one to take it down.
The toilet or "loo" was a major controversy. Elder Hunt and I tried to convince her to have it in her house and then make a little tiled area where she could bathe. She was concerned, she doesn't like those "bathroom sounds" in her house. She also worried that it is not a clean thing. We went back and forth for several weeks and she finally agreed to have it in her house, then one day we arrive and she had a loo built outside...not sure what the deal is with these folks and there out houses....(refer to a prior blog).
MARTH'S NEW HOUSE
To most of us, this is a humble house. But, it is very typical for the area and Martha thinks she has the most wonderful house and that is all that really matters.
Martha loves her new bed and wardrobe. From day one she just wanted some place so she could sleep in a bed and have a wardrobe. Thanks to one of you it happened.
The refrigerator was beyond her wildest dream. This was a gift from two couples that just heard about the house.
Even the Loo got decorated up! She wanted an outside water source for her laundry and now she has inside and outside water.
Every week Martha reminds us that the Heavenly Father sent the Elder Hunt and me to answer her prayers. She talks about laying in bed at night crying because she saw no hope. She knew she would grow old and die in that squat and she did not want others to find her there. She prayed incessantly that she could find a way out. And, she is sure that we were the answer from Heavenly Father to help her.
I am not sure about that, but I am sure there was a lot of intervention from our Heavenly Father. The make over cost about 6x more than initially estimated, but it has been the best money we have ever spent. Every time there was something needed, prayers were answered by your generosity. You will all be blessed.
There were many tears during these 6 weeks. I rarely cry anymore, I think my Reid event used them all....but, there were constant tears of joy here. Every few days, to see Martha's excitement was more than I can describe.
Thank you, thank you for helping make this possible. We know the best, caring people.
